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Upper Mustang Trek (Camping Trek) / NPL – 26
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Mustang is an
ancient Himalayan Kingdom which lies in the
northern central part of Nepal and at the top of the
Kaligandaki River. Upper Mustang consists of two
distinct regions: the southern part and the northern
where the languages, culture and traditions are
alike to those of the Tibetan people. This area is
consider as one of the most interesting and
picturesque places in Nepal. The whole area has an
isolated and mystical feel to it, enchanting and
inspiring visitors to this region. The trek to Lo-
Manthang is through high altitude desert country
climbing in and out of the huge sided valley of the
Kali Gandaki. In places the gorge which the Kali
Gandaki River runs through is the deepest in the
world. This region is full of some of Nepal’s oldest
Buddhist Monasteries, ancient and isolated villages
with quaint white washed houses. |
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Featured
Pictures (Upper Mustang) |
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Brief
Itinerary |
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Day |
Activities |
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01 |
Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to
the hotel. |
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02 |
Visit
Kathmandu city, Swayambhunath,
Boudhanath and Pashupatinath. |
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03 |
Visit Bhaktapur
city, Patan city
and Tibetan
Handicraft
center. |
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04 |
Drive from
Kathmandu –
Pokhara. (827 m,
200 kms, 5 hours
approx.) |
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05 |
Fly Pokhara -
Jomsom and start
trek to Kagbeni
(2885m, 4 hours
approx.). |
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06 |
Trek Kagbeni –
Chaile (3,050 m,
6 hours
approx.). |
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07 |
Trek Chaile –
Sangbochen (3800
m, 6 hours
approx.) |
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08 |
Trek Sangbochen
– Tsarang (3560
m, 7 hours
approx.) |
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09 |
Trek Tsarang -
Lo Manthang
(3840 m, 5
hours) |
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10 |
Free day in Lo
Manthang. |
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11 |
Free day in Lo
Manthang |
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12 |
Trek Lo Manthang
– Yara (4300 m,
7 hours). |
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13 |
Free day in Yara. |
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14 |
Trek Yara –
Tangye (3500 m,
6 hours
approx.). |
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15 |
Trek Tangye –
Chusang (2,900
m, 8 hours
approx.). |
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16 |
Trek Chusang –
Muktinath (3760
m, 7 hours
approx.) |
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17 |
Trek Muktinath –
Jomsom (2800 m,
5 hours approx.) |
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18 |
Fly Jomsom –
Pokhara (827 m). |
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19 |
Free day in
Pokhara. |
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20 |
Drive Pokhara to
Kathmandu. |
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21 |
Free day in
Kathmandu. |
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22 |
Departure. |
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Day
01: |
Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to
the hotel.
Arrive in Kathmandu. Meet/assist by
our representative at the airport
and transfer to hotel. On reaching,
short briefing on day to day program
by our tour guide. Rest of the day
is in leisure.
Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day 02: |
Visit Kathmandu city, Swayambhunath,
Boudhanath and Pashupatinath.
After breakfast, proceed for
sightseeing tour of Kathmandu Durbar
Square, and Swayambhunath. Kathmandu
Durbar Square, or Basantapur Durbar
Square is the plaza in front of the
old royal palace from 16th century
and is one of three Durbar Squares
in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal,
all of which are UNESCO World
Heritage Sites. The Durbar square is
surrounded by spectacular
architecture and vividly showcases
the skills of the Newari artists and
craftsmen over several centuries.
Swayambhunath is an ancient
religious complex atop a hill in the
Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu
city. It is also known as the Monkey
Temple as there are holy monkeys
living in parts of the temple in the
north-west. Visit Pashupatinath, and
Boudhanath in the afternoon.
Pashupatinath Temple is one of the
most significant Hindu temples of
Lord Shiva in the world, located on
the banks of the Bagmati River in
the eastern part of Kathmandu. It is
the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu.
It is not known for certain when
Pashupatinath Temple was founded.
But according to holy books, the
deity here gained great fame there
as Pashupati, the Lord of the
Animals. Pashupatinath Temple's
existence dates back to 400 A.D.
Boudhanath is one of the holiest
Buddhist sites in Kathmandu. Located
about 11 km from the center and
northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu,
the stupa's massive mandala makes it
one of the largest spherical stupas
in Nepal.
Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day 03: |
Visit Bhaktapur city, Patan city and
Tibetan Handicraft center.
This day you will visit to Bhaktapur
which literally means a city of
devotees is the oldest city of
Nepal. The Bhaktapur Durbar Square
is located in the current town of
Bhaktapur, which lies 13 km east of
Kathmandu. While the complex
consists of at least four distinct
square (Durbar Square, Taumadhi
Square, Dattatreya Square and
Pottery Square), the whole are is
informally known as the Bhakapur
Durbar Square, and is a highly
visited site in the Kathmandu
Valley. Later, you will be escorted
to Patan City for sightseeing tour.
