Upper Mustang trek is a privilege and a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience a forbidden and hidden culture and to observe the Nepali mountain life. Trekking in Upper Mustang region has lots in common with trekking in Tibet. This less famous, moderate trek has an itinerary that shows you a dry region and the impossible to miss Himalayan emblematic mountainous landscape.
Upper Mustang trek is your ticket for visiting the mystic realm of the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Mustang. Previously it was isolated and forbidden for foreigners and separated from the rest of the world for a long period, the region evolved on its own without exterior interferences. So, they conserved their ancestral traditions, cultural customs and rituals that are closer to Tibet than Nepal.
Mustang trek is popular for its desert style beauty within an arid and severe river valley – Kali Gandaki River valley and a stunning cliff-faced scenery. Hiding in the shadow of the Himalaya and officially a restricted area of Nepal, Mustang is in fact a real piece of Tibet.
The itinerary of the Upper Mustang is rather an extravagance among harsh copper red valleys, deep gorges and scoured canyons. Your route will be decorated with colored prayer flags, spotted with mani walls and you will notice the local style mud brick houses.
In Mustang the human soul is thought to be as real as the arms or the heart of a person, and despite the scarcity of the countryside, paradoxically the happiness and spiritual beauty are flourishing. Upper Mustang was part of the Tibetan Kingdom of Gungthang till the nineteenth century, so the unofficial capital of Mustang – Lo Manthang, remained for a long while a kingdom inside a kingdom with its own rules and cultural heritage. The history of Lo Manthang is conserved more in legends and myths than in official recorded documents.
Upper Mustang trail is without any doubt a fascinating journey through the inaccessibility of the Tibetan Buddhist culture. It’s unmistakable mark is visible everywhere in Upper Mustang from architecture to arts and dialects.
You will be welcomed by a Himalayan Steps representative at Tribhuvan International Airport – Kathmandu, outside the airport terminal and transferred to the hotel.
Note: Depending on your arrival hour, you will attend a pre-trip meeting, where you will be introduced to your trek tour guide/leader. Please ensure you bring your passport, your travel insurance policy and three passport size photos. Also, you will be invited to sign a non-liability disclaimer, the legally binding trip form and ask all the questions you judge necessary.
Accommodation in hotel, without meals.
After breakfast, your tour starts with a guided visit of Kathmandu and its surroundings. The most prominent monuments of the area, listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites are on the list: Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhananath Stupa, Bhaktapur Durbar Square. And the temple of Nyatapola, Bhairavnath temple, Batsala temple, Duttatraya temple, Pujari Muth, the Royal Quarter of Bhupatindra Malla, Palace of 55 windows.
Accommodation in hotel with breakfast.
An early short and scenic flight to Lukla, will be followed by meeting the whole team that will assist you during your incursion into the Himalayas. After that you will explore the village before officially starting the trek with a descending route via the banks of the Dudh Kosi River, arriving at a village called Ghat and continuing towards today’s destination Phakding.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
The next stop is Namche Bazaar, the route will continue by crossing several times the Dudh Koshi River, via some spectacular suspended bridges. And after that you will enter the Sagamartha National Park. Namche is the most important Sherpa settlement that you will encounter around here.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
You will spend the day in Namche Bazaar for acclimatisation. You will visit the local museum dedicated to the traditions of the Sherpa culture and the Syangboche Airport. And one of the highest positioned hotels on earth – the Everest View Hotel, displaying majestic views of the Himalayas and Everest.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Your route today starts very steep via some rhododendron forests. The trail is very charming during spring, as conifers and juniper will accompany you along the way and the vistas of Taboche and Khumbi La are just splendid.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
A zigzagging route today, first an ascension to admire the whole valley till Kengtega and Cho Oyu, followed by a descent to the river and again an ascension to the moraine of the glacier Ngozumpa. And after that you head towards your destination today Machherma.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Gokyo is one of the highlights of this trail, and you will stay here for two nights to explore the surroundings.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Gokyo Ri is a pinnacle of this trail, even if it is rather demanding to arrive here at 5,483 m you will be fully rewarded with magnificent panoramas of Gokyo valley, Ngozumpa glacier and Khumbu Himalayas area. The “sample” includes the great colossus Everest, Makalu, Lhotse, Nuptse, Gychung Kang and Cho-Oyu.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
