Upper Mustang Valley Trek - 15 Days | Nepal Guide

01 / THE EXPERIENCE

Discover the journey

Upper Mustang Trek is a journey into the mystical rain shadow region of Mustang which shelters the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Mustang- Lo. Mustang, a fortified city positioned atop Kaligandaki River in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, gets nominal rainfall which makes the entire topography dry. For this very same reason, the Upper Mustang Trek is possible even in Monsoon season. The route for Upper Mustang Treks proceeds through the barren landscape of eroded sandstone columns, taking us through wild experiences of rare natural marvels. Additionally, we'll visit the thousand-year-old Monastery of Gyokar Gompa, admiring the fortified wall, and visiting the four-storey palace in Lo-manthang. We'll pass through caves of native tribes called Lobos and have 180-degree views of Nilgiri, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges while being encircled by more than 35 mountains over 6000m high. The Upper Mustang Trek proceeds through the diverse terrain, traversing the world’s deepest gorge in Kali Gandaki to world’s highest regions of Lo-Manthang Valley. Upper Mustang Trek is a Restricted Area Trek and requires a special permit from the department of immigration to travel through, included in the cost of the trek. Upper Mustang Treks will take you through an unusual experience that will alter your vision towards trekking and leave you with infinite memories that will remain in your heart throughout your life.

