Start your day with a hearty breakfast before exploring Kathmandu's rich history and culture. Visit Pashupatinath Temple, a sacred Hindu site known for its cremation rituals.

Afterward, experience the peaceful atmosphere at Boudhhanath Stupa, a massive Buddhist monument. Soak in the serene atmosphere and explore the monasteries around it. 

Then, discover Kathmandu Durbar Square, a giant palace complex with incredible carvings. You might even see the famous living goddess, Kumari. Finally, climb to Swayambhunath Temple, known as the "Monkey Temple" for its fine city view. 

Following your sightseeing tour, meet your guide for a trek briefing. He'll discuss the Upper Mustang trek itinerary and check your gear. If you need anything, there are shops nearby. Pack your bags and get ready for an unforgettable off-the-beaten trekking adventure in Nepal. 

Overnight stay in Kathmandu. 

Today, you begin your trek to Upper Mustang with an unforgettable road trip from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The road journey winds through lush valleys, climbing twisty mountain roads and crossing gushing rivers. Once you leave behind the chaotic buzz of Kathmandu, the next, you're surrounded by endless green rice terraces. 

You'll pass through sleepy settlements where life seems to move at its own pace. If you are lucky that the weather is clear, you may catch tantalizing glimpses of snow-capped peaks in the distance. When you reach Pokhara, you'll feel like you've seen a whole countryside in miniature. 

Check in at the hotel, freshen up, and explore the vibrant lakeside area. Bustling with restaurants, shops, and nightlife, it's the perfect place to soak in the atmosphere. Grab a delicious dinner and return to your hotel for a well-deserved rest. 

Note: If you prefer to fly instead of taking the long drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara, we can arrange it for you at an additional cost. You’ll reach Pokhara in about half an hour.

Overnight stay in Pokhara. 

Today, you'll fly to Jomsom and start your Upper Mustang adventure. Look out the window to see tiny villages far below and snow-capped mountains. The giant Dhaulagiri is on one side, and the Annapurna range is on the other. 

Once you land in Jomsom, your real trekking to Upper Mustang starts. You'll meet the porters who'll help carry gear on your trek here. Your guide from Kathmandu will be with you, too. After getting everything sorted, you'll head to Kagbeni, the gateway to Upper Mustang. 

Just walking out from Jomsom you cross a small bridge and start walking on the banks of Kali Gandaki. The trail is almost flat and barren with craggy rocks and sand. The walk to Kagbeni will take a couple of hours and an enjoyable start to your trekking in Mustang. In addition, you can see mighty peaks such as Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Niligiri, etc. 

Once you reach the Kagbeni, you will see narrow alleyways, irrigation canals, green fields of wheat and barley, and a large red gompa. 

Note: If you prefer a scenic road trip, you can drive from Pokhara to Jomsom. This journey takes approximately 7 to 8 hours and involves an off-road jeep ride.

Overnight stay in Kagbeni. 

Today's trek will take you from Kagbeni to Chele, mainly following the road. At the start, you'll need to register your Upper Mustang trekking permits at a checkpoint if you haven't done so earlier.

The journey offers spectacular scenery of the Kali Gandaki Gorge. The trail has mild ups and downs, showcasing gorgeous valley vistas, Mt. Nilgiris, and a windy, sandy desert-like landscape. 

Your first stop is Tangbe, known for its red and white houses nestled among buckwheat and barley fields. You'll also notice caves and apple orchards in the area. After a short rest, you'll continue to Chhusang (also spelled Chhuksang) village, which is worth a brief tour. It has several guesthouses where you can take a lunch break. This village is charming, framed by cliffs on either side and the river curving around it. Continuing a few more kilometers through the Kali Gandaki River valley, you reach Chele. This picturesque hamlet sits high on a hill, offering commanding views of the surroundings.

Overnight stay in Chele. 

The trek from Chele to Ghiling has multiple route options. You can choose based on your fitness level. All routes have pleasing scenery and challenging paths. 

After breakfast in Chele, the trail goes up steeply. You cross a suspension bridge and walk on trails and dirt roads. You can rest in the Ghyakar before climbing to Samar. It is a pretty village with poplar trees. Many horse and mule caravans stop here. It's an excellent place to rest and see local culture. 

