Upper Mustang sits in the rain shadow north of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, so it stays dry when the rest of Nepal is under monsoon. The landscape is high desert — ochre cliffs, wind-cut canyons, whitewashed villages — and the culture is Tibetan in a way little of Tibet still is.
The kingdom was closed to foreigners until 1992 and still requires a restricted-area permit at USD 50 per person per day, which is included in your price along with the ACAP permit and all trekking paperwork.
You walk with a licensed guide and porters, sleeping in teahouses and simple guesthouses. Days are five to seven hours of walking at altitudes between 2,800m and 4,000m. It is a walk rather than a climb, but it is a long one at height — reasonable fitness matters more than technique.
Our other Nepal routes — the Kathmandu valley, Pokhara, Chitwan and Mustang — are on the Nepal tours page. If you want to cross the border and see both countries in one trip, that is the India and Nepal page.
Day-by-day itinerary
DAY01Day 01
Arrive in Kathmandu
Airport pickup, transfer to your hotel in Thamel, and a trek briefing with your guide.
DAY02Day 02
Kathmandu to Pokhara
Fly or drive to Pokhara beside the lake, with Machhapuchhre above it.
DAY03Day 03
Fly to Jomsom, trek to Kagbeni
A short spectacular flight through the Kali Gandaki gorge, then a two to three hour walk to Kagbeni, the gateway village to Upper Mustang.
DAY04Day 04
Kagbeni to Chele
Permits checked at the Upper Mustang gate. The trail follows the river before climbing to Chele.
DAY05Day 05
Chele to Syangboche
Over two passes with long views across the eroded badlands.
DAY06Day 06
Syangboche to Ghami
Past the longest mani wall in Mustang, into Ghami's red cliffs.
DAY07Day 07
Ghami to Tsarang
Across the Ghami Khola and up to Tsarang, with its fortress and monastery.
DAY08Day 08
Tsarang to Lo Manthang
The final climb over Lo La and the first sight of the walled city on the plain below.
DAY09Day 09
Lo Manthang
A full day inside the walls — the royal palace, Jampa, Thubchen and Chodey monasteries, and the surrounding villages.
DAY10Day 10
Lo Manthang to Drakmar
Return by the western route via the Ghar Gompa, the oldest monastery in the region.
DAY11Day 11
Drakmar to Syangboche
Retracing south through the coloured cliffs.
DAY12Day 12
Syangboche to Chhuksang
A long descending day back toward the Kali Gandaki.
DAY13Day 13
Chhuksang to Jomsom
The last walking day, into Jomsom by afternoon.
DAY14Day 14
Fly to Pokhara, on to Kathmandu
Morning flight out of Jomsom before the wind rises, then on to Kathmandu.
What's included
What is included
Teahouse and mountain lodge accommodation throughout the trek, twin sharing.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day on the trek.
Licensed English-speaking trekking guide.
Porter support to carry your main bag.
Wages, food, lodging, equipment and insurance for your guide and porters.
All trekking permits and entry fees for the route.
Ground transport to and from the trailhead as shown in the itinerary.
Not included
Visa fees for Nepal.
International flights.
Domestic mountain flights where the route needs them — Kathmandu–Lukla is approximately USD 440 return, Pokhara–Jomsom approximately USD 220 each way.
Hotels in Kathmandu or Pokhara before and after the trek.
Meals on any day not spent on the trek.
Travel insurance — this is mandatory, and must cover helicopter evacuation above 5,000m.
Personal trekking gear and clothing.
Hot showers, device charging, wifi and bottled drinks at the lodges.
Tips for your guide and porters.
Personal shopping and anything not listed under What's included.
We can arrange any of the above for you at additional cost — flights, Kathmandu and Pokhara hotels, gear hire and airport transfers. Ask us when you enquire.
What travellers say
Verified Google reviews of GoIndiaNepal. They cover our service as a company rather than this individual journey.
5.0★★★★★
10 reviews
5★10
4★0
3★0
2★0
1★0
Jack van Iersel★★★★★
June 9, 2026
I travelled twice with Go India Nepal. In 2019 for 4 weeks with Babu, together with my 2 adult daughters, and in 2025 2 weeks with Suraj, together with my wife. Both trips were perfect !! Both are safe drivers, speak excellent English, and very respectful to their guests. Highly recommended.
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thank you jack for your valuable review. and also thank you for you choosing seconds time too with your wife travelling with our company.. We hope again to see you nepal trip. Thank you for your all what…
Michiel Meulendijk★★★★★
January 20, 2026
Our time in India was made truly special thanks to our driver, Anil. From the very beginning, he made us feel comfortable and well cared for, and throughout the trip he proved to be an excellent and reliable companion on the road. Anil is a highly skilled driver who navigated the busy and often chaotic streets with confidence and ease,…
GoIndiaNepal replied
Soo mush thank you Michael for your voluble review.and we always trying to give best service to our valuable clients.and thankyou for you choiching our little coprate driver company. With worm regarding Thepearlsofindia.com And babu.
