Upper Mustang trek - 16 days

Trip Info

Trip Code: DHA/UMT-16

Destination: : Nepal

Trekking Duration: 10 days

Trek Type : Teahouse Basis

Grade:

Maximum Elevation : 3,825M.

Avg. hours of walk / day : 5-6 hours

Best Month of the Year : April, May, October and November

Hotel Accommodation : 4 nights 3-star hotel, twin sharing BB basis

Introduction to Upper Mustang Trek

Mustang, refers to the arid Tibet like region at the northern end of the Kali Gandaki, lying beyond the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. Mustang is the land of barley fields, pastures for grazing herds. Our trek offers you a special opportunity to explore this incredible topography with an almost treeless barren landscape and countryside similar to the Tibetan plateau, which is rich in ancient tradition and mythology. Upper Mustang consists of two distinct regions, the southern region with five villages inhabited by people related to the Manangis and the northern region (the ancient region of Lo) where the language, culture, and traditions are almost purely Tibetan.

In lower Mustang the hills tend to be great, red fluted cliffs accompanied by the beautiful valley of Kali Gandaki River, that flows from Tibet and a spectacular panorama of the massif Annapurna and Dhaulagiri range rising behind. While upper Mustang offers an endless expanse of yellow and Grey rolling hills, denudation by the wind, which is prevalent in this region, the views that you will catch here is simply breathtaking and astonishing.

Crossing the lonely landscape with several passes (the highest being the Nyi La at 3990m), villages appear in the distance as tiny green oases nestled within the valley's only grove of trees or looming as fortresses preached on rocky crags, leads us to the spectacular walled town of Lo-Mangthang. Visually extraordinary place, a home of the Mustang Raja (King) and full of beautiful temples and Monasteries. Overall, Mustang involves a wilderness of huge proportions and offers a truly exceptional experience.

Mustang was closed for some time because of a guerrilla war that was waged along the border of Tibet and because of the ecological sensitivity of the region and also to protect the ancient culture and tradition. Re-opened only since 1992. The region is a restricted area and there are certain formalities required by the Government of Nepal in obtaining a special permit.

Journey Outline

The long forbidden region of upper Mustang is now open for trekking. After an exciting flight through the Kali Gandaki, we land in Jomsom and begin trekking north towards the kingdom of Mustang. Hiking past the villages with multi-storied houses, monasteries and crumbling castles, we reach Lho- Monthang, the walled capital of this Kingdom. Mustang trek can also be done during the summer months when the people are most active in the fields, villages, and monasteries.

TRIP HIGHTLIGHTS

Muktinath temple
Peoples and Cultures of the area
Mustang King’s Palace
Monasteries and crumbling castles
Lo-manthang village multi- storied houses

DETAILS ITINERARY

Day 1
Arrival in Kathmandu, transfer to hotel &trek briefing

After you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will have to go through custom formalities. You will be greeted by our representative who will be anxiously waiting for you with a placard displaying your name in his hand. You will be transferred to the 3-Star category hotel in a private vehicle. Once you get refreshed, you will get briefing regarding the itinerary and you will also be introduced with your crewmembers and other trekkers who are going to join you on the trip. Enjoy welcome dinner in the evening where you can taste authentic Nepali dinner. Stay overnight in a hotel.

Day 2
Tours, necessary preparation & packing

In the morning after breakfast, we will organize half day sightseeing tour during which you will be taken on memorable UNESCO Heritage Tour. Tour begins with visit to Nepal’s holiest Pashupatinath Temple Complex and takes us through Nepal’s largest Bouddhanath Stupa and 2500 years old Swoyambhunath Stupa. We will return to hotel in the afternoon and time for shopping of any missing items, packing and getting ready for the trip.

Day 3
Fly to Pokhara and explore the area

After morning tea, we will drive towards Tribhuvan Airport, domestic terminal for Kathmandu to Pokhara flight. Pokhara is the centre of Western Development Region and Gateway to Annapurna Region. In 20 minutes of scenic flight, we will enjoy the panoramic views of Annapurna Mountain, Ganesh Mountain, Nilgiri Mountain, Manaslu Mountain and other mountains. Once we reach Pokhara Airport, we will be transferred to the hotel. After refreshment, we will visit Phewa Lake. Boating is available upon your own expenses. We will visit the Bazaar area and return to hotel for overnight stay.

