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Upper Mustang Trek leads you to the hidden semi-independent kingdom of Nepal attached to the Tibetan Border. This region is also known as Lo. Hundreds of years back, Lo belonged to Tibetan rulers, hence the area is still highly impressed by Tibetan Buddhism. In many places, Mustang is described as a ‘Himalayan Cold Dessert’. Thousands of years old Buddhist monasteries, colorful rock formations, hundreds of caves, and more are some areas of interest.
Mustang area was restricted for foreigners by the Government of Nepal until 1992, though the area is restricted even today for individual trekkers or backpackers, and entering the area needs a minimum of 2 travelers traveling together through a Government licensed travel agency. The region lies in the Dhaulagiri rain shadow area so June / July / August is the best months to visit as the area experiences less rain on those months. Until recently, Upper Mustang Trek was accessible only in the camping mode but things have gotten easier now and lodges are available for meals and accommodation. It is a perfect destination for an adventurer wishing to see Tibetan-influenced traditions and cultures. It is spectacular Himalayan trekking behind the Himalayas which is perfect during monsoon season.
The huge, windy, cold, and dry land further Kagbeni to the Tibetan border is known as Upper Mustang which is a restricted area by the Nepal government. A visitor must have an immigration entry permit issued by the Department of Immigration, Nepal government to enter the land. The Upper Mustang area is popular for the exploration of centuries-old caves, unspoiled cultures, and hundreds of years old monasteries of the region. The trek is an adventure of a lifetime, it is a hidden gem. The Upper Mustang area is also known as “The Last Forbidden Kingdom”. Trekking to Upper Mustang is much more similar to trekking in the high lands of Tibet, China.
Tour Highlights
No of People | Price |
---|---|
01 Person | Contact Us |
02 – 05 Person | USD 2029 / per person |
06 – 09 Person | USD 1941 / per person |
10 Person Above | USD 1877 / per person |
Welcome to the city of temples and the country of the Himalayas. Our airport representative will be waiting for your arrival with a name card written your name. We will transfer you to the hotel. We will introduce you to the tour leader and have a short meeting about the tour.
We will collect your passports and photos to prepare your immigration permits. Original passports and visas are needed to collect Nepal immigration permits. You can explore the town on your own. We will have a trip briefing and introductory program with your guide once the permits are collected.
We will take breakfast at our hotel and catch our bus to Pokhara. This is approximately 8 hours drive through the beautiful hillsides, the towering Himalayas and thundering rivers, and pilgrimages alongside the road. In the evening, we will be visiting the lakeside area if time permits.
It is recommended to fly to Pokhara if you are looking for a comfortable way of traveling. It’s about 20-25 minutes of flight.
We will drive to the airport early in the morning to board our flight to Jomsom. It’s 15 – 20 minutes scenic flight in between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayas. Jomsom is one of the biggest towns of the Kaligandaki valley. We will collect our baggage then start the trek to Kagbeni. It’s a pretty easy walk but can be a windy day. We will be walking next to the dirt road heading to upper Mustang. We will have some grand views of Nilgiri Himalayas.
We will complete immigration permit formalities in Kagbeni check post and start our journey heading to the northern side of Kaligandaki valley. It’s picturesque trail following the bank of Kaligandaki river. We will be passing through several caves, monasteries, beautiful fields of barley, buckwheat, apple and wheat near Tangbe village. Continuing through the windy valley we will reach Chhusang village. We will cross a small stream and leave the Kaligandaki valley before reaching Chele for overnight.
Once we continue a bit we will cross the Kali Gandaki river and ascend towards the village of Samar. We will leave the Chhortens behind before entering another valley filled with juniper trees. We will have a great day followed by high altitude cold deserts in front and several panoramic white mountains behind. Continuing further we will descend to Shyangboche which is a small settlement of local people.
