The Kingdom of Mustang was a forbidden land till recently, when it was finally opened for trekking. Famous for being an important salt trading post in the Trans Himalayan belt, the Upper Mustang trekking receives a limited number of trekkers every year. Lo Manthang (Mustang), located north of the main Himalayan chain bordering Tibet, is a stretch of dry and arid land with villages between the altitudes of 3,300 m and 4,000 m and passes not lower than 4,600 m. This is a route where you are likely to come across some very important historical sites. Just recently, an 800-year-old cave and religious carvings were discovered en route, adding more charm to Upper Mustang treks.
Highlights
Overnight Hotel. Included meals: breakfast. Alt: 820 m/2,690 ft.
In the morning, we shall leave Kathmandu and proceed to Pokhara by a tourist bus. The hotel will be located in a hotel by the Fewa Lake, and we will also spend a night there, marking the starting phase of our Upper Mustang trekking explorations.
Overnight Hotel. Alt: 2,720 m to 2,810 m/9,217 ft.9 hours.
Taking a morning drive from Pokhara, all the way to Kagbeni, passing through Tatopani and Marpha. We follow along the Kali Gandaki River and reach Kagbeni by late afternoon. There are a couple of lodges and shops, along with a few small monasteries that are worth a visit. Before entering the Upper Mustang trekking, we will register at the checkpoint in Kagbeni before entering the Upper Mustang region. Disposing of plastic bottles and other packaging by the wayside is not allowed inside the Upper Mustang treks region and should be carried back.
Overnight Hotel. Included breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Alt. 3,050 m/10,004 ft. Trek 5 hours
Starting our first full day of trekking in Upper Mustang, we leave Kagbeni early in the morning. In case of clear weather, we will be able to see some of Nepal’s most stunning peaks from quite close, such as Nilgiri (8,652 m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167 m). After around 3 hours, we stop in Chhusang for lunch. The population consists mostly of a local ethnic group of Tibetan ethnic descent. They have a language that is very close to other similar languages, such as Tamang, which is also of the Tibeto-Burman language.
We keep on walking along the Kali Gandaki River after lunch and proceed towards Chele, where we are going to stay today in the course of our Upper Mustang trekking. It is a small village having two homestays. It is possible to try local delicacies such as Tibetan bread and the salty Tibetan tea.
Overnight Teahouse/Homestay. Included breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Alt. 3,570 m/11,709 ft. Trek 6 hours.
During Day 4, the expedition proceeds to Ghiling, which is 3,570 meters above sea level, in a journey of about 6 hours. The upper Mustang trekking route begins with the ascent of the mountain on the rocky and rugged terrain with few plants. In the small village of Samar, we take our lunch after 2-3 hours of walking. Here, the trekkers have two options, the shorter and steeper route, which provides the stunning views of the mountains such as Nilgiri and Dolpo, or a long and moderate route that passes by a holy cave system where Guru Rinpoche meditated.
Tourists to the caves are allowed to light a candle and have Tibetan tea, usually after making a small donation to repair the caves. The path of our upper Mustang trekking continues to Syangboche and then to Ghiling, which is a comparatively big village equipped with monasteries and stupas to see. At the end of the day of our trekking in Upper Mustang is a stay in an overnight lodge of the homestay type, including all meals.
Overnight Teahouse/Homestay. Included meals breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Alt. 3560/11676ft. Trek 6 hours.
Overnight Teahouse/Homestay. Included breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Alt. 3,809m/12,493ft Trek 5 hours.
The present day Upper Mustang trekking trail is relatively moderate, as there are just two small steep zones. The route takes us into some of the most distinctive sceneries with distinct rock features and reliefs that appear to alter their color depending on the daylight and the weather. The packed lunch will be required, as there are no villages with only 200 to 400-year-old stupas.
After approximately 6 hours of our Upper Mustang trekking, we reach Lo Manthang, the capital of the Kingdom of Upper Mustang. After taking a short rest, one can walk around and visit the three monasteries inside the palace premises or go trekking in Upper Mustang. Being the biggest settlement of Upper Mustang, Lo Manthang has a couple of grocery and tea shops and 5 to 6 proper guest houses.
Overnight Teahouse/Homestay. Included breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Alt. 3,809 m/12,493 ft.
We will have two days in Lo Manthang, and we will be able to devote much time at the same time to exploring the city and the surrounding areas. A day will open with a walk to a historic monastery, which is a walk of about 2.5 hours or an hour on horseback. This monastery belongs to an interesting network of caves connected to some other monasteries associated with the Nepal-Tibet War.
