Upper Mustang trek to Lo Manthang

Kathmandu to Pokhara

We meet you in Kathmandu and fly west to Pokhara, a 25-minute hop with the Annapurna range on the right side of the plane on a clear day. Your guide checks your kit in the afternoon: a warm down jacket, a sun hat, a buff against dust and sunglasses matter more in Mustang than rain gear. We collect the restricted-area permit papers and agree on the plan for the morning flight. Evening by Phewa Lake, early dinner and an early night, because the flight to Jomsom leaves at first light.

The story of Pokhara →

Fly to Jomsom, walk to Kagbeni

The Jomsom flight threads the Kali Gandaki gorge between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna and lands before the valley wind rises. From Jomsom we follow the wide gravel riverbed north to Kagbeni, a medieval village of tunnels and alleys built where the Jhong river meets the Kali Gandaki. After lunch we visit the Kag Chode monastery and the clay guardian figures at the edge of the village, then watch the late light go gold on Nilgiri. The night here helps the body adjust before we climb higher.

The story of Kagbeni →

Into the restricted area to Chele

At the north end of Kagbeni the police check post stamps your restricted-area permit, and the country changes. The trail runs along the east bank to Tangbe, a cluster of white houses and apple orchards in a maze of narrow lanes, then on to Chhusang, where cliffs above the river are pocked with cave openings. We cross the Kali Gandaki and climb to Chele, a Gurung and Loba village on a ledge above the gorge. Wind picks up after midday, so we start early and keep the pace even.

Chele to Syangboche over two passes

A steady climb out of Chele brings the first big views back south to Nilgiri and Annapurna. We cross two passes above 3,600 m before dropping into Samar, a lunch stop among poplars and stone walls. The afternoon trail rolls across side valleys to Syangboche, a small settlement with a few lodges. Today is the biggest height gain of the trek, so we walk slowly, drink three to four litres of water and watch for headache or loss of appetite. Your guide carries a pulse oximeter and checks it with you each evening.

Syangboche to Ghami

We climb over Yamda La and Nyi La, at about 4,010 m the highest point on this route, with prayer flags snapping in the wind and long views north into Lo. Below lies Ghami, one of the larger villages of Upper Mustang, with whitewashed houses, poplars and barley fields that turn from green to gold through summer. In the late afternoon we walk to the long mani wall south of the village. Pass it on your right, as local people do, keeping the carved prayers on your left.

The story of Ghami →

Ghami to Tsarang

The trail follows the mani wall, then crosses the Tsarang La at about 3,870 m and drops to Tsarang, once a seat of the Lo royal family. The village is dominated by an old five-storey fortress-palace and a large Sakya monastery painted red, where monks hold prayers in the late afternoon. We visit the monastery with the lama's permission and walk the edge of the village, where the cliffs fall away to the Charang Khola. Tsarang is quieter than Lo Manthang and a good place to sit and watch daily life.

The story of Tsarang →

Tsarang to Lo Manthang

A gentle climb across an open plateau brings us to Lo La at about 3,950 m. From the chorten on the pass you see Lo Manthang for the first time: a walled rectangle of houses and monasteries on a plain ringed by brown hills. We enter through the single gate, as every visitor to the walled city has done for centuries, and settle into our lodge. In the afternoon we walk the lanes, where horses, dzo and children share the same narrow passages, and watch the evening from a rooftop.

The story of Lo Manthang →

Monasteries of Lo Manthang

A full day inside the walls. Jampa Lhakhang, built in the 15th century, holds a huge clay image of Maitreya and mandala paintings on its walls. Thubchen, a tall assembly hall of the same period, has wall paintings restored with local Loba artists who trained in conservation during the project. We also visit Chode, the working monastery where young monks study, and see the outside of the old royal palace. In the afternoon, a walk to the hills west of town shows how the barley fields hug every channel of snowmelt.

The story of Lo Manthang →

Day out to Chhoser and the caves

North of Lo Manthang the valley narrows toward the Tibetan border, and cliffs are honeycombed with caves. At Chhoser we climb by ladders and tunnels through the Jhong cave, a multi-storey complex of rooms carved into the rock. We also visit the cliff-side gompas of Nyiphu and Garphu. Many travellers do this day on a local pony, which is how Loba families still travel to their fields; others take a jeep. Either way you are back in Lo Manthang for tea and the evening prayers at Chode.

The story of Chhoser →

Ghar Gompa to Dhakmar

We leave Lo Manthang by the eastern trail and climb over a ridge to Ghar Gompa, also called Lo Gekar, a small monastery that tradition links to Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century. Inside are painted stone tablets and old murals; the caretaker will open it if we arrive in good time. From there the trail drops to Dhakmar, a village beneath tall red cliffs. Local legend says the red is the blood of a demon that Guru Rinpoche killed here. The colour is strongest in the hour before sunset.

Dhakmar to Ghiling

We walk down to Ghami, then retrace the route over Nyi La and take a different path south to Ghiling, a village of fields and poplar rows below the main trail. The landscape looks different in reverse, with the Annapurnas now ahead of you all morning. Ghiling has a small monastery and a few family lodges where the kitchen often runs on dried yak dung and the stove sits at the centre of the dining room. Expect a cold, starry night and a warm welcome.

Ghiling to Chhusang

A long, mostly downhill day by Samar and Chele back to the Kali Gandaki. Your knees will notice it, so poles help. At Chhusang the valley opens again and the cliffs on the far side show rows of cave mouths, some at heights no one could reach today without ropes. Archaeologists working here and further north have found burials and manuscripts in caves like these. Chhusang is our last night in the restricted area, a good evening to thank the lodge family who fed us on the way up.

Chhusang to Jomsom

We walk south by Tangbe to Kagbeni and on down the riverbed to Jomsom, or take a jeep for part of the way if the wind is strong. Jomsom is the headquarters of Mustang district and has the airport, a bank and a few good lodges. Book your hot shower early. This evening we celebrate the trek with the team, often over apple brandy from Marpha, and settle tips for the guide and porters. We reconfirm the morning flight, which, as always, depends on the weather.

The story of Jomsom →

Fly back to Pokhara

The morning flight drops you from dry mountain air to the green, humid Pokhara valley in twenty minutes. The rest of the day is free: a boat on Phewa Lake, a massage, or a long lunch. If flights from Jomsom are cancelled, this day is our buffer, and we either wait one more morning or drive out by jeep along the Kali Gandaki road, which takes 8 to 10 hours. Either way, you leave a spare day in your onward plans for this reason.

The story of Pokhara →

Pokhara to Kathmandu

We fly back to Kathmandu, where the trip ends on arrival at the domestic terminal or at your hotel. If you have an international flight the same day, allow at least four hours between the scheduled landing from Pokhara and your departure, because domestic flights in Nepal are often delayed by weather. We are happy to book extra nights in Kathmandu or Bhaktapur and suggest what to do with them.

The story of Kathmandu →