Day 4
Fly to Jomsom (2,720m) trek to Kabgeni (2,810m), 3 hours

We will catch early morning flight from Pokhara Airport and fly parallel to Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Mountains for about 20 minutes to reach small airstrip at Jomsom. Jomsom is a windy town. Once our crew members are ready with luggage, we will begin Upper Mustang trek. We will follow the scenic path along the edge of Kaligandaki River to Kagbeni. Sorrounded with mountains, Kagbeni is the best place to end the trek on this day.

Day 5
Trek to Chele (3,050m), 6 hours

Heading from the eastern edge of Kali Gandaki River, we will climb the ridge and then lower down to Tangbe village. Walking past the narrow alleyways and farms, we willenjoy the close-up view of looming Nilgiri Mountain. Moving out of small Tangbe village, we will make it to Chhusang village. We will crossthe river and then continue to climb north. We will leave Kali Gandaki valley and climbuphill to Chele(3030m). Culture from Chele onwards is different than culture found in villages at lower region. Stay overnight at Chele.

Day 6
Trek to Geling (3,570m), 7 hours

After early morning breakfast, we will follow the ascending path through steep and barren slope with no sign of vegetation. Walking through the canyon, we will reach to the pass at 3540m. Enjoying the spectacular views of surrounding mountains from the pass, we will make gradual descend to chortens. We will continue to follow the descending trail to small Samar village from where we can enjoy the view of Annapurna and Nilgiri mountains. We will make sharp ascend from Samar to Geling where we will stay overnight.

Day 7
Trek to Tsarang/ Charang (3,560m), 6 hours

Leaving Geling early in the morning, we will follow the ascending path to Nyi La Pass. After brief rest, we will make gradual descend along cliffs across the valley. We will arrive at the bridge existing aboveTangmar Chu River. Climbing uphill from Tangmar Chu River, we will pass through long mani walls to the Pass located at 3600m altitude. We will lower down from the pass to Charangwhere we can visit old five–storey white Dzong. Red gompais another attraction in Charang. Stay overnight at Charang.

Day 8
Trek to Lo Manthang (3,809m), 5 hours the capital of Mustang

After an early morning tea, we will leave Charang and make gradual descend to Charang–Chu River. The path from Charang Chu River rises up through steep section to the top of ridge at 3850m from where we will get the first view of fortified Lomanthang city. We will lower down from the ridge and cross small river to reach Lo Manthang. Stay overnight at Lo Manthang.

Day 9
Explore the area, Lo Manthang

This is an acclimatization day. We will explore around Lomanthang which is the ultimate destination of Upper Mustang Trek. Lo Manthang is the capital City of Mustang. There are several interesting places around Lomanthang that we can visit on this day. Tingkhar is one of such attractions. Tingkhar is the last village of Mustang. Similarly, monasteries likeNamgyalGompa, ThugchenGompa and ChyodiGompa are other attractions. We can also visit ancient Lo Manthang Palace which is the residence of local king. Stay overnight in Lo Manthang.

Day 10
Trek to Lo Dhakmar (3,825m), 6 hours via GharGumba

We will begin our return trip back to Jomsom on this day. We will follow the different path than we had taken to arrive at Lomanthang. We will head south-west from Charangand walk past fields before choosing the escalating path to the top of ridge. Climbing up from the valley, we will cross Chogo La Pass from where we will descend to the grass plain. Lowering down further, we will reach to the bridge over CharangRiver. We will cross the river to reach Gyakar village where we will visit 1200 years old GharGompa. The trail escalates uphill through alpine meadows and then lower down to Lo Dhaknmar where we will stay overnight.

Day 11
Trek to Syangbochen (3,800m), 5 hours

After an early morning tea, we will move along stone walls and fields of Dramkar village. We will lower down from Dramkar to the river. Crossing the river, we will climb up toa ridge at 3710m. Sharp descend from the ridge will take us to river from where we will climb to the upper part of Ghemi. Moving further from Ghemi, we will through small settlements at Jaite and ChhungKa to reach Tama Gaon. The trail stretches uphill from Tamagaon to Chorten. The path meets with path from Geling belowSyangbochen La. Crossing Syangbochen La Pass, we will lower down to Syangbochen where we will stay overnight.

