Mustang & Dolpo · culture
Tiji festival trek in Upper Mustang
- 14 nights
- Moderate
- Balanced
- Highest 4,010 m
- Best May
A 14-night journey timed to Tiji, the three-day masked dance festival of Lo Manthang, held each spring on dates set by the Tibetan calendar. Six days of trekking in, five nights inside the walled city, a day to Chhoser, then a jeep out via Muktinath.
The shape of the trip
The first days belong to the trail: Kagbeni's alleys, the cave-pocked cliffs of Chhusang, the first chortens painted in Sakya colours. Each night the lodge kitchens are busier, because the whole of Lo is heading the same way. At Tsarang, families are packing horses for the ride north. In Lo Manthang the square fills before the sun clears the walls. Long horns sound from the palace, masked dancers step out in brocade, and for three days the story of Dorje Jono plays out, ending outside the walls where the demon is destroyed in effigy. Afterwards the city empties as fast as it filled, and you leave by jeep with dust on your boots and the sound of cymbals still in your head.
Tiji is the great festival of Lo Manthang. Over three days in the square below the old palace, monks of Chode monastery dance the story of Dorje Jono, a deity who defeats his demon father to save the land of Lo from drought and disaster. Families come in from villages across Upper Mustang in their best clothes, the women in striped aprons and turquoise, and the whole walled city turns out.
We trek in slowly so you arrive acclimatised and rested, settle into Lo Manthang a day before the dances begin, and stay a day after they end. The return is by jeep to Muktinath, which saves three days of walking you have already done and adds one of Nepal's most important shrines. Tiji usually falls in May; dates move each year with the lunar calendar, so check current status before you travel.
Highlights
- All three days of Tiji in the square of Lo Manthang, from good vantage points our guide arranges
- A gradual trek in through Kagbeni, Chele, Syangboche, Ghami and Tsarang
- Lo Manthang at its fullest, with families from across Upper Mustang in festival dress
- A day to Chhoser and the multi-storey Jhong cave after the festival
- Dawn at Muktinath on the way out
Day by day
Kathmandu to Pokhara
We fly to Pokhara and meet your guide, who checks your gear and paperwork for the restricted-area permit. In May the lowlands are hot, up to 30 °C in Pokhara, while nights in Lo Manthang can still fall below freezing, so pack in layers. Spend the afternoon by Phewa Lake. Your guide explains festival etiquette over dinner: where to stand, when not to use flash, and why you never step into the dance ground.
Fly to Jomsom, walk to Kagbeni
An early flight through the Kali Gandaki gorge brings you to Jomsom, and we walk the riverbed north to Kagbeni before the wind rises. Kagbeni is a fortified village of tunnels, prayer wheels and apple trees at the confluence of the Jhong and Kali Gandaki rivers. In the afternoon we visit Kag Chode monastery, which dates back to the 15th century, and look out over the valley we will walk tomorrow, into the restricted area.
Kagbeni to Chele
Permits are checked at the edge of Kagbeni and we walk north through Tangbe, with its whitewashed lanes and orchards, to Chhusang, where cliffs rise above the river full of cave mouths. After crossing the Kali Gandaki we climb to Chele. In Tiji season the trail is busier than usual with horse caravans and families heading north, many carrying festival clothes in bundles. Your guide will translate if you want to ask where they are from.
Chele to Syangboche
The longest climb of the trek. We cross two passes above 3,600 m with views back to Nilgiri and the Annapurnas, eat lunch in Samar, and continue over rolling side valleys to Syangboche. Walk slowly, drink well and tell your guide how you feel; this is the day the altitude first bites. The evening is cold and clear in May, with stars over the ridges. Samar's lodges are busy at lunch in Tiji week, and the talk is all of the festival ahead.
Syangboche to Ghami
Over Yamda La and Nyi La, the highest point of the route at about 4,010 m, then down to Ghami, a large village of white houses and barley fields that are bright green in May. In the afternoon we walk along Ghami's long mani wall, keeping it on the right as Buddhists do. The wall is several hundred metres of carved prayer stones, and a local legend connects it to the demon that the Tiji dances will soon chase out of Lo.
