Upper Mustang Heli Trek

A 30 minutes scenic flight to Pokhara. Upon our arrival in Pokhara, we will be rewarded with magnificent views of the Himalayas including Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Machhapuchhre, the five peaks of Annapurna and many others. The drive to Pokhara also offers many amazing sights of the landscapes like pasturelands and terrace farms and rivers. At Pokhara after arrival, we will check into the hotel and in the evening, you can also enjoy a pristine boat ride on the Phewa Lake and stroll in the city’s quaint streets. Overnight stay at a hotel in Pokhara.

Today, we will take an early morning flight to Jomsom- a village famous for its apples, strong winds and its amazing landscape. We will begin our trek from Jomsom on an open trail alongside a beautiful valley. Passing through the Eklebhatti village before reaching Kagbeni, we can enjoy the amazing terrains and admire the many natural features of the landscape. Kagbeni is ideally located at the bank of two rivers and the village is beautiful with flat roofed houses. It also has ruins of an old fortress. Overnight stay at a guesthouse in Kagbeni, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

The trekking trail begins alongside the east bank of the Kali Gandaki Valley. Walking on both high valley trails, we will follow the path that run alongside the Kali Gandaki River. Next, the path opens up on a wide land where a number of mules can be seen carrying goods. The valley tends to narrow down as we walk through ancient caves towards Tangbe Village. As we continue towards Chuksang, we can admire the well-kept narrow alleys, the whitewashed houses, buck wheat and barley fields and apple orchards of the gorgeous Tangbe Village. Chuksang is only around 2 hours walk from Tangbe. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Chuksang, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Crossing a suspension bridge, we will follow the trail that goes along the banks of the Kali Gandaki River and ascend on a steep trail to the Chele Village. On the way, we can get good views of the Nilgiri and the Tilicho peaks. From Chele, we will climb on a steep path and continue ascending alongside a steep canyon towards the Darori La Pass, which lies at 3735 meters. From the top, it is a gradual descent all the way to the small and picturesque village of Samar. The village is beautiful with ancient poplar trees surrounding it. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Samar, Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Climbing on a ridge above the village, we will descend into a large ravine following the trekking trail today. We will walk on a trail filled with juniper trees before crossing a stream. The trail then ascends steeply towards the Bhena La Pass at 3838 meters. Descending from the pass for a while before ascending again towards the Yamda La Pass at 3860 meters, we get our first view of Upper Mustang from the top of the Pass. We will then descend from the pass and continue walking towards a big stupa, passing cairns before descending to the village of Geling- a beautiful village with far-reaching fields of barley. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Geling, Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

We will ascend gently through barley fields and pass the Tama Gaon (village) and a chorten on the way to our next location. Climbing on a steep trail towards the Nyi La Pass at 4,010 meters, we can get excellent views of the Annapurna range from the top of the Pass. We will then descend and walk on a trail that leads us to Ghami. The village is a large dotting of whitewashed houses and barren fields sheltered by overhanging cliffs. Overnight stay at a guesthouse at Ghami, Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Our trek today begins with a descent through a rough and slippery trail. Crossing a suspension bridge over the Ghami Khola, we will begin ascending down towards Tsarang. The pathway is beautiful with Mani walls along the trail. Next, we will cross the Tsarang La Pass at 3870 meters and reach the Tsarang village. The village lies atop the Charang Chu canyon with a huge fortress and a red gompa towards its east. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Tsarang, Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

We will visit the red gompa and a fortress in the morning before beginning our trek towards Lo-Manthang. Our trail drops down to the Tsarang Khola and we will cross a bridge over the river. Next, we will climb up towards the Lo La pass at 3950 meters. From the top of the pass, we can get good views of northern Mustang and of Lo-Manthang. Descending to Lo Manthang- which is an ancient walled capital of Mustang, we can enjoy the rocky dunes that dot the landscape. The town has only one entrance so we will have to circumambulate the wall to the gate on the north east corner. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Lo Manthang, Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Lo Manthang is a walled town of the remote Upper Mustang region of Nepal. We will spend the day touring three major Gompas of the town- the Jhampa, the Thupchen and the Chhoeda. All of these Gompas have undergone expert restoration over the last two decades. Overnight stay at a guesthouse in Lo Manthang, Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Having explored the exquisite region of Upper Mustang, we will enjoy a helicopter tour on our return trip to Pokhara. The helicopter tour, which begins from Lo Manthang, is one of the major attractions of this entire trip. From the helicopter, we can get remarkable views of the unique landscape of Upper Mustang. As we get near Pokhara, we can also see sights of the mighty Himalayas and serene lakes that the city consists of. We can spend the rest of the day boating in the serene waters of the Phewa Lake, resting and discovering the quaint streets of Pokhara. Overnight stay in a hotel in Pokhara.

After breakfast, we will say goodbye to the beautiful northern skyline of Pokhara and fly to Pokhara. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take rest or do some souvenir shopping. Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu.

Approximately three hours before your flight, you will be dropped off at the airport by one of Nepal Hiking Team’s representatives, from where you will depart.