Upper Mustang Heli Trek

Activities:: Trekking

Duration: 13 days

Destination: Nepal

Trip Grade

Moderate
Max Altitude

3730 Meters
Group Size

Min. 2 Person
Best Time

March to May and Sept to Dec.

Trip Overview

The Upper Mustang Heli Tour is a comfortable blend of trekking and a helicopter ride taking place in one of the most isolated regions of Nepal- Upper Mustang. One of the last places on Earth that still has the practice of Tibetan Buddhism in its most unsullied forms, Upper Mustang is a place of many hidden treasures. Presenting one of the most distinguished trekking destinations in all of Nepal, Upper Mustang presents corroded hills and amazing rock formations in the amethyst landscape as opposed to the verdant trekking locations that other regions are famed for. Lying at the rain-shadow zone of the Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna Mountain ranges, the brown of the landscape makes a beautiful contrast to the white glowing ridges of the Himalayas while trekking. The Upper Mustang Heli Trek presents a fascinating combination of trekking and a helicopter ride that presents a whole new perspective of the region as seen from an aerial view.

The many monasteries of the region are treasure houses of many old artifacts and the practice of the Tibetan Buddhist religion by the people there is a great way to experience something that is literally captured in a time-wrap. Trekking in Upper Mustang is like going back in time because of how little to change has occurred in the practice of the religion that started hundreds of years ago. Start the trek with a drive to the lakeside city of Pokhara from Kathmandu and then follow the trekking trail that goes through many ethnic villages of Upper Mustang like Kagbeni, Chuksang, Samar, Geling, Ghami, Tsarang and Lo Manthang. The presence of many monasteries, chortens and gumbas along the way provide a very religious nuance to the whole region and the villages are brimming with the presentation of the people’s unique and exotic culture. Upper Mustang Heli Trek provides one of the best and most comfortable trekking journeys in the country that combines both the trekking aspect of the journey with a thrilling helicopter ride above the oxidized red cliffs of Mustang’s terrain.

The prayer flags, the gumbas and the temples that line the trekking trail at various spots will be your constant companions while trekking and the people going about their day at the remote isolated region in their traditional attire is sure to be one of the most amazing experiences of a lifetime. Lying close to the Tibetan plateau, Upper Mustang is a great place to experience the ancient Tibetan culture right in Nepal without having to visit Tibet because of how similar the culture of the two places are. The mesmerizing brown landscape of Mustang that resembles the deeper crevasses of the Grand Canyon presents one of the most unique terrains in the world, the rock formations of the place is something that looks like it is from another planet. Furthermore, the cliffs also contain mysterious caves that were dug out thousands of years ago and contained many forgotten Buddhist artifacts of past times. The rich cultural presence of the region is something that truly captures Nepal’s multicultural aspect as there isn’t any place in Earth that is quite like Mustang. The Upper Mustang Heli Trek is a brilliant journey that presents the best aspects of the region with the added thrill of a beautiful and gorgeous helicopter ride over the sandy dunes and rocky cliffs of Mustang.

Itinerary

Day 01: Arrive at Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu

Day 02: Fly to Pokhara and Transfer to hotel

Day 03: Fly to Jomsom (2713m/8898ft) and trek to Kagbeni (2810m/9216ft), Duration: 3-4 hours trek

Day 04: Kagbeni to Chhuksang (2900m/9512ft), Duration: 4-5 hours

Day 05: Chhuksang to Samar (3150m/10332ft), Duration: 3-4 hours

Day 06: Samar to Geling (3510m/11513ft), Duration: 5-6 hours

Day 07: Geling to Ghami (3490m/11447ft), Duration: 5-6 hours

Day 08: Ghami to Tsarang (3620m/11873ft), Duration: 5-6 hours Trek

Day 09: Tsarang to Lo-Manthang (3730m/12234ft), Duration: 3-4 hours

Day 10: Explore Lo Manthang

Day 11: Helicopter ride over Lo Manthang/ Mustang to Pokhara

Day 12: Fly to Kathmandu

Day 13: Farewell

Cost Includes

All ground transportation by private vehicle including airport pickup and drop off.
Two nights’ accommodation with breakfast at a 5-star hotel in Kathmandu.
Two night accommodation with breakfast at a 5-star hotel in Pokhara.
Round trip airfare from Kathmandu to Pokhara and Pokhara to Kathmandu.
Airfare from Pokhara to Jomsom.
Private Charger Helicopter Ride from Lo - Manthang to Pokhara.
Full board meals with tea/coffee (breakfast, lunch, dinner) during the trek
Best available twin sharing lodge to lodge accommodation during the trek
An experienced English-speaking (trekking guide), porter to carry luggage (2 trekkers: 1 porter) including their salary, insurance, equipment, flight, food and lodging
Down jacket, four seasonal sleeping bag, Nepal Hiking Team duffel bag, t-shirt, and trekking map (down jacket and sleeping bag are to be returned after trip completion)
All necessary paper work and permits (ACAP, Special trekking permit), please bring 3 passport size photos for permit
A comprehensive medical kit
All government and local taxes

Cost Excludes

Meals not specified in the 'Meal Inclusions' in the itinerary'
Travel insurance
International airfare
Nepal entry visa: you can obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. (a multiple-entry tourist visa good for 30 days can be obtained by paying US $ 40 or equivalent foreign currency. Similarly, multiple-entry tourist visas for 90 days can be obtained by paying US $ 100. Please bring 2 copies of passport-size photos.)
Cold drinks, water, snacks and other personal expenses
Hot shower during the trek
Personal trekking equipments
Tips and gratuities for trekking staff and drivers

Cost & Dates

Group tours are unavailable for this trip, however, you can opt for the private trip. The private trips are available on any date of your choice at any time of the year. Let us know about your preferred travel dates and we shall organize it as per your convenience. Get in touch with your query now.

