Upper Mustang Trek

Upper Mustang Trek is located in the northern central part of Nepal and the border of Tibet. Trekking in Upper Mustang is similar to trekking in Tibet, as it is geographically a part of the Tibetan Plateau. Upper Mustang Trek is most popular to visit the last Forbidden Kingdom of Nepal to see the beautiful arid landscape, the distinctive high pastures of the Himalayan Mountains, the old Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, Tibetan Buddhist culture, and tradition.

Upper Mustang trekking is a popular restricted trekking trail in Nepal — a special permit is required to enter the “Forbidden Kingdom of Mustangs”, as Upper Mustang remains a restricted area beyond Kagbeni village. Mustang offers an opportunity to travel to the remote Trans-Himalayan mountain region with Tibet influence culture.

The land of the Upper Mustang in the early 7th century was highly influenced by the Lhasa of Tibet, mainly Lo Tshu Dhyun. The land was given to a retainer of the Ghunthang king of western Tibet. In the late 1300s, Ampel (the first king of Mustang), a warrior from Tibet, defeated local warlords to unify the kingdom and established his capital at Lo-Manthang. Located at an altitude of 3810 meters,

Lo-Manthang is the capital of an independent state allied with the Democratic Republic of Nepal. For centuries Mustang or ‘Lo-manthang’ situated in the extreme north of the Kaligandaki gorge was a forbidden land, forever raising the curiosity of travelers. The hardy people of this Himalayan desert follow Tibetan Buddhism and are of Tibetan origin, having migrated south from the Tibetan plateau centuries ago.

The trek begins with a short flight from Pokhara to Jomsom passing through a narrow section between the two tallest mountains: Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) and Annapurna I (8,091 m). A fascinating old citadel where ancient trails intersect. The route towards the north and beyond is the forbidden land of Mustang but a special trekking permit is required only after the Kagbeni village.

For the next few days passing through the ancient villages like Samar, Ghiling and Charang finally lead to Lo-Manthang (3810m), the walled capital city of Mustang. The villages and monasteries around the capital city like Namgyal Gompa, the village of Thinkar, Garfuk, and Nifuk are worth a visit where people still live in cave dwellings cut into surrounding cliffs.

The return route from Lo-manthang can be made more exciting by passing over Dri and Yara with a day trip to Luri gompa then finally coming out over Tetang, visiting the holy temple of Muktinath and then descending to Jomsom and flying back to Pokhara from Jomsom. The trek itinerary below does not include the route to Dri and Yara, We use the same route to go to Lo-Manthang and return to Jomsom, which is easier and more common.