Upper Mustang Trek

Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, the representative from Danphe Adventure Treks will warmly receive you and escort you to your hotel. You’ll meet your trek guide at the hotel. In the evening, you can choose to go out to explore the vicinity or shop for trek gear and accessories.

On the second day after tour arrival in Nepal, you explore the Kathmandu Valley and its numerous cultural heritages. Some of the sites are even enlisted by UNESCO as world heritage sites. Today, you will be visiting Swayambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath. These sites reflect the mutual respect among the people in the city and also mesmerize you with the abundance of history and culture. Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu.

Today, you’ll drive from Kathmandu to the touristic city of Pokhara. Pokhara lies 200km west of Kathmandu. A popular tourist getaway, Pokhara serves as the transit to the nearby Annapurna Conservation Area. The drive lasts for around 7 hours and goes along lush forests, hills, gorges, and Trishuli and Kali Gandaki rivers. Overnight stay at a hotel in Pokhara.

After an early morning breakfast, you’ll catch a trans-Himalayan flight from Pokhara to Jomsom. A quick commute to Jomsom takes you to the other side of the massive Annapurna massif. You can relish the beautiful scenery of Kali Gandaki gorge, Annapurna range, and Machhapuchhre peak. After a brief rest at Jomsom, you’ll commence the trek and move northward through the Kali Gandaki towards Kagbeni. Overnight stay at Kagbeni.

You’ll get your permits checked by the local authority at Kagbeni and then move forward through the Kali Gandaki valley. After a decent trek, you’ll reach Tangbe Village which comprises of narrow alleyways, white-washed houses, and vegetation field consisting of barley and buckwheat, and rich apple orchards. Trekking a few more distances, you’ll cross a bridge that leads directly to Chele village. Overnight stay at Chele.

The trail here on includes multiple detours however they lie inside the Kali Gandaki valley. You’ll encounter large rock canyons with variant colors en route, and the man-made ‘sky caves’ dating 3000 years or older. These caves are believed to have been used as a burial site by the nomads along with shelter during the time of war and viral diseases. The trail also offers panoramas of Nilgiri (7061m), Annapurna, and Tilicho peaks. Overnight stay at Syanbochen.

The trail from Syanbochen leads northward towards the village of Ghami. A brief hike from Ghami opens up a place with large ancient Mani walls that boasts the religious graffiti and Buddhist literature. You may also encounter many Buddhist Chortens en trail before reaching the quaint village of Tsarang. Once at Tsarang, you can choose to explore the ancient monastery and the popular white palace. Overnight stay at Tsarang.

Few hours of hiking north of Tsarang lies the famous ‘walled city’ of Lo Manthang. Lo Manthang, once the capital of Mustang, is surrounded by a wall that protects the city from the dust from the winds which are frequent in the region. The city consists of three popular Buddhist monasteries namely; Jampa Gompa, Thubchen Gompa, and Chodey Gompa. You’ll find many places to see inside the city, along with the 14th-century royal palace of the former King of Mustang. The city also hosts the annual Tiji festival which brings in flocks of tourists and locals.

Today, you’ll walk outside the walled city and explore the Niphu and Garphu monasteries of Mustang along with the northern sparse villages. Niphu and Garphu monasteries are the cave monasteries built on the cliff of an overhanging rock. You’ll also get to witness the 2500 years old Sky Cave that has more than 44 compartments and a Mandala Cave. Overnight stay at Lo Manthang.

You’ll retrace your path and trek back to Jomsom. However, instead of taking the usual route you’ll take a detour and head to the village of Dhakmar via Ghar Gumba monastery. Dhakmar is the highest point of the trek that goes through the Ghar Gumba or lo Gekar monastery. Ghar Gumba is the oldest monastery in the Mustang region which was built around the 7th century by the incarnated Saint Padmasambhava before heading towards Tibet. After the exploration of Ghar Gumba, you head to Dhakmar. Overnight stay at Dhakmar.

You’ll start descending from Dhakmar. A short downhill hike offers a sight of the scenic snow-capped peaks in the distance. The trail is gentle at first and then it goes steeply down to a spectacularly eroded gully towards the village of Ghiling. It is popular for the traditional mud houses and roofs made of twigs and straw. Overnight stay at Ghiling.

The descent from Ghiling towards Samar is fairly easy. The trek starts with a brief ascent towards Chungsi Cave containing the stalagmites formed in the shape of Chortens. Here on, it’s a descent along the Syanbochen village. The descent passes through a stream, juniper trees, and large gorges towards the Samar village. Overnight stay at Samar.

Today, you’ll retrace your path and reach the Kagbeni village from Samar. It may take a great deal of time to reach Kagbeni as you make your way through the deep valley alongside the Kali Gandaki River. You may encounter numerous rock canyons on the trail. Although the length of the trail is longer, the trek is fairly easy. Overnight stay at Kagbeni.

Today, you’ll make your way back to Jomsom from Kagbeni. The trail leads along the Gandaki valley with Annapurna I in-front of you and Dhaulagiri just right behind. The short trek spans no more than 10km. Once at Jomsom, you can explore the windy city and relish the local apple alcoholic beverage ‘Marpha’. The trek concludes at Jomsom. Overnight stay at Jomsom.

The flight to Pokhara leaves early morning. Once you reach Pokhara, you can indulge in fun-filled activities such as cycling, boating in Phewa Lake, or explore the popular tourist sites around Pokhara namely Davis Fall, Mahendra Cave, and Peace Pagoda. Pokhara also offers a great choice of restaurants and pubs to celebrate the success of your trek. Overnight stay at a hotel in Pokhara.

Today, you bid adieu to Pokhara and drive back to Kathmandu. The drive may last around 6 hours which will take you through the serpentine roads along the Trishuli River. Once in Kathmandu, our representative will receive you and bring you to the hotel. In the evening, we’ll take you out in one of the finest diners around Kathmandu for a farewell dinner. Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu.