The Mustang Trip is arguably the optimum trip if you want to view and experience the nature in its raw and ruthless form since it is a high altitude desert of rich red and ocher land, deep gorges, narrow cliffs, and wilder mountains. Mustang, meaning fertile plain, appears to be live landscape painting in shades of red, brown, and other. It is one of the remotest areas of Nepal and is sparsely populated. Its elevation ranges from 1,372 to 8, 167 meters. The 7th highest mountain in the world the Mount Dhaulagiri lies here along with several peaks over 7,000 meters. The region, dotted with beautiful small villages, has more than 10,000 manmade caves; many of them are more than 1,000 years old. These caves have been used for centuries by the wandering ascetics of the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism to perform tantric yoga.
Formerly, it was an independent kingdom, called the Kingdom of Lo, cut off from the world. The Monarchy was abolished in 2008. It was alone kingdom inaccessible to the outsiders. It was opened to foreigners only in 1992, and of course for the limited number of people with special entry permit issued only through registered trekking agencies. It makes it one of the most preserved regions in the world. It has an almost exclusive Tibetan culture. The entire district is included within the Annapurna Conservation Area, the largest protected area of Nepal.
The Mustang Trip has been of great interest to archaeologists, art historians, and anthropologists. Some of the caves in the region have frescoes and statues depicting practices of Buddhism. The region is still a center of Buddhist scholarship and art.
In addition, even the Temples feature amazing Tibetan art. Owing to its history and geography, it is one of the last bastions of traditional Tibetan life. What’s more, the scenery of the trail will reward you with forests of rhododendrons. Some of the top tourist attractions are Lomanthang, the Mustang Royal Palace, some of the oldest Buddhist monasteries such as Ghar gompa, Charang monastery, Tibetan art and culture.
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu – Welcome dinner
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath / Patan & Patan Museum
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Pokhara: visit Devi’s fall / Cave / Fewa Lake
Day 04: Flight Pokhara to Jomsom & drive to Kagbeni: visit Pangling on the way
Day 05: Drive Kagbeni to Samar via Tangbe / Chaile
Day 06: Trek Samar to Syanboche via Chungsi Cave and drive to Ghami
Day 07: Drive Ghami to Dhakmar & trek to Charang via Ghar Gompa
Day 08: Drive Charang to Lo-manthang
Day 09: Exploration Day: visit Choser valley / Niphu / Garphu by Horse
Day 10: Drive Lo-manthang to Jomsom
Day 11: Flight Jomsom to Pokhara
Day 12: Drive Pokhara to Kathmandu
Day 13: Free Day in Kathmandu
Day 14: Departure
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu – Welcome Dinner: You will be transferred to the Hotel by one of our representatives. Welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants in Kathmandu with folk music and dances.
Dinner – welcome dinner (Nepali Thali set) at Nepali Chulo
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m
Meal Plan: D
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath, Patan and Patan museum: Start our tour visiting a magnificent Buddhist stupa, Swoyambunath which is 10 minutes’ drive from Thamel followed by a visit to Patan to witness its incredible architecture from medieval period.
Swoyambunath is one of the oldest stupa of the Kathmandu Valley. It is situated on one of the highest hills in the valley. It watches over the Valley from the top of a hillock on its western side just three kilometers west of the city center. The stupa is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal and its establishment is linked to the creation of the Kathmandu Valley out of a primordial lake. Swayambhu is also known as Samhengu and is recognized as a World Heritage Site. It is also one of the oldest and most glorious Buddhist shrines in the world which is said to be two thousand years. The four sides of the stupa are painted with the eyes of Lord Buddha.
Patan- the second largest town in the valley is situated to the south of Kathmandu. Patan's great building boom took place under the Mallas in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Numerous temples of widely diverse styles, as well as many Buddhist monasteries, are scattered around the fascinating town. Patan is famous for its crafts and metal works which are wonderful souvenirs. We visit Patan Museum as well.
Dinner – at the hotel
Overnight: Hotel
Meal Plan: BB
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Pokhara (820m): Early morning drive to Pokhara by private vehicle. In the afternoon we visit Devi’s falls, a waterfall goes through a very deep and narrow canal, also visit Guptesowri Cave, a natural and attractive cave, and Fewa Lake, the second largest lake in Nepal.
Overnight: Hotel
Driving Time: 7 - 8 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 514m
Meal Plan: BLD
Day 04: Fly Pokhara to Jomsom (2720m) and drive to Kagbeni (2800m): visit Pangling on the way: A short and scenic flight to Jomsom then we start our epic journey. Jomsom is the administrative headquarter of the district. As we start our drive from Jomsom, we follow Kaligandaki valley which leads us to legendary Mustang region. It is about an hour drive to Kagbeni (2800m); we will stop on the way, to visit Pangling village. After our visit to Pangling, short drive takes us to Kagbeni which is is a very fascinating medieval village with stone houses, narrow alleys, green fields, and high mountains.
Overnight: Lodge
Flight Time: 20 minutes
Driving Time: 1 hour
Difference in Elevation: +1980m
Meal Plan: BLD
Day 05: Drive Kagbeni to Samar (3660m) via Tangbe (3060m), Chhusang (2980m) and Chaile (3050m): The road follows the East bank of the Kali Gandaki River and climbs over many ridges as it heads north to reach Tangbe Village. From Tangbe Village, the trail goes to Chhusang and then crosses the river, climbing up to reach Chaile. Continuing our drive, we drive along the treeless and waterless terrain along a spectacular and steep canyon. We drive through some Chorten on a ridge and then the trail descends further down to the village of Samar.
Note: we stop at major villages to explore the village and surroundings.