Ghami to Tsarang
We pass the mani wall, cross the Tsarang La at about 3,870 m and drop to Tsarang, with its old fortress-palace and large Sakya monastery. In Tiji week the monastery is busy, and some households are preparing to ride to Lo Manthang. We visit the gompa in the afternoon and spend an easy evening at the lodge, resting for the last stretch. Some lodges are full of relatives in festival week, so expect a lively dining room.
Tsarang to Lo Manthang
We cross Lo La at about 3,950 m and see the walls of Lo Manthang below. Arriving a day before the festival gives time to settle in and watch preparations: monks rehearsing in the Chode courtyard, ritual objects being carried out, stalls setting up near the gate. Our guide walks you around the square so you know the layout and where we will stand. Early to bed; tomorrow starts early.
Tiji, the first day
Long horns and drums sound from the palace side of the square, and the masked dancers of Chode monastery enter in silk robes. The first day's dances tell the beginning of the story, of a demon born in Lo who brought drought and disease. The square fills with families from across Upper Mustang. Dances run for several hours with pauses; bring a hat, water and something to sit on. Photography is generally allowed without flash, but your guide will tell you when to put the camera down.
Tiji, the second day
The second day continues the story, as Dorje Jono takes on his wrathful form to fight the demon. The dances are slow and precise, and the costumes heavy with brocade. Between sessions, walk the lanes, where households are cooking for visiting relatives and serving butter tea from churns. In the afternoon you can step away to visit Jampa Lhakhang or Thubchen, though both may be busy with pilgrims during the festival.
Tiji, the final day
On the last day the demon is defeated. After the dances in the square, a procession leaves the city, and outside the walls the demon is destroyed in effigy to clear Lo of harm for another year. Crowds follow, cheering. By evening the mood is a party, and families who came for the festival begin to pack. Ask our guide about joining a household for dinner. It is the warmest, most sociable night of the trip.
Chhoser caves
With the festival over, we head north to Chhoser, near the Tibetan border, to explore the Jhong cave, a cave complex of several levels joined by ladders and narrow passages. We also stop at the cliff gompa of Nyiphu. Back in a much quieter Lo Manthang for the evening, you may find the lanes almost empty, as visitors ride home and the town returns to its farming rhythm of spring.
Jeep to Muktinath
We drive south on the Upper Mustang road through Ghami, Syangboche and Chhusang to Kagbeni, then climb to Ranipauwa below the Muktinath temple. It is a long, dusty day, broken by lunch and tea stops, but it saves three days of walking back over ground you already know. In the evening walk up the hill to see the temple compound in soft light. Ranipauwa's lodges have hot showers, the first in days for most trekkers.
Muktinath and down to Jomsom
An early visit to Muktinath, where Hindu pilgrims run under 108 water spouts and Buddhists honour a small shrine where a natural gas flame burns beside a spring. Both traditions have worshipped here for centuries. After breakfast we drive down to Jomsom for a hot shower, a final dinner with the team and the evening in a town that, after Lo, feels busy. If you want, buy a Shaligram stone or prayer flags in Jomsom before you leave.
Fly back to Pokhara
The morning flight returns you to Pokhara. This is also our buffer day: if the flight does not go, we wait for the next morning or drive to Pokhara by jeep, 8 to 10 hours on the Kali Gandaki road. If all goes well, you have the afternoon free by the lake. Spend it on a boat on Phewa Lake, a massage, or a long lunch with a view of the Annapurnas. Pokhara feels hot and green after Upper Mustang.
Pokhara to Kathmandu
Fly back to Kathmandu, where the trip ends. Leave at least four hours between your scheduled landing and an international departure, or better still a spare night, because domestic flights in May can be delayed by afternoon storms. We can book hotels in Kathmandu or Patan if you are staying on. If you are staying on, a few days in the Kathmandu Valley among Newar temples and courtyards make a fine contrast to the high desert of Lo.
