Upper Mustang Helicopter Tour Overview
Upper Mustang is the last forbidden kingdom and is the hidden gem residing in the Trans-Himalayan region of Nepal. Upper Mustang Helicopter Tour lets you experience the classic blend of unspoiled Tibetan Buddhist culture and eccentric nature with a hint of adventure.
The travelers will fly enjoying the majestic Himalayan view, sparkly rivers, and waterfalls, dense forests and will also notice the difference in the landscape of Lower Mustang which is green and vibrant and Upper Mustang is more like a dry and desert landscape.
This trip is of total 3 hours from Pokhara and 4 hours from Kathmandu. We will stop in two places Tsarang and Lo Manthang to visit the monasteries, villages, museums, and take pictures.
Tsarang is a peaceful village surrounded by mountains popular for the monasteries, ancient fortress, and several chortens and mani walls. Lo Manthang is an ancient walled city, the capital of the former kingdom of Mustang where lies thousand-year-old monasteries and the palace of the King.
Main Attraction of Heli Tour
As soon as you land in the pristine land of Mustang, you will get to witness the sublime view of the Himalayas, rocky red cliffs, ancient caves, gray rolling hills, sandy dunes, walled-city with carved wooden pillars, colorful Buddhist monasteries, and chortens.
Mustang is also known as the "valley beyond the mountains" because like its name states, it is located beside the Himalayas which is why the Himalayas can be seen in the south from here.
As Mustang is a remote region, and have limited time and like to skip the adventurous trekking, then, the Upper Mustang Helicopter Tour is perfect venture which can be done in few hours.
Far from civilization, the people of this reason have developed their peace of living in the small populated village. Apart from its rich history, Mustang also falls in the region of the Annapurna Conservational area. If your time, interest, and budget allow, we can add a couple of places to visit like Ghar Gumba, Dhakmar, Gelling, and others.
Preferred Time
The best time to visit Upper Mustang by Helicopter is Summer, Spring, and Autumn. Situated in Trans-Himalayas, this region doesn’t receive more rainfall, so it is safe to visit during the time of Monsoon too. Upper Mustang is a dry and desert kind of landscape so it gets very cold during winter and the travelers are not suggested to travel to the region during winter.
Permit and Entrance
Upper Mustang lies in Annapurna Conservation Area and since the region is prohibited due to its ancient values, special permits are required to visit which can be only applied by a Government-authorized agency from Nepal Immigration.
The travelers will have to confirm the trip and provide required documents to the travel operator in advance. The permits will be applied and all the documents will be ready before you visit Nepal and you will get the permits from immigration upon arrival with your valid passport.
Similarly, individual travelers cannot get permits. There should be at least two travelers and a group permit will be provided by Nepal Immigration. The special permit will cost USD 500 per person and the Annapurna Conservation Area entrance costs USD 30 per person. There is also a compulsion for taking a professional guide with you and from Jomsom, a Nepal Government security person will travel further with you which is mandatory.
Likewise, the total cost for a group is USD 4,000 from Pokhara and USD 5,000 from Kathmandu but the prices may change sometimes as per the conditions and Government rules. Himalayan Trekkers will provide you the prior notice regarding it.
Since this is a luxury tour, one may think to join a group but you will have to tell us in advance and we will try our best to find one. But we are not sure because Upper Mustang Heli Tour is not a regular happening trip.