Niels Lokman★★★★★
August 19, 2025
Just finished our fantastic tour around Rajasthan and Agra with Babu. Our 17 day journey was the first time we travelled with a driver since we have been travelling to quite some places just by ourselves over the last years but thought this modality was the right option in chaotic India. This journey was a great success in many ways;…
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thankyou for your valuable review.i do my best for our valuable guests. Thanks again for your great review. Rhd www.thepearlsofindia.com And babu
giuseppe petroro★★★★★
July 17, 2025
babu is the best driver i ever meet. he s more than a driver, he's a tour operator. he knows many stories about everything, he's very helpful to arrange your travel, before your arrival and during your visit. i really was satisfied about him and i suggest to everyone, for sure!
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thankyiu for your valuable review for our service and I do our best for our valuable clients. And I will be glad if I got chance to give you again my service for India or nepal.. Thnks 🙏…
Hans de Vries★★★★★
April 22, 2025
We recently completed a remarkable Golden Triangle tour in India and want to share our wonderful experience with Babu's company, particularly with our driver, Pramod. From the moment he greeted us at the airport in the middle of the night, we felt a genuine sense of hospitality. Pramod is a fantastic driver who navigated the busy streets with ease, ensuring…
GoIndiaNepal replied
Thankyou Hans de Vries for your valuable review about my service and drive service we always give best service and best drive and safe drive to our valuable guests. Thanks again for choosing our company and service. Rgd Thepearlsofindia. Com
Lorenza Corti★★★★★
March 2, 2025
Babu was perfect!
GoIndiaNepal replied
Ha ha babu is the best as always 😄😂😂!!!!! Thank you so mush Lorenza for your valuable reviews for the our best service and best drive. We always trying to give our best to our valuable guest. Thank you again…
carla ciatto★★★★★
March 2, 2025
Abbiamo vissuto una bellissima esperienza di viaggio grazie alla guida impeccabile e sicura del nostro driver Niki, sempre gentile, concentrato e molto professionale. Un lungo viaggio tra l'India e il Nepal alla scoperta di luoghi raggiungibili solo in auto. Un grande grazie a Babu e Niki!!
GoIndiaNepal replied
So much thank you carla for your valuable reviews about our service and drive we always give our best service and best drive to our valuable guest. Thank you again for choosing our service hope to see you again Regard…
Philippe JUTEAU★★★★★
February 27, 2025
Je tenais à exprimer ma profonde gratitude envers Babu, qui a été un chauffeur exceptionnel et plus tout au long de notre voyage. Grâce à ses conseils avisés et à son accompagnement chaleureux, nous avons pu découvrir des sites merveilleux que nous n'aurions jamais trouvés seuls. Babu a su nous faire partager sa passion pour la région et nous a…
GoIndiaNepal replied
Soo much thank you philippe your valuable review about my service and driver service with skills. We always try to give our best service and best drive to our valuable guests. And thanks for all that you appreciate with my…
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Yes. Upper Mustang is a restricted area. The permit currently costs 500 US dollars per person for ten days, with an additional daily charge beyond that, plus the Annapurna Conservation Area permit. A minimum of two trekkers and a registered guide are legally required — solo trekking is not permitted.
The permit cost is quoted separately and clearly, because it is a large fixed government fee that changes and we will not bury it in a headline price. Everything else on the trek — accommodation, meals, guide, porter and the conservation permit — is included.
It sits in the rain shadow behind the Annapurnas, so it is arid, wind-carved desert rather than forest and snow. Culturally it is Tibetan — the walled capital at Lo Manthang, the cave monasteries, the language and the monasteries all belong to the old kingdom of Lo. It was closed to outsiders until 1992.
Moderate rather than severe. The trail crosses several passes between 3,800 and 4,200 metres and days are five to seven hours, but the altitude gain is gentler than Everest or Annapurna Circuit. The wind is the thing people underestimate — it gets up strongly every afternoon.
Yes. On trekking routes we include teahouse accommodation, all meals on trek, your guide and a porter. That is different from our road tours, where hotels are never included.
Because it is in the rain shadow, Upper Mustang is one of the few Nepal treks that works during the monsoon — June to August is genuinely viable here. March to November all work. Winter is very cold and many Lo Manthang families move down to lower ground.
Yes — there is now a rough road most of the way and we run a ten-day jeep tour to Lo Manthang for people who want the place but not the two weeks of walking. It is a hard drive, not a smooth one, and we will describe it honestly before you book.
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Upper Mustang Trek 14 Days — Lo Manthang & the Forbidden Kingdom
