Upper Mustang Heli Trek

Duration: 13 Days
(based on 5 reviews)

Trip Overview
Itinerary
Cost Includes
Cost & Date
Reviews

Activity: Trekking

Destination: Nepal

Trip Grade

Easy To Moderate
Max Altitude

3730 Meters
Group Size

Min. 2 Person
Meals

B.L.D
Accommodation

Hotel/Teahouses
Best Time

March to May and Sept to Dec.

Featured Trip

All Inclusive Price: ^$4,150_USD

Trip Overview

The Upper Mustang Heli Tour is a comfortable blend of trekking and a helicopter ride 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 Nepal’s most distinguished trekking destinations, Upper Mustang presents corroded hills and fantastic 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 landscape makes a beautiful contrast to the glowing white 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 captured in a time-wrap. Trekking in Upper Mustang is like going back in time because of how little 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 provides a very religious nuance to the region. 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 the trekking aspect of the journey with a thrilling helicopter ride above the oxidized red cliffs of Mustang’s terrain.

Your constant companions will be the prayer flags, the gumbas, and the temples that line the trekking trail at various spots. In contrast, trekking and the people going about their day in 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 Grand Canyon’s deeper crevasses presents one of the world’s unique terrains. The rock formations of the place are something that looks like it is from another planet.

Furthermore, the cliffs also contain mysterious caves dug out thousands of years ago and many forgotten Buddhist artifacts of past times. The region’s rich cultural presence truly captures Nepal’s multicultural aspect, as there isn’t any place on 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 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

Rachel and MeganUSA

We had an unbelievable adventure completing the Mardi Himal Trek in January 2023. Our guide Rajendra (Raj), and porter Rajesh were professional, fun, energetic, and knowledgeable about not only the trek we were on but about many others in the area.

The whole team prepared us ahead of time and answered all of our questions, so we were prepared with the correct equipment for the winter months. We were actually over-prepared if anything.

The whole experience was terrific from start to finish. This was a wonderful experience, and I would recommend using Nepal Hiking Team to any of my friends or family. A must-do during a trip to Nepal!!!

Tamar NitzanUSA

I'm so happy I went with Nepal Hiking Team. From the moment I arrived at the hotel, I knew I made the right choice. The hotel was in a great area. Bars, restaurants, clubs, shops were all within a 10 minute or less walk from the hotel.

I was doing

this solo and in a market where there were tons of trekking companies to choose from, Nepal Hiking Teams website immediately stood out as professional and I’m glad I went with them. Their quick responses to emails and questions was amazing. If it was a decent time to be awake in Nepal, they were responding to emails.

From the arrival at the airport, they came to pick me up, and took me to the hotel. The owner of the company Ganga, was there waiting to greet me and to give me info on the following days. The next morning Ganga was there again, introduced the trekkers to each other before we went out on our included city tour. There was four of us so it was a nice small group.

The city tour was great. That day showed us how beautiful Kathmandu was. The guide for the tour, Ramesh, was outstanding. His knowledge and ability to answer all of our questions was amazing. His friendliness and professionalism were also very noticeable. Genuine people like Ramesh stand out and are not easy to forget. The next morning was the big day.

We met our guide for the trek Dhurba. Dhurba was an amazing guide. He was very knowledgable of the trek and was overall a good person. Any mountain we pointed at, he knew the name and height. It was very impressive. I appreciate going on this trek with Dhurba. Dhurba showed me that my body could handle way more than I ever thought it could. He always looked out for us. He never pushed us to do more than we could do. Although his body was used to every part of this trek, he knew that people from sea level needed to take it slower and he took that very seriously.

I feel very lucky to have had Dhurba as our guide. He always had a smile on his face. As a group, we spent Christmas and New Year together. It definitely felt like a little family. For Christmas he gifted each of us a Snickers. That was honestly one of the most amazing and needed gifts I had ever received.