You'll take a lunch break at Samar and go straight towards Shyangbochen. You see Chungsi Cave (also called Ranchung Cave) on the way. This cave is a significant spiritual site for Buddhists. Local legend says that Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) meditated here in the 8th Century. 

After the cave, you climb gently and cross Yamda La Pass. From here, you can see eye-catching vistas of gorges and mountain ranges. You then go up to a large valley and down to a barley field at Ghiling. 

Ghiling, a picturesque village, has mud and stone houses painted white and ochre, just like in Mustang. Many religious structures here, like chortens, ancient monasteries, prayer wheels, and the Mani wall, are worth visiting. 

Overnight stay in Ghiling. 

Today, you trek to Charang/Tsarang, the second-largest village in the Mustang region. It was once important for the salt trade between Tibet and India. There are many ways to get from Ghiling to Charang. 

You'll walk from Ghiling to Ghami to Dhakmar and then Tsarang. You'll cross high, challenging mountain passes. One is Ghami La (3,765m), on the way to Ghami hamlet. Standing on the pass, you will be surrounded by the spectacular scenery. Strong winds blow prayer flags on the hills. 

Next, you go down to Ghami. It has an old monastery and stone walls with prayers. After walking for half an hour, you'll see the longest prayer wall in the Upper Mustang. These walls have stones with Buddhist prayers carved on them. 

Then, you climb the trail next to the remote settlement of Dhakmar. As you get close to Charang, the path becomes more off-the-beaten. In Charang, houses are made of white mud and stone, with flat wooden roofs. The houses make narrow, winding paths between them. These simple homes reflect how people live here. 

You can explore two significant places in Charang. One is the King's Palace, an old building on a hill. It has excellent views and a small chapel and museum. Near the palace is the famous Charang monastery. Its main temple has colorful paintings of Buddha and other religious art. 

Overnight stay in Charang. 

Today, you'll hike to Lo-Manthang, the key destination of the Upper Mustang Trekking. The journey takes you through remote settlements like Marang and to the ancient Ghar Gompa monastery. Along the way, you'll see spectacular scenery of mountains like Nilgiri and Annapurna. The landscape is colorful, with green fields and red rock formations. 

Marang is a large village with 48 households. Its known for its fertile soil, making it an excellent place for farming in Upper Mustang. After Marang, you cross a small river to reach Ghar Gompa. This is the oldest monastery in Upper Mustang, built in the 8th Century. 

Ghar Gompa sits on a hilltop at around 3,900 meters with fantastic panoramas of the surrounding landscape. There are 108 small and medium-sized chortens (Buddhist shrines) around it. The monastery's architecture is traditional Tibetan Buddhist style. The main prayer hall is decorated with carvings, paintings, and statues of Buddha deities and stories. 

After exploring Ghar Gompa, you climb steadily to the Chogo La Pass, the Upper Mustang trek's highest point. From an altitude of 4,280m, you can see the border between Nepal and Tibet. You'll cross a few more passes before reaching Lo Manthang Valley. This ancient walled city was once the capital of Lo Kingdom. It's a historical and fascinating place to visit. 

Overnight stay in Lo-Manthang.

You need at least one extra day in Lo, to fully experience Upper Mustang in Nepal. Today, you'll hike to nearby Chhoser Valley and explore Lo-Manthang, the heart of the region. This walled city was once a key trading hub near the Tibetan border.

Firstly, you'll make a day trip to the Chhoser Valley, famous for its cave culture in the region of Upper Mustang. You'll visit the Jhong Cave, a multi-story cave building with over forty rooms. As you explore these sky-high dwellings, you'll wonder at the lives lived within these mysterious rock walls.

Back in Lo Manthang, you'll find important cultural sites inside its 6-meter-high walls. Visit the 15th-century Thupchen and Jampa Gompa monasteries. These places are full of atmosphere. You'll smell incense and see yak-butter lamps, Buddhist murals, and monks chanting. Chode Gompa is the only monastery here that houses monks and has a school. The Raja's four-story palace is another must-see building in the old capital of Upper Mustang.  

If you visit the Upper Mustang region in May, you can be part of the unique Tiji festival. It's a big three-day celebration in spring. You'll see colorful masked dances, rituals, and ceremonies that show Tibetan Buddhist traditions. 

