Upper Mustang Alternative Trek - 18 Days

Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, one of the representatives from the Himalayan Trekkers will greet you and transfer you to the respective hotel. After the hotel check-in formalities, you can rest and freshen up. Then, we will have a short briefing session regarding the Upper Mustang Alternative Tour. 

Note: If your arrival is on time, after the tour briefing session, we will drive to Boudhanath Stupa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and explore the stupa complex and its’ surroundings. It is the biggest and one of the most significant Buddhist sites in Nepal that represent Tibetan Buddhism. 

Then, we will move to Pashupatinath Temple which is 15 minutes drive from Boudhanath. Pashupatinath is another world heritage site that is located on the bank of the holy Bagmati River. It is one of the four prominent Hindu Sites in the world that is dedicated to Lord Shiva. We will attend the evening Aarati Ceremony and you might witness the open cremation ceremony on the opposite.  

After exploring these two religious sites, we will return to Thamel and stroll around its markets.

After a delicious breakfast, we will proceed for the full day of guided Kathmandu Sightseeing. We will visit the other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the valley such as Swoyambhunath Temple, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square. 

Swoyambhunath Temple/Stupa is one of the oldest religious sites in Nepal located on the hilltop overlooking the Kathmandu Valley. Popular as the ‘monkey temple’, it is worshipped by both Buddhist and Hindi Pilgrims presenting the religious harmony in the country. 

Patan Durbar Square is one of the three durbar squares in the Kathmandu valley located in the heart of Lalitpur city, the city of beauty. The city is popular for its distinct culture, arts, and architecture and the durbar square reflects the beauty of the city nicely. The durbar square complex houses many Hindu and Buddhist monuments with unique art and architectural works. The Patan Museum, Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, Golden Window, Golden Temple, Krishna Temple, etc. are some of the must-see sites here. 

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is another durbar square in the valley in the Bhaktapur district. There are many sculptures, woodcarving, and huge pagoda temples dedicated to many gods and goddesses proving the popularity of the city for its arts and architecture. 55 Window Palace, Golden Gate, Lion's Gate, Nyatapola Temple, etc. are a few examples.

To start our trekking journey to Upper Mustang, we will drive to Pokhara, the major gateway to Upper Mustang and the Annapurna region today. We start the drive soon after breakfast at the hotel following the Prithvi Highway's meandering roads. Our drive goes along the raging Trishuli River and you can get a glimpse of the mountains from the vehicle windows. We will reach Pokhara after 7 hours of drive with some short breaks on the way. As we approach Pokhara, we can get a better sight of the beautiful mountains like Mt. Machhapuchhre or Fishtail Mountain (6993m) and Annapurna (8091m). 

We will check in, rest, and freshen up. Later, we will go boating on the gorgeous Phewa Lake and visit the Tal Barahi Temple in the middle of the lake. You may take an easy and relaxing walk on the lakeside in the evening.  

After an early morning breakfast at the hotel in Pokhara, we transfer to Pokhara Airport for a 20-minute scenic as well as an adventurous flight to Jomsom(2720m). The trekking journey begins from Jomsom in the direction of Lubra Village. Our walk goes along the Kaligandaki River and after an hour, we will reach a river named Panda Khola. From there, we will take a different trail than the common trekking trail to reach the Lubra Village. 

We will make a short halt at the village for lunch and explore the village and the Bon monastery there. Our trek then follows a lovely route to Kagbeni Village which is our today’s destination. The village is located ideally located at the back of two rivers. The dwellings of Kagbeni are distinctive and decorated with clay statues which are interesting to outsiders like us. We will check in at one of the guest houses there, eat our dinner and rest our tired legs for an overnight

Following a hearty breakfast at Kagbeni and a short morning Kagbeni village tour, we will begin our climb towards Chele. The trail follows the Kali Gandaki River, where we will be tested by the wind as it whistles up the valley gorge. We will encounter occasional ups and downs and after nearly four hours we arrive at Tange village with white-washed houses built among buckwheat and barley fields. We will eat our lunch here and have a short stroll around the village. Then, we resume our trek towards Chuksang Village from where we will follow a ridge to reach Chele. 

