UPPER MUSTANG VIA THRONG LA PASS

As soon as you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, one of our representatives will welcome and escort you to the booked hotel. On the second day, we will initiate our official procedure including travel permit, bag pack, shopping, documentation, and briefing about our trek. Additionally, you will also be able to greet other traveling companions.

Our trip will begin with a long drive to the capital of Lamjung, Besi Sahar through Prithivi Highway. Despite a jolty drive, you will enjoy the views of river Trishuli, Marsyangdi, Manakamana Cable car, and many hilly settlements. After our arrival in Besi Sahar, we will freshen up and stroll around this major commercial town of Lamjung.

After a convenient night in Besi Sahar, we will drive to Chame covering a total distance of 66 kilometers by a jeep. It generally takes four hours to reach Chame, Manang which will save a few days of our trek through a jeep drive.  We will stay in Chame on the fourth day and prepare for the trek.

Our trek starts from the fifth day as we will enter The Valley of Manang, naturally gifted heaven. After an early breakfast, we will start elevating through the river Marsyandi which flows down the vale. Following the trail to Pisang,we will pass Bhratang (2950m) and Dhukur Pokhari (3200m). We will stay in Pisang after trekking through a gratifying trail.

Following our trekking schedule, we will begin The Manang Valley trek after a scrumptious breakfast. The lower trails will help to energize as the path is relatively convenient. Along the way, you will feel opportune to visit historical Braga Gompa which is 500 years old, and the magical Ney Guru Sang cave in the south. After descending down through a steep trail, we will reach Manang village and spend an overnight in a booked guesthouse.

The next morning, a glorious sunrise will wake you up in your bed. You will be astonished by the pristine view of golden mountains. Firstly, we will explore a stunning glacial lake, Gangapurna, and head to Chongar Viewpoint. After our brief visit to the viewpoint, we will pay a brief visit to many exploration points following ecotourism guidelines as much as possible.

After acclimatizing in Manang Valley with some unforgettable sights locked in our memory, we will march on to Letdar on the eighth day. The vegetation starts changing to shrubs as we will continue to climb out the valley. After a five-hour trek, we will reach Chure Letdar (4250m) and rest for the night.

We will gain the maximum altitude of our entire trek on this day, ascending to Thorung Phedi (4420m). We will climb along the East bank of river Jarkang and start descending.  While crossing a wooden bridge on the way, we may magically encounter Blue Sheep and Snow Leopard. After trekking for three hours, we will finally reach Thorung Phedi which is also a gateway to Thorung La Pass (5416m) and Muktinath (3800m).

As soon as we leave Thorung Phedi, the trail gets steep following rocky ridges and ascends to Thorung La Pass (5416m). However, we will cross some incredible meadows while descending to Muktinath (3800m). After trekking for seven hours, Muktinath will welcome our arrival where we will stay overnight.

We will get up early in the morning and visit the shrines of sacred Muktinath. After getting spiritually enlightened, we will have our breakfast and drive to Kagbeni (2810m) which replicates a medieval village also called ‘’The Gateway to Upper Mustang’. We will reignite with a palatable lunch in Kagbeni and start our trek to Chele (3050m) beholding an eye-catching treeless landscape.

The trek will start getting tougher after Chele because there are two high passes; Talkam La Pass (3624m) and Dajori La Pass (3735m) to cross. While crossing these two passes, the route will bestow you some mesmerizing views of Tilicho, Yakawa Kang, and Damodar Danda. We will descend from Dajori pass, follow the riverbank passing Samar Village and we will stay in Syanboche.

On the thirteenth day, we will make an early start to the Yamada La Pass (3850m) encountering several villages on the way to Ghami. As our trek starts elevating, we will pass through some popular forests and reach Nyi Pass (4010m). As soon as we cross the crown of the pass, we will descend steadily to Ghami, one of the largest villages in the Upper Mustang region, and spend the night there.

