Upper Mustang
Lifestyle of Mustang
Upper Mustang
Garphu Cave, chhoser Upper Mustang
Upper Mustang
Lo-Monthang Capital of upper Mustang

About Upper Mustang Trek - 18 Days

We can say Upper Mustang Trek is a magical journey that takes you to the mysterious Buddhist Kingdom, Lo Manthang. This place is also referred to as a lost forbidden kingdom, where time has been stopped for centuries. The trail follows a dry terrain, which involves numerous passes, steep, rocky & slop paths. Upper Mustang Trekking is the perfect journey for you if you are looking for a less crowded trail and unspoiled nature. To preserve the cultural heritage and nature of this region, the Nepal government has imposed strict laws and expensive permits with only 1000 foreign entries every year.

As the Upper Mustang is close to Tibet, the region has got the huge influence of Tibetan culture, tradition, and practices. The arid landscape, unusual formations of rocks, and panoramic views of the Himalayan mountains like Mt. Annapurna (8,091 m), Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Mt. Nilgiri (7,061 m), Tilicho Peak (7,134 m), Bhrikuti Peak (6,364 m), etc will blow your mind away. Along the way, you will visit old gompas, caves, and monasteries. Likewise, there will be numerous mani walls, chortens, and prayer flags on the way. 

Upper Mustang Trek 18 Days will let you get a lifetime experience. The locals here are friendly and will surely win your heart. We have been organizing Upper Mustang Trek for a very long time. Our guides are well known with the trail. You will get full support during Upper Mustang Trekking with us. Check our Useful information section to know more about the trek. You can also send your queries regarding the Upper Mustang Trek package or Upper Mustang Trek cost anytime to us

 

Highlights of Upper Mustang Trek - 18 Days

  • Scenic flight to Jomsom
  • Trek through picturesque villages and lush forests
  • Off-the-beaten trail
  • Cross several passes
  • Explore Lo Manthang
  • Visit ancient Jhampa, Thupchen, and Chhoeda gompas
  • Visit a century-old Ghar Gompa
  • Experience rich culture and tradition of locals influenced of Tibetans
  • Get to see the breath-taking scenery and stunning snow-capped Himalaya mountain views

Itinerary

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Welcome to Nepal. You will arrive at Kathmandu airport, where our airport representative picks you up and escorts you to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day relaxing and strolling on the vibrant streets of Thamel. In the late evening, you will go for a welcome dinner organized by the company and meet with other team members.

  • Overnight in the hotel
  • Kathmandu
  • Welcome dinner

Wake up early and begin the day with a delicious breakfast. After that, follow your tour guide to UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Boudhnath Stupa, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath, etc. All these places will present the art, architecture, and history of Nepal. In the afternoon, meet with the trek guide and prepare for the trek. Do final packing and go shopping if anything is needed.

  • Overnight in the hotel
  • Kathmandu
  • Breakfast only

Today, you will take a 6 hours drive to Pokhara, the second largest city of Nepal. There is also an option of flight, which is around 35 minutes long from Kathmandu to Pokhara. You can visit tourist sites later in the afternoon. Spend the evening soaking calmness of Fewa Lake and boating on it. 

  • Overnight in the hotel
  • Pokhara
  • Breakfast only

Take an early morning scenic flight to Jomsom. This is the starting point of the trek. From here, you begin trekking towards Kagbeni, enjoying stunning views of snow-capped Himalayan mountains. The trail passes by small villages and narrow paths.

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Jomsom
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

You will register your permits in Kagbeni and begin trekking along the Kali Gandaki River. Along the way, you might have to face the strong wind. The trail gradually ascends to Tangbe village and continues following narrow alleyways. Further, passing by white-washed houses and buckwheat fields, you trek through small villages and cross a river to reach Chele.

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • chele
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

From Chele, the trail crosses two passes called Taklam La Pass (3,624m) and Dajori La Pass (3,735m). It is going to be a long and tough walking day. From the top of both passes, you will see stunning views of snow-capped peaks like Damodar Danda, Tilicho Peak, and Yakawa Kang. The trail then passes by Ramchung Cave and descends to Samar village. From here, you drop down to a stream and move towards Syangboche.

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Syangboche
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Leaving Syangboche behind, the trail climbs to Yamda La Pass (3,850 m). Further, the trail passes by small fine villages, lush forests, and barley fields. Crossing Nyi La Pass (4,010 m), you descend to Ghami to spend the night. It is one of the biggest villages in the Lo region. 

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Gami
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Descending through the rocky and slippery trail, you will reach Ghami Khola. From here, you will cross a suspension bridge over the Khola and ascend towards Tsarang La Pass (3,870 m). Along the way, you will come across ancient mani walls. From the pass, you descend to Tsarang village, situated at the top of Charang Chu canyon. Here, you will visit an old-red gompa.

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Tsarang
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

From Tsarang village, the trail descends to a canyon and crosses a river. You then slowly climb to Lo La Pass (3,950 m). The top of the pass offers a surreal view of Lo Manthang village. The trail from pass descends towards Lo Manthang, the last kingdom of Nepal. You will see stunning views of Mt. Nilgiri, Mt. Annapurna, Bhrikuti Peak, Tilicho Peak, etc along the way.