Once our breakfast in the lodge is served, we will start our hike to Ghami. Initially, we will start climbing to the Yamda La pass at 3,840M. Continuing further through poplar forests and barley fields will eventually take us to Nyi Pass at 4,000M. Further, from here, we will start descending to Ghami for overnight, one of the beautiful villages of the region.
The day starts with a descent until we cross the Ghami Khola before we start ascending. The trail is often slippery with a loose mud. The trail is decorated with mani walls along the trail. We will cross Charang La Pass (2850M) before reaching Charang village. This is probably the driest day among the whole treks.
We will visit a monastery in Charang village before we commence our journey to Lo Manthang. The trail is spectacular with the views of various Himalayan peaks including Annapurna I, Nilgiri, Tilicho Peak, and Bhrikuti. Encountering with isolated Chhrotens will differentiate Charang and Lo Manthang. We will continue our journey along the southern walls surrounding the valley. Here we will reach Lo Manthang.
Our main destination; Lo Manthang is here. There are several things to explore around the town. We will be visiting a few monasteries and visit the royal family of Mustang. We have a whole day to rest, relax and explore the beautiful valley of Lo Manthang. In the afternoon, we will visit three major gompas of the town namely Jhampa, Thupchen, and Chhoeda.
We will use a different route to Drakmar than the one we took while coming to Lo Manthang. Following several ups and downs, we will reach Ghar where we will explore a monastery which is believed to be 1200 years old. Local people believe that any wishing made in the monastery is fulfilled. Continuing further will take us to Dhakmar village for overnight.
Starting the trek earlier will protect us from heavy wind that is often experienced around mid-day. It is impressive as well as appealing. We will be crossing the longest Mani wall of Mustang and ancient Chortens. Ghiling is decorated with a monastery, sky caves, and buckwheat field.
We start our journey to Chele following the left side of the valley where we will meet flocks of sheep and goats grazing in the valley. We will follow the same trail used to go to Lo Manthang in the earlier days. We will pass through Syanboche, Samar, and Chele before reaching Chuksang for overnight stay. We will have beautiful Himalayan scenery along the way.
We will be following the Kaligandaki valley all the way to Jomsom. It will be a windy and dry day following the dirt roads in several places. As soon as we reach Kagbeni we will reach the popular Annapurna Circuit trail and continue towards Jomsom following the Kaligandaki river. It’s our final day walk so celebrating the end of the successful trek in Jomsom should not be missed.
We will be following the Kaligandaki valley all the way to Jomsom. It will be a windy and dry day following the dirt roads in several places. As soon as we reach Kagbeni we will reach the popular Annapurna Circuit trail and continue towards Jomsom following the Kaligandaki river. It’s our final day walk so celebrating the end of the successful trek in Jomsom should not be missed.
We will follow the same highway through beautiful rivers, hills and small Nepalese settlements. The drive will take about 8 hours to drop us in Kathmandu. Form the tourist bus park you will be transferred to the hotel. In the evening you can explore the town probably buying souvenirs for friends and family members.
We will drive you to the airport approximately 3 hours before your flight time. The airport is small and has only 1 terminal. It’s time to say goodbye until we meet again!
Meals and Accommodation: Annapurna Base Camp Trek is a complete tea house-based route hence we will be sleeping and eating in the lodges. Regarding the cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara, we provide 3-star category hotel accommodation with only breakfast. The lodges on the trek will be mostly shared bathroom / shared toilet while in 1/2 places we may provide you rooms with private toilet (depending on availability).
The meals on the trek will be mostly locally prepared using local ingredients most of the time however Kathmandu and Pokhara offer a wide selection of meals in basic to high standard luxury lounges. On the trek, the number of meal items will be limited to a small number and the tastes might not be similar to the actual item; pizza may not taste like pizza.
