Short trekFamily friendly
Kathmandu · Lukla · Phakding · Namche · Everest View Hotel3,880 m
8D / 7N4.7(0)
Everest View Trek (Family Trek)
The short Khumbu walk that tops out at 3,880 m
- Flights in
- Teahouse
- All meals on
From, per person
$0
$0/day
Upper Mustang Trek to Lo Manthang
A restricted-area walk into the walled capital of the old kingdom of Lo
- Pokhara · Jomsom · Kagbeni · Chele · Ghami · Lo Manthang
- 12 days, 11 nights
- Balanced pace · Active
- 4.9(78 reviews)
Overview
In short
Upper Mustang was closed to foreigners until 1992 and still is not open in the ordinary sense: you need a restricted-area permit costing USD 500 per person for ten days, USD 50 for each day after that, a government-licensed guide, and a minimum of two trekkers on the same permit. Solo trekking is not legal here. What the permit buys is a Tibetan-plateau landscape on the Nepali side of the border — ochre and grey badlands, cliff caves cut into the walls of the Kali Gandaki, whitewashed villages with a single mani wall running their length, and finally Lo Manthang itself, a walled town of around 150 houses with three fifteenth-century monasteries inside. The route is not technically hard but the days are long and windy, and the walking sits mostly between 3,000 and 4,000 metres. Because Mustang is behind Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, June to August stays dry.
Trek specification
Moderate- Grade
- Moderate
- Maximum altitude
- 3,840 m
- Distance on foot
- 125 km
- Walking per day
- 5–7 hours
- Nights on trail
- Teahouses and village guesthouses throughout; twin rooms with shared bathrooms, a few attached rooms at Lo Manthang and Tsarang
- Best seasons
- March to November. Unusually for Nepal, the June to August monsoon works here because Mustang lies in the Annapurna–Dhaulagiri rain shadow. December to February is bitterly cold and most of Lo Manthang moves down to Pokhara or Kathmandu.
Permits arranged for you
Nyi La, about 4,010 m, with Chogo La at 4,230 m on the return route; Lo Manthang itself sleeps at 3,840 m is the high point of this route. Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit — USD 500 per person for 10 days, USD 50 per extra day, Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) — NPR 3,000, about USD 23, Government-licensed guide and a minimum of two trekkers, both mandatory by law. We file these on your behalf; the cost is inside your package price unless the exclusions say otherwise.
The altitude profile
Where you sleep each night, day one to day 12. This is the chart worth reading before the itinerary — it is what determines whether you enjoy the trek.
What you will actually do
- Lo Manthang at 3,840 m — walled town, royal palace and the Jampa, Thubchen and Chodey monasteries
- Nyi La at about 4,010 m, the high point of the walk
- The Chhoser sky caves at Jhong, five storeys cut into a cliff face
- Ghar Gompa, the oldest monastery in Mustang, associated with Guru Rinpoche
- The 300-metre mani wall below Ghami, the longest in Nepal
- Restricted permit, licensed guide and all park fees handled before you land
- A rain-shadow trek that stays walkable through the June to August monsoon
Day by day
12 days planned in full. Drive times and walking hours are stated so you can judge the pace before you book.
