Annapurna Region is opulent of mountains, cinematic landscapes, Tibetan-influenced culture, and ancient Buddhism. To the far North of West Nepal, Upper Mustang Trek, a 14 days heavenly trip to the hidden gem of the Himalayas, is a bucket list for many high-altitude freaks. The beauty of Upper Mustang lies in its remoteness, enriched cultures, and authentic Himali people.
Trekking to Upper Mustang and the unspoiled landscape of Lo Manthang started in 1992. Even being a heaven of mountains, appealing cinematic terrains, and withered landscape, not more than 800 people visit here.
Trekking to Upper Mustang is also a significant cultural and natural escapade. The Himalayan giants like Dhaulagiri at 8,176 metres and Annapurna I at 8,091 metres. Other mountains like Nilgiri and Dhampus peak are visible from the Upper Mustang trek route.
The trek route to Upper Mustang is elegant, filled with withered terrains that give the cinematic viewing experience. On top, hiking on the luring course of rushing Kali Gandaki and its deepest gorge is serene. The beautiful Jomsom, Apple Orchard, and Marpha, and majestic Kagbeni Valley, are the best of Mustang. Further, a hike on return to Muktinath completes the Upper Mustang trek pious and serene.
Built by Ame Pal in 1380, Lo Manthang as the Kingdom of Lo was the ancient kingdom of the Himalayas near Tibet. Lo was an autonomous kingdom till the 18th century, ruled by the Lo dynasty of Tibet.
The royal palace of Lo is still a major attraction among trekkers trekking to Upper Mustang. On exchanging chats with people, you may still find some inheritance of the royal family. Furthermore, the towering peaks and ancient caves in Lo Manthang are scenic and tempting.
Adjacent to Tibet and between Dalome village, a land of Nepal, people here barely speak Nepali. The Tibetan-influenced cultures, traditions, and rituals of people in Lo are inspiring. Furthermore, tracing the ancient trade route to Lo, called the silk route, takes you back to the timeless 17th-century vibe.
Almost all trekking in Nepal offers tea house-based accommodation, and so does the Upper Mustang trek. Commercially, this trekking route gets filled with trekkers every Spring and Autumn.
We'll begin the Upper Mustang trek from Kathmandu, where you'll get three-star accommodation. Also, at Pokhara, you'll get a three-star hotel for overnight comfort. But, you can't expect the same luxurious facilities up in the Himalayas.
Tea houses, often called lodges, offer basic lodging and flooding to the trekkers. Since it is a commercial route, you'll get a wide variety of menu items and improved accommodation.
Accommodation at tea houses en route to Upper Mustang is comfortable to relieve the tiredness. Though the beds are not heated, curling inside warm sleeping bags on the lap of the Himalayas gives an exquisite overnight experience.
Jomsom being a hotspot in Annapurna region trekking, like Namche, you'll get luxurious to mid-range accommodation. Thus, it'll be the last stop for decent overnight sleep. Here, you'll get attached bathrooms and private twin-sharing rooms. Also, at places like Lo Manthang, you'll get minimal accommodation services.
Furthermore, you'll get hot water showers at tea houses in lower altitudes, but firewood heated water in a bucket is more common at high altitude places, f. Internet and telephones are available en route to Upper Mustang. But you'll have to pay an extra cost for a hot water shower, hot drinking water, and the internet.
Lo Manthang, our final destination of this trek, sits at 3,840 metres. For experienced trekkers, this altitude is nothing serious. But, first-time trekkers may experience altitude sickness symptoms.
The thinning oxygen in the withered and barren landscape of the Upper Mustang affects trekkers. Thus, symptoms like headaches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea are common to trekkers. With proper medication and acclimatisation, these symptoms can go away. But, not everyone's body reacts the same at high altitudes.