Best Season for the Trek: Spring and autumn are considered better for Annapurna Sanctuary Trek / Annapurna Base Camp Trekking. The best time to trek is usually during the dry season, from September to early December and early March to early June. In the winter and spring, there is a chance of snow on some of the high-altitude passes, while rainfall can make parts of the trail impassable in monsoon even though the trek can be done in the monsoon / rainy season. Autumn ensures a clear and dry high-mountain pass with a good chance of a clear view of towering Himalayan peaks.
The best months for ABC Trek are March, April, May, early June, September, October, November, and December. The Spring Season begins in March and runs until May, while the Fall season runs from September through November. The main reason for having a narrow window is that the mountains on each side of the valley will be filled with snow and ice and can prove treacherous for trekkers. The trek is doable throughout the year (in fact it’s popular all over the year) however during monsoon season, there are risks of avalanches between Himalaya Hotel and Deurali
This trekking route is one of the most popular treks in the world and many people flock to do it each year.
The prices are different based on the number of people traveling together. The larger the group size, the lower the price will be. For example, the price for 1 person will be higher than the price per person based on 2 people. Similarly, comparing to the prices per person for 2 – 5 people traveling together will be higher than the prices per person for 6 – 9 people traveling together. However, the prices you will see at the time of the booking will be final regardless of price changes in the future.
We accept all major currencies such as USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, SGD, MYR, GBP, THB, CHF, JPY, HKD, etc. Credit card payments are accepted only in USD. We also accept bank transfers, direct remittance services (Western Union, Moneygram), etc.
March to early June, and September to December are considered the best months for this trek. The trek is done throughout the trek however there are risks of avalanches during monsoon season (mid-June to the end of September) however ABC Trek is one of the most popular treks that runs throughout the year.
The trek has free cancellation 60 days before departure. Any cancellations received within 60 days of departure will incur 15% cancellation fees of the total tour price.
We will be eating and sleeping in the lodges for the whole trek (Day 3 to Day 12 lunch). Generally, rice, noodles, pasta, vegetables, curry, potatoes, eggs, sandwiches, burgers, etc. are available. Meat is available in few places and it’s highly recommended to avoid it due to hygiene reasons.
The lodges will have twin sharing rooms. In most cases, we will provide you a private room or twin sharing rooms however in rare cases you may need to share the rooms with other travelers (especially if you are traveling alone).
Usually, a person with previous multiday hiking experiences is welcome to join our treks. If you do not have previous hiking experiences but still if you are able to walk for 6-7 hours every day, then we are happy to take you on board. The route can be tried by novice travelers even though a couple of days are quite hard comparing to most other days.
Yes, you can do this trek with kids above 10 years old. The trek is not suitable for kids below 10. Make sure your kid is active and fit to join the adventure, we also recommend adding 1/2 additional days to make it more comfortable.
We have very experienced guides at the company. We have guides experienced for at least 7 years to 22 years. All our guides are the Ministry of Tourism trained and licensed by the Nepal Government.
I and my partner did Upper Mustang Trek with Himalayanleisure in June 2018. It was a great experience. The flights couldn’t happen due to bad weather so we took a private jeep which was an adventure. The trek was arranged nicely and the staffs were very caring. Our guide and porter made the trek possible. It is a beautiful trek I can recommend to other people in rainy season in Nepal. In general, when we reach high, there was no rain.
Very friendly guide, amazing boss who has been to Malaysia 3 times and very strong porter. The services provided were more than our expectations. A truly beautiful trekking in Nepal. The jeep from Jomsom to Beni is tiring and definitely no if options are available.
Great organizing skills and an excellent company! Everything was timely managed and great foods and accommodation was provided.
I am back to home after spending more than 2 weeks in Nepal and a trek with Himalayan Leisure company operated by Upendra, a professional guys committed to work. The trekking was together with my wife and a guide and a porter from the company. Everything went so smooth and well organized. The trekking was more than beautiful from starting to the end. Lots of traditional people were met on this route. Very few people away from crowds which makes sense after you pay hefty fees to enter the area. I am totally satisfied with this trekking route, this was an amazing experience for both of us!