Day 1
Pokhara: permits, kit check and briefing
PokharaArrive in Pokhara at 822 metres and hand over passports and photographs so the restricted-area permit can be lodged with the immigration office. Afternoon briefing with your guide, a kit check, and hire of anything you are missing from the Lakeside shops. Duffel weight is capped at 12 kilograms per trekker for the porters.- Meals included
- Dinner
- Overnight
- 3-star hotel, Lakeside, Pokhara
- Transfer
- Pokhara airport to hotel, 15 minutes
Day 2
Fly to Jomsom and walk up to Kagbeni
KagbeniThe 20-minute dawn flight to Jomsom at 2,720 metres, then a level three-to-four hour walk north along the Kali Gandaki riverbed to Kagbeni at 2,810 metres. Gain is only 90 metres but the valley wind picks up from late morning and blows grit straight at you. Kagbeni's police checkpost is where the restricted permit is stamped and Upper Mustang formally begins.Kali Gandaki riverbed ·Kagbeni old town ·Upper Mustang checkpost
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Guesthouse, Kagbeni
- Transfer
- Pokhara to Jomsom, 20 minutes by air
Day 3
Kagbeni to Chele through Tangbe and Chhusang
CheleFive to six hours and 240 metres of net gain to Chele at 3,050 metres, though the trail rolls constantly so you climb far more than that figure suggests. Tangbe's buckwheat fields and red-ochre houses come first, then Chhusang, then the cliff of eroded pillars where the Kali Gandaki disappears into a tunnel. The last climb to Chele is steep and exposed.Tangbe village ·Chhusang ·Kali Gandaki rock tunnel
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Teahouse, Chele
Day 4
Chele to Ghiling over Taklam La
GhilingThe hardest day so far: six to seven hours, 520 metres of net gain to Ghiling at 3,570 metres, over Taklam La at 3,624 metres and Dajori La at 3,735 metres. The trail runs along a cliff edge above Ghyakar with the Nilgiri and Tilicho peaks behind you. Ghiling is a small barley-farming village with a red-walled gompa above the fields.Taklam La ·Dajori La ·Ghiling Gompa
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Teahouse, Ghiling
Day 5
Over Nyi La to Ghami and the long mani wall
GhamiToday's high point is Nyi La at about 4,010 metres, reached after roughly two and a half hours of steady climbing, then a long descent to Ghami at 3,520 metres — five to six hours in all. Just past the village runs the longest mani wall in Nepal, some 300 metres of stacked carved stones. Walk it clockwise, as everyone here does.Nyi La ·Ghami mani wall
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Teahouse, Ghami
Day 6
Ghami to Tsarang over Tsarang La
TsarangCross the Ghami Khola on a suspension bridge, climb past the red cliffs the village is named for, and cross Tsarang La at 3,870 metres before dropping into Tsarang at 3,560 metres — about five hours. Tsarang has a five-storey white dzong and a fifteenth-century monastery holding old thangkas and, reportedly, a preserved hand nailed to a wall.Tsarang La ·Tsarang Dzong ·Tsarang Monastery
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Teahouse, Tsarang
Day 7
Into Lo Manthang over Lo La
Lo ManthangFour to five hours with 280 metres of gain, crossing Lo La at 3,950 metres. From the pass the walled town appears below on the plain, roughly a kilometre away and unchanged in outline since the fifteenth century. Descend to Lo Manthang at 3,840 metres, check into a guesthouse inside or just outside the wall, and spend the afternoon adjusting.Lo La ·Lo Manthang city wall
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Guesthouse, Lo Manthang
Day 8
Lo Manthang: monasteries and the Chhoser sky caves
Lo ManthangA rest day used properly. Inside the wall: Jampa Lhakhang with its fifteenth-century mandalas, Thubchen Gompa, Chodey Gompa and the four-storey former royal palace. Then a jeep or a two-hour walk north to Chhoser for the Jhong sky caves, five storeys of chambers cut into a cliff and reached by wooden ladders. Back for the evening in the square.Jampa Lhakhang ·Thubchen Gompa ·Chodey Gompa ·Jhong sky caves ·Royal Palace of Lo
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Guesthouse, Lo Manthang
Day 9
Lo Manthang to Drakmar via Ghar Gompa
DrakmarA six-to-seven hour western return route rather than retracing yesterday's trail, crossing Chogo La at 4,230 metres — the highest ground of the whole trek — to reach Ghar Gompa, the oldest monastery in Mustang and linked to Guru Rinpoche. Then down to Drakmar at 3,810 metres, a village beneath red cliffs that turn deep rust in the last hour of light.Chogo La ·Ghar Gompa ·Drakmar red cliffs
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Teahouse, Drakmar
Day 10
Drakmar back down to Ghiling
GhilingSix hours south, losing 240 metres to Ghiling at 3,570 metres but crossing two more small passes on the way. Walking in this direction the wind is behind you for once, and Dhaulagiri sits square in front for most of the afternoon. Lodges are quieter now that you are out of the Lo Manthang bottleneck.- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Teahouse, Ghiling
Day 11
Ghiling to Chele on foot, then jeep to Jomsom