We request you inform the trek guide immediately if you feel uncomfortable hiking. In this way, we can minimise getting altitude sickness. Thus, our trekking guides will take proper care of you with medications, if necessary. There'll also be a buffer day that we can use for acclimatisation if someone in the team feels uncomfortable.
On top, you can also carry some medications like Nifedipine 60 mg, which prevents you from developing AMS( Acute Mountain Sickness).
To access Upper Mustang Trekking, you need two mandatory permits issued by the Nepal Government. Since Upper Mustang sits near the Tibet border, has open access, and was once a forbidden kingdom, the government regulates the tourism and activities here.
The two permits, Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) and Restricted Area Permit(RAP) are a must for the Upper Mustang trek. ACAP costs USD 30, which may vary, and RAP costs USD 500 for a ten days trip. If your permit expires and wants to continue trekking in Upper Mustang, you have to pay an additional USD 10 for each day.
World Expedition Nepal manages your Upper Mustang trek permits if you book this trip with us. Thus, you'll get rid of the headaches of visiting the Tourism Office and Immigration Office for trek permits and documentation.
Upper Mustang gives the cinematic visual of mountains on the horizon and the arid yet luring terrain of Annapurna Sanctuary. Imagine clear weather, stable weather, low wind speed, and this view! Magically breathtaking.
These conditions are absolute on Spring and Autumn days. The alpine landscape in crystal clear weather of March, April, and May is arresting. On top, the festive vibes and clear weather of September, October, and November are best.
Trekkers also prefer the Upper Mustang trek in the monsoon. Lo Manthang lies in the rain shadow of the Annapurna region and receives very little rain. The Buckwheat farmlands of Jomsom and Chele are at their best greenery during monsoon. On top, the clear weather till midday is also ideal for sightseeing.
After the successful Spring trekking in Nepal, the Himalayas awaits trekkers in Autumn. The fresh and clean weather, ideal temperature, and festive vibe in Autumn are best for trekking Upper Mustang.
World Expedition Nepal is now open to all inquiries and reservations for the Upper Mustang trek in Autumn 2022. Our fixed departures for the Upper Mustang trek in Autumn are already selling fast. Also, we organise this trip for limited clients. Thus, if you're looking for this trip at the best affordable rate, feel free to contact us.
Get in touch with our tour manager Mr. Sujan Neupaney to learn more about our Annapurna region Trekking for Autumn 2022. Or you can send an email to info@worldexpeditionnepal.com or call directly on WhatsApp at +9779851212358.
You will drive up to Pokhara after breakfast. The 6 hours’ drive will let you see the beautiful Trishuli River and landscapes.
The stunning Mountain View awaits you. As you arrive, you can get to the hotel and rest after the long drive.
You will enjoy exploring the Lakeside of Pokhara. You can even go boating in Phewa Lake.
After dinner, you can relax in your hotel room.
Getting on the plane is the first thing you will do on the second day. You will take a short flight from Pokhara to Jomsom.
Jomsom is the trade center for the rural municipality of the Mustang region. You will get a glimpse of the market area and a majestic view of the mountains.
After you land on Jomsom, you can take some time to stroll around. But, you will start the trek to Kagbeni as soon as possible. Kagbeni is about 3 to 4 hours away from Jomsom, and you will be trekking up to the pleasant village, Kagbeni.
Once you reach Kagbeni, you will settle in a comfortable tea house. If you aren't tired, you can explore this beautiful village and enjoy its unique locality.
You can sleep early to wake up in the morning on time.
You will be stepping into the Upper Mustang region on your third day. You will have breakfast in Kagbeni and head towards Chele.
You will see the fantastic Kali Gandaki River on the trail and the white-washed Tangbe village. The cultivated land and apple farms will offer you a charming view your eyes.
After you reach Chele, you will rest in a cozy teahouse and have a meal.
On the fourth day, you will increase the level of your trekking. You will start early after breakfast as you have to trek on a challenging route.
