Upper Mustang Trek-18Days

01 / THE EXPERIENCE

Discover the journey

The upper mustang called the ‘ Forbidden Kingdom’ and it is steeped in undisturbed Tibetan Buddhist subculture with historical monasteries, traditional villages and cave dwellings excessive up at the cliffs, as well as the stunning architecture on view on the walled metropolis of Lo Manthang (capital of Mustang region) The upper Mustang trek into the faraway Trans-Himalayan place of this semi-independent Tibetan state gives an adventurous 14- 20-day itinerary with staggering hiking thru striking semi-arid barren region with colorful rock formations, deep ravines and snow-capped peaks surrounding you. The history, subculture, delusion, and legend blend flawlessly with stunning surroundings. In commonplace usage, the call Mustang refers back to the arid Tibet-like region at the northern end of the Kali Gandaki (recognized to its population as Lo). Mustang has long, wealthy and complex records that make it one of the most thrilling places in Nepal. The early history of Lo is shrouded in legend, delusion, and thriller, however, there are records of events in Lo as early as the eighth century. Upper mustang it is quite likely that the Tibetan poet Milarepa, who lived from 1040 to 1123, visited Lo. In Lo itself the countryside is just like the Tibetan plateau with its limitless expanses of yellow and grey rolling hills eroded by wind. There is more rain in the decrease a part of top Mustang and the hills tend to be tremendous red fluted cliffs of tiny round stones cemented collectively through the dust. Villages are several hours apart and appear in the distance nearly as mirages; throughout the summer season, after the crops are planted, they're green oasis inside the barren region-like landscape.