JomsomFive to six hours of walking back over Nyi La's lower flank and down to Chele at 3,050 metres, where the new road takes over. From there a shared jeep runs an hour and a half down the riverbed to Jomsom at 2,720 metres — bumpy, dusty and much faster than walking a road you have already seen. Last night on the trail.- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Lodge, Jomsom
- Transfer
- Chele to Jomsom, about 1.5 hours by jeep
Day 12
Fly Jomsom to Pokhara, trek ends
PokharaThe first flight of the day out of Jomsom, before the valley wind rules out landings — 20 minutes over the gorge with Dhaulagiri and Annapurna on either side. Land at Pokhara at 822 metres, where the trip formally ends. Onward flights to Kathmandu and hotel nights in Pokhara can be added at cost.- Meals included
- Breakfast
- Transfer
- Jomsom to Pokhara, 20 minutes by air
What the price covers — and what it does not
Included
- Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit — USD 500 per person for 10 days, included in the price
- Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, NPR 3,000, about USD 23
- Pokhara–Jomsom and Jomsom–Pokhara flights with 15 kg checked baggage
- 1 night in a 3-star Pokhara hotel plus 10 nights in teahouses and village guesthouses
- All meals on trek from Day 2 lunch to Day 12 breakfast
- Government-licensed Upper Mustang guide, insured and equipped
- One porter for every two trekkers, 12 kg duffel allowance each
- Shared jeep from Chele to Jomsom on Day 11
- Monastery entry donations at Lo Manthang, Ghar Gompa and Tsarang
- Duffel bag, sleeping bag rated to minus 15 °C and a trekking map on loan
- Emergency first-aid kit, pulse oximeter and satellite phone carried by the guide
Not included
- International flights and Nepal visa fees
- Additional restricted-permit days beyond 10, charged at USD 50 per person per day
- Travel insurance — must include helicopter evacuation and treatment above 4,000 m
- Hot showers and device charging in teahouses, typically USD 3–5 each per use
- Bottled or boiled water on trail, about USD 1–3 per litre depending on altitude
- Kathmandu hotels and the Kathmandu–Pokhara flight at either end
- Tips for the guide and porters, budgeted at USD 12–15 per trekker per day
- Extra nights caused by grounded Jomsom flights
- Alcohol, snacks, laundry and all personal expenses
Upcoming departures
Small group, 2–10 trekkers — two is the legal minimum on a restricted permit. Seat counts are live at the last catalogue update; we confirm availability in writing before taking any payment.
- Sat12SEPT2026
Departs Pokhara
Available8 left
$2,450Hold a seat - Sat03OCT2026
Departs Pokhara
Filling fast4 left
$2,690Hold a seat - Sat24OCT2026
Departs Pokhara
Last few seats2 left
$2,690Hold a seat - Sun04APR2027
Departs Pokhara
Available10 left
$2,580Hold a seat - Sun09MAY2027
Departs Pokhara
Filling fast6 left
$2,580Hold a seat - Sun20JUN2027
Departs Pokhara
Available10 left
$2,450Hold a seat
Questions about this trip
Why does the Upper Mustang permit cost USD 500?
It is a restricted-area fee set by Nepal's Department of Immigration, covering ten days from your entry date, with USD 50 per person for each additional day. The revenue is meant to limit visitor numbers and support the region. It is non-refundable once issued, non-transferable, and it does not replace the ACAP permit, which you also need.
Can I trek Upper Mustang alone?
No. Restricted-area rules require a government-licensed guide and a minimum of two trekkers on a single permit application. If you are travelling solo we will pair you with another trekker on the same departure date, or issue a second nominal permit at extra cost. Independent solo trekking here is illegal, not merely discouraged.
Is Upper Mustang really trekkable during the monsoon?
Yes, and it is one of very few Nepal treks where that is true. Mustang sits north of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs, in their rain shadow, and receives a fraction of the rainfall the southern slopes get. June to August is dusty and windy rather than wet. The catch is that Pokhara–Jomsom flights are cancelled more often in cloud.
How hard is this trek compared with Everest Base Camp?
Lower and shorter, but windier. The maximum sleeping altitude is 3,840 metres at Lo Manthang against 5,164 metres at Gorak Shep, so altitude illness is much less likely. The days run five to seven hours over rolling terrain with repeated 300 to 500 metre climbs, and the afternoon wind is relentless. Graded moderate, not strenuous.
What are the teahouses like up there?
Simpler than Annapurna or Khumbu. Expect a twin room with plywood partitions, shared squat or western toilets, and a dining room heated by a single stove burning dung or scrub. Lo Manthang and Tsarang have a few better guesthouses with attached bathrooms, which we book where available. Wi-Fi exists but is slow and charged for.
What travellers said
Upper Mustang in August, and it worked
Booked for monsoon on Tashi's advice because Mustang sits in the rain shadow. Two light showers in eleven days. Lo Manthang was extraordinary and we passed maybe six other trekkers the whole way.
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