Upper Mustang

A trek you can do when everything else is rained out

Upper Mustang sits north of the main Himalayan chain, in its rain shadow. The monsoon that shuts down trekking across the rest of Nepal from June to August largely does not reach here. That single geographical fact makes it the most useful trek in the country, because it is the answer to "I can only travel in July."

The landscape is the consequence: ochre and grey badlands, eroded cliffs, barley fields that are the only green for miles. It looks like the Tibetan plateau because, culturally and geologically, it is.

Lo Manthang

The walled capital was founded in 1380 and the Kingdom of Lo remained semi-autonomous until 2008, closed to outsiders entirely until 1992. What survives is unusual: a small walled city, three major gompas with wall paintings that predate most of what is left in Tibet itself, and a community that has been continuously Tibetan Buddhist without interruption.

The sky caves are the other thing people come for — thousands of man-made caves cut high into vertical cliffs, some with murals, some containing burials thousands of years old, most still not properly surveyed.

The Tiji festival

Three days each spring at Lo Manthang, a masked dance drama of a deity defeating a demon and restoring water to the kingdom. Dates are set by the lunar calendar and usually fall in May. If you want to attend, book early — lodging inside the walls is limited and fills a year ahead.

Permits and the cost question

Upper Mustang is a restricted area with the highest permit fee in Nepal, charged per person for a fixed period with a daily rate beyond it. It must be arranged through a registered agency, a licensed guide is mandatory, and the two-person minimum applies as it does in Manaslu. You also need an ACAP permit.

This is the main reason people hesitate, so it is worth being direct: the permit fee is the single largest line item, it goes to the government rather than the operator, and no agency can reduce it. What it buys is a place that has stayed intact precisely because access has been limited.

Walking or driving

A road now runs to Lo Manthang, and it is possible to drive in. We do not generally recommend it — the walk is not hard, the days are short, and the point of Mustang is the landscape you pass through. Where a road section is genuinely dull we will use a jeep, and say so in advance.

Difficulty

Moderate. The maximum altitude is only 3,840 m at Lo Manthang, so altitude is rarely the issue. Wind is — it rises predictably in the early afternoon and the upper valley is exposed, so days start early.

Where to go next

• Annapurna Region — The most varied trekking region in Nepal and the most accessible
• Muktinath & Jomsom — A temple at 3,800 m held sacred by Hindus and Buddhists alike, in the arid Kali Gandaki valley
• Pokhara — A lakeside town at 820 m with the Annapurnas 30 km away

Related activities: Trekking in Nepal, Motorbike Tours in Nepal, Photography Tours in Nepal.

Or see every trip we run: all trekking and tour packages.