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There is a peaceful, gorgeous but forgotten kingdom in the northern part of the Mustang District of Nepal called the Kingdom of Lo. This Upper Mustang Trek by Sabbatical Explore Nepal is a trek to explore the kingdom and the upper part of Mustang, a trans-Himalayan region.
Upper Mustang Trek is a 17-day itinerary to untangle the picturesque, historical, and cultural Upper Mustang Area. The exciting journey brings you to traverse the semi-deserted side of the Annapurna Region. You will head to the northernmost side of the Mustang Region and explore places like Lo Manthang and Dhamkar.
The voyage has enough mountain vistas of Annapurna Massifs, Dhaulagiri Range, etc. You will get awe-inspired by the semi-deserted landscapes of the Mustang Region. The trek also shares with you the Tibetan culture and lifestyle celebrated by the varied locals of the region. The Mustang Region is home to ethnicities like Magars, Thakalis, Gurungs, etc.
Similarly, you will explore the ancient buildings, gompas, shrines, and stupas. Lo Manthang(3,800m), a beautiful village dotted with ancient gompas, mud-brick walls, and an old 600-year-old King’s Palace, is one of the trek's significant highlights. You can check the other highlights of the tour down below.
Upper Mustang Trek begins in Jomsom, a popular stop of the notable Annapurna Circuit Trek. The journey continues via the classical territories of the Mustang Region like Kagbeni, Chele, Syanboche, Ghemi, and Charang. With that, you will reach Lo Manthang, the old kingdom of the region.
Following the remarkable exploration of Lo Manthang, you will advance to the highest point of the Upper Mustang Trek, The place of Ghar Gompa and red cliffs & canyons. After this, you will start trekking backward to Jomsom through the same region and trail. This is how the trek will run.
To finish, Upper Mustang Trek is an off-the-beaten trek in the Annapurna Region. It guides you to the rain-shadowed Upper Mustang Region, the region that has kept the ancient kingdom, and many more.
If you appreciate hill trekking, breathtaking sceneries, exciting culture & lifestyle, you will just love this trek.
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu(1,400m)
Day 2: Kathmandu Sightseeing and Trek Preparation
Day 3: Drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara(900m) | 6-7hrs
Day 4: Fly to Jomsom(2,743m) and Trek to Kagbeni(2,847m) | 20mins and 3hrs
Day 5: Trek from Kagbeni to Chele(3,050m) | 7hrs
Day 6: Trek from Chele to Syangbochen(3,800m) | 5-6hrs
Day 7: Trek from Syangbochen to Ghami(3,500m) | 5-6hrs
Day 8: Trek from Ghami to Tsarang(3,870m) | 5-6hrs
Day 9: Trek from Tsarang to Lo Manthang(3,730m) | 3-4hrs
Day 10: Explore Lo Manthang
Day 11: Trek from Lo Manthang to Drakmar(3,810m) | 6-7hrs
Day 12: Trek from Drakmar to Ghiling(3,806m) | 5-6hrs
Day 13: Trek from Ghiling to Chhuksang(3,050m) | 5-6hrs
Day 14: Trek from Chhuksang to Jomsom(2,700m) | 6-7hrs
Day 15: Fly from Jomsom to Pokhara(800m)| 20 minutes
Day 16: Drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu | 5-6hrs
Day 17: Departure
Warm welcome! You will have a great welcome at Kathmandu Airport on your arrival. After receiving you, the team will take you to your hotel in Kathmandu for a rest. We will meet again for a welcome dinner hosted by Sabbatical Explore Nepal in the evening. At dinner, we will have some good talks about each other and the trek. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Get comfortable with the country! We will take you out on Kathmandu’s sightseeing. There are several UNESCO World Heritage sites in the capital; we will explore Pashupatinath Temple, Bouddhanath Stupa, and Swayambhunath Stupa Kathmandu Durbar Square. While we do sightseeing, our team will arrange things for the trek. And we will join them in Thamel for last-minute shopping for the trek. Overnight in Kathmandu.
