- Length
- 15 days
- Highest point
- 3,960 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Best months
- May–Oct (monsoon-safe)
- Starts
- Jomsom (fly from Pokhara)
- Group size
- 2–12 People
- Sleeping
- Guest House
Fifteen days in Nepal's forbidden kingdom — Lo Manthang's ancient walled city, Tibetan cave monasteries, and the world's deepest gorge, best explored in the dry monsoon season.
- Lo Manthang — the walled medieval capital of the ancient forbidden Kingdom of Lo
- Cave monasteries in ochre cliffs: Chhoser cave complex, Jhong, Tsarang Dzong fortress
- 3 extra days in Lo Manthang area vs the 12-day itinerary: deeper cultural exploration
- Tibetan Plateau rain-shadow landscape — arid canyons utterly unlike the rest of Nepal
- Tiji Festival (usually May) — 3-day sacred masked dance ceremony in Lo Manthang
- Nilgiri (7,061 m) and Annapurna II backdrop throughout the entire route
- Kagbeni medieval village — gateway to the forbidden Upper Mustang
- Restricted area permit limits visitors — pristine culture, uncrowded trails
The climb, day by day
Day 1Arrive Kathmandu (1,400 m)1,400 m
Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to your hotel in Thamel. Evening briefing with your guide covering the Upper Mustang Restricted Area permit (Rs 500/day, minimum 10 days), cultural protocol in the Lo Kingdom, and flight logistics.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- –
- Meals
- –
- Night
- Hotel
Day 2Fly Kathmandu → Pokhara → Jomsom (2,720 m)2,720 m
Morning flight to Pokhara, then a 20-minute scenic flight over the Kali Gandaki gorge to Jomsom. Annapurna and Dhaulagiri tower on either side — the Kali Gandaki is the world's deepest gorge. Upper Mustang permit inspection at Jomsom checkpoint.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- Flight
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Hotel
Day 3Jomsom → Kagbeni (2,810 m)2,810 m
Walk north along the Kali Gandaki floodplain past Eklebhatti to Kagbeni, the fortified medieval gateway to Upper Mustang. The village's red gompa, winding lanes, and entry checkpost mark the beginning of the restricted zone.
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 4Kagbeni → Chele (3,050 m)3,050 m
Stamp your permit at Kagbeni checkpost and enter Upper Mustang. The trail climbs steeply through eroded gullies and onto the plateau. Wind-sculpted badlands of red, ochre, and purple rock create an otherworldly landscape unlike anywhere in Nepal.
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 5Chele → Samar (3,660 m)3,660 m
Cross Taklam La (3,624 m) through a maze of canyons and cliffs. The trail winds through narrow gorges before emerging onto the open plateau above Samar. This sheltered village has apple orchards and a small monastery with ancient wall paintings.
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 6Samar → Ghami (3,520 m)3,520 m
Cross Nyi La pass (4,010 m) for sweeping views across the Mustang plateau to the Himalayan wall beyond. Descend to Syangbochen then continue to Ghami, home to a 400-metre mani wall and a beautifully restored 15th-century monastery.
- Distance
- 17 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 7Ghami → Lo Manthang (3,840 m)3,840 m
Cross Ghami La (3,760 m) and descend through Charang village — its cliff-top monastery and dzong (fortress) are remarkable. The final approach to Lo Manthang's walled city across the open plateau is unforgettable.
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 8Lo Manthang — Gompa & Palace Tour3,840 m
First full day in the walled city. Guided tour of Thubchen Gompa (15th century, giant clay Maitreya statue), Jampa Gompa (oldest, dating to 1387), Chodey Gompa, and the 4-storey Raja's Palace. The Royal Family of Lo still maintains ceremonial residence here.
- Distance
- 5 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 9Lo Manthang — Chhoser Caves & Sky Caves3,900 m
Day excursion to the famous Sky Caves (Chhoser) north of Lo Manthang — ancient man-made caves carved into vertical cliffs, containing Buddhist murals, manuscripts, and human remains dating back 2,000–3,000 years. A remarkable archaeological mystery.
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 4–5 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 10Lo Manthang → Tsarang (3,960 m)3,960 m
Excursion to Tsarang (Charang), 8 km south of Lo Manthang — the second-largest walled village in Upper Mustang. Its red-painted dzong (fortress) and three-storey monastery contain remarkable 15th-century murals. Return to Lo Manthang or overnight in Tsarang.