Patan is also known as city of fine
art is one of the major cities of
Nepal and is best known for its rich
cultural heritage, particularly its
tradition of arts and crafts. Later,
visit Tibetan Handicraft Center
where you will find Tibetan Refugees
and their handicraft skills. Return
to the hotel.
Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day 04: |
Drive from Kathmandu – Pokhara. (827
m, 200 kms, 5 hours approx.)
It takes about five hours drive from
Kathmandu to Pokhara. As you climb
out of the Kathmandu valley, only to
quickly descend again to the Trisuli
River, you follow upstream to its
junction with the Marsyangdi River.
Having pleasant weather, Pokhara is
tourist's paradise with full of
natural as well as cultural heritage
sites such as lakes, caves, temples
of Buddhist and Hindus along with
mountains. You can observe views to
the north across the hills and Phewa
Lake to the white peaks of the
Annapurna and Lamjung ranges. This
drive will take most of the morning,
leaving much of the afternoon to
fall in love with its beauty.
Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day 05:
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Fly Pokhara - Jomsom and start trek
to Kagbeni (2885m, 4 hours approx.).
After an early breakfast transfer to
the airport for a morning flight to
Jomsom, a super scenic flight of 20
minutes brings you at Jomsom, the
district headquarter of Mustang.
This is a large town, headquarter of
the Mustang region; it is also a
major village on the Kaligandaki
area linking the age old
Trans-Himalayan Salt Trade route to
Tibet. From Jomsom onwards it is
very windy in the afternoon, From
Jomsom trek continues on the gradual
path on the Kali Gandaki river bed
for about 3 hrs and finally reaching
at Ekley-bhatti village. After good
stop here an hour of easy walk
reaches you to Kagbeni
(2,858m/9,375ft), which lies at the
bank of two rivers. Kagbeni, an
interesting windswept villages
situated on the main age old Trans
Himalayan salt trade route to Tibet
via Upper Mustang area. On arrival,
check in the hotel with afternoon
free for a stroll around the
village.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 06: |
Trek Kagbeni – Chaile (3,050 m, 6
hours approx.).
The trail leads up toward the east
bank of the Kaligandaki climbing
over many ridges as it heads north
and reaches Tangbe village. The town
is a labyrinth of narrow alleys
amongst white washed houses, fields
of buckwheat, barley, wheat and
apple orchards. The Nilgiri peak,
dominates the southern skyline of
Kagbeni, will be enjoyed all the way
by different shapes. Beyond Tangbe
we reach Chhusang village in about
1/2 hrs trek and crosses the river
and continues north climbing up to a
huge red chunk of conglomerate that
has fallen from the cliff above,
forming a tunnel through which the
Kaligandaki follows. The trek now
leaves the Kali Gandaki valley and
climbs steeply up a rocky gully to
Chaile at 3030 Mt. From here the
culture changes from the Manangi
culture to the Tibetan culture of
Lo.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 07:
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Trek Chaile – Sangbochen (3800 m, 6
hours approx.)
From Chele the trail climbs up to
the Chele La (3630m) (pass). After
crossing the ridge from Chele La the
trail enters a large sided valley
and descends to Samar (3620m) where
you will have views of the distant
Annapurna Himal dominated by Nil
Giri. The trail climbs up to the
Bhena La (3830m) and to Bhena
(3860m). Climbing to another pass,
the Yamdo La (4010m), you will
descend steeply following a ridge to
Shyangmochen (3800m).
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 08: |
Trek Sangbochen – Tsarang (3560 m, 7
hours approx.)
Turning west from Geling, climbing
gently through the fields, passing
below Tama Gaon and turning north
you will reach Nyi La (4020m). The
trail then drops steeply to Ghemi
(3510m), a large village surrounded
by many fields busy with the
activity of the local people working
this arid landscape. From Ghemi the
trail first descends and then climbs
a rocky path to Choya la (3870m).
Making a gentle descent the trail
reaches to Tsarang.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 09: |
Trek Tsarang - Lo Manthang (3840 m,
5 hours)
The trail descends from Charang,
crosses the Charang Chu and climbs
steeply up a rocky trail, then
enters the Tholung valley. The trail
turns north and climbs gently to a
large isolated chorten, then crosses
a stream and reaches the LoLa
(3950m) where you will see the view
of the walled city of Lo Manthang.
Descending for some time the trail
crosses a stream and climbs up to Lo
Manthang where you will see the
school, health post, and police
check post and several important
chortens.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 10:
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Free day in Lo Manthang.