You will go through the Taklam La Pass and the Darjori La Pass, enjoying the awe-inspiring view of mountains and landscapes.
You will also pass through a small village named Samar Village. As you arrive at Syangmoche, you will accommodate in a comfortable teahouse. After a meal, you will call it a night.
The destination for the fifth day is Ghami village. You will move as soon as you have breakfast.
You will cross the Yamada La pass in the trail and pass through fascinating villages. The farmlands and chortens on the way cannot be missed at all. After going through thick forests, you will cross another pass for the day, i.e., Nyi Pass.
After trekking for a while, you will finally get to Ghami village, which is mesmerizing and large.
You will find a cozy teahouse and settle for a place to sleep and eat.
The route from Ghami to Charang village is quite complex as the trail is slippery.
You will embark on the trekking journey after crossing the Ghami Khola. You will go ahead following the Mani walls and cross the Charang La Pass.
You will get to Charang village in only four hours. So, you can roam around the town and learn about the fortress and gompa of the village area.
After your dinner, you can comfortably reside in a cozy tea house.
On the following day, you will have breakfast before the trek and cross the Lo La Pass first.
You are finally entering the hidden kingdom of Lo Manthang. After five long hours of trek from Charang village, you can find a teahouse to get a place to rest and a meal.
You can explore this Forbidden City and meet the remaining royal family members. You can pay your respects in the monasteries of the Lo Manthang.
You will spend a night at a teahouse.
You will go to the Chhoser Cave, which is in the upper Mustang region. The Upper Mustang region is full of mysteries.
You can explore this cave and learn more about it.
No one knows why people built these Sky caves and how they used them in the past. It is fascinating to see the cave with own eyes.
You will return to the teahouse at Lo Manthang and stay here for another night.
After exploring the forbidden kingdom and caves, you will head to the Dhakmar after breakfast.
You will see incredible paintings and great gompa on the trek route. You will pass Gyakar village and visit the gompas you find on the way if you want.
After you reach Dhakmar, you will settle in a teahouse.
You will again wake up early to start your trek. You will go through the windy part of the trail.
This challenging part of the route offers you a stunning view of the Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri mountains.
You will reach Ghilling after a 6-hour-long trek and stay a night in a tea house.
You will start your trek from Ghiling village after breakfast.
You will pass through many villages with a great view of landscapes, mountains, and pastures.
You will stay overnight in Chuksang village.
As you leave Chuksang village, you will make your way to Jomsom. Once you start your journey today, you will leave behind the upper and lower Mustang.
You can relish the fantastic trek route and views you will observe from Kagbeni to Jomsom.
You have touched the Annapurna Circuit Trek on the trail from Kagbeni to Jomsom. You will meet the trekkers who are trekking in the Annapurna Circuit region.
You will Jomsom from Chuksang village in around 5 hours.
You can stay a night at a comfortable teahouse, and after a meal, you can go to sleep.
You will catch a quick flight to Pokhara from here. You can admire the view that you see from the plane.
As you are in Pokhara, you can take a rest for a while, and then you can explore the Pokhara valley. You can visit Davis Falls and Mahendra cave. You can even pay respect to Tal Barahi temple, in the middle of the Phewa Lake.
You enjoy the night view of the lakeside and pay a visit to a few bars (maybe).
After a meal, you can retire to your hotel room.
Morning with the incredible view of beautiful mountain peaks like Machhapuchhare and Annapurna is a boon. You can have this blessing for a day.
You will take a drive back to Kathmandu after your breakfast. You will arrive in Kathmandu in around 7 hours.
You can either take a rest and call it a day or explore the streets and do some souvenirs shopping.
You can try out different local cuisines that you find tempting to give a try.
You will enjoy your time in Basantapur Durbar Square premises.
After dinner, you can return to your hotel to sleep.
Enjoy the popular trekking and tour packages in Nepal Himalayas. 2023.
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Annapurna Region , Nepal 
9 Days 
US$950