Join us to explore the Last Forbidden Kingdom - Upper Mustang, a semi-arid landscape in the northern-west part of our country. Upper Mustang Trek is a unique adventure that takes you into the heart of the ancient Tibetan kingdom in the shadows of the giant Annapurna range. The journey offers stunning desert landscapes, dramatic cliffs, and colorful rock formations with rich Tibetan culture and tradition to experience. Accessible to visitors for only about three decades, this destination has quickly become a favorite for those looking to experience a journey back in the modern era.
Come along on an extraordinary 17-day Upper Mustang Trekking adventure and explore one of Nepal's most stunning remote terrains. This incredible journey offers a rare glimpse into ancient Tibetan cultures and breathtaking landscapes.
Upon arriving in Nepal, you will be welcomed by one of our team members at Tribhuvan International Airport. They will escort you to your designated hotel and assist you in checking in at the hotel. The schedule afterward does not include any activities so you may rest or spend the remaining day at your convenience.
The next day, you’ll travel to Pokhara, the gateway to the Annapurna region, before taking a scenic flight to Jomsom. This marks the beginning of your adventure into the mystical realm of Upper Mustang, and notice a distinct change in scenery from the green valley to the deserted valley of Kagbeni.
This dramatic change in landscape continues as you ascend from Kagbeni to Chele and onward to Gelling. Wind-eroded cliffs, deep gorges, and shades of brown in all sorts of rock formations create an otherworldly panorama that will leave you in awe. The same scenery can be witnessed while trekking to Charang, another ancient town on this exciting journey.
Departing from Charang, you enter Lo Manthang, the former capital city of the Kingdom of Lo, which remains still equally significant to the people of this region. Known as the walled city, this ancient medieval town is encircled by a high earthen wall adorned with square towers, or dzongs, at each corner. Inside these formidable walls lies a tightly-knit settlement of traditional earthen structures, preserving the town's historic charm.
Within this compact settlement, visitors can find several centuries-old monasteries and the palace of a former ruler. Besides historical monuments, several rows of chhortens and mane walls give you a glimpse into their deep-rooted faith. Do pause to admire the intricate murals and religious artifacts that adorn these glorious monuments.
The journey from Lo Manthang continues to Namgyal Gompa where you will once again get to experience deeper insights into the rich Buddhist heritage of the region. As you make your way back, you will pass through Drakmar and Syangmochen where you will get to see red cliffs and vast valleys.
From Syangmochen, the trek continues to Muktinath, a pilgrimage site for both Buddhists and Hindus. Every year thousands of visitors visit this sacred temple for various reasons and it is quite a unique experience to witness beliefs and rites towards their respective deities. A visit to Muktinath is truly a peaceful and rejuvenating experience that one must not miss.
With a visit to Muktinath, the trekking portion culminates at Muktinath and you will descend to Jomsom for the flight back to Pokhara. From Pokhara, you will drive back to Kathmandu, enjoying the passing scenery along the way. The trip concludes the following day, and one of our team members will accompany you to the airport for your journey back home.
Throughout the trek, you'll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the unique culture of the Loba people, witness ancient traditions, and admire some of the dramatic sceneries in the world. Do become part of this incredible spiritual journey where one connects with Mother Nature and the cultural essence of this remote territory.
The first day marks your arrival day in Kathmandu. Clear all the visa requirements and customs clearance if any at the arrival section of the airport. As you come out, you will find a representative from World Alpine Treks waiting for you holding a board with your name. You will then be transferred to your hotel at Kathmandu. The representative will shortly inform you about the plans ahead.
The second day is a day tour just to warm up before your trekking journey. Kathmandu is a city enriched with artistic palaces, beautiful monuments, ancient temples, and other constructions of historical and cultural importance. No wonder, the city has seven out of ten UNESCO-listed world heritage sites. Today, you will be guided to the UNESCO-listed heritage sites in Kathmandu. These heritages are perfect examples of the rich history, fine culture and architectural treasures of Nepal. At first, you will be taken to Kathmandu Durbar Square. The art, crafts, and carvings in the palaces, temples, and other monuments of the Durbar Square are excellent. After that, you will be escorted to Swayambhunath stupa (Monkey Temple), Pashupatinath Temple, and Boudhanath stupa respectively. (Inclusive of breakfast)
In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel for a drive to the lakeside city of Pokhara. Today, we take a scenic drive along the Prithvi highway for around six to seven hours to Pokhara. We pass through some amazing landscapes throughout the journey. In the first half portion, we will be able to get some stunning views of the Trishuli River along with hills and villages. In the second half, the countryside landscape and the greenery will keep you engaged. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to a hotel in Pokhara. Check in to the hotel and rest for a while. In the evening, we can walk down the lakeside and enjoy some fascinating views of lakes and mountains. Tonight, we stay at a hotel in Pokhara (inclusive of breakfast and lunch)
Early in the morning, you will be escorted to the Pokhara airport for an early flight to Jomsom. The flight to Jomsom is filled with wonderful mountain views. You will be rewarded with the astonishing views of Annapurna massif that rise above eight thousand meters. Jomsom is a wonderful town popular for its apple orchards, picturesque landscape, and hostile people. We begin our trek today from Jomsom. We follow the trail that opens up to a Kagbeni. Kagbeni is a beautiful village and the main gate to Upper Mustang. In the 14th century, it used to be a checkpoint for traders. Now, there is a checkpoint that records the trekkers traveling to Muktinath and Mustang region. Tonight, we are staying at a guesthouse in Kagbeni. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