Route
Where the trip goes
- 1Pokhara 2 nights
- 2Kagbeni 2 nights
- 3Ghami 2 nights
- 4Tsarang 1 night
- 5Lo Manthang 5 nights
- 6Muktinath 1 night
- 7Jomsom 1 night
Included
- Upper Mustang restricted-area permit (USD 500 for 10 days, plus USD 50 for each extra day if needed) and Annapurna Conservation Area permit
- Licensed guide and one porter for every two trekkers
- Flights Kathmandu–Pokhara–Jomsom and return
- Private jeep from Lo Manthang to Muktinath and Jomsom
- Two nights in Pokhara with breakfast and twelve nights in lodges with three meals a day
- Jeep or pony for the Chhoser day, airport transfers
Not included
- International flights and Nepal visa
- Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover
- Meals in Kathmandu and Pokhara other than breakfast
- Festival donations and offerings, which are voluntary
- Tips, drinks, hot showers and charging
Good to know
- Tiji dates follow the Tibetan lunar calendar and usually fall in May; we confirm dates each year, so check current status before you travel.
- Lodges in Lo Manthang fill months ahead for Tiji; book at least four to six months out.
- The restricted-area permit requires a group of at least two foreigners and a licensed guide; check current status before you travel.
- Do not walk into the dance area, use flash or block the view of local families; ask before photographing people at close range.
- May days are warm and sunny, but nights in Lo Manthang can drop below freezing and afternoons are windy.
Stays
Where you sleep
heritage hotel2,810 mRed House Lodge
A lodge in an old Kagbeni building, restored with care and painted the deep red that gave it its name, …
mountain lodge2,700 mOm's Home
A long-running, family-feel hotel in the centre of Jomsom, a two- or three-minute walk from the airport. Om's Home is …
city hotel822 mHotel Barahi
A long-running hotel on Lakeside in Pokhara, named after the lake goddess of Tal Barahi, close to Phewa's main boat …
Questions
About this trip
When is the Tiji festival in Lo Manthang?
Tiji usually takes place over three days in May, starting on dates set by the Tibetan lunar calendar, so the exact days shift each year. In some years it falls in late April or early June. We publish confirmed dates once Chode monastery and local organisers announce them, usually several months ahead. Check current status before you travel and book flights only after dates are confirmed.
What is Tiji about?
Tiji re-enacts the story of Dorje Jono, a deity who defeats his demon father to free the Kingdom of Lo from drought, disease and harm. Monks of Chode monastery perform the dances in masks and brocade over three days in the square of Lo Manthang. On the final day the demon is destroyed in effigy outside the city walls, clearing the land for the year ahead.
Can tourists watch the Tiji festival?
Yes. Visitors are welcome in the square as long as they respect the space. Stand or sit at the edges, never enter the dance ground, do not use flash, and keep drones away. Local families come first, so do not block their view. Our guide arrives early to find you a good spot and explains what is happening in each dance.
Do I need a special permit for Tiji?
No special festival permit is needed, but you need the standard Upper Mustang restricted-area permit, USD 500 for the first 10 days and USD 50 per day after that, as we understand it, plus the Annapurna Conservation Area permit. You must travel with a licensed guide and at least one other foreigner. Check current status before you travel.
How far ahead should I book the Tiji trek?
Book four to six months ahead if you can. Lodges in Lo Manthang have limited rooms and fill early for Tiji week, and Jomsom flights in May are in high demand. Booking early also gives us time to secure the permit and the best rooms. Late bookings are sometimes possible, but you may share more basic rooms.
Is it very crowded in Lo Manthang during Tiji?
By Upper Mustang standards, yes. The square is full of local families, monks and a few hundred visitors, and lodges are at capacity. It is nothing like a city festival, though, and outside the dance hours the lanes are calm. Staying five nights lets you see both the festival and the town before and after.
What is the weather like in Upper Mustang in May?
May is dry and sunny, with daytime temperatures around 15 to 22 °C in Lo Manthang and cold nights near or below freezing. Strong winds blow up the valley from late morning most days. Rain is rare because Upper Mustang lies in the rain shadow of the Annapurnas. Bring sun protection, a warm jacket and a buff against dust.
Why do you return by jeep and not on foot?
The walk back from Lo Manthang to Jomsom takes four to five days over the same ground, and after the festival most travellers prefer to save time. The jeep takes one long day to Muktinath, which adds a visit to that shrine. If you would rather walk, we can return on foot by Ghar Gompa and Dhakmar and add days.
Can I do Tiji without trekking?
Yes. You can drive from Jomsom to Lo Manthang by jeep in two days with a night in Tsarang, which still allows some acclimatisation. A jeep version of this trip runs about 10 nights. The permit rules are the same. You still sleep at 3,840 m, so take care with altitude even if you are not walking far.
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