Reviews

Gabrielle, Australia A family trip was organized to the Everest Base Camp, a long-awaited adventure that was on our list for the longest time. We had wanted to organize the trip a year ago, but circumstances prevented us from doing so. Nevertheless, we finally did the trek this year and are ever so happy about it. With seven in our group, we had members ranging from 20 to 50 years old. Our guide was considerate and hiked with all of us while arranging the pacing. Logistically, everything went very smoothly. On our first day we were given a great tour of Kathmandu and also a briefing to pick up our gear and help on re-packing. Nepal Hiking Team had reservations made for the Lukla flight early in the morning and off we all went for the trek the next day. Staying at the lodges and guesthouses the higher up we went, we had the view of the mountains right from our windows! Our guide was always able and willing to make changes for us and overall, I feel like we stayed in the best available places. The itinerary of our trek was very reasonable and had enough acclimatization days to fit into the schedule. We spent two nights at Namche and Dingboche as well and had good tours of the villages. Our guide and our porters were very open and willing to help accommodate us in any way they could. Overall, the trek was beautiful and had many great and splendid moments. We are grateful to Nepal Hiking Team and their efforts. Arranging one of the best trips for our family, Nepal Hiking Team played a big part in making sure that we had a good time, and we most certainly had a grand old time in the mountains of the country with great people and beautiful landscape!

Jennifer Silva, Canada For our 12-year anniversary, I and my wife did the Everest Base Camp Trek with Nepal Hiking Team. A top-notch agency, Nepal Hiking Team was probably the best decision. With their spick-and-span record with reviews and happy customers, we were certain that we would not be disappointed. Beginning the trek, our conjecture was concreted as we were accompanied by one of the best people we had the pleasure of coming across- our guide, Bhim Adhikari. Adjusting the pace of the trek to match ours, carrying our bags, and making sure the accommodations were right and the food was good, Bhim was the one who carried all of the responsibility of the trek on his shoulders and succeeded marvelously. We had no worries nor any complaints. We were contending with our situation and happy that we were spending our time in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The fact of the matter was that our team of guide and our porter, a 24-year-old Sherpa named Dorje, were the best people who certainly earned their share of the profit. We were treated with warmth and friendliness everywhere, making our trip thousand times more beautiful. The monastery at Tengboche, the view of the mountains while on the trail, the gorgeous landscape, and the courteous people throughout the trek were all utterly spectacular and amazing. We are thankful to Nepal Hiking Team and would definitely be using their company again for the next Nepal visit!

Astrid Reilly, Singapore Nepal Hiking Team is the best travel agencies that I had the fortune of being accompanied by. Everyone at the agency was kind and professional and I had a really good time doing the Everest Base Camp Trek. Arun was my guide and he was always amazing. He took care of all of my needs and made sure that I was comfortable. The breakfast, lunch and dinner that I was provided were all appetizing and content. It was the best trekking experience that I had and I would give Nepal Hiking Team two thumbs up!

Ashley Rowe, Australia It was always my dream to be close to Mount Everest at some point in my life and being the enthusiastic trekker that I am, I finally had the opportunity to do so with Nepal Hiking Team! I couldn’t have chosen a better travel agency for my endeavor! First of all, let me start by saying that from the very first e-mail, I was made assured that I was in good hands. Mr. Ganga never missed any opportunity to inform me about my queries and answered all of my questions immediately and fast. Then when I arrived at the airport, I was greeted with a warm welcome and flower garlands by my soon-to-be guide for the trip, Arjun. He truly is a friendly guide who made me feel comfortable immediately. We had a very good run-in throughout the trip, he always showed great enthusiasm that matched my own and his energy was palpable! Aside from the friendly demeanor, Arjun was also extremely professional and showed the signs that he had done this thousands of time before. He never missed any beat when it came to my well-being and concern. If there was anything that I wanted, Arjun arranged it for me in a heartbeat! Back at the office as well, I was always getting calls from Mr. Ganga asking about my trip and if everything was going fine or not. Nepal Hiking Team is an agency that really cares about their customers and that was what made me so grateful for my experience with them. Not only did I fulfill my lifelong dream about being close to Everest, but I was lucky enough to choose the best agency as well. It was a parenting that truly was serendipitous! Nepal Hiking Team fully has my recommendation and I cannot emphasize enough how much I am grateful for NHT! It was an experience that will forever be engraved in my mind and bring a smile to my face whenever I remember back on it! Thank You Nepal Hiking Team, Arjun, Mr. Ganga and the whole staff for a beautiful experience!

Tanya Henderson, Australia
My husband and I did Annapurna and Everest Base Camp Treks Nepal Hiking Team. Ganga and his team members went out of their way to ensure we had a smooth and enjoyable trip and provided professional and excellent services (airport pickups, provision of city and mountain maps, goose-down trekking gear, relevant and useful advice, driver services, etc.).

We had regular contact with management throughout our time in Nepal (before, during and after trekking) and we always felt like we were in capable hands! We were even taken out for dinner and presented with EBC completion certificates upon arriving back in Kathmandu after trekking.

Our guide, Raj, was absolutely outstanding!! Not only was he great fun but he was also knowledgeable, kind and honest (this is very important as not all companies provide reliable guides - many will try to make a quick buck off tourists in the mountains whenever they can!) Our trek to Everest base Camp was incredible but the experience was made even better by having such a superb guide with us. Thoroughly recommend this company and requesting Raj if you can!

Everest Base Camp Trek in November 2012.