The land of Lomanthang Trek Upper Mustang is often compared with Shangri La, a mythical kingdom that never existed. The land is so beautiful that you can easily get confused if the terrain is real or if you are gazing through a canvas. By far, this is one of the most beautiful treks that preserve rustic beauty in terms of culture, people and terrain. This trek is more of a joy and spiritual trek than just any other trek which takes you through the mountain and topographical experiences.
The majority of Lomanthang (3,840 m) is a treeless, plantless, barren and arid landscape but so beautiful that you will not just get bitten by the travel bug but the Nepal bug. This heavenly landscape is home to god-like inhabitants of the Thakali community. These people are primitive people of the Mustang (2,500 m) district and are originally from Thak Khola. These people have physical features like the Tibetans and not just that but Thakalis have a deeply interlinked culture, practices and way of life with Tibet. The fresco-like landscape on the other hand is a tireless terrain that remains around 3,000 plus meters but never surpasses high altitude. Trekking can be opted for by people with very less or no fitness activities.
Lomanthang Trek Upper Mustang also showcases the mountains; Nilgiri (7,061 m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) are two prominent mountains in the region. The tea houses along the trail make your trek very convenient but the tea houses are very basic. The rooster’s crow and the cow’s moos wake you up early in the morning whereas the dogs barking and the insects making noise in the pin-drop silence of the night give you the feeling of returning to basics.
It is the last kingdom within Federal Nepal too. The non-ceremonial king still resides in the village and takes part in all the proceedings of the village from womb to tomb. Throughout Lomanthang Trek Upper Mustang you will see villages draped in prayer flags. The entire region is very calm. It is full of the Chortens, monasteries and gompas. The cultural practices are around 1,500 years old. People observe one of the biggest festivals of Tiji.
In very short, Lomanthang Trek Upper Mustang will not fail to mesmerize you and awe inspire you in every way and without making you work hard. Book this off-the-beaten trek to a restricted land today with Karma Eco Adventure Nepal!
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 02: Trek preparation and Sightseeing
Day 03: Kathmandu to Pokhara
Day 04: Pokhara to Jomsom(830m)
Day 05: Jomsom to Chele Via Kagbeni(2810m)
Day 06: Chele to Ghilling
Day 07: Ghilling to Tsarang (Charang)
Day 08: Tsarang to Lo Manthang
Day 09: Lo Manthang - Choser valley - Lo Manthang
Day 10: Lomanthang - Dhakmar via Ghyakar
Day 11: Dhakmar to Syanbochen
Day 12: Syangbochen - Chele - Kagbeni - Jomsom
Day 13: Jomsom - Pokhara
Day 14: Pokhara to Kathmandu
Day 15: Farewell
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
Welcome to Kathmandu! A representative from Karma Eco Adventure will receive you at the airport and drop you off at your hotels. No plan is set aside for the day. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day 02: Trek preparation and Sightseeing
Although the trek requires preparation from a long back and almost everything is prepared by this day, you will do last-minute shopping if anything is required. Once you sort things out in the morning, you head out to see a couple of UNESCO heritage sites in the city. These sights are considered national heritage and exploring them is a beautiful way to get along the Nepalese way of life and culture. You will do last-minute packing in the evening. Overnight in Kathmandu
Day 03: Kathmandu to Pokhara
There are two options to get to Pokhara and this one is by bus. If you wish to take a flight please let us know. The bus ride takes around 7 hours and it traverses through one of the busiest highways namely Prithvi highway. The bus makes its way through the coiled roads and along major tributaries namely Trishuli, Marsyangdi and Seti. With frequent rests in between and viewing the beautiful landscape as well as the settlements along the highway, you will reach the touristic town of Pokhara. Overnight in Pokhara.
Day 04: Pokhara to Jomsom(830m)
You can either reach Jomsom by taking a picturesque flight of 25 minutes or take a bus which takes around 8 hours. This itinerary describes the journey via bus. The first phase of today's travel is on a black-topped highway whereas the second phase is more off the beaten trek. From lush green hills, you will soon traverse through an arid landscape within no time. The bus ride is scenic as it offers a mountain view and also goes through the second-largest waterfall in the country. Overnight in Jomsom.