Day 12
Trek to Chusang (2980m), 5 hours

A moderately strenuous walk of about 7 hours will take us to Chusang from Shyangbochen. Leaving Syangbochen, we will walk past dispersed settlements of Yamdo and Bena to Samar village. From Samar, the trail drops down passing through village at Chele to Kali Gandaki River. We will follow the Kali Gandali River to Chusang where we will stay overnight.

Day 13
Trek to Muktinath (3,760m), 6 hours, and drive to Jomsom (1.5hrs)

Leaving Chusang early in the morning, we will follow the gradually rising trail towards ridge. After series of ups and downs, we will reach Muktinath temple. This is the holy temple that is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. Muktinath means the Lord of Salvation. Visit Muktinath temple to see 108 water sprouts. There is also a Jwala Mai temple where fire lights up eternally.We will also visit the Vishnu temple, We can drive to Jomsom the same day, its about 1.5hrs drive only, Stay over night in a guesthouse.

Day 14
Fly KTM via Pokhara

We will drive to Pokhara Airport in the afternoon. Scenic flight from Pokhara will take us to Kathmandu. Take rest. Write a journal and arrange your photo albums. Stay overnight at hotel.

Day 15
Free day, shopping

This is rest day. Spend the day as you like. You can go for shopping in Thamel where you can buy souvenir items. Pashmina Shawls, Khukuri (Gurkha Knife) and handmade products are popular gift items. You can also visit Basantapur Durbar Square in the evening.

Day 16
Int’l Departure for onward flight to home

We will transfer you to the Airport as per your scheduled flight for your onward destination. Safe journey. We hope to see you soon.

Start Date

End Date

Availability

Price

Min.

Start Date

9th Oct 2023

End Date

24th Oct 2023

Availability

OPENED

Price

USD 2,355

Min

Book

REMARKS : If you have private team (+2 persons team), Plz contact our sales person for customized date and special group based discounted cost

HIRING OPTIONS

Down jacket (450 grams down) - USD 2 per/day
Sleeping bag (-20 degree rated) - USD 2.5 per/day

COST INCLUDES

Conservation/National park fees and all govt. taxes
All required trekking permits
5 (five) nights 3 star hotel accommodation on twin sharing BB basis
All internal flights (Kathmandu – Pokhara – Jomsom – Pokhara – Kathmandu with airport taxes
Trek duffle bag/luggage weight, maximum of 15kg per trekker
All airport/hotel/airport transfers by private vehicles
An Experience Sherpa Trek Guide
Support Sherpa staffs
Required number of porters
Trek sleeping bag and Down Jacket (on rental basis)
All meals of high quality and hygienic (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
All hot drinks and beverages (tea, coffee, hot chocolate, treated drinking water etc.)
Trek group First Aid Kit
Insurance of all local team members
Equipment for porters
Half-day world heritage sites tour with guide & private transport
Farewell celebration dinner

COST EXCLUDES

Medical/personal high risk insurance, (must cover emergency evacuation cost)
International departure taxes
Personal trek gears
Major meals in Kathmandu
Cost of personal expenses i.e. telephone calls, laundry, Toiletry items etc.
Bottle water, soft drinks, beers
Tips to the local Staff

Fitness Requirements for the Trek

This kind of trek doesn’t really require previous trekking and mountaineering experiences. It doesn’t require any technical experience, only that you are in good physical condition and be able to hike 4 – 6 hours over hilly terrain up to 3,500m of altitude with a light day pack.

Value of Previous Experience

If you have any previous experiences would be helpful but if you don’t have is also not an important matter of issue. This trek will introduce you to trekking in the Himalayas and also about the local cultures, traditions, and local people. Even if you are around the age of 65 years, you can be a candidate for this trek.

Published on : October 31, 2017

Just returned from a wonderful trek in the Upper Mustang region. This was my first time with Dream Himalaya Adventures and will certainly not be the last! Dawa meticulously went through all our trekking gear to ensure we had missed nothing. Right from picking us up from the airtport to organising our paragliding, Dawa did a great job. Pasang and Tendi took very good care of us all through the trek, and it is their friendship that made the trip more enjoyable. I am glad we went with Dream Himalaya on this relatively remote trek. I would recommend them to anyone!

