Once you are in the Kathmandu sky, you will be met by a panoramic vista of the snow-capped mountain ranges stretching below. At the airport, a representative from our office will greet you and drive you to your hotel. The representative will assist you in checking into the hotel of your choice. You will receive a briefing regarding your daily activities at the hotel.

Since Nepal began welcoming tourists, Kathmandu, the historical and cultural center of the country, has become a well-liked travel destination. A beautiful fusion of Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, and Western influence can be seen in the city. A guided tour will be provided to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Boudhanath, the tallest Buddhist stupa in Nepal, Pashupatinath, the most well-known Hindu shrine devoted to Lord Shiva, and Patan or Lalitpur, also known as the City of Artists and located 5 kilometers from Kathmandu. You may marvel at the Malla era’s architectural marvels in Patan Durbar Square. The main attractions in the square are the Mahaboudha Temple, Kumbeshwor Temple, Krishna Temple, and Golden Temple. Hotel overnight stay.

You spend six or seven hours on the picturesque roads traveling from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Once in Pokhara, a transfer will take you to your hotel. If you have the time, take a boat trip on the serene Fewa Lake in the evening.

We took a spectacular early morning flight to Jomsom (famous for its apples), where we met our hiking team at a small airstrip. After the initial packing, we started our trek to the beautiful village of Kagbeni. Just outside Jomsom, we crossed a small suspension bridge and followed the banks of Kali Gandaki. The road is flat and quite barren, with steep rocks and sand scattered along the way. This makes everything very easy. We will see majestic peaks such as Dhaulagiri, Tukuche and Nilgiri, while to the south, the entire Annapurna massif can be seen. Kagbeni with its narrow roads and tunnels, irrigation canals, fields of wheat, barley and vast red Gompa, gives us a glimpse of the sights we will encounter in Upper Mustang . At the northern end of the village is the police checkpoint. Here we will complete administrative procedures before entering this long-standing restricted area of ​​Nepal.

It is possible to hike up the river valley, but we used a combination of the elevated trail and riverside trail. The trail then widens considerably, revealing an endless stretch of sand, but the trail remains interesting thanks to the passage of mule trains carrying goods from Mustang and Tibet. On the west bank of the river there are some caves and Gompa Kang. Unlike most monasteries in Upper Mustang that belong to the Sakyapa sect, Gompa Kang belongs to the Nyingmapa sect. We stopped for lunch at the village of Tangbe, where we encountered the first black, white and red Chortens typical of Upper Mustang. The small town is a maze of narrow streets between whitewashed houses, fields of buckwheat, barley and apple orchards. The Nilgiri peaks continue to dominate the southern horizon. Chhuksang village is only about a 2-hour walk from Tangbe, at the confluence of the Narshing Khola and Kali Gandaki rivers. This village consists of three separate parts and several ruined castle walls on the surrounding cliffs. Across the Chhuksang River are spectacular red eroded cliffs above the mouths of several inaccessible caves.

There is a clear change here, not only in terrain, but also in culture, lifestyle, population, settlements are increasingly dispersed, smaller in scale and more basic. Residents of Lo or Mustang work in agriculture. But due to lack of rain and fertile soil, farming is limited to sheltered plots. This stains the landscape brown with patches of green. Continuing north, we reached the river. A steel bridge spans the river directly across from a tunnel, and to the north, Kali Gandaki becomes impassable on foot. The walk now leaves the valley and climbs steeply up a rocky ravine to reach the village of Chele. Be careful of the aggressive Tibetan Mastiffs here, they are chained to many houses. From Chele, you climb a steep mountain, then continue uphill along a spectacularly steep canyon to reach the pass. Having crossed the pass, we descended a pleasant road to Samar, which lies in a poplar forest. This was the main stop for horse and mule caravans.

We climbed above Samar to a ridge then descended into a large gorge past the Chorten before entering another juniper-filled valley. We then crossed a stream and, after climbing a pass, walked along the ridge to Shyangmochen, a small village with a few teahouses. Nearby is Rangbyung, a stalagmite cave formed in the shape of a Chorten and one of the holiest places in Mustang. The trail climbs gently from Shyangmochen and we enter another large valley before descending to Geling, with its vast fields of barley. Like all Mustang settlements, the white and ocher houses in Geling were built of mud and stone. The roof is made of tree branches, straw and a mixture of mud and stones.

The trail leaves Geling and ascends gradually through fields, passing above Tama Gun’s town and an impressive Chorten. The difficult ascent across the head of the valley to the Nyi La (3840m) then starts. The track from the pass descends quite gently, and after about 30 minutes we reach a trail intersection where we may choose to take the right trail directly to Charang or the left trail to Ghami. Large white-washed village Ghami is protected by overhanging rocks.

We will spend a lot of our energy navigating the loose, dry earth today because our hike will likely take us into the driest area of Mustang. The breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside, which range from the rounded peaks in the north to the rough mountains in the east and west, more than make up for the challenging ascent. Finally, we reach Charang, a sizable village that is widely dispersed near the apex of the Charang Chu canyon. A sizable dzong [fortress] and a red gompa, which is home to an excellent collection of statues and thangkas, are located at the eastern end of the hamlet.

Before departing for Lo Manthang, we first spend some time at the charming village of Charang and its sizable monastery. We make a gentle ascent above the valley to a sizable, solitary Chorten that serves as Lo Manthang’s and Charang’s dividing line. The path soon becomes wider, and at some point we catch our first glimpse of Lo Manthang’s walled city. There is only one entry to the city, so we go around the perimeter of the wall to the gate at the northeast corner.

You are free to stroll about the intriguing city of Lo Manthang today. Along with homes for its numerous lamas, the city has roughly 150 homes. There are four main temples in the city, and Champa Lhakang is one of them. It has a sizable clay statue of Buddha within, as well as intricate mandalas painted on the walls. The present King and Queen reside at the majestic king’s palace, which is located in the heart of the city. The King is revered by the populace even if most of his responsibilities are ceremonial. The villagers in the kingdom continue to ask him for guidance on a variety of matters. Horses can be rented to tour these valleys, although this quick excursion will cost extra.

From Lo Manthang, we set out on our return trip via the upper highland route. With snow-covered peaks in the distance, this highland road provides magnificent views of Lo Manthang and the Charang Valley. We arrive at the Ghar Gompa, Mustang’s oldest monastery, just after Lo Gekar’s hamlet.

We continue on the highland road, passing through alpine meadows before descending a precipitous valley that has been eroded to reach Dhakmar for lunch. After lunch, we take a stroll across the picturesque valley before ascending to a ridge and then descending to Ghami.

We must now go back the way we came to Jomsom, where our trek comes to a conclusion. We have a celebration in the evening with the Sherpas and porters who we have gotten to know so well over the last two weeks.

You fly to Pokhara in a breathtaking early-morning flight above the Kali Gandaki gorge. You will take a city tour and go boating in Phewa Lake once you get in Pokhara.

You fly from the airport in Pokhara to Kathmandu for thirty minutes. You get to enjoy the most breathtaking views of majestic Manaslu and the snow-covered Annapurna Mountain range while you’re in the air.

We will drive you to the airport to catch your trip home with our Nepali support staff. You can do short tours like wildlife drives in national parks, rafting, Tibet tours, mountain biking, etc. if you would rather stay longer.