As you explore, appreciate the panoramic Himalayan vistas surrounding the village. The mix of unique culture, limited visitors, and amazing scenes makes your time in Lo-Manthang special. 

Overnight stay in Lo Manthang. 

After having a great time at Lo Manthang, it's time to leave. Today's journey to Yara is long, and you'll climb two challenging passes: Lo La and Dhi La. Both lie at an altitude of 3,950m. 

You start a hike by climbing Lo La Pass. You can see a captivating sight of Lo Manthang Valley behind you from here. The scenery is truly breathtaking, with rolling hills and towering mountains. The trail is sandy and winds through the landscape. It offers great views and feels like an adventure.

The trail then goes down and leads to Dhi La. From this pass, you get the majestic sight of Lo. Next, you head down towards the Kali Gandaki Gorge. As you descend, you'll see impressive cliffs on the other side. The final section trail is dusty and dry. It drops sharply to Dhi, marked by fertile fields and trees. 

Dhi looks like many other villages you've seen so far. It has narrow lanes and white square houses. The houses have messy piles of wood on top. After a good rest in Dhi, you keep hiking to Yara. You go down to the Kali Gandaki River. You cross a bridge and turn left at the next river junction. You walk along the river for about an hour until you reach Yara. 

As you near Yara, you'll encounter an astonishing sight. There are huge 300-foot cliffs. The wind has shaped them into giant pipe-like columns. These cliffs have many cave openings. This is one of the best views in Upper Mustang Nepal. It shows the natural beauty and old mysteries of this area. 

Overnight stay in Yara. 

Today, you'll visit Luri Gompa from Yara. You'll go through Ghara village. Luri Gompa is one of the few cave monasteries left in the world. It was built in the 14th Century and is an important religious and historical site in Upper Mustang. It is the only monastery in this area that belongs to the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. 

Luri Gompa sits on top of a 100-meter-tall cliff. Its red walls stand out against the pare sandstone cliffs and empty landscape around it.  The monastery has two rooms that connect. One room has shrines, and the other room, which is round, has the monastery's valuable treasure. This room has detailed paintings and sculptures.

A big six-meter-tall Chhorten with painted figures is the central theme of the room. Around the Chhorten are eight painted images of Mahasiddhas. On the ceiling above are eight more. There's also a row of nine small lama portraits on the wall above exact painted figures. 

After exploring Luri Gompa, you can explore the Yara and Ghara villages. You'll see how people live with very little in this area. The people and culture here are like Tibet. The dry landscape with cliffs and oddly shaped, colorful rocks is also like Tibet. This area was hard to reach before and is near the Tibetan border. 

Overnight stay in Yara. 

The trek from Yara to Tangye is full of adventure and marvelous scenery. You'll walk by fast-flowing rivers like Kali Gandaki and Dhechyang Khola. First, you'll walk along the Kali Ganadaki River. You'll need to cross the river several times without a bridge. 

After crossing, you'll go back to Surkhang, a small town. Then, you'll hike up to a viewpoint above the village. Soon, you'll be back by the river and must cross it again. You'll walk along the river and cross it several more times today. After some time, you'll reach Dhechyang Khola. Here, people look for Saligrams. These are sacred black stone fossils that Hindus believe represent Lord Vishnu. 

Next, you'll walk along the Kali Gandaki River for another half hour. You can also look for Saligrams here. They're often found on the banks of the Kali Gandaki. As you enjoy searching, you'll keep walking and cross the river a few more times before getting to Tangye. 

Tangye is one of the most appealing villages you will encounter during the Mustang trek. You can admire the charm of this rustic area. After you settle in your tea house, you can walk around the winding streets of Tangye. 

You'll see old tunnels, prayer wheels, large chortens, long mani walls, and traditional buildings. The chhortens look old and worn. You can walk among brightly striped walls. It will feel like you've gone back in time. 

Overnight stay in Tangye. 

Today is one of the long trekking days in your Upper Mustang trek itinerary. Begin your trek by climbing some steps and crossing a suspension bridge. Then, follow the trail to your right. After walking for a while, you start ascending a hill with terraces. You'll reach PA, which is 4,210m high. This is the second-highest point of your Upper Mustang trip. 