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Lo Manthang
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Today, you will spend the day in Lo Manthang, exploring the village and visiting ancient gompas like Jhampa, Chhoeda, and Thupchen. All of these gompas are very old. You will also go on a hike to Tingkhar, located on the northwest of Lo Manthang. Moreover, you will get to spend time observing the unique lifestyle of locals and their rich culture.

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Lo Manthang
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

From Lo Manthang, you will go on a different route and move towards Dakmar. The trail passes by Gtakar village. Here, you will visit a century-old monastery called Ghar Gompa. Further, the trail descends to Dakmar, where you will be spending the night. 

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Dakmar
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

The trail from Dakmar to Syangboche involves an arid and windy area. To avoid strong wind, you will begin trekking early in the morning. Descending through small villages and fields, enjoying surreal views of Mt. Nilgiri and Mt. Dhaulagiri, you reach Syangboche.

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Syangboche
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Leaving Syangboche behind, you begin the day walking through small villages. The trail includes many ascends and descends. Along the way, you can see superb views of mountains, hills, and landscapes. 

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Chhusang
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

After having a warm breakfast, you will continue trekking and join the Annapurna Circuit Trek. The trail today goes through fields and small vine villages. Further, passing by apple orchards and narrow alleyways, you reach Kagbeni.

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Kagbeni
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

From Kagbeni, you will follow the same trail and trek back to Jomsom. The trail gradually descends, offering stunning views of snow-capped mountains and scattered settlements. 

  • Overnight in the teahouse
  • Jomsom
  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner

An early morning flight takes you back to Kathmandu. The flight offers breath-taking views of the Himalayan mountains. Upon landing at Pokhara airport, you move to the hotel. You will have the rest of the day to explore around and visit the local market. 

  • Overnight in the hotel
  • Kathmandu
  • Breakfast only

This is an extra day in Kathmandu. Spend the day exploring the local market and shopping. Later, in the late evening, meet with the team members over farewell dinner and end the day with lots of laughter & chitchat.

  • Overnight in the hotel
  • Kathmandu
  • Breakfast & farewell dinner

You will leave for your home today. According to your flight departure time, our airport representative will drop you at the terminal gate and bid you our last goodbye.

  • Breakfast only

Good to Know

Upper Mustang trek difficulty

Upper Mustang Trek is both a moderate and difficult trek. The difficulty level of Upper Mustang Trek completely depends on your endurance. You can customize the trail at your convenience. In general, the trail is a bit on the tough side, then other usual treks. The terrain and the climate are different from the usual trekking regions of Nepal, which makes the journey arduous. Plus, there is also the risk of altitude sickness. With our professionally designed Upper Mustang Trek itinerary and support, you can smoothly complete the trek.

Upper Mustang trek map

The Upper Mustang Trek map is designed to let you easily understand the trail. You can go through both hardcopy or softcopy. We have followed our Upper Mustang Trek itinerary to make the map. The map shows all the night stops and highlighted views.

Best time to go on Upper Mustang trek

You can visit Upper Mustang in spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November). These are the peak months to explore the hidden arid beauty of Upper Mustang. The climate is moderate, and the weather is stable, which makes the journey flawless. Likewise, May is also very famous for Upper Mustang Trekking if you want to dwell in the magical Tiji festival. Trekking in May will let you experience the rich culture and unique practice of the locals. 

And, the best thing about Upper Mustang Trek 18 days is that it is also possible in monsoon (July to September). Upper Mustang falls under the rain shadow area, which means the region does not receive rain at all. Winter is not a good time to go on this trek. The region gets extremely cold and locals themselves migrate to lower altitudes.

Accommodation & Food during Upper Mustang trek

You stay overnight in the teahouse during Upper Mustang Trek. As it is one of the least developed areas in the Himalayas, the facilities on the trail are limited. Teahouse here is very basic. You will get twin-sharing rooms with a shared washroom. You might get hot shower facilities in some places. Anyway, we will book you the best possible accommodation for you during the trek.

The meals are served as per the menu of the teahouse. Dishes like dal bhat, curries, bread, toast, sandwich, porridge, noodles, Tibetan dishes, etc are available. At the highest altitude, you will get more Tibetan dishes. Likewise, you can get free boiled water in the teahouse. Instead of buying bottled water on the trail, we urge you to carry a reusable water bottle and refill it. You can also carry a water purification tablet for extra safety.

Upper Mustang trek Packing List

Before buying the gears, please know that you can buy everything in Kathmandu as well. We advise you to keep your luggage light and do heavy shopping in Nepal. This will also help local shops and contribute to the economy.

  • Inner Layer
  • Down Jacket
  • Windcheater 
  • Trekking shirt
  • Trekking pants
  • Thermal wears 
  • Breathable underwear
  • Trousers
  • Warm socks & gloves
  • Strong Trekking Shoes
  • Trekking Socks
  • Sandals/Flip-Flops
  • Sunglasses
  • Sun Hat and Fleece Hat
  • Scarf or Buff
  • A comfortable backpack with a cover
  • A good quality Sleeping bag
  • Trekking Poles
  • Headlamp
  • First aid kits
  • Sunscreen Lotion
  • Water purification tablets
  • Toiletries (Hand Sanitizer, tissue paper, towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, small mirror, toilet paper, etc)
  • Miscellaneous (Journal, pen, books, games, camera, extra battery, snacks & bars, etc)