• Camping Trek

Highlights of Upper Mustang Trek

• The ancient Kingdom of Lo Manthang
• Hike over a stark desert landscape with peaks and cliffs
• One of the best trek to escape the summer monsoon
• Perfect blend of nature, landscape, rich cultural heritage, a great history, ancient Buddhist monastery, and Caves.
• Magical land beside Himalayas.
• The Tiji festival in Lo-Manthang to experience the native culture.
• Scenic view of breathtaking waterfalls on the way

Trip Introduction

Upper Mustang Trek is one of the most extraordinary chance of trekking to the magical land beside the Himalayas. It is the ultimate gateway to the mysterious world of the Buddhist Kingdom of Mustang, also known as Lo. The language, culture, and geography are closely tied to Tibet as it used to be a part of the Tibetan empire. The lesser familiar trek passes through one of the driest regions of Nepal providing spectacular mountain views. Likewise, the history, culture, myth, and legend combine perfectly with the gorgeous scenery.

Upper Mustang Trek is an achievable trek for those who want to escape the everyday hustle and bustle of city life. Situated up north near the border between Nepal and Tibet. The trekking is going to be one of the most interesting journey of a lifetime.

Landscapes and Culture of Upper Mustang

Mustang situates in the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri massif producing a ruggedly arid land surrounded by rocks in all kinds of colors and impressive formations. This barren landscape is dotted with settlements of whitewashed houses. These are barley fields and chortens festooned with prayer flags which add a splash of color to the landscape. In short, Mustang covers a rich, long and complex history that makes it one of the most fascinating places in Nepal. 

The locality’s solitude from the outside world has granted to a highly preserved Tibetan culture and clean nature. The dry landscape is dotted with arrangements of whitewashed houses, scarcely fields and chortens festooned with prayer flags which add a touch of color to the landscape.

Easier Way to Get Upper Mustang

On the other hand, the most suitable way to get to Upper Mustang is to fly from Pokhara to Jomsom and start the trek from there. Meanwhile, the trip itself is an adventure flying through the deepest gorge in the world, the Kali Gandaki. Certainly, flowing between the Dhaulagiri and the Nilgiri mountains. Then you further follow the famous Kali Gandaki River upstream, partly walking in the river bed itself, to Kagbeni. Right from Kagbeni the restricted area of Upper Mustang starts. However, it is advantageous to pay a visit to the famous pilgrim destination of Muktinath before heading north into Upper Mustang.

Reaching  Lo Manthang through the town gate is like advancing into a different world. Inside the village comprises narrow hidden chortens, alleyways, long walls of beautiful prayer wheels and herds of farming animals which as a whole makes the entire village such an impressive.

Interesting Places of Lo Manthang(Upper Mustang)

Some interesting places of Lo Manthang are the royal palace, few beautiful monasteries like the Thugchen Gompa built in the 15th century. Likewise,  visit the Amchi museum and Amchi school. Amchi means a traditional Tibetan doctor. Similarly, two Amchis are there living in Lo Mangthang, which are also the official doctors of the king. Moreover, they built a school to preserve the ancient wisdom. In order to explore more outside the city, you can hire Tibetan ponies for a ride to Chhoser where you can visit a small monastery and a century-old cave-dwelling situated high in the rocks.