Huge tip is to take trekking poles seriously! On our descent, I stopped using them and was putting a lot of pressure on my knees. That led to me walking the last day and a half in pain. Dhurba did everything he could to try and help me out. He mentioned different forms of transportation to get me down, I told him that I would walk. He insisted many times that he could carry my backpack down for me and I refused. I wanted to finish strong. But that did not go unnoticed.

Dhurba was there in the case of anything happening, and I really appreciate that. He was ready to help, he was ready to carry my bag, he was ready to wrap my knees, he had sprays for joint pain, he had vitamins, medications, he had everything that helped me feel safe in the situation. Dhurba was the best guide I could've asked for.

There were many times where I felt slow and as if we were running out of time for the day and instead of rushing us, Dhurba would actually tell us to stop, take a seat and drink some water. Dhurba did not feel like some boring guide we did not connect with. He felt like one of us. We connected and laughed with him throughout the trek. Hopefully you get someone as good as Dhurba.

Our porters Nima and Purna were great as well. They always greeted us in such a friendly manner with smiles on their faces when they saw us and we let them know that there would be no hike to Everest Basecamp without them. They are truly superhuman with the weight that they take up and down during the trek. As I said, without them, we do not make it to Basecamp so I am very grateful for everything they did for us.

Nepal Hiking Team stood out when it came to accommodations on the trek. Obviously we weren't going to be in 5 star hotels on our way up but they made sure to keep us in the best tea houses possible. This stood out when we talked to other trekkers whose companies accommodations were so bad, that they refused to stay at their tea houses.

There was actually a couple we spoke to who told us all about their bad experiences with the tea houses which led to them saying something about it to their company and that led them to stay at the same tea house that we stayed at, which they said was much better in every way. Another big part that should be taken seriously when considering a trekking company is the flights from and to Kathmandu.

We got really lucky with the weather on our trek. No clouds ever while going up. On the way down was a different story. The weather started getting bad with fog. So bad that we had to stay an extra day at Lukla airport since planes couldn't fly in. That day really made Nepal Hiking Team stand out. The only way out was through helicopters and that seemed like a mess for everyone trying to get down. Everyone was stressed and scrambling making calls and trying to find a helicopter.

My team had an extra day, so we just waited it out. Other people were trying to leave immediately and helicopters were getting expensive due to demand. People were paying high prices, some were getting scammed, it was a mess. When our time came and we decided to get a helicopter the following day, the process was simple. Ganga was able to arrange that quickly for us and it was stress free. The price was also much cheaper than what other people around us were paying.

In the middle of a stressful mess, Nepal Hiking Team was able to remove the stress, give us answers and make everything easy for us. It did not seem the same for others. Overall, I kept telling myself how happy I was that I chose Nepal Hiking Team. From the owner, to the guides and porters, it was an amazing experience.

If you have found Nepal Hiking Team it's time to stop looking. You have found the right company. I'm sure there are many great things I’m forgetting at the moment but just know you will not regret your choice. Thank you to all of Nepal Hiking Team. My experience and your service will never be forgotten.

LachlanAustralia

I completed the 14 day Annapurna Circuit early December 2022, thank you so much to Surya and Rabin, who both went out of their way to make this trip, that I'd been planning so long,and memorable. They were always checking in with me during the hike

to make sure I was going ok and if I needed anything. It was wonderful to hear from Surya even after I left the trek, to make sure I'd made next destination Ok and wish me a Merry Christmas.

Nepal Hiking Team was great to deal with, answered all questions really quickly, and all plans happened as they said.
Fantastic experience, would do again, made easy by Nepal Hiking Team.

This review was originally published on Tripadvisor.

Rick BelliveauPortland Oregon USA

Namaste! I highly recommend Nepal Hiking Team for your trekking adventure in the beautiful Himalayan Mountains of Nepal. This was my first trip to Nepal and additionally my first ever muli-day trek. Annapurna Base Camp Trek became a dream of mine about

a year ago after my adult son made a trip out back in 2019.