This day will be spent in this
mystical and isolated city. You will
awake to the mystical sounds of
monks chanting and the heady sent of
temple candles. After having
breakfast you will visit the four
major temples within the city walls.
The major attraction of this area is
the three storey’s Jampa Lhakhang,
the red Thubchen gompa with a
massive assembly hall, Chodey gompa
and Choprang gompa. After visiting
the temples you will take a walk to
visit the ACAP office and to Tarchun
Gurung’s shop where you can climb up
to the roof for a view of the town,
and buy a memento to take away with
you. Return back to Lo Manthang
Camp.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 11:
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Free day in Lo Manthang
Again you spend another day in Lo
Manthang getting to know the place
and getting an insight into how the
people live in this remote and arid
landscape. After having breakfast
you will visit the raja’s Place
which is an imposing four storey
building in the centre of the city.
Then you will hire a horse to visit
some other villages in this area
where you will observe the local
culture, life style, tradition and
warm heartedness of these people.
Return back to Lo Manthang Camp.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 12:
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Trek Lo Manthang – Yara (4300 m, 7
hours).
We begin our walk to Yara Pass after
having breakfast. Today we will
cross Yara Pass at 4300m. It takes
about 7 hours to measure the
footsteps from Lo Manthang to Yara.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 13:
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Free day in Yara.
This day we will stay at Yara to
acclimatize with the altitude and
will visit to Yara Gompa in the
afternoon. We will also plan for the
onward destinations.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 14:
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Trek Yara – Tangye (3500 m, 6 hours
approx.).
The trail goes along the river for
about 2 hours and then crosses the
river to Damodar Kunda, one of the
sacred lakes. There is no bridge on
the river so we need to walk across
in bare feet. After crossing the
river, the trail climbs high above a
pass at 3850 meters. The trail goes
through a grassless, treeless bare
hill. After the pass, the trail
drops directly to Tange at an
elevation of 3500m. Tange is a small
village of about 30 houses but most
of the houses are attached to each
other. On the rooftops one can see
piles of dry wood, which reflects
the families’ prosperity.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 15:
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Trek Tangye – Chusang (2,900 m, 8
hours approx.).
A long way with a lot of ups and
downs ascending to the village
Chusang (2.900 m), which is situated
at the mouth of the Narshing in the
Mustang Khola river. About 8 hrs
walking time and fantastic views of
the opposite trail, the Daulagiri
range and a bizarre canyon lie
behind us.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 16:
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Trek Chusang – Muktinath (3760 m, 7
hours approx.)
From Chusang we will proceed to the
side valley of the Narshing Khola to
Tetang (2.950 m) and ascend a basin
situated below the Dzong La (aprox.
4 hrs). Then we will have lunch.
After lunch we cross the Dzong La
(4.050 m) and descend in about 4 hrs
to Muktinath, a place famous with
pilgrims.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 17:
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Trek Muktinath – Jomsom (2800 m, 5
hours approx.)
Today we descend via Jharkot to
Kagbeni and go back through the wide
and stony valley of Kali Gandaki
back to Jomson. After 5 hrs we will
reach the last point of our trekking
and will accommodate us in a nice
lodge near the runway. The rest of
the day we will relax and say
goodbye to our crew.
Overnight at Camp. |
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Day 18:
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Fly Jomsom – Pokhara (827 m).
The flight from Jomsom to Pokhara is
20 minutes. In Pokhara, you can shop
or relax at the hotel.
Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day 19:
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Free day in Pokhara.
This day is for you to do personal
activities. You may book optional
sightseeing and excursion through
us.
Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day 20:
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Drive Pokhara to Kathmandu.
It takes about five hours drive to
Kathmandu from Pokhara. The higway
follows the Trisuli River, you
follow its junction with the
Marsyangdi River. On reaching, check
in to the hotel.
Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day 21:
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Free day in Kathmandu.
This day is to enjoy your stay at
Kathmandu. You will have a complete
day to spend as per your interest.
This day you may roam around the
local markets and lake area for
shopping and any other personal
activities.
Overnight at Hotel. |
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Day 22:
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Departure.
After breakfast, you will be
transferred to the airport for
onward journey. |
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Highlight
of this Trek |
| Mustang is an ancient Himalayan Kingdom
which lies in the northern central part of
Nepal and at the top of the Kaligandaki
River. Upper Mustang consists of two
distinct regions: the southern part and the
northern where the languages, culture and
traditions are alike to those of the Tibetan
people. |
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Trip Facts |
Minimum altitude: 1300m.
Maximum altitude: 4300m.
Grade: Moderate
Mode: Camping Trek
Duration of Trek: 13 Day
Entry: Kathmandu - Pokhara
Exit: Pokhara - Kathmandu |
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Annapurna
Region Map |
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[ Click on
Map to Enlarge ] |
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