The trek will resume early in the morning after an energizing breakfast. We will start descending to the valley through a favorably rough trail crossing a suspension bridge over the Ghami river. After crossing the bridge, our trek will start elevating as the trail will guide you to the Tsarang Pass (3870m) and descend to Tsarang village which is located at the top of a wide canyon. The village is embellished with an ancient monastery where we will stay for the night.

On the fifteenth day will have a relaxing hike as we won’t be much far from Lo Manthang. We will surpass the Lo La Pass (3950m) from where you will be opportune to see the walled countryside of Lo Manthang below. While descending down to Lo Manthang 3730m), the magnificent sight of Bhrikuti will definitely hypnotize you. After our arrival in Lo Manthang village, we will freshen up and get ready for the big day.

After spending an elaborate night, we will start to explore Lo Manthang, a glorious village carrying great history and culture from ancient times, and celebrate the Tiji festival with the natives which starts in mid-May and last for three days every year. “Tiji” is the short name of the Tibetan word “Tempa Chirim”which refers to World Peace. The festival is a mythical felicitation of an ancient Tibetan myth about a son who was obliged to save the kingdom of Mustang from destruction. The festival also honors the glory of Lord Buddha’s incarnation, Dorjee Sonnu over a demon called Mam Tam Ru who viciously fed on humans and caused droughts.

The monks of Cheodhe Monastery perform ceremonial dances during the celebration. On the first day, monks perform a dance called “Tsa Chham” which depicts the exploitation of Ma Tam Ru on the humans. The birth of Dorjee Sonnu, an incarnation of Lord Buddha as the demon’s son is performed marked “Nga Chham” on the second day. Finally, the return of the Ma Tam Ru to Lord Buddha’s world is enacted on the final day. All the dances and acts are mainly organized by Cheodhe Monastery which represents the Sakya sect of Buddhism.

We will also explore some of the monasteries which have been restored over the last two decades preserving their ancient value. We will visit Jhampa Gompa,Chode Gompa, Choprang Gompa, The Royal Palace, The Monastic Museum, and many other cultural and religious heritages getting to know about The Last Forbidden Kingdom. If our travel schedule favors us, we will also trek to Tringkhar, a small village in the northwest.

After celebrating the Tiji festival in Lo Manthang Municipality, the route back from Lo Manthang will take a twist. We will take a different path passing through Gyakar village which is gifted with a hundred-year-old monastery, Ghar Gompa. Some legends believe that anyone who makes a wish here will have their wish fulfilled. After making a wish at this spiritual monastery, we will continue our trek to Drakmar village and spend an overnight.

As soon as we start the twentieth day of our trek, we will begin to descend from Drakmar (3810m) to Ghiling (3805m). However, strong winds may hinder our trekking across the dry plateau. We will pass the dry fields and reach the village of Ghilling where we will rest for the night.

After the successful completion of a windy trek from Drakmar to Ghiling, we will resume our trek descending down from Ghiling (3806m) to Chhuksang (3050m). The glorious views of the Himalayas will wipe your exhaustion while passing through numerous hamlets. After hiking for six hours, we will reach the village of Chhuksang and explore the rest of the day.

The last day of our trek will probably be the longest walk completing a seven-hour trek through the Upper Mustang Region entering The Annapurna Range. We will start as early as we can and halt for our lunch in Kagbeni. The route intersects the famous Annapurna Circuit Route as we will continue our trek back to Jomsom and spend an overnight.

After an early breakfast, we will fly back to Pokhara. The flight is a unique experience as it will fly you through an enormous gorge that lies between The Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Mountain Ranges. After a scrumptious lunch in Pokhara, we will enjoy the rest of our day exploring the beauty of Pokhara city. 

We will drive back to Kathmandu from Pokhara completing a seven-hour drive and prepare for your final departure. We will all meet for a farewell dinner at a typical Nepali Restaurant with live cultural shows. 

Our trip to The Upper Mustang through The Annapurna Circuit will conclude on this day. However, you will return home with infinite memories locked in your memory for eternity. One of our representatives will escort you to Tribhuvan International Airport and bid you a cordial farewell before your scheduled flight.