Day 05: Jomsom to Chele Via Kagbeni(2810m)
It is almost 1 and ½ hours drive from Jomsom to Kagbeni. Kagbeni is a beautiful village, that looks like an oasis in the middle of the desert. The village lies in the confluence of 2 rivers and falls in the ancient salt trade route to Tibet. After getting off at Kagbeni, we get our permits checked and move forward to the restricted area. To Chele from Kagbeni takes around 5-6 hours with frequent breaks in between. You will ascend along the Kaligandaki river but the uphill climb is not difficult. You will reach the villages of Tangbe followed by Chhusang and finally Chele. In all of these villages what is common is white-washed houses, fields of buckwheat, barley, wheat and apple orchards. Overnight in Chele
Day 06: Chele to Ghilling
The trail primarily ascends towards Samar as it lies on the top of the hill. This place as well makes a fine place for rest but you will move a little further. From Samar, you walk on a ridge before you descend to a gorge. Just before reaching the gorge is a beautiful chorten in the middle of nowhere, painted in red, and yellow and made out of local resources. We enter a completely different valley after you descend from this point. The first village you will come across is Bhena and the second village you will see is your destination of the day Ghilling. Overnight in Ghelling.
Day 07: Ghilling to Tsarang (Charang)
Today is going to be a little more difficult than the other days on the trail. You will climb and descend 2 passes to reach your final destination and one of the passes climbs slightly above 4000 meters. The trek could take anywhere from 4-5 hours and you will traverse through Tibetan-style hamlets. The first hurdle of the day is crossing Nyi La Pass and descending to Tangmar Chu River. Further down after crossing the river, the trail gets horizontal and then climbs another pass to descend to your rest area of the day Tsarang. Overnight in Tsarang.
Day 08: Tsarang to Lo Manthang
The entire trek today takes around 5-6 hours with proper rest in between. You would trek looking at magnificent views of Nilgiri, Tilicho, Annapurna I and Bhrikuti peaks. The trek immediately drops to a canyon of Tsarang Chu, at a point. Furthermore, you cross the river and climb the steep trail up. From the top, you will see the valley of Lo from where the Lo Manthang Trek gets its name. From here the trail gently ascends to the village of Lo Manthang. Overnight in Lo Manthang.
Day 09: Lo Manthang - Choser Valley - Lo Manthang
Chosar Valley is no farther than 2 hours and is an easy stroll compared to what we had covered the days before. The valley is the last and after Chosar begins the plateau of Tibet. The valley is a part of the Lo Manthang excursion and houses a famed cave namely Zhong Kha. The valley also has a monastery and a monk school. The cave is carved on the face of the mountains by the escapees of Tibet some 2500 years old. Once you explore the valley you will bounce back to Lo Manthang. Overnight in Lo Manthang.
Day 10: Lomanthang - Dhakmar via Ghyakar
After spending 2 days in this beautiful valley of Lo Manthang we begin walking down and ending the trek. You will walk down a different route so that you can get a maximum of Upper Mustang’s terrain and people. The route is inclusive of a Gompa namely Ghyakar, which houses a 1200-year-old gompa. The trail is usually dry and dusty at this point so it is advised to start the trek early to avoid such circumstances. Overnight in Dakmar.
Day 11: Dhakmar to Syanbochen
It takes almost 7 hours from Dhakmar to Syangbochen but the walk is on a horizontal plain or has very gradual ups and downs. Down the lane, this trail meets the other trail that you had walked on your way up. The first noticeable village you will walk into is Ghami and then further to Syanbochen. You are still in the restricted area. Overnight in Syangbochen.
Day 12: Syangbochen - Chele - Kagbeni - Jomsom
Right from the front door of your teahouse, you will start descending and descend all the way. The first valley and the village you will reach after your first descent in Samar. Samar also has a beautiful and rustic monastery and also caves. If you have some juice left in you, you can opt to climb this cave carved on the mountain face. There are short ascends as well to climb up the valley to exit it. The walk from Syangbochen to Chele takes around 4-5 hours and from here you will board a local jeep to Jomsom
Day 13: Jomsom - Pokhara
On our way back you would board a picturesque flight to Pokhara. If the weather permits you will see 2 of the highest mountains in the world, however, Nilgiri is also a show-stopper. The flight takes around 20 minutes and once you land in Pokhara you will be transferred to your hotel in Pokhara. Overnight in Pokhara.
Day 14: Pokhara to Kathmandu
If traveling by bus, you will board a tourist bus back to Kathmandu via the same highway.
Day 15: Farewell
On this day we will transfer you to the airport as per your schedule and wave you off. Thank you for making Karma Eco Adventure your travel partner. Hope to serve you in the future as well!
The specific costs are per person for group trekkers (for solo trekkers trip costs may increase by some percent) except international airfare. mentioned below are the departure dates obtainable for online booking.