Today will be a tough one as we will be walking a little more hour extra than the before days covering 17 kilometers distance. We leave Chele early in the morning after breakfast with packed lunch as there are no lodges en route being the new trekking path. The trail ascends to Taklam La at 3624 meters and comes across Samar village. We will be passing by some monasteries and arid pastures and Gyakar Village on the left side. From Samar, we have amazing views of Mount Nilgiri. This is also a common resting spot for horses and mule caravans. 

From Samar, we take an alternative route to reach Syangboche via Chungsi Cave. From Syangboche, we walk through a spectacular desert environment and a few isolated communities and come across another mountain pass named the Yamada La at 3735 meters. After a few minute stop at the pass, the descending trail leads us to the Gheling village with mud and stone buildings painted white and ochre, like those in Mustang. 

We check in at our lodge and rest before visiting the Gheling Monastery. You can attend the Puja at the monastery if you are interested. 

Today we travel from Gheling to Drakmar. Leaving Gheling after breakfast, we follow the trail leading us to Tama Gaun/village which then climbs to the mountain pass at 4015 meters above sea level called Nyi La. From here, the trail descends to the road, where we will follow a left-hand alternative way to Ghami passing Ghami la (3765 m). 

Then the trek descends to a suspension bridge across the Ghami Khola, which is rugged and often treacherous. We will traverse past the longest mani walls (stone-built walls with Tibetan mantras carved into the stones) in the region and a few ancient chortens. After 6 hours of walking and trekking, we arrive at Drakmar for the night. 

After we eat our breakfast at Dhakmar, we will go on a cave tour and short village tour before heading to Tsarang village. We will climb steeply to the Tsarang La Pass at 3870 meters, which provides a stunning view of Dhakmar village and the Himalayan ranges including Annapurna and Nilgiri. Following the downward slope, we will reach Tsarang, where we can see a spectacular fortress and a red Gompa.

We will walk up the upper way to avoid the road to Lo-Manthang from Tsarang. After a few hours of leaving Tsarang village, we will arrive at Marang village which is one of the most remote villages in Mustang. The settlement is around 6 kilometers north of Tsarang. 

Once we reach Marang, we check-in at the guest house, rest for a bit and set our walk to Ghar Gompa. The popular Guru Rinpoche Gompa also called Lo Gekar is 2 kilometers from Marang. Ghar Gompa is the oldest monastery in the Upper Mustang region which dated back to the 8th century. 
After exploring the Gompa and its surroundings, we will return to Marang for the night. 

The walk begins in Marang, with a spectacular vista of the arid plateaus. After a couple of hours of continuous walk with chances of several blue sheep and other wild creatures, we come across the Marang La Pass at 4230 meters. It is also called Chogo La and is the highest point reached on the upper mustang trip. We will halt at the pass for a short time to admire the spectacular Annapurna Himalayan Range and then start descending to Lo-Manthang, the capital and the major highlight of the Upper Mustang.

Lo Manthang's walled city is truly a sight to behold. It is a charming community steeped in history. Once we reach the settlement, we will check-in at one of the lodges and take a brief rest. Later, we will visit three historic monasteries such as the Jampa Monastery, Thupchen Monastery, Chode Monastery, and the Monastic Museum if time permits. 

We will spend an extra day at Lo-Manthang for acclimatization and exploration purposes. After breakfast, we will hike to the Chhoser Village and explore it. The 40-room Jhong Cave which is also called sky Cave is the highlight of the village. It is the largest man-made cave in Upper Mustang and is believed to be 2500 years old. The cave is five-storied with ancient parchments preserved by aged wooden coverings with Buddhist murals and Tibetan writings. We will also visit the Namgyal Gompa and Ani Gompa before returning to Lo-Manthang. 