The journey begins! We will leave our hotel in the morning to start the journey, which will begin with a drive to Pokhara. It will be a picturesque drive of 6-7hrs on Prithivi Highway. Many roadside settlements, green hills, and terraced fields will come along. Half of the ride will happen by the Trishuli River. After reaching Pokhara, we will enter our hotel for a rest. In the evening, we will explore the lakeside of Phewa Lake and have hangouts around there. Overnight in Pokhara.
Here comes a scenic flight! Now we will bid goodbye to Pokhara with a flight to Jomsom. It will be a mesmerizing 20 minutes where we will see lots of landscapes and mountains. Shortly, we will land at this scenic airport in Jomsom. After the arrival, we will prepare for the trek from Jomsom to Kagbeni through semi-deserted terrain. En route to Jomsom, we will pass several hamlets of charming houses. The trek of 3 hours will stop in Kagbeni, a famous village in the Mustang Region. Overnight in the town.
The walk continues! We will join the trail from right where we stopped yesterday. The walk will continue through ridges and villages. On the way, we will pass Tangbe Village, another iconic village of the region. Passing via the apple garden of the town, we will trek toward Chhusang Village, yet another famous town. Soon, we will be walking on the riverbed of the Kali Gandaki River. Afterward, to reach Chele, our destination for the day, we will climb a ridge. Overnight in Chele.
The Canyon Landscapes time! The trek for the day will start with a climb over a steep desert land. Alongside, we will have a big red canyon hill while we move ahead. From that hill, we will descend to the beautiful village of Samar. After lunch in the town, we will continue our trek through uphills and downhills. In between, we will cross several colorful chortens as well. To arrive at Syangbochen village, we will have a final climb and descent for the day. Overnight in Syangbochen.
Mountains will appear! We will climb to Yamada La Pass(3,850m) to leave the village behind in the morning. From the pass, we will view various mountains of the village. Doing the trek ahead, we will pass via several chortens and scenic villages. Later, we will trek into forests and terrace fields to reach Nyi Pass. After the hill, we will descend straight to Ghami Village. Overnight in Ghami Village.
More sceneries and landscapes! Our trek for the day will start with the downhill and slippery trail. Descending carefully, we will reach a riverbed to cross Ghami Khola via a hanging bridge. Ahead, the walk is eye-pleasing as we will pass by mani walls for some time. Then we will start a climb to Tsarang La Pass(3,870m) to reach Tsarang village. After getting to the village, we will see a fortress and a red gompa—overnight in Tsarang.
The day of the Kingdom is here! Today we will reach Lo Manthang from Tsarang. To do that, we will start with a descent into a canyon area. Then we will cross a river to begin an uphill climb to Lo La Pass(3,950m). From the pinpoint of the pass, we will look at mountains like Tilicho Peak, Annapurna I, Nilgiri, and Lo Manthang, the place where we are heading. The ancient kingdom of Lo Manthang is only a descent away from the past. Overnight in Lo Manthang.
A big day to explore the kingdom is here! Lo Manthang is a big city bordered by walls on the Upper side of the Mustang Region. The ancient town has some exciting places that we can explore, such as the Mustang King’s Palace, Namgyal Gompa, Jampa Lhakhang, Tigkar Village, Nyphu Cave, Thupchen, Chhoeda, etc. The Forbidden Kingdom, which was banned from entering until the 1990s, has many things from the old times to see. We will stay in the town to explore all the places—overnight in Lo Manthang.
Lo Manthang time is over now! We will bid goodbye to Lo Manthang by taking an uphill trek. We will soon gain some heights to get beautiful views of Charang Valley, Lo Manthang Town, and the region's mountains. Along the walk, we will reach Ghar Gompa, the oldest Tibetan Monastery in the world. We will have some good watchful time around the monastery. Then we will continue our hike to Drakmar for the night.
Strong a windy day! We will start the day early just to dodge the area's strong winds. But still, we will have them all day long. Ghilling lies on the other side of a dry plateau. We will cross the plateau and fields to reach the village. At the end of the trek, we will have some brilliant views of Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri from the village. Ghilling Village is a culturally rich hamlet. Overnight in the village.
The retracing trek starts! From Ghiling, we will take the already-walked trail to reach Chhuksang. We will retrace the same track by enjoying incredible vistas of mountains. The same villages of the region will come along that day. After a 5 to 6-hour trek, we will reach Chhuksang in the evening.