Overnight: Lodge
Driving Time: 3 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 860m
Meal Plan: BLD
Day 06: Trek Samar to Syanboche via Chungsi Cave then drive to Ghami (3520m): We start our day taking an alternative route to visit Chungsi Cave; it is a really popular Buddhist pilgrimage in Mustang. It is believed that the Guru Rinpoche meditated in this cave in 8th century. After visiting Chungsi Cave, we will trek to Syanboche where we will meet our vehicle and drive to Ghami. In the afternoon, we will visit Ghami village and surroundings including longest Mani wall in Mustang.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 4 hours
Driving Time: 1 ½ hour
Difference in Elevation: - 140m
Meal Plan: BLD
Day 07: Drive Ghami to Tragmar/Dhakmar (3820m) and trek to Charang (3560m) via Ghar Gompa (3950m): Start our day with a short drive to Dhakmar then we start our trek with gentle ascent and a little steeper slope to reach the Mui La (4170 m), the highest pass of the trek which leads us to Ghar Gompa Monastery; it is one of the oldest monasteries in the world which was built in 8th century. Then we continue our trek with a steady climb to a small pass, then descend in a valley overlooked by a cliff of red blue and gray and after crossing a steel suspension bridge on the River Tangmar Chu, we arrive to the Mani wall (prayer wall) and then go through another small pass at 3600m then a long and gentle descent until Charang. Charang is the second largest village of Mustang.
Overnight: Lodge
Driving Time: 30 minutes
Walking Time: 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: +40m
Meal Plan: BLD
Day 08: Drive Charang to Lo-Manthang (3850m): We will have a short drive for about an hour through the rocky road and Windy pass (3950m) to Lo-Manthang. We will have enough time to explore the walled city and surroundings in the afternoon including Tungchen Gompa, the Champa Lakhang (God House), the Chyodi Gompa and Raja's Palace (Royal Palace).
Driving Time: 1 hour
Difference in Elevation: + 290m
Meal Plan: BLD
Day 09: Exploration Day in Lo-Manthang (Capital city of ancient Mustang) and surroundings: We will explore the surrounding villages, monasteries, stupas and caves by horse today including Choser valley and Niphu, Garphu of the valley.
Overnight: Lodge
Meal Plan: BLD
Day 10: Drive Lo-Manthang to Jomsom (2720m): We will have a scenic drive for about 8 hours back to Jomsom.
Overnight: Lodge
Driving time: 7 - 8 hours.
Difference in Elevation: - 1130m
Meal Plan: BLD
Day 11: Flight Jomsom to Pokhara (820m): A scenic flight to Pokhara in the early morning. We can explore the Lake city in the afternoon.
Overnight: Hotel
Flight Time: 20 minutes
Difference Elevation: - 1900m
Meal Plan: BLD
Day 12: Drive Pokhara to Kathmandu (1334m): A scenic drive for about 7 hours takes us back to Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Driving Time: 7 – 8 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 514m
Meal Plan: BL
Day 13: Free Day in Kathmandu (1334m)
Overnight: Hotel
Meal Plan: BB
Day 14: Transfer to the airport and departure.
Meal Plan: BB
| Srl. |
Description |
Qty. |
Remarks |
|
| 01 | Day back-pack |
1 |
||
| 02 | Gore-Tex Jacket |
1 |
||
| 03 | Down Jacket |
1 |
||
| 04 | Fleece Jacket |
1 |
||
| 05 | Micro Fleece |
1 |
||
| 06 | Trekking pants(Trousers) |
2 |
||
| 07 | Hiking shoes (Boots) |
1 pair |
||
| 08 | Runners (sport shoes) |
1 pair |
||
| 09 | Trekking Socks |
3 pair |
||
| 10 | Rain poncho |
1 |
||
| 11 | Sun-glasses |
1 |
||
| 12 | Water bottles |
2 |
||
| 13 | Thermal underwear(long) |
1-2 |
||
| 14 | T- shirts |
2-3 pair |
||
| 15 | Sunscreen/lotion |
1 |
||
| 16 | Flip flop (sandal) |
1 |
||
| 17 | Towel |
1 |
||
| 18 | Hat(Baseball cap) |
1 |
||
| 19 | Pristine drops (Water purifier) |
1 |
||
| 20 | Head light/flash light |
1 |
||
| 21 | Sleeping Bag |
1 |
||
| 22 | Gloves |
1 |
||
| 23 | Wind Proof Trouser (s) |
1 |
||
| 24 | Personal medical kid |
1 |
||
| 25 | Toiletries |
1 |
||
Climate:
From the eternal snow of the high peaks to the extensive tropical lowlands, Nepal has a wide variety of climates.
Spring: March to late May: In this season, Kathmandu is in full bloom, lots of different types of flowers can be seen at this time of the year. Temperature is mild, end of the cold winter and approaching warm and hot summer. Temperatures vary between 10 ° C to 28 ° C but can rise up to 30 ° C. Between 2000 and 3000m, temperature rarely drop below 0 ° C. However, few frosts or snowfalls are possible in March above 4000 m.
The summer/monsoon period: It interrupts the majority of trekking from late June to late August. Some of the trekking regions "trans-Himalayan", Dolpo and Mustang, however, remain protected from monsoon prevailing rest of the country. They are the only channels available in Nepal in the summer.
Autumn: mid September – mid December - Perfect temperature and weather for trekking. Brings cooler days, but clear skies. Above 3000 m altitude, temperatures can drop to -10 ° C at night.
In winter: mid-December - mid-February - Nights are generally cold, dry climate, Above 3000m, temperature drop down to 0 ° C to - 15 ° C at night, the days are often sunny.
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