Overview
Upper Mustang was closed to outsiders until 1992 and is still restricted, at USD 500 a head for ten days. Until recently the only way in was on foot. A rough jeep track now runs the length of the valley to Lo Manthang, which is either a loss or an opportunity depending on what you came for.
If you have nine days rather than thirteen, or you cannot spend a fortnight walking at altitude, this reaches everything the trek reaches.
The route
North from Pokhara through the Kali Gandaki gorge — the deepest on earth, cut between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri — to Jomsom, Kagbeni and the restricted-area checkpoint.
Beyond it the green stops. The road climbs over passes at 3,600 to 4,000 metres through Chele, Ghami and Tsarang, past Nepal's longest mani wall, and drops from the Lo La onto the plain where Lo Manthang stands: a white walled town on bare brown ground, with the Himalaya behind it.
Lo Manthang
Inside the walls are three great monasteries — Jampa Lhakhang of 1448, with restored fifteenth-century mandalas, Thubchen and Chodey — and the former royal palace of the Kingdom of Lo, whose line ended officially in 2008.
A day out at Chhoser reaches the Jhong caves: five storeys of chambers cut into a cliff face, thought to be around 2,500 years old, connected by internal ladders.
What the jeep costs you
The road is the road. On the northbound run you are on it, and trekkers who take the eastern route through Yara and Tange cross country you will not see. It is also nine days of unsealed gravel and river crossings, which is genuinely tiring.
What you gain is Mustang in nine days, without a fortnight above 3,500 m.
Best season
April to October, and unusually that includes the monsoon: Mustang is dry from June to August when everywhere else in Nepal is not. May brings the Tiji festival at Lo Manthang. Winter empties the valley — much of the population moves south to Pokhara and Kathmandu until spring.
Highlights
- Lo Manthang's walled city and Jampa Lhakhang
- The Jhong sky caves at Chhoser
- Kali Gandaki gorge, the deepest on earth
- Muktinath and the 108 spouts
- Dry travel through the monsoon
Day by day
The full 9 days
Where you are, what you do, how you travel and where you sleep — each day a structured record rather than a paragraph.
- Day 1
Pokhara to Jomsom
Jomsom
- Drive via Beni, Tatopani and Ghasa
- Enter the Kali Gandaki gorge
- Transport
- 4WD, 9 hours
- Sleep
- Hotel, Jomsom
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 9 hours
A long, rough first day. The road deteriorates steadily after Beni.
- Day 2
Jomsom to Kagbeni and Muktinath
Muktinath
- Kagbeni old town and the Upper Mustang checkpoint
- Muktinath temple, 108 spouts and the eternal flame
- Transport
- 4WD, 3 hours
- Sleep
- Guesthouse, Kagbeni
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 5 hours
- Day 3
Kagbeni to Ghami
Ghami
- Permit check at Kagbeni, entering restricted Mustang
- Chele, Samar and the Nyi La at 4,010 m
- Nepal's longest mani wall, below Ghami
- Transport
- 4WD, 6 hours
- Sleep
- Guesthouse, Ghami
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 6 hours
- Day 4
Ghami to Lo Manthang
Lo Manthang
- Tsarang gompa and the old royal palace
- The Lo La, and the first view of the walled city
- Transport
- 4WD, 4 hours
- Sleep
- Guesthouse, Lo Manthang (3,840 m)
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 5 hours
- Day 5
Lo Manthang
Lo Manthang
- Jampa Lhakhang (1448), Thubchen and Chodey gompas
- The royal palace and the city walls
- Walk the perimeter at sunset
- Sleep
- Guesthouse, Lo Manthang
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 6 hours
- Day 6
Chhoser caves and Tibet border viewpoint
Chhoser
- Jhong sky caves, five storeys of cliff dwellings
- Nyphu cave monastery
- Viewpoint over the Tibetan frontier
- Transport
- 4WD, 2 hours
- Sleep
- Guesthouse, Lo Manthang
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 6 hours
- Day 7
Lo Manthang to Kagbeni
Kagbeni
- The southbound run, with stops at Ghami and Chele
- Transport
- 4WD, 7 hours
- Sleep
- Guesthouse, Kagbeni
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 7 hours
- Day 8
Kagbeni to Tatopani
Tatopani
- Marpha and its apple orchards
- Hot springs at Tatopani
- Transport
- 4WD, 6 hours
- Sleep
- Guesthouse, Tatopani
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 6 hours
- Day 9
Tatopani to Pokhara
Pokhara
- Descend to Beni and the sealed road
- Transport
- 4WD, 5 hours
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Time
- 5 hours
Map
Where this tour goes
Price
What $1,600–$2,600 covers
Includes the USD 500 permit; the range reflects private versus shared jeep
Included
- Private 4WD, driver and fuel for nine days
- Both permits
- Eight nights' accommodation with breakfast
- Licensed guide, mandatory in the restricted area
Not included
- Lunches and dinners
- Pokhara accommodation before and after
- Monastery entry donations
- Travel insurance
Frequently asked questions
Why drive instead of trek?
Is the permit the same as for trekking?
Can you do this in the monsoon?
How rough is the road?
About the author
Tom Eriksen
Gear editor & photographer
Tom tests trekking equipment the only way that produces honest answers: by carrying it for weeks at a time above 4,000 metres. He shoots most of the photography on this site and writes the gear reviews, comparison tables and packing lists.
Writes about: Trekking gear · Photography · Packing and weight