03 / YOUR ROUTE

Journey at a glance

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu. Transfer to hotel and Welcome Dinner — Upon your arrival at Kathmandu airport, one of our representatives will greet you and will transfer you to the hotel. Welcome Evening dinner at authentic Nepalese restaurant with cultural performance. Airport pickup by private Car, Van or Bus (According to group size) Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal. Day 02: Sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley. — Today we are going to visit four of the UNESCO world heritage listed sites in Kathmandu Valley. After breakfast, we start for Kathmandu valley city tour which includes the UNESCO heritage site in the City valley. Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most sacred pilgrims’ sites for Hindus all over the world and It is the temple of Lord Shiva, the temple where the dead bodies are criminated on the Bagmati River. Boudhanath Stupa is one of the biggest stupas in Asia and holiest Buddhist Pilgrims and famous tourist destination in City Valley and It is also famous for over 50 Tibetan gompas or monasteries. Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the places of the ancient king palace who ruled over the Kathmandu Kingdom. Swayambhunath(Monkey Temple) is located in the heart of the City valley and It is another famous tourist destination and holiest Buddhist pilgrims in Kathmandu Valley. Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Pokhara and transfer to hotel — The bus journey will take approx 7 hours but by air, it takes only 35minates. Pokhara is set in a lovely valley at the foot of the Machapuchare so you get spectacular views of the mountains from all parts of the town. It is quite different from Kathmandu, with few temples, but it does have plenty of scenic attractions and is close to the mountains. There are some interesting short walks or bicycle rides from Pokhara, you can swim and canoe on Lake Phewa or just watch the last rays of the sun stream across the dip in the mountains that hold the lake. Along the lakeside road, there is a continuous stretch of small hotels, restaurants and shops; it’s an area which still has a bit of the old hippy scene feel about it. Day 04: Flight from Pokhara to Jomsom (1750m,25min) trek to Kagbeni.(3h-2800m) — The iconic flight of a mere 25 minutes will lead us to Jomsom - the hub and the district headquarters of Mustang that links Nepal with Tibet through an ancient salt trade route. The flight will be a memorable one as it offers the views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges. Upper Mustang Trek initiates from Jomsom. We will move forward along the Kaligandaki River and traverse Ekley Bhatti Village before continuing on the way that allows the 180-degree views of Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri, Dhampus and Tukuche and then descend to Kagbeni,(2804m) a Tibetan village located at the edge of two rivers. Day 05: Kagbeni to Chaile (6h-3050m) — We will trek to Chaile today. We follow the river valley upstream towards the destination. We will trek past amazing villages of Tangbe and Chhusang along the trail. We are introduced to the very initial wonders of Mustang landscape. The elevation brings us quite different and majestic landscapes than the ones at lower elevations. We are expecting a vast stretch of bare mountainous landscape throughout the trip to Lo Manthang. We stay overnight at Chaile today. Day 06: Chailei to Syangmochen (5h-3,800m) — Our trekking adventure in Mustang continues towards Syangmochen today. We will gain a good elevation on our trek today. Traversing the trail up and down the bare mountains with jagged cliffs, we walk past Samar village and head towards the destination. We will be more closely introduced with the culture and nature of the region. Beautiful mountain views, crystalline skies and wonderful landscapes make our walk of the day great. We reach Syangmochen to stay overnight. Day 07: Syangmochen to Ghami (5h-3490m) — The walk from Syangmochen to Ghami will take us over a high Himalayan pass before we reach the destination. Nyi La pass that stands at the elevation of 3,932 meters above sea level is a wonderful view point that brings stunning views to our sight. The uphill trekking effort early morning towards the pass is worth for the view that we get from the top. Later, after enjoying a few good minutes at the pass, we descend the trail towards Ghami village to stay overnight. Day 08: Ghami to Tsarang (5h-3700m) vie Dhakmar — Our walk for the day today will take us to Charang – a beautiful cultural village that stands atop a canyon. The village is spread widely in the area that provides a wonderful cultural immersion. But, before reaching the destination, we will trek past several beautiful places and surroundings that keep us walking further. The village has a huge influence on Buddhist culture that we can observe once we reach there. Day 09: Tsarang to Lo Manthang (5h-3810m) — We will reach the final destination of the trip today. Our walk takes us to the ancient kingdom of Lo to explore its surreal beauty. This isolated mountainous region has remained untouched by the effects of modernity. Walking there is another beautiful day spent along the trail that brings so many wonderful things. We reach the walled kingdom of Lo Manthang to stay overnight today. Day 10: Visit in Lo Manthang Exploration — We will take an extra day here at Lo Manthang to explore the surroundings. We will explore and immerse in the cultural beauty of the place. We will see how innocent the local people are and how simple and happy their life is. Exploration of the place is truly inspirational. Day 11: Trek to Dhakmar (3,820m) via Marang La (4,300m) — After exploring Lo Manthang and its surroundings, we start trekking back towards Jomsom. We will trek to Dhakmar today. The walk takes us over Marang La that stands at the elevation of 4,300 meters above sea level. After spending some time at the pass, we descend to Dhakmar to stay overnight. Day 12: Trek to Geling (3,580m) — We will trek to the village of Geling to stay overnight. Retracing the trail via Ghami, we reach Geling and settle. We can explore cultural riches of the village. Day 13: Trek to Chhusang — Retrace the trail back to Chhusang and stay overnight. Although we are retracing the trail, walking from the other side gives us different view of the place and the surroundings that we trek along. Day 14: Trek to Muktinath (3,710m) — We will trek to a sacred and spiritual place today. The destination for the day is Muktinath that is a sacred spiritual site. Muktinath is a temple that Hindus believe in as the god who grants them salvation, the spiritual salvation. Thousands of pilgrims make it to Muktinath every year. We reach the place; explore the surroundings; and stay overnight here. Day 15: Trek to Jomsom (2,743m) — We are on the last day of trekking adventure today. We will trek to Jomsom to bring the walking part of the trip to the end. We trek all the way down to Kagbeni and onwards to Jomsom. When we reach Jomsom, we will have enough time to explore the town of Jomsom. Day 16: Flight from Jomsom to Pokhara and drive to Kathmandu by bus — We will fly to Pokhara in the morning. It’s another flight of about 20 minutes that flies through Kali Gandaki River valley past parallel to the Annapurna range. Once we reach Pokhara, we will have free time to relax and wander around. Day 17: Drive to Kathmandu — We will drive back to Kathmandu. About seven hours of drive takes us back to Kathmandu. There is a flight option at an extra cost. Once back in Kathmandu, we will have free time to relax. Day 18: Final departure — Our representative transfers you to the Kathmandu airport to catch your returning flight back home. Thank you for Travelling with Churen Himal Treks and Tours. Airport drop by private Car, Van or Bus (According to group size) Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal.

YOUR DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 10Visit in Lo Manthang Exploration — We will take an extra day here at Lo Manthang to explore the surroundings. We will explore and immerse in the cultural beauty of the place. We will see how innocent the local people are and how simple and happy their life is. Exploration of the place is truly inspirational. +