After breakfast in the guesthouse, we follow a trail that goes through the eastern bank of the Kaligandaki River. We traverse through several ridges on the way to Tangbe village. It is a beautiful village with narrow alleys and traditional whitewashed houses. We walk through the fields of buckwheat, barley, wheat, etc as we pass the village. The view of Nilgiri Himal from the village is stunning. Leaving Tangbe, we pass the village of Chhusang and climb up a huge rock. We ascend to come out of the Kaligandaki valley and further climb up steep to Chele. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse in Chele. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Following the trail to the Upper Mustang, we leave the village of Chele and climb up towards Samar village. As we move ahead, we can notice a change in the atmosphere. As we move up, we traverse into a dry, arid, and treeless area. We climb up steep to a rock cairn enjoying some wonderful views of the Mustang region. A long descent from the cairn leads us to Samar village. From the village, we climb up to a ridge enjoying the majestic views of Nilgiri Himal. Further, we descend and continue towards a valley. We follow a route that goes up to another ridge and descends to Shyangmochen. We continue our walk until we reach the village of Geling. Tonight, we are staying at a guesthouse in Geling. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Leaving Geling, we climb up to the pass of NYI and descend to the cliffs. We cross a steel bridge over the Tangmar Chu River and continue our walk until we come across a long mani wall in the Mustang. We ascend to a pass at an elevation of 3600 meters and make a long descent down to the Charang village. In the village, we can visit an old five-story dzong and a red gompa. The collection of statues, thankas, and paintings in these dzongs and gompas is fascinating. Tonight, we are staying at a guesthouse in Charang. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
From Charang, the trail ascends steeply to Lo Gekar. In Lo Gekar, there is an old gompa whose existence is older than the Samye Gompa in Tibet. We visit this old gompa and continue our journey up towards the upper Mustang. Today, we take a trail to Lo Manthang along a well-defined path with some minor climbs on the way. Lo Manthang is marked by a long wall at the entrance. From the entrance, we take a short descent down and cross a small stream on the way. We further climb up to the plateau of Lo Manthang. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse in Lo Manthang. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Today, we spend our day exploring around the village of Lo Manthang. After breakfast, we walk up to a hilltop to visit Namgyal Gompa. It is an important monastery in the village that serves as a local court. After visiting the gompa, we head towards Tingkar. It is the last village that lies northwest of Lo Manthang. The village has nearby about 40 houses. The villages resemble that of the Tibetan villages. Even we can notice the dominance of the Tibetan Buddhist religion and culture in this place. Tonight, we return to our guesthouse in Lo Manthang. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Leaving Lo Manthnag, we take a trail that ascends steadily to Chogo La. As we climb up, we can enjoy some stunning views of the entire Lo Manthang. The Chogo La at an elevation of 4210 meters is the highest point of this trek. From the pass, we descend to Charang River and cross a bridge over the river. We further climb up to Lo Gekar and head towards Ghar Gompa. It is a small old monastery on the way. We then climb up a ridge and cross a valley to alpine meadows. The trail further drops down along an eroded path to Drakmar. Tonight, we return to our guesthouse in Drakmar (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
From Drakmar, we follow a trail that drops down and passes some stone walls and fields along the village. We climb up a ridge and again descend to the lower part of Ghami and then to Jaite. We again descend to Chhung Kah via Jaite. Finally, we start walking to Tama Gaon and continue our descent down until we reach Shyangmochen. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Syangmochen. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
After all the long day walks down, we follow a stream that flows all the way down to Chhusang. There is an alternative route to Chhusang via Samar village. You can take that route if interested. You will be able to visit a Ranchung cave if you take that route. However, you will have to walk for around half an hour if you opt for that route.
Today, we ascend to Muktinath. Muktinath is a very popular spiritual hub of the Annapurna region. The place holds a high value amongst Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. Many Hindu pilgrims visit this place early with high dedication and devotion. At first, we ascend to Khingar and continue along with a fortress-like village to Jharkot. We further follow a trail that takes us to Muktinath. Tonight, we are staying at a guesthouse/ lodge in Muktinath. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Early in the morning, we walk to Muktinath for amazing views of mountains in the Annapurna range. Appreciating the glories of the mountains, we descend to Jomsom. Tonight, enjoy your time in Jomsom with the warm hospitality of the local people. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Today, we take an early flight to Pokhara. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel. Enjoy your time at the hotel in Pokhara. In the evening, you can walk to the lakeside and enjoy the serenity in the environment. (Inclusive of breakfast).
Concluding our trip, we drive back via the same route along the Prithvi Highway to Kathmandu. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kathmandu. Tonight, we are staying at a hotel in Kathmandu. (Inclusive of breakfast and lunch).
Before a few hours of your scheduled flight, you will be transferred to the international terminal of Tribhuwan International Airport. (Inclusive of Breakfast).
