Mustang is one of the recently opened areas for limited trekking groups. It was the former Buddhist kingdom of Lo, extended to the upper Kali Gandaki River, which has carved the deepest gorge in the world between Dhaulagiri and Annapurnas. Mustang has a long and rich history that makes one of the most interesting places in Nepal. There are records of events in Lo as early as 8th century.

The trek follows the west side of Jomsoom Valley with magnificent views of the Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri and the Annapurna pass at 4,000 meters and reaches the fabled medieval walled city of Lo Manthang full of cultural and religious heritage. Not suffered from mass influx of tourists, the region has retained its unique and un-spoilt nature by less human impact in the area. The countryside of Lo Manthang is similar to Tibetan plateau with its endless expanses of yellow and gray rolling hills.

Overview of Mustang Trekking

Tour Duration: 17 days or more
Trekking days: 09 days or 12 days
Trek Grade: Moderate
Max altitude: 4090 m (or 4210m on longer itinerary)
Trekking style: Full board Camping
Best Seasons: March to November

The Mustang trek is an exotic tour to unspoiled Tibetan villages on the other side of Nepalese Himalaya bordering with Tibet. The main highlights of Mustang trekking are ancient Tibetan villages, rare medieval Buddhist arts, the exotic culture and the unique beauty of the Himalayan desert.

The people in Mustang are of Tibetan origin, migrated from Tibet centuries ago, and belong to Bhotias and Loba communities. They practice Sakyapa school of Tibetan Buddhism. Upper Mustang is perhaps the only place to see Tibetan culture in completely undisturbed state. The houses and monasteries here have medieval look and unique local architecture. Mostly they are built with stone and sun baked mud bricks. People mostly grow potatoes, barley and buck wheat.

A short 25 minute flight takes us from Pokhara to Jomsom. Hiking along the Kaligandaki gorge, the deepest in the world, we head for medieval village of Kagbeni. The trail north of Kagbeni leads to the Mustang trek. Depending on our itinerary, for the next 09 – 12 days we trek through the ancient villages of Samar, Charang and Geling before we reach the capital Lo Manthang at 3750 m. This is a fully supported camping trek. You sleep in the tents and eat the meals prepared by our camp cook. The average walking is 6 hour per day and you carry just your light day pack during the trek.