This is a more than secluded and remote area of Nepal, in the neighborhood of Cho La pass. Very rudimentary accommodation.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Your trekking day starts before sunrise, because you have to transit the pass before noon, to avoid bad weather conditions. Strong winds, heavy snows and altitude are reasons that might impede your trekking around here. Once on the top, the panoramas are just breathtaking and worth all the effort. After that you will descend to Dzongla. Accommodation is also very rudimentary.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
An easier day with a shorter route that takes you to Lobuche.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
This is probably the most strenuous trekking day from your tour, along the Khumbu Glacier heading up to the Everest Base Camp. EBC is the ultimate point inside Everest Mountain where you can get without permit and mountaineering equipment. It’s obvious that vistas and panoramas from EBC are literally unique and Khumbu Icefall comes to add up to the show. After this remarkable exploit you will return to Gorak Shep to spend the night.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Another demanding trekking day that aims to climb Kala Patthar. Once arrived here you will be rewarded with awe-inspiring vistas of a special collection of giants Everest straight ahead, Lhotse, Pumori, Nuptse, Chagatse and many more. After that you descend slowly to today’s destination Pheriche.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Your journey among the world’s tallest mountains approaches its end. Your route descends further, passes through Pangboche, Tengboche to reach Namche Bazaar.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
The last trekking day has arrived, it’s time to return to Lukla. You will have a free afternoon at your disposal to wander around, relax and celebrate your last achievements.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
One last view of the gigantesque mountains as you catch your flight back to Kathmandu from Lukla. After that you are transferred to the hotel.
Accommodation in hotel, breakfast included.
The information below has been created so that you can use this as a guide in understanding the necessary equipment, clothing, gear, medicines and miscellaneous items required for this trekking tour. This list is of a general nature and you may decide to add or remove some of these items, please make sure that you have enough clothing to maximize your comfortability whilst on the trek.
We will provide you with a porter and a duffel bag to support and carry your heavier belongings however we do recommend that you also bring your own daypack to carry your money, personal items and any important documents.
(Important: Our guide will already have a first aid kit which they bring with them however we also recommend that you bring some of these medicines with you in your daypack too.)
Helpful Tip: For the majority of these items, clothing and equipment we recommend that you buy most of these when you arrive in Kathmandu. That way it will be a lot cheaper for you, take a look at our Kathmandu trekking gear guide here: http://himalayansteps.com/buying-trekking-gear-in-kathmandu/
The Upper Mustang trek is physically possible for anyone that is of an average fitness level, there is no previous experience required. We generally recommend however that you train for 2-3 months in advance of your departure date and some of the activities you can do is walking or hiking, running or even better running on a treadmill at incline. Alternatively swimming is a great choice too.
Because of this being a strenuous trek, Typically you should be doing at least one or a combination of these activities for an hour each time and roughly 4 times a week in the lead up to your trek in Nepal.
Yes, one of our staff members will be waiting at the airport with a signboard ready to collect you once you arrive and from there we will transfer you by private vehicle to the hotel.
Yes, you can purchase a visa when you arrive at the Tribhuvan International airport in Kathmandu. There are two choices for tourist visa which are listed below:
– Multiple entry tourist visa for up to 30 days costing $40 USD.
– Multiple entry tourist visa for up to 90 days costing $100 USD.
You will need to bring with you a copy of your passport, travel insurance papers and 3 passport size photos which will be used for any trekking permits required to access the mountain areas.
In Kathmandu and Pokhara, you can expect to stay in a standard room at a 3 star hotel which will include breakfast.
Whilst you are trekking you will be staying in traditional teahouse accommodation which will have a bed and clean mattress as well as a cover for you to sleep in. We do however recommend that you bring your own sleeping bag which you can take with you from home or alternatively rent/buy one in Kathmandu before you go trekking. The teahouse will provide you with a selection of food and sometimes this will be eaten around a warm fire in a group setting.
Along the trail itself the teahouse lodges usually offer twin sharing bedrooms in a dormitory style room. Sometimes the teahouse lodge staff will make available a private room for you at no extra cost depending on whether or not the room is available.
In Kathmandu, if you would like to have your own room at the hotel this can be arranged and typically there is always availability. For this there is an additional single supplementary cost of $40USD per night.
Swapping the teahouse accommodation with Kathmandu instead is not possible, included in this package is two nights of hotel accommodation in Kathmandu.
In the unlikely event of a flight cancellation or alternatively if you arrive back to Kathmandu early due to sickness, bad weather conditions or personal reasons you will need an extra night in Kathmandu which can be available for a supplementary cost.
