Trekking to Upper Mustang is the most notorious trek among all in Nepal. The natural scenario, cultures, and religions attract most of the tourists to Upper Mustang. This region is surrounded by ancient Tibetan villages. Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayan ranges add beauty to this region. Lo- Manthang is the ancient city in Upper Mustang which is bastioned like China and ruled by the Lo Dynasty of ancient Tibet. People of this region celebrate the Tiji festival which has become a pivotal reason for attraction to all the trekkers.
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Best time of the Year
Monsoon (June to August), spring (March to May), and autumn(September to November) are the advisable months for trekking to Upper Mustang. However, during Monsoon the weather changes periodically and it becomes a more breathtaking time for trekking. If you are waiting for the natural elegance, spring and autumn can be the best months because Upper Mustang receives rainfall in these seasons which adds beauty to nature. Winter is very cold in Upper Mustang and it is not recommended to trek during winter. The temperature reaches the minus degree. Also, most of the lodges and businesses remain close.
Upper Mustang Trek is a 10 days trek. If you want to save time, you can take a flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara and from Pokhara to Jomsom. However, this time gap is not added to 10 days of trekking. If including these all, it can take 15-16 days. When you reach Lo Manthang, you can explore several monasteries, palaces, and caves. To make you clearer about 10 days trek, here we describe the day-to-day itinerary from Jomsom to Lo Manthang and again back to Jomsom.
Day 1: Trekking from Kagbeni to Chele (3050m)
After you take the 10 days to permit in Kagbeni, we start trekking in the early morning because the day gets windy, dusty, and sandy. The route leads you to Tongbe, a village with Apple Orchard. On the way, you will cross the Kali Gandaki Bridge. This leads you to Chele- a small village with an enchanting natural synopsis. The trek takes about 5-6 hours.
Day 2: From Chele to Syangboche (3475m)
After enjoying at Chele, on the very morning, you will continue your journey to Syangboche. We will go toward EkleBhattiTaklam La pass which offers a cool view of Tilicho peak and DamodarDanda. You will now walk down the Himalayas to a beautiful village named Samar. Again, from the village, you are supposed to walk up and down. After 3 complete hours of walking, you will reach Syangboche. During these6-7 hours of trekking, you can visit Ramchung cave and enjoy the view of the small village in DamodarDanda.
Day3: From Syangboche to Ghaymi (3520m)
This trekking is elegant because, from the starting, you can trek through the high pass of Yamada La at an elevation of 3850m from sea level. Going forward to the trail, you will observe small Tibetan villages and lodges. Further, you will need to pass from Nyi La pass. This is the higher pass among others. Now, we descend from the top of Nyi La passes to a small village named Ghaymi. This village is famous for Barley and potato. It takes 5-6 hours to reach this village from Syangboche.
Day 4: From Ghaymi to Charang (3500m)
You can see the Mustang’s longest Mani wall which is 1000m long on the trail. From the long Mani wall, a broad road heading east leads to Charang which is the most scenic village with around 1000 inhabitants. You can see Dzong and Gompa on your way. In the evening time, you can walk around the Gompa. The time phrase for this trekking is 4-5 hours.
Day 5: From Charang to Lo Manthang (3700m)
The enthusiastic destination of the trek, Lo Manthang starts after trekking down from Charang. You can encounter Nilgiri, Tilic, o, and Annapurna on the path. After crossing the river in the way, you will have to ascend the pass of Lo and finally, you can see the small and delightful village of Manthang.
Day 6: Trekking around Lo Manthang
Our final destination- Lo Manthang is famous for monasteries, caves, and small villages. You should not miss the king’s Palace. You can also explore ‘The God House’ and ChyodiGompa. The panorama of Lo Manthangis outrageous. The afternoon gets strong blustering wind.
Day 7: From Lo Manthang to Drakmar (3810m)
After enjoying the whole day at Lo Manthang, you will have to go downwards to the Jomsom. It’s boring going back through the same route. So, we take an alternative route. We head towards Drakmar passing through Gyakar. GharGompa- famous for rock paintings can be observed on the trail. There is a myth that your one wish will be fulfilled in this Gompa. At the night, you can enjoy the local. The trekking takes about 6-7 hours.
Day 8: From Drakmar to Ghiling (3806m)
The most boring trekking starts today. From Drakmar, you will have to trek directly to Ghiling without any lunch break. So, you need to be prepared first for the trek. The trek takes 6 complete hours.
Day 9: From Ghiling too Chuksang (3050m)
The boring day of Day 8 won’t continue today. You can observe the mind-blowing view of nature and the high Himalayas on the way. You can hook up in the restaurant during nighttime. The path is decent and you can visit caves on the way. The trek takes about 5-6 hours.
Day 10: From Chuksang to Jomsom (2700m)
And the final day comes. This trek can be a little longer but you can choose a jeep from Kagbeni to Jomsom which can save 3 complete hours of trek. If you think you have time, you can explore the villages in Chuksang. The trek takes about 6-7 hours.