Sushila Rajagopal, Bangalore, India

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Testimonials

Maicen Stuart

Vancouver, Canada

I had the amazing opportunity of trekking through Khumbu, Nepal over Renjo La towards Gokyo lake and back down through Namche Bazaar. This trip would have been impossible without the incredible support of the Dream Himalaya Adventures team. They handled all of the logistics and support throughout the trip so that our experience could be completely stress free. The amazing staff is so kind, friendly, and some of the best people that you'll have the opportunity of becoming acquainted with. I'll be going back soon with Dream Himalaya and I recommend you do the same!

Melissa Karadana & Archie Gilmour

Nederland & United Kingdom

Dream Himalaya provided an unforgettable adventure led by our exceptional guide Karma. His expertise, coupled with his genuine love and joy for the mountains, made him an absolute joy to be with for three weeks. With his support and the rest of the team, we successfully climbed Lobuche Peak. We couldn't have achieved it without Dawa's professionalism, meticulous planning, and genuine care.

Pasang Yangjee Sherpa

Vancouver, Canada

Dream Himalaya Adventures is a great service provider. We trekked along the Bhote Koshi towards Nangpa La. Then, crossed Renjo La and spent some time in Gokyo before heading south along the Dudhkoshi to Chumoa. Pema and Kami are extremely helpful, thoughtful, and reliable. They made our trek very comfortable. Our hosts at the guesthouses were kind and generous. Dawa and his team provided great service. I highly recommend Dream Himalaya Adventures.

Declan Taylor

Vancouver, Canada

We took a slow pace trekking clockwise up and over the Renzo pass. It was a stunning journey: all of the guesthouses we stayed in were lovely (warm, clean, with delicious food), and our guides were so kind and caring! Pema and Kami were so fun to spend the trek with, flexible in our group's plans, and very thoughtful, helping us achieve all that we wanted to do. I hope to do another trek with Dream Himalaya Adventures in the future!

Jerick Ilao

Philippines

To: Dream Himalaya Adventures c/o Dawa, The service you have provided during my trek was superb. Your services are excellent and worthy of recommendation. You deserve this recognition and appreciation!!! There is always a touch of excellence in your work! Thank you and God bless! Keep it up!

Rex Poblete

Manila, Philippines

Thank you to Dawa and Dream Himalaya Adventures for making our trip an adventure of a lifetime! Very professional with outstanding communication even during our preparation. All our expectations were exceeded! Staff was very kind and professional as well. Shout out to our Sherpa Pasang and our porters for a job well done. They took care of us well. Thanks to my hiking buddies Gary and Vlad your the best! Dream Himalaya Adventures is the way to go! 🙏

Jordan Puchar

Perth, Australia

A great experience & adventure even though quite challenging. Dawa from Dream Himalayan Adventures was excellent & very accommodating ,he makes sure you are well equiped for the adventure ahead. The accommodation on the trek is serviceable & the food surprisingly very good considering the remoteness. The staff at base camp ,sherpas & porters are all friendly ,helpfull & know their stuff. I would be very happy to use Dream Himalaya Adventures again.

Gary Genio

Manila, Philippines

I’m so glad I chose Dream Himalaya to handle the logistics for my EBC Trek this April 2023. Everything was meticulously planned, handled and executed from the get go which enabled me to enjoy a great hassle free trek. Everything from thé coordinator, guides and sherpa were awesome. Truly world class service from the day you arrive at KTM until you say your goodbyes . These are the stuff dreams are made of .

Brian Pugsley

Perth Western Australia.

What an adventure ! in a beautiful location surrounded by beautiful people. I was treated like family by Dawa and Pasang. All I have is beautiful memories and superb photos. I loved Nepal / Himalayas/ Everest region and would only recommend Dawa and the team to trek with in Nepal.

Joe and Jenny

Perth, Australia

We had the best time with the team from Dream Himalaya Adventures they went above and beyond for me and my wife before, during and after our trip I will be 100% returning to do my trips with Dawa and his team

16 days

Price 2023 : USD 2355 Price 2024 : USD 2600

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