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 20 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 Samar (6h-3490m) — (Trekking: approx 6 hours) There are five villages in this immediate area linked by ethnic ties - Chele, Gyakar, Chuksang, Tangbe and Tetang. They are related to the people of the Manang Valley rather than those from Jomsom and Kagbeni or Lo Manthang. It is a tough existence for people in this area - arable land is limited and trading is necessary to supplement any income made from the soil. The morning walk follows the riverbed before crossing the Kali Gandaki on a steel suspension bridge close to the place where the river passes under a huge block of red sandstone. From here there is a steep ascent to the village of Chele, where we take lunch close to barley fields and nearby willow trees. In the afternoon we climb again to a cairn at 3130 metres. Here we witness views of the village of Gyakar, lying across an impressive canyon where a patchwork of green fields gives a dash of colour to the barren terrain. The trail which is narrow in places continues to ascend to a pass at 3550 metres. To the south, great views of the Himalayan peaks can be enjoyed including Nilgiri and Tilicho peaks. From the pass, it is a short descent to the village of Samar(3490m) and our camp close to a willow grove and irrigation channels. Day 06: Samar - Gheling (4h-3590m) — (Trekking: approx 4 hours) From the village, we descend steeply past a red, black, yellow and white chorten nearly 60 metres into a deep ravine before inevitably climbing out and descending again into another canyon. We then ascend and continue our climb through an area of shrub juniper. It takes nearly two hours to reach a small ridge at 3750 metres after which a short descent leads to a couple of tea houses at Shangmochen and a welcome break. We ascend again to reach another pass at 3770 metres, where we enter a huge east-west valley. Here we bear to the right and drop down to Gheling (3590m), where we make camp close to the extensive barley fields. It is a long morning’s walk, but we have kept the afternoon free to assist with our acclimatisation. Day 07: Gheling - Tsarang (6h-3580m) — (Trekking: approx 7 hours) We begin the morning by ascending gently through the fields up the valley, passing below the settlement of Tamagang and a large chorten. We rejoin the main trail and begin another steep climb to the head of the valley to Nyi La (3930m). We are now at the border of Mustang and descend gradually for half an hour to meet a trail junction. The right fork heads to Charang and our track bears to the left towards Ghami (3250m) where we take lunch. In the afternoon the track crosses a river gully before ascending to a plateau and mani wall where we head east, climbing above the village of Tramar to a ridge at 3770 metres. From here it is a gradual descent to Tsarang (3580m), a large and fertile village populated by people form Mustang - the Lobas. The village has a magnificent monastery. Day 08: Tsarang - Lo-Manthang (5h-3760m) — (Trekking: approx 5 hours) After spending part of the morning exploring Tsarang, we descend from the village into the Tsarang River canyon before ascending a stony trail heading north, with fine views behind us of the Nilgiri, Tilicho and Annapurna ranges to the south. The trail passes an isolated chorten and spectacular caves etched into the surrounding cliffs, before reaching a ridge at 3850 metres for our first views of Lo Manthang(3760m) and the spectacular scenery of the Mustang Khola and the snow-capped peak of Mansail in the west. From the ridge, we descend to a small river and climb briefly to enter the fabled walled city from the north-eastern corner. Day 09: Visit in Lo Manthang Exploration — (Exploration day) The ’city’ contains around 150 houses and four monasteries, one of which is reported to date back to the 15th century. Inside the temples we are able to view many Buddha images and religious paintings. Photography is sometimes not permitted and you should beware of the fierce Tibetan mastiff dogs that guard the monasteries. The city itself has declined since the Chinese invasion of Tibet. Prior to this, Lo Manthang was a centre for the old salt and wool trade and at one time was a prosperous city. The dominant building in the centre of the city is the King’s Palace. The Royal Family are descendants of an aristocratic family from Lhasa in Tibet and today, though their duties are largely ceremonial, the King is a well-respected horseman and breeder of Lhasa apso dogs. After exploring the city in the morning we may take an optional walk towards Chosar in the afternoon. Day 10: Lo-Manthang - Ghami (5h-3440m) — (Trekking: approx 5 hours) From the monastery, there are views of the two neighbouring villages of Marang and Charang. We begin the day with a climb to a pass marked with a cairn at 4100 metres. The trail then passes through alpine meadows before twisting down a red and purple eroded gully to the village of Tanmar. We pass through lush fields that are a stark contrast to the surrounding barren terrain and climb a further ridge that precedes a short descent to the village of Ghami (3440m). The village has a monastery but is off-limits to tourists following the theft of religious artefacts some years before. We move beyond the village and make camp further up the trail en route to the Nyi La (Nyi Pass). Day 11: Ghami - Samar (6h-3490m) — (Trekking: approx 5-6 hours) From the camp, we ascend to a ridge marked by a cairn and then continue to climb until we meet the trail that comes from Tsarang. We head to a pass and then descend steeply into Gheling Valley, where we rejoin the trail used on our approach. We retrace our steps back to Samar with a final steep climb to the campsite. Day 12: Samar - Jomsom (5h-2743m) — (Trekking approx 5-6 hours to Kag Beni then drive to Jomsom) We retrace our steps through a barren, almost moon-like landscape dotted with patches of green cultivation. Man-made canals cut across the terrain, irrigating the crops and fruit trees. We lunch at Eklaibhati. Heading south, the wide, windswept valley floor has little fertile land, which means a hard existence for the inhabitants of the Upper Kali Gandaki. After a few hours following the valley downstream we arrive back at Jomsom, a dusty and windswept town where we spend the night in a lodge to await our flight back to Pokhara the following morning. Day 13: Flight from Jomsom to Pokhara and drive to Kathmandu by bus — (Flight time: approx 30 mins) We rise early in the morning for the return flight to Pokhara where we return to the lakeside. After a welcomed shower, we have the rest of the day free to relax or do some exploring. There are various small museums scattered around town including the renowned International Mountain Museum. Pokhara is a remarkable place of natural beauty. Situated at an altitude of 827m from the sea level and 200km west of Kathmandu valley, the city is known as a center of adventure with several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panaromic views of Himalayan peaks. The serenity of lakes and the magnificence of the Himalayas rising behind them create an ambience of peace and magic. So today the city has not only become the starting point for most popular trekking and rafting destinations but also a place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Pokhara is part of a once vibrant trade route extending between India and Tibet. To this day, mule trains can be seen camped on the outskirts of the town, bringing goods to trade from remote regions of the Himalaya. This is the land of Magars and Gurungs, hardworking farmers and valorous warriors who have earned worldwide fame as Gurkha soldiers. The Thakalis, another important ethnic group here, are known for their entrepreneurship. Day 14: Drive back to Kathmandu — Both modes of travel- via air and road are available. It takes 25-minute flight through scenic mountain views or 6-7 hours bus tour of 200km long road to make it to Kathmandu. We will return to our hotel where you will enjoy a typical Nepali dish and a cultural show. Day 15: 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 10Lo-Manthang - Ghami (5h-3440m) — (Trekking: approx 5 hours) From the monastery, there are views of the two neighbouring villages of Marang and Charang. We begin the day with a climb to a pass marked with a cairn at 4100 metres. The trail then passes through alpine meadows before twisting down a red and purple eroded gully to the village of Tanmar. We pass through lush fields that are a stark contrast to the surrounding barren terrain and climb a further ridge that precedes a short descent to the village of Ghami (3440m). The village has a monastery but is off-limits to tourists following the theft of religious artefacts some years before. We move beyond the village and make camp further up the trail en route to the Nyi La (Nyi Pass). +