The trail goes up steeply for about two and a half hours. You'll be exhausted and sweaty when you reach the top at 4,200m. You can see the Damdor Himal (6,392m) and Saribung Himal (6,328m) far away. After soaking in the dazzling scene, you walk on a flat trail to the left. You'll stop for lunch at PA about an hour and a half later. No villages or tea houses are on the way, so bring enough food and water for the day. 

After lunch, you'll walk for another four to five hours. From PA, the trail goes down steeply. Be careful because the path is rough at first, and you could fall if you're not careful. The last part of the downhill trail before the village is easier. 

As you get close to Tetang, you'll see a valley with mud-roofed houses below. This is Tetang, a small neighborhood in Chhusang village. In the town, you'll witness an old ruined fortress, colorful chhortens, cliffs with caves across from the village, and interesting alleyways. 

Overnight stay in Tetang. 

Today, you will take one of the challenging trekking routes of Upper Mustang. You begin from Tetang, go over Gyu La Pass (4,077m), and end in Muktinath. After breakfast in Tetang, you start ascending to Gyu La. The trail is bare, rough, and full of rocky gullies. 

You keep going up the trail to the highest point of the day hike. When you see a big pile of rocks with old prayer flags, you've reached Gyu La. Take some time to enjoy the 360-degree views of the world's highest mountains. To the north is Upper Mustang, and to the south are the peaks of the Annapurna range. 

Then, you go down to Muktinath and on the way, you might find fossils called Shaligram like before. You walk down a dirt road with big mountains in front and behind you. After several hours, you reach Ranipauwa and rest at a tea house. If you have time, you can visit Muktinath Temple after resting.

Overnight stay in Muktinath. 

Start your day with a visit to Muktinath temple. This temple is at 3,800 meters high. It's holy for both Hindus and Buddhists. "Mukti" means salvation, and "Nath" means God or Master. The temple looks like a pagoda. It has 108 stone taps around it. These taps are seven feet high. Visitors take a holy shower from these taps. 

In the early morning, many pilgrims are at the temple. They bathe under the 108 water spouts and in two Kundas (pools) in front of the temple. After bathing, people worship Lord Vishnu inside. Around the temple, you can see Jwala Mai Temple, the Buddhist Monastery, and a giant Buddha statue. After exploring, go back for breakfast.

Then,  start your last day of trekking in Upper Mustang. Try to enjoy every moment. On the way, you pass through some traditional Jharkot and Lupra villages. You'll also see great views of Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri. 

Finally, you descend to Ekle Bhatti and keep walking to Jomsom. The last part of the walk is next to Kali Gandaki River. Jomsom is the district headquarters of Mustang. There are many places for tourists, restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops.

Overnight stay in Jomsom. 

Today, you'll get back to Pokhara. You can either take a quick flight or a longer bus drive. If you choose to fly, you'll have plenty of time to explore Pokhara's famous landmarks. Visit the Bindhyabasini, Tal Barahi Temple, Shanti Stupa, Devis Falls, Mahendra Cave, or the International Mountain Museum. After sightseeing, relax by the lake or shop for souvenirs. 

Overnight stay in Pokhara

Today, you'll depart for Kathmandu, where you can fly or drive. If you drive, you'll take the same road as before. You'll see towns like Damauli, Dumre, Mugling, and Kurinatar. Enjoy mountain views, green scenery, and picturesque rice fields. You'll have many good memories from your Upper Mustang trek this time. 

If you fly, it's a short trip. You'll see snow-capped peaks, green hills, and big valleys from the plane. With a flight, you'll have extra time in Kathmandu. You can explore the city, rest, or buy souvenirs. It's your choice. 

You'll have a farewell dinner with our team, guide, and fellow trekkers in the evening. You can share stories and photographs one last time. After dinner, return to the hotel and pack your bags for your trip home. 

Overnight stay in Kathmandu. 

Today's the final day of your Upper Mustang trek. It's time to say farewell to Nepal's stunning scenery and the warm hospitality you've experienced during your stay. 

If you have some extra time, do some souvenir shopping in the nearby markets before heading to the airport. The Nepal Ascent Treks team will be there to help you with a smooth departure from Kathmandu International Airport.

If you want to see more? Nepal Ascent Treks has many other amazing trips to Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. Let us know if you want to explore further; we're always here to help!