Nepal Hiking Team made the trip much more enjoyable by facilitating rides to and from the airport in Kathmandu, answering any questions or concerns promptly and being courteous and helpful. Of course I have to give a shout out to my guide for the ABC trek Dipendra and also the porter Gakul!!! Dipendra did an exceptional job of making the trip as smooth as can be expected! In every village he booked me the best room available with mountain views, helped with ordering food and making sure I was comfortable.

On the trail Dipendra carefully monitored my condition and frequently checked in with how I was feeling. As it turned out I was able to keep a pretty good pace (I'm a 56 year old man in decent shape) and we arrived at Annapurna Base Camp a day ahead of schedule (which was fortunate because clouds moved in the next day). Gakul was very strong and always made sure my duffle bag was in my room when we arrived in the next village. Dipendra and Gakul also made the evening time fun by inviting me to play card games in the tea house common area.

If you get a chance learn the game Dumbal - it's fun! Dipendra also guided me in Pokhara where we saw the peace pagoda, Hindu temple caves and the International Mountaineering Museum.

In conclusion, Ganga, Dipendra and Gakul with Nepal Hiking Team provided excellent service worth every dollar.

I will definitely use their services again when I return. I'm already thinking about Everest Base Camp or Manaslu Circuit!

JulesSydney, Australia

Posted on Nov 22 | Trip Advisor Review

We completed the 15-day Manaslu Circuit trek with Nepal Hiking Team in late November 2022.

The scenery of the Manaslu region is stunning and far more beautiful than we had imagined. The weather was excellent!

It did get cold but we had blue sky every day and no rain. There were three of us in our group and we only bumped into a few people along the trail. It was incredibly serene and this was a big reason we chose the Manaslu Circuit over Annapurna. We started our trek with a long drive to Machha Khola (which avoided some road sections if we had started in Soti Khola) and finished in Dharapani. In total, we did ten days of actual trekking which was really enjoyable.

Our guide was Ram and porters Namaraj, Sabin and Samir. They were all very professional, capable and polite. They made sure we had a good experience. It’s not the sort of trek where you are provided with lots of information about Nepal along the way, but Ram was always happy to answer questions and share information when we asked. Prior to departing on the trek Ganga had organised a day tour around Kathmandu where we learned about Nepalese culture and it’s well worth doing.

We were impressed by the communication and organisation of NHT during the booking process and our actual trip. Ganga was extremely helpful in answering all our questions and also assisted us to tailor our itinerary as we wanted to travel to Bandipur and Chitwan after the trek. We were collected from the airport we met Ganga and our guide the day before the trek which was nice. He even organised our transport back to Kathmandu airport a good two weeks after we finished the trek which we hadn’t expected but really appreciated.

We were happy with the accomodation before the trek (Woodapple Hotel) and we chose to stay there where we returned to Kathmandu. On the trek you stay in tea houses. The quality of tea houses on the trek varied but for the most part were very nice. We enjoyed most of the food, it’s best to eat the vegetarian Nepalese/ local options rather than western choices - they are delicious, especially the Dahl baht and momos. Our favourite tea houses were in Namrung, Lho and Samdo (the hot shower at Samdo for 500 baht was money well spent) and our least favourite were Samagaun (a shame as you spend two nights there) and Dharamasla. You won’t get much cell/wifi coverage (which is quite nice) but you can buy a warmish shower at most tea houses for between 250 and 500 rupee. We brought our own warm sleeping bags and pillows which we appreciated as the cleanliness of extra blankets and pillows in tea houses was often lacking (Nepal Hiking Team can also supply a sleeping bag and down jacket but we chose to bring our own).

Overall we loved our experience. We would be happy to book with Nepal Hiking Team again and 100% recommend the Manaslu Circuit as an incredible adventure.

Tips: I’d suggest bringing your own food (eg that you can add hot water to) for the tea house at Dharamasla as it was extremely basic and you don’t want to risk food poisoning the night before the Pass. Biodegradable wet wipes, toilet paper, a life straw, water sanitation tablets and plenty of hand sanitiser are also suggested! Drink lots of water to help with acclimatisation.