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 11Lo Manthang → Ghami (3,520 m)3,520 m
Begin the return journey south from Lo Manthang. The afternoon light on the cliffs and chortens is especially golden. Overnight in Ghami under a sky full of stars — Upper Mustang has minimal light pollution.
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 12Ghami → Muktinath (3,760 m)3,760 m
Take the alternative return route via Tetang and Chhusang instead of retracing to Kagbeni. Join the pilgrim trail leading south to Muktinath — one of the holiest sites in Hinduism and Buddhism, with 108 waterspouts and an eternal flame. Sacred site for both traditions.
- Distance
- 20 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 13Muktinath → Jomsom (2,720 m)2,720 m
Descend from Muktinath through Jhong and Khinga villages to the Kali Gandaki valley at Jomsom. The descent offers views of Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) — second-highest in the Mustang region. Last evening in the upper Kali Gandaki.
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Hotel
Day 14Fly Jomsom → Pokhara (820 m)820 m
Morning flight back to Pokhara — always book the earliest available flight as afternoon winds frequently cause cancellations. Afternoon free in Pokhara for lakeside relaxation, paragliding, or boating on Phewa Lake.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- Flight
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Hotel
Day 15Fly Pokhara → Kathmandu · Departure1,400 m
Morning flight to Kathmandu. Half-day free for Thamel shopping, Boudhanath, or the Garden of Dreams. Transfer to the international airport for your departure or onward flight. Your deep journey through the forbidden kingdom concludes.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- Flight
- Meals
- B
- Night
- Hotel
The price includes
- Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit (US$50 per person per day, about US$500 for 10 days)
- Annapurna Conservation Area permit
- TIMS card
- Government-registered guide (mandatory for restricted area)
- Porter (1 per 2 trekkers)
- Pokhara–Jomsom–Pokhara scheduled mountain flights
- Jomsom–Kagbeni–Lo Manthang jeep (where road exists)
- All teahouse accommodation on trek
- 3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Kathmandu hotel transfers
- All government taxes and service charges
You pay separately
- International flights
- Nepal visa
- Travel insurance
- Personal gear
- Tips
Upper Mustang — the Forbidden Kingdom — is Nepal's most dramatic restricted-area trek: a 15-day journey into a high-altitude Tibetan plateau that was closed to all outsiders until 1992. The landscape is unlike anywhere else in the Himalaya: eroded badlands of ochre, crimson, and grey carved by wind over millennia, cave monasteries cut into cliff faces, whitewashed chortens marking village boundaries, and the walled medieval capital of Lo Manthang rising from the desert at 3,840 m.
The route enters through Jomsom (by mountain flight from Pokhara) and follows the ancient salt-trade corridor up the Kali Gandaki gorge — the world's deepest valley, sliced between Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) and Annapurna I (8,091 m) — northward through Kagbeni, Chele, Syangboche, and Ghami to Lo Manthang. Two days are spent in Lo Manthang exploring the royal palace, the four-storey Thubchen Gompa with its remarkable Thangka collection, and the cave monastery of Chhoser, before the return south via the high plateau route past Dhakmar's red-cliff villages.
Upper Mustang receives so little rainfall (300 mm/year) that it is the only region in Nepal open for trekking year-round — even during the summer monsoon. The high-desert plateau makes it the one trekking destination where July and August are genuinely viable.
The Upper Mustang Permit: Is It Worth It?
Upper Mustang requires a restricted area permit at US$50 per person per day, about US$500 for 10 days inside the zone. This is deliberate government policy — limiting visitor numbers to protect one of the most fragile cultural and ecological landscapes in Asia. For the trekker, it means sharing the trail with perhaps 30 other foreign visitors over 15 days. The Lo-ba people of Lo Manthang still speak Tibetan, dress in traditional chuba, and practise a form of Tibetan Buddhism little altered since the 15th century. That experience has a price, and about US$500 is it.
Best season: Year-round (unique rain-shadow area). Access: Pokhara–Jomsom mountain flight + jeep. Permit: restricted area permit, US$50 per day, about US$500 for 10 days (arranged by us).