Local history states that when the Tibetan invaders cut the water supply to the people hiding in the caves, the locals used oil on their skin and hair to give the illusion that there was sufficient water in their bodies. Fraudulently, the Tibetans dropped the blockade and rescued the villagers. Nowadays, a visitor can enter every monastery with a minor charge and marvel at the beautiful landscape of the area. During the afternoon, we go back to Lo Manthang, adding depth to the Upper Mustang trekking, where you may see the royal palace that is 400 years old.
Overnight Teahouse/Homestay. Included breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Alt. 3,809 m/12,493 ft.
The first half of the day of our Upper Mustang trekking can be spent doing a horse ride to an ice lake, 2 hours from Lo Manthang, making Trekking in Upper Mustang a blend of adventure and cultural insight. Stunning mountain views, as well as interesting rock formations and scenery, make this a worthy trip. After getting back to Lo Manthang, most people prefer to simply relax and gain some new energy for the remaining days. In the afternoon one can go on a walk to a small river not far from he city surrounded by salt mines. Locals can be seen mining the salt.
Overnight Teahouse/Homestay. Included breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Alt. 3820 m/12529 ft. Trek 6 hours.
Having gained new energy after two days of rest in Lo Manthang, we should feel quite easy on today’s route. We return on a different route than we came by, which is a constant mix of slight uphill and downhill sequences through the stunning scenery of Mustang. After a couple of hours, we reach Loghykar Gumba, a Tibetan monastery that was founded by the Guru Rinpoche around 600 years ago, before he crossed the border to Tibet. It is therefore older than the still existing monasteries in Tibet. Its luscious red color is said to be the blood of the demons defeated by Guru Rinpoche.
A similar story is told about the red hills around the little settlement of Dakmar. They have their unique color, apparently due to bloodshed during fights between locals and invading Tibetans. One should take notice of the magnificent view before reaching Dakmar of the Upper Mustang trekking, where we will spend the night in one of the two homestay-like lodges.
Overnight Hotel. Included meals breakfast and lunch.
Alt. 3,660m/12,004ft. Trek 6 hours.
From Dhakmar, it takes around 30 minutes to reach Ghami, which is on the route that we came by on our way up to Lo Manthang. We cross Ghiling, where we take our lunch break, to reach Samar another 2 to 3 hours later. Samar is a small settlement of 10 to 12 houses with a couple of lodges, which we had already crossed on our 4th day.
Overnight Hotel. Included meals breakfast.
Alt. 2,980m/9,774ft.Trek 5 hours.
We stay on the road that we had come by. This trail of our Upper Mustang treks leads us downhill to Chele, where we will probably stop for lunch. From there, we continue walking along the Kali Gandaki River to reach today’s destination, Chhusang, after a total of 5 hours.
Overnight Hotel. Included meals breakfast.
Alt. 4,077m/13,373ft to 3,760m/12,332ft. Trek 6 hours.In the Upper Mustang treks of Chhusang, we take a different path, which leads us higher to the Gya La Pass (4,077 m), which is the entry point to the Muktinath Valley. On the pass, with its prayer flags and rock shrines, one can have a spectacular view of the Himalayan mountains, such as Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri, the Muktinath Valley, and the Thorung La Pass, which is very distant.
The road then leads down to the Muktinath River after an hour, and it is topped by a 20-minute walk to the holy place of Muktinath, which is celebrated by both Buddhists and Hindus. You may want to retire after about 7 hours of walking, but energetic people have an opportunity to visit the temple complex with its everlasting flame and 108 water sprouts, otherwise, the place can be saved till the next day. Overnight will be taken at a lodge in Ranipauwa, which is located close to Muktinath.
Overnight Hotel. Included meals breakfast and lunch.
Alt. 2,720m/8,921ft. Trek 6 hours.
During the morning, the visitor can see the famous temple of Muktinath, which previously was not the case. This would be followed by walking down a hill, which would occupy approximately 2 hours, and observing the spectacular view in the Muktinath Valley until we arrive at Kali Gandaki. After another 2 to 3 hours, we keep walking on the river till we reach this point, Jomsom, where we are approaching the end of our trekking in Upper Mustang. The night is spent in a Jomsom lodge.
Included meals breakfast. Alt. 820m/2690ft.
Several daily flights connect Jomsom with Pokhara after completing one of the most enriching Upper Mustang treks. After reaching Pokhara, we spent the night in a hotel in Lakeside before returning to Kathmandu the next day of our Upper Mustang trekking.
Upper Mustang lies in the rain-shadow region of the Himalayas in northwestern Nepal, bordering Tibet. It is part of the Mustang District and was once the forbidden kingdom of Lo.
The trek typically takes 12–16 days, including travel time to and from Kathmandu. The trekking portion itself is about 10–12 days, depending on your route and pace.
The trek is moderate in difficulty, with daily hikes of 5–7 hours. It involves walking on dry, rugged terrain and ascending to altitudes over 4,000 meters. A reasonable fitness level is required.
