Upper Mustang Trek

Exploring the mysterious region of the former Buddhist kingdom of Mustang is the centerpiece of the Upper Mustang Trek. No further isolation is possible. Mustang, considered the final stronghold of traditional Tibetan culture, has long been protected from mass tourists due to its inaccessibility. Due to its deep, rich, and complicated history, trekking in the Upper Mustang is among the most fascinating experiences in the Himalayas.

We start this adventure from Pokhara with a short early morning mountain flight to Jomsom, the administrative district headquarters of Mustang in the Kali Gandaki Valley.

The trek begins and ends at Jomsom. Formally annexed to Nepal in 1946, Mustang has maintained its Tibetan heritage; from its approximately 14000 inhabitants and their devout Buddhist faith, to the crops grown and the dialect spoken. Mustang’s unofficial capital, the walled city of Lo Manthang, retains its own king in residence.

Trekking these exceptionally remote routes, we travel deep into the land of the nomads of Mustang, still practicing their traditional nomadic lifestyle. Along the way we visit a number of noteworthy destinations, including the renowned Luri Gompa and Tashi Kabum, which has some of the most superbly preserved murals in the Tibetan Buddhist world. We trek to isolated villages mostly following the Kali Gandaki riverbed, sometimes walking high above it, and sometimes passing through impressively sculpted gorges.