The remainder of the day can be spent visiting the old castles of the former King and Queen of the Upper Mustang Region, exploring the walled village, interacting with the locals, and paying visits to the monasteries. 

After breakfast, we bid farewell to the Walled Kingdom and head towards Yara Village. We softly begin our trek and after an hour we reach Dhi La Pass at 3950 meters. From here, we descend steeply and cross through a gorge to reach Dhi settlement. The lovely settlement, a cluster of cottages and a stretch of fields and trees, is located on the banks of the Kali Gandaki. After our lunch at Dhi, we continue our walk to reach today’s destination, Yara Village. 

Today will be a long and challenging journey. After breakfast, the trek begins with a gentle ascent, followed by a steady walk. After 3 hours of walking from Yara, the trail goes downhill to Dhey/Dhechyang Kola. After lunch at the lone lodge at Dhey, we will follow the trail that climbs sharply to the top of a small pass and continue on a wide plateau till we reach Tange Village. Tange is one of the most beautiful villages in the Upper Mustang with an expansive riverbed below and iconic Mustang Mountains all around. There are beautiful colorful chortens, magnificent mani wall, friendly locals, and roaming Mustang horses which makes our stay in Tange wonderful. 

We will start earlier than usual as today will be the longest and most challenging journey. The trek begins with a strenuous 800-meter ascent from the riverbed and after 3 hours we reach the top of the cliffs. The top of the cliff decorated with fluttering colorful flags offers a breathtaking panorama that stretches far and wide. 

From there, we will move towards an abandoned town of Pa which is more rolling, passing through a landscape covered with little pink and red prickly shrubs. After spending a short time at Pa, we will move forward with a company of spectacular rock formations, and the snowy peaks of Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Nilgiri, etc. 
Then we will make the final 900 meters descent to reach Tetang. The first out of three descents is the most difficult one with a steep and slick underfoot and the region’s high winds. 

Note: Because there is no place to have lunch on the path, you must bring a packed lunch from Tange. You can get water from a little spring at Pa on occasion, but it's preferable to bring plenty for the entire day in case it's dry.

Another long day awaits. After breakfast, we will resume our trekking journey on a pretty steep trail. The 1100-meter rise from Tetang takes us to the Gyu La Pass at 4077 meters followed by a rather easy 400-meter descent to Muktinath. We will get to relish the panoramic views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Tukuche peaks from the pass. 

Muktinath is a sacred site devoted to Lord Vishnu and visited by Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. It is located on the lap of the Thorong La Pass. There are 108 water taps in one of the courtyards and it is believed that bathing with water from these 108 waterspouts will help you to get rid of all the sins you have done. Devotees take a spiritual bath even during the freezing winters. 

After paying our visits to the Muktinath Temple ( 3900 M), we will board a jeep and travel to Marpha village. Marpha is one of the most beautiful villages in the Lower Mustang Region which has preserved its history and architecture till now. Marpha is also famous for its delicious apples and apple products, especially apple brandy. 
Upon reaching the village, we will check-in at the lodge and rest. You can take a stroll around the apple orchids, taste some of the apple products, and see the process of making local apple brandy. 

Soon after breakfast, we will leave Marpha village and board the vehicle to Pokhara. Our drive goes along the world’s deepest gorge - Kali Gandaki, one of the most stunning Rupse Waterfall, and the popular Natural Hot Spring – Tatopani. 
Once in Pokhara, we check in at the hotel and rest. Later in the evening, you can take a walk on the lakeside or visit some of the popular landmarks there. 

We bid farewell to Pokhara and the gorgeous Annapurna and Machhapuchhre after breakfast and head back to Kathmandu. After 7 hours of scenic drive along the highway, we will reach Kathmandu. We will check-in, rest, and take a walk around the Thamel market for souvenir shopping. In the evening, we will have a traditional Nepalese dinner and enjoy the cultural program at an authentic Nepalese restaurant to celebrate the journey’s joyful completion. 

After breakfast, one of the representatives from Himalayan Trekkers will transfer you to the airport for your scheduled flight back to your home or onward destination.