Ideally and in most cases we will use the toilets provided at the various teahouse or lodge accommodation along the trail however in the event of an emergency, hikers are recommended to find a private and convenient place along the trail to go to the toilet.
The vast majority of the tea houses offer standard western style toilets with normal flushing capability. Occasionally in the areas of higher altitude there are squat toilets which are made with a ceramic base or a few wooden planks situated over a hole in the ground and these are always located outside.
At every teahouse accommodation along the trail, you can purchase toilet paper from them directly for a small fee. However we always recommend that you bring your own hand sanitizers and a towel if necessary.
The majority of teahouses or lodges along the trail will offer a selection of different food choices which primarily consist of vegetarian dishes. Some of these dishes on the menu include pasta, noodles, potatoes, tuna bakes, bread, soups, fresh vegetables and traditional dishes such as Daal Bhat (rice and lentils) or momos (dumplings).
If you have a sweet tooth, there are also a choice of different desserts such as apple pies or pancakes. Garlic is a popular ingredient used in the cooking which can actually have acclimatization benefits. Soft drinks and hot drinks like coffee, tea and hot chocolate are readily available as well as snacks like chocolate and crisps.
Yes absolutely, overall the food is generally very safe to eat and cooked to a decent standard following good health and safety measures. We recommend that you eat vegetarian dishes and try some of our local cuisines too!
Being vegetarian is absolutely fine because the teahouses and lodges primarily serve vegetarian meals on their menu. We generally recommend that you only eat vegetarian dishes and avoid any heavy or non-vegetarian dishes to prevent any situation of food poisoning especially in the higher altitude regions.
Bottled water is readily available to purchase at any of the teahouse or lodge accommodations along the trail. The prices to buy a bottle of water can vary between $2USD – $4USD and typically the higher the elevation that you are trekking to the prices are more expensive as well.
If you would like to drink normal water, make sure that you bring purification tablets and purify the water before drinking. It is possible to buy purification tablets in your hometown or alternatively in Kathmandu or Pokhara.
This can vary depending on your spending habits however in general if you are in Kathmandu you can expect to pay somewhere between $10USD – $15USD for a lunch and dinner.
During the trek itself, we recommend that you have between $15USD – $18USD per person per day if you would like to purchase water bottles, chocolates and snack as well as having hot showers.
As you go higher up the mountain, in general the cost associated for buying things is higher too because the items are supplied locally by helicopter, horse, mules and porters and as a result the prices are more expensive.
Yes, in the areas of lower elevation it is possible to have a hot shower at the teahouse or lodge accommodations.
In higher elevation areas typically warm water and a bucket will be provided. In general it will cost $2USD – $4USD for these facilities and its more expensive in the areas of high elevation.
We highly recommend that you exchange your currency whilst you are in Kathmandu into local Nepali Rupees and bring this cash with you before you go trekking around the mountains.
If you exchange your foreign currency whilst in the mountains this will be more expensive and could result in you receiving a lower exchange rate so therefore exchanging cash in Kathmandu and bringing this with you beforehand is advisable.
This depends on the type of travel you are embarking on, the transportation we provide can change. Sometimes domestic flights, various vehicles or even riding on a mule or yak is possible. We can assure you that each mode of transport we provide is carefully chosen by our team to enhance your experience making sure that you have a combination of comfort and efficiency whilst travelling.
For sightseeing and city tours and transfers we use private tourist vehicles. For larger group sizes we sometimes use minibuses or vans. The vehicles are typically air conditioned to help prevent feeling too hot.
In regards to domestic flights between Pokhara – Jomsom – Pokhara we mainly use one of the following most popular airlines: Sita Air, Tara Air and Summit air.
Yes, you will need to book your own international flights between your hometown and Nepal. Himalayan Steps is a local tour operator and if the international flights were included, the cost for our tours would be substantially higher.
Your booking is only confirmed once you have purchased this trekking tour online with approximately a 30% deposit. The remaining balance can be paid once you arrive in Kathmandu to one of our staff members.
The remaining balance can be paid to us once you arrive in Kathmandu using USD currency in cash.
If you want to cancel your reserved tour, we may refund your fee payable to us minus a $150 cancellation fee (5000 INR for Indian Nationals). Himalayan Steps will not accept refunds for flights if we already booked your flight. In some cases we may reschedule your trip at no cost or with some cost if you provide us with 7 days advance notice.
