Upper Mustang Trek

Today, we will start our sightseeing tour in the Kathmandu Valley which includes cultural heritage sites such as Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa and Pasupatinath Temple. Enjoy the artistic palace, paintings, sculptures and a brief look at the history of Nepal. Overnight at the hotel with breakfast included.

You will be met by your guide early in the morning for the drive to Pokhara. The drive is long but very scenic and interesting. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to Pokhara hotel for check in. In the evening, you can enjoy boating on Fewa Lake and you might wish to photograph the reflection of Mount Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna Range on the serene water. Overnight at the hotel with breakfast included.

Early in morning, we will fly between the snow covered peaks of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri to Jomsom. The sights of towering massifs rising to more than 8,000 meters, and the river with the deepest gorge on the planet are just mind-blowing. At Jomsom we will start our Upper Mustang trek to Kagbeni. This is the main gate to Upper Mustang, situated at an altitude of (2,800m), Kagbeni village dates from around the 14th century when it was a check post for traders from Nepal. There is still a checkpoint to control the groups departing for Muktinath and Mustang. Overnight at a guesthouse – breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

The trail takes us to the east bank of the Kaligandaki river. We traverse several ridges to Tangbe village. This village is a labyrinth of narrow alleys amongst white washed houses, fields of buckwheat, barley, wheat and apple orchards. We can take in the view of the Nilgiri peak which dominates the southern skyline of Kagbeni. Beyond Tangbe we will reach Chhusang village after about one and half hours walking. We cross the river and continue climbing to a huge red chunk of conglomerate that has fallen from the cliffs above, forming a tunnel through which the Kaligandaki flows. We leave the Kali Gandaki valley and climb steeply up a rocky gully to Chele. Overnight at a guesthouse – breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Today we will ascend the treeless, waterless terrain, along the side of a spectacular steep canyon to a pass a rock cairn at 3540m. The trail then makes a long gradual descent to Samar village. The Annapurna, still dominated by Nilgiri, is visible far to the south. We’ll climb up above Samar to a ridge and descend into a large gorge. The trail continues through another valley field, crosses a stream and climbs up to a ridge at 3800m. The route traverses another pass, follows a ridge and descends to Shyangmochen. From here, we gently climb to a pass at 3770m and descend into Geling Village. Overnight at a guesthouse -breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

From Geling, the trail climbs gently up to the interesting pass of NYI La and descends below the blue, gray and red cliffs. We cross over the steel bridge of the Tangmar Chu (river) and arrive at the longest Mani wall in Mustang. We climb over another pass at 3,600 m and start the long gentle descent to Charang village. The large five-storey white Dzong and red Gompa are impressive attractions here. We can also observe the collections of statues, Thankas and other large paintings of the seated Buddha. Overnight at a guesthouse – breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Our trail ascends steadily until Lo-Gekar. Lo-Gekar Gompa is older than Samye Gompa in Tibet. It is in fact one of the oldest Gompas the region. After visiting Lo-Gekar, we continue our upper Mustang trek to Lo-Manthang. The trail to Lo-Manthang is well-defined with some minor climbing. We will pass the walled city of Lo along the trial, then make a short descent, cross a stream and climb to the plateau of Lo-Manthang. Overnight at a guesthouse -breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

We will hike for two hours to Namgyal Gompa. This is situated on a hilltop and here is an important monastery for the local community. It also supports a local court. After our visit to Namgyal Gompa, we continue our tour to Tingkhar. This is the last village to the northwest of Lomanthang with around 40 houses. After visiting both places we will return to Lomanthang. Overnight at a guesthouse – breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Today our trail ascends steadily and offers a last glimpse of Lo Manthang before climbing a ridge at 4070m and continuing to the Chogo La (4210m/13810ft). This is the highest point on our Upper Mustang Trek. The trail then advances to a short, steep descent and crosses the Charang River. We will climb to Lo Geker and arrive at Ghar Gompa, a small monastery. We then climb the ridge, cross a valley and alpine meadows, and then drop down a steep eroded path to Drakmar. Overnight at a guesthouse – breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

The trail now descends, passing the stone walls and fields of Drakmar before climbing to a ridge. It further descends to the lower part of Ghami and then to Jaite (3820m), dropping again to Chhung-Kah. We continue to Tama Gaon (3710m) and down to Shyangmochen. Overnight at a guesthouse – breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Our long hike now follows a stream all the way down to Chhusang. We can also take an alternative route to Samar visiting Ranchung Cave. The alternative route is just 30-minutes longer. Overnight at a guesthouse – breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Today we will follow the stream, pass Chhusang village and make a short steep ascent onto the valley floor. We keep ascending until we reach a small pass from where we can see Muktinath and the red painted Buddhist Monasteries. After traversing the pass, we drop down to the stream and cross via a suspension bridge. We ascend for a while and walk through the villages to Muktinath. This route is very popular for the Fossil stone “Saligrams” which is mainly found between Tetang and Gyu La Pass (4077m). It also offers a terrific 140 degree view of the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Tukuche Himalayan range. Overnight at a guesthouse – breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Muktinath is one of most important destinations for Hindu pilgrims and it is also an important place for Buddhists. In the morning, we will visit Muktinath Temple. We can enjoy the magnificent views of Dhaulagiri peak from here. There are water spouts which channel into the stream running above the temple. There is also a Buddhist Monastery nearby. Our trail descends through the village of Jharkot where we can explore the Jharkot monastery; this is both a Tibetan herbal medical center and an old fortress. We continue our trek back to Jomsom. The views of the Kaligandaki valley and Kagbeni village along the way are truly overwhelming. We pass by Ekle Bhatti and finally arrive at Jomsom where we can celebrate the completion of the trek with all the trekking staff. Overnight at a guesthouse – breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Early in the morning we will take the return flight to Pokhara. The afternoon can be spent exploring this picturesque lakeside town as your fancy takes you. Overnight at a hotel – breakfast included.

Today we will drive back to Kathmandu. Overnight at a hotel – breakfast included.

Approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight, a representative from Nepal Hiking Team will bid you farewell after taking you to the International airport. You will take away your photographs and memories of a truly remarkable adventure.