Upper Mustang Trek-The Forbidden Kingdom

The Upper Mustang Trek finds its way to Mustang’s secret Buddhist land, also known as Lo. This isolated trans-Himalayan mountain region borders Tibet and has a strong Tibetan feeling for it, both in its people and history, and in its arid cliffs and rocks of rare shapes and colors.

The trek visits Kagbeni, the doorway to Upper Mustang, then across a solid scenery in the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri massif to Lo-Manthang, the palace of former Lo Kings.

Discover caves, rock paintings, monasteries, gompa, and gain knowledge about this territory’s culture. This exciting journey includes panoramic views of Nilgiri, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and others!

Inside Lo Manthang itself, a visit to Namgyal Gompa and Tingkhar, the last major village in the region’s northwest, as well as the King’s Palace, provides a further cultural awareness of the city.

There’s also an amchi (traditional Tibetan doctor) museum and school, where tourists can learn about this ancient art of healing and how it’s modified to suit modern circumstances.

A few hours’ walk from Lo Manthang is Gyakar with Gompa. Ghar Gompa is over 1,200 years old, devoted to Guru Rinpoche, who then traveled these regions.

The Gompa is renowned for its rock paintings, and it’s claimed that if you make a wish, it will come true. So make a wish at Ghar Gompa, and expect to return eventually!

The trek is a fairly high elevation (3,000m-3,800 m), often exacerbated by dry air.

Although there is no problem for those born at this elevation to travel at velocity, tourists will be more leisurely on their hikes to avoid any elevation-related problems. On average, 5 to 7 hours a day is walked and some routes are especially dusty and windy.

However, this journey into the restricted region of Upper Mustang, which partly follows the old salt path, will stay forever in memory.

Check our other Optional Trekking package itineraries in Annapurna Region below:

Annapurna Circuit Trek 13 days , Tilicho Lake Mesokanta Pass Trekking, Annapurna Base Camp, Ghorepani Poon Hill trek

Day 01: Drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara (827m/2689ft) by tourist bus: 6-7 hours

After breakfast then leave for Pokhara, this is called Lake City because of the many lakes in the region. We are recompensed by the splendid views of the Himalayas, among them Dhaulagiri (8,167meters), Manaslu (8,156meters), Machhapuchhre (6,993meters), the five high peaks of Annapurna and more upon our arrival in Pokhara. Then we check in and relax at our hotel. Overnight in Pokhara

Day 02: Fly to Jomsom (2,700m/8898ft) and trek to Kagbeni (2,810m/9,216ft): 3-4 hours trek

Today we take an early morning flight to Jomsom, known for its apples, strong winds and scenery. We start our walk along a beautiful valley along an open path. We travel through the village of Eaklibatti before arriving at the ideal position on the two banks of Jomsom. The village is beautiful and has flat town houses with ruins from an ancient fortress. Overnight in Kagbeni

Day 03: Trek from Kagbeni to Chele (3,050m/10,004ft): 5-6 hours

We have our permits reviewed, and then continue our trek along the Kali Gandaki River. We travel on sand with heavy winds before scaling a hill. We enter the Tangbe Village, admiring its narrow streets, white-washed homes, barley and buckwheat fields, and apple orchards. We pass through another village and cross a river on our way. Next we walk on a ridge to Chele Village. Overnight stay in Chele

Day 04: Chele to Syanbochen (3,475m/11,398ft): 6-7 hours

Our today’s trek will be a little difficult compared to what we had before. Today we cross two passes: Taklam La Pass (3,624 meters) and Dajori La Pass (3,735meters). On our way, we’re enjoying great views of Tilicho, Yakawa Kang and Damodar Danda and passing Ramchung Cave. We’re moving down to Samar Settlement. We walk down a path above the village and enter a ridge. Next, we take a steep trail to a stream and resume our trek to Syanbochen. Overnight in Syanbochen

Day 05: Trek from Syanbochen to Ghami (3,520m/11,546ft): 5-6 hours

We climb 3,850m to Yamda La Pass. We walk by several tea houses, chortens and lovely villages. We travel through poplar forests and barley fields, entering Nyi Pass at 4,010 m. From here, we descend to Ghami, one of the region’s largest villages. The village is lovely with the areas covering the entire village. Overnight in Ghami

Day 06: Trek from Ghami to Tsarang (3,620m/11,873ft): 5-6 hours

Today’s trek starts with a descent via a tough and often slippery path. Then we cross the suspension bridge over the Ghami Khola and begin to ascend. The path is beautiful with a lot of walls along the trail. Next, we cross the Tsarang La Pass at 3870 m and reach the village of Tsarang. The village is situated at the top of the Charang Chu canyon, with a huge fortress and a red gompa to the east. Overnight stay in Tsarang

Day 07: Trek from Tsarang to Lo-Manthang (3,730m/12,234ft): 3-4 hours

We start our trek down to the canyon and cross the river before starting our uphill trek to Lo La Pass at 3950 m. We can admire the beautiful village of Lo Manthang from the top of the pass. From the pass, we go down to Lo Manthang, this is a gorgeous walled village. From here, the views of the Himalayas, including Nilgiri, Tilicho and Annapurna I, Bhrikuti Peak and Damodar Kunda (pond) are quite good. Overnight in Lo Manthang

Day 08: Acclimatization in Lo Manthang

Lo Manthang is a walled town throughout the remote Upper Mustang region of Nepal. We spend the day touring three of the city’s major gompas, namely Jhampa, Thupchen and Chhoeda. All these gompas have undergone expert reconstruction over the last two decades. We can also go on a trek to Tingkhar, a gorgeous village situated north-west of Lo-Mangthang. Overnight in Lo Manthang

Day 09: Trek from Lo-Mangthang to Drakmar (3810 m/12,500ft): 6-7 hours

We’re going on a different route when we get back from Lo-Manthang. Our trail passes through the village of Gyakar, which houses Ghar Gompa, a century old, with beautiful stone paintings. According to the legend, everyone who wants to gompa will have it fulfilled. We explore the Gompa River and continue our trek to Drakmar for an overnight stay.

Day 10: Trek from Drakmar to Ghiling (3,806m/12,484ft): 5-6 hours

We begin our trek early to prevent strong winds and get off most of the trek. Our path moves through the dry plateau and the fields before we reach Ghiling. Walking can be relatively hard, as we are most likely to encounter strong winds on our face. Ghiling is mostly dry, but we still have good views of the Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri mountains. We can visit the village in the evening. Overnight stay in Ghiling

Day 11: Trek from Ghiling to Chhuksang (3050m/10,004ft): 5-6 hours

After breakfast, we begin our trek. We’re walking on the same trail as before we’re going up to Lo Manthang. On the way to Chhuksang, we can enjoy real views of the Mountains and the small villages that we pass along the way. Overnight in Chhuksang

Day 12: Trek from Chhuksang to Jomsom (2,700/8,856ft): 6-7 hours

It’s the last day of our trek and it’s a long one. For a while after trek, we come to the end of our Mustang trails and join the Annapurna trails. We’re stopping at Kagbeni for lunch. After lunch, we will continue our trek to Jomsom for the night.

Day 13: Fly back to Pokhara

We fly to Pokhara early morning. The plane flies through a glacier between mountains Annapurna and Dhaulagiri making the flight an unforgettable experience. After arriving in Pokhara, we will enjoy the rest of the day. Overnight in Pokhara

Day 14: Drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu by tourist bus

Bid farewell to Fishtail and the Annapurnas as we continue heading back to Nepal. It will be a river bank ride with wonderful views of terraced hills and rural Nepalese lifestyle. Overnight in Kathmandu