We will not give any refunds if you finish the trekking earlier or later, or cancel your tour for medical or personal reason while trekking.
The peak trekking seasons are usually between mid-September to the end of May each year. The monsoonal weather period starts to calm down from the beginning of September. Between September to December it consists of warm conditions during the day and cool climates in the evening.
The best times to go trekking in this region are February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. Between July to mid-September this is raining season across Nepal.
The weather and climate in Nepal can be unpredictable and ever changing.
Spring season is during March, April, May and June. Monsoon season is during July, August and mid-September. Autumn season is between the end of September and during October and November. Winter season is between December, January and February.
For a detailed understanding of the weather and climate in Nepal and the Everest/Mustang region, take a look at our detailed guide here: http://himalayansteps.com/everest-base-camp-weather-climate/
Yes, safety and efficiency are of huge importance to us. All of our trekking guides are highly qualified and have received the necessary trekking guide and first aid training required and each of them have certificates they have gained through a series of accredited training courses.
Your allocated trekking guide will be available 24 hours a day for any of your health and safety requirements during your trek. They are first aid trained and have an understanding of how to use Oxymeter devices which help to monitor the oxygen levels during periods of high altitude.
Our guides carry with them local telephone sim cards that can be used for any updates or emergency organizational requirements. In the unlikely event that an emergency situation should arise, our trekking guides are in constant communication 24-7 with our Operations Manager and the staff in our office based in Kathmandu. We can organize horse and mules as well as helicopters if required during an emergency or if a client is sick on the mountain and require hospital assistance.
There is no requirement to provide documentation for immunization when entering Nepal however although it’s not essential we do recommend that you are immunized with diphtheria TB, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, *malaria, typhoid, polio and tetanus if possible. A dental check-up before you go to Nepal is advised along with understanding which blood group type you have. We have written an article about the required vaccinations, to understand more on this, take a look here: http://himalayansteps.com/vaccinations-for-nepal-what-you-need-to-know/
Should you have any known medical conditions, please notify your trekking guide and our Himalayan Steps staff members.
This is totally dependent on the overall level of sickness you are experiencing. Should you feel sick in a higher altitude location, you will need to rest afterwards in a lower altitude location and the recovery period can take anywhere between 3 days to a week to feel better.
Please make sure that you discuss any health concerns with your guide. If you are travelling as a solo individual then this can be organized however if you are in a group, the options are limited however sometimes you can catch up with the group at a later stage ,make sure you discuss this with your trekking guide at the time.
Some of the different villages that you will enter along the trail will have telephones that you can use for international phone calls.
Our trekking guides have their own local sim cards and mobile devices for communicating between them and our office in Kathmandu or in the event of emergencies.
However you could potentially use their mobile device to make international calls if required and then afterwards you can pay the guide for this depending on what the call costs are.
Yes, typically you can charge your camera or mobile device in any hotel in Kathmandu as well as the teahouse and lodge accommodation along any of the trekking trails.
The teahouse and lodges sometimes will charge a small fee for these charging services.
Make sure that you bring the necessary two/three pin adapters required for plugging these devices into the power sockets in Nepal.
The hotel in Kathmandu will provide you with a storage facility/room to hold any of your belongings that you would not like to take on the trek and there are no additional costs, it’s available for free.
We want you to enjoy your trip and maximize the overall experience. If you would like to add extra days to your trip, we are flexible on this and it can be organized at an additional fee to cover the cost of trekking guides, porters, accommodation and any food required.
If you are travelling as a solo individual then this can be organized however if you are in a group, the options are limited however sometimes you can catch up with the group at a later stage ,make sure you discuss this with your trekking guide at the time.
This can be a challenging decision to make with regards to what it should cost, from our experience we have seen our clients tip the guides and porters with anything between $20USD to $1000USD.
Tipping is not required however a little thank you and something towards their hard efforts is hugely appreciated. We recommend that you spend around 10% of the total trek as extra cost towards tipping. This is usually split between the trekking guide, porters and local staff.
Yes absolutely! All of our fixed departures are guaranteed to go ahead and we never cancel any of these scheduled tours due to not having the required amount of people.
Should you want to organise a private individual tour that can be arranged with a small additional fee for some costs associated which you can request and discuss with us at the time of your booking.
Himalayan Steps takes pride in offering the very best trekking tours throughout the Himalayas to places such as Everest Base Camp, Annapurna, Gokyo Lakes in Nepal and Valley of Flowers in Ladakh region of India.