The last and longest trekking day! We will start the last trekking day of Upper Mustang Trek early because it is a long day. After leaving Chhuksang for a while, we will come to join the trail of Annapurna Circuit Trek. Our trek continues via the same iconic villages of the region like Kagbeni. We will have a break in Kagbeni. After that, we will trek until Jomsom to finish the trek. Overnight in Jomsom.
Another scenic flight! We will leave Jomsom and the Mustang Region with a scenic flight as per the flight duration. From the window, we will watch peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna massifs, the whole Mustang Region, and more. And, after 20 minutes, we will reach Pokhara, yet once again. We will take a rest in the hotel. We will even go out for a hangout overnight in Pokhara if we have energy.
The scenic drive back to Kathmandu! We will say goodbye to Pokhara by joining a drive to Kathmandu. We will travel on the same road via the same villages and the river. After 5-6 hours of riding through the highway, we will arrive in Kathmandu. We will head straight to our hotel to throw our backpacks and have rest and refreshments. If you think to buy for yourself and close ones, we will have the rest of the day as free time for shopping—overnight in Kathmandu.
The journey’s end is here! It is time to say goodbye to Nepal. We will help you reach the airport at your scheduled time. With many good memories and pictures of the Upper Mustang Trek, you will head back home.
Can I do this trek alone ?
No, this trek lies in the restricted region of Nepal. And, you must have a certified guide and at least two people in your group to do this trek.
Will I get WiFi on this trek?
Yes, but not in all the places. The teahouses of the lower areas have WiFi services. But the higher areas teahouses may lack the service.
What is the best time for this Trek ?
March till May and September till November are the two-time intervals that are best for the trek.
Is it necessary to have training for the trek ?
If you are an experienced trekker, you do not need that. But if you are an amateur, it is helpful to have training like cardio, hiking, and running. Those sorts of activities will make you ready for the rugged trails of the trek.
Do I need a visa to visit Nepal?
Yes, a visa is necessary to visit Nepal for all tourists except Indian nationals. You can get a visa from the Nepalese Embassy in your country or an on-arrival visa from Kathmandu (TIA) Airport. For that, you will need a valid passport before 6 months, some passport-sized photos, and a visa fee.
How much is a Nepalese Visa fee?
The up-to-date visa fees (as of 6/6/2024) for a Nepalese visa is: US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days, US$125 for 90 days. For Visa Extension: 3 USD per Day(minimum 15 days) 5 USD per day as late fine in the case of delay
Which time is best for a Nepal tour?
The best times to visit Nepal are September to November and March to May. If you are not doing any high-altitude tours, you can visit Nepal all year round, including Monsoon and Winter.
What is Nepal best known for?
Nepal is known for multiple reasons. The country is geographically, culturally, architecturally, and religiously a gifted one. It is the birthplace of Buddha, home of Mt Everest and eight other world & highest peaks, the world best trekking trails, the land of brave Gurkhas, and more. Therefore, multiple reasons make Nepal popular across the globe.
We had a great time with Shiva and his team, from being picked up from the airport to being dropped off there, everything was just perfect! We had "culture tour and a trip to Shaman Village" Hiking. Got to see many cultural sites around Kathmandu and was an incredible experience in monastery visiting monks. The program was great and fantastic as far as we wanted away from the tourist crowds, all accommodations were good. It’s really a great opportunity to explore Nepal as local.
The “TeamSabbatical” were very helpful and friendly as well. When we have a questions or a problem can find someone on the spot immediately to find a answer and solve it. We highly recommend the trip Meet the Monks with Boudhanath Stupa tour, and the Kathmandu Cultural tour together.
Magda, Terese and Group
After Everest Base Camp Trek, I did tour to Pokhara and Chitwan National Park. I am thankful to Shiva and his Sabbatical Explore Team for managing a great guide for my trek. I knew the trek is beautiful but not entirely. All the prayer flags, busy farm fields, like traditional hamlets, and yes giant peaks, these all are running through my mind while writing this. Thanks for this amazing trek. The guide helped me deal with the challenges of the trek without getting anxious. Thanks to him and the team! I suggest this group of experts to everyone reading my experience. You won't regret joining them. I am not!
Stefanie Zendler
Philip Hoffmann
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