Lower Mustang Trek – 11 Days

You’ll get vistas of the valley, the Himalayas, and the terraced fields below as you soar into Kathmandu. After clearing customs, a representative will be there to welcome you outside the airport and help you navigate the initially disorienting tiny, winding streets of Kathmandu to your accommodation.

Once you’ve settled in, head out and explore the city. Kathmandu Durbar Square is a great place to start your exploration, where you’ll walk through narrow alleyways teeming with small shops, ancient temples, and local restaurants. If you want to stretch your legs, Swayambhunath, the white stupa rising above the valley, is the perfect spot to catch the sunset over the valley.

The evening is a nice time to eat, and Thamel, a popular tourist destination, offers a wide selection of eateries serving both Western and regional Nepali cuisine.

• You will be picked up by an English-speaking tour guide after breakfast at your hotel for a full-day tour of the Kathmandu Valley, stopping at three holy sites: Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Patan Durbar Square.

While packing a lot into one day, this itinerary won’t overburden you with sights, helping you make the most of your time in Kathmandu. Since this is a private trip just for you, you can spend as much time as you like at each temple, but most visitors choose to stay for an hour. You’ll make a visit at one of the neighborhood eateries we suggest for lunch.

Once you get back to your accommodation in Kathmandu in the late afternoon, meet your trekking guide and go through the specifics of your excursion for tomorrow.

Tour length: 7-8 hours (including transfers)

After breakfast, a private transfer will pick you up and take you to the domestic airport for your 30-minute flight to Pokhara, the second-largest city in Nepal. Four of the fourteen massive mountains exceeding 26,246 feet (8,000 m) in height in the world—Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I, Manaslu, and Shishapangma—can be observed during this breathtaking half-hour fly along the Himalayan range.

You will be met at the airport by a driver who will take you to your accommodation. You have the rest of the day to yourself to explore or just to unwind beside Lake Phewa. Pokhara is home to several excellent cafes, eateries, hip stores, and yoga studios that welcome expats and adventurers. Whatever inspires you, take advantage of the relaxed pace here.

You’ll drive to the airport in Pokhara after an early breakfast before taking a 30-minute flight to Jomsom, the administrative center of Nepal’s Mustang region. The Kali Gandaki, the world’s deepest gorge, is passed over during the trip. Dhaulagiri and Annapurna may be seen clearly from the air, but moments after landing, you’ll find yourself in the dry valleys of the Himalayan rain shadow, a very different environment.

Jomsom is one of the few locations in Nepal from which the Himalayan peaks can be seen up close and safely at an elevation of only 8,800 feet. Nilgiri, Tilicho, and Dhaulagiri, three enormous peaks, appear so close you could reach out and touch them.

You’ll notice how much the air is cooler and dryer in Jomsom. Today should be spent relaxing and exploring the quaint town and its surroundings. Depending on how you’re feeling, you can take a fantastic two-hour hike through the Kali Gandaki Valley to Marpha, the home of the Thakali people and their renowned Marpha apples and apple brandy. You can stroll through the hamlet and discover more about conventional design ideas, such as the flat rooftops needed to dry food for the lengthy winters and the neighborhood’s subsurface drainage system. Before heading back to Jomsom, you can stop by the distillery and try its offerings.

Flight time: 30 minutes

You’ll set out by foot this morning for Kagbeni, arriving in time for lunch. Views of the neighboring peaks of Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, and Nilgiri, as well as the Annapurna Massif to the south, can be seen from the broad trail that runs along the western side of the sandy, saligram-filled riverbed.

The last town in Lower Mustang and the guardian of the entrance into Upper Mustang (seen across the Kali Gandaki riverbed) is Kagbeni, which is magnificently perched atop a cliff overlooking the meeting point of the Kali Gandaki and the Jhong Khola rivers. In the midst of stony, desolate mountains, with Niligiri rising beyond, it is an oasis of lush greenery. With its rambling, 800-year-old brick-red Sayka Gompa, small passageways and tunnels, irrigation canals, and verdant fields of barley, this historic, partially-ruined fortress town offers a window into a distinctive way of life. Also nearby is the century-old King’s Palace, which has 100 rooms.

“Restricted area, tourists please do not go beyond this point,” reads a sign at the police checkpoint at the north end of the settlement. This is the trail going up to the famous Lo Manthang, in ‘forbidden’ Upper Mustang.

Trekking time: 4 hours

This morning, you should eat a substantial meal because climbing will start this day. Depending on how you feel in the dry air and altitude, the journey from Kagbeni to Jharkot takes about 3–4 hours.

Because of the elevation gain on the ascent from Kagbeni to Jarkhot, it is advisable to pause and spend the day exploring this former fortified settlement. The magnificent red Gompa (monastery) that dominates the entrance of the village is the major attraction. A functioning Tibetan Medicine school is located at this 500-year-old Gompa, which is a member of the Sakya branch of Buddhism. The iconic Thorong La (pass), the highest point of the Annapurna Circuit hike, can be seen rising up and down the valley in breathtaking fashion.

Trekking time: 3-4 hours

Muktinath is a significant Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage site and a wonderful illustration of a holy location that adherents of the two religions coexistingtogether, Buddhism and Hinduism. The site is maintained by local Buddhist nuns from the tradition of Lama Wangyal. Numerous thousands of followers from Nepal, Tibet, and India make this pilgrimage every year in search of salvation and purification. It is thought that numerous rulers in Asia have done the same throughout history.

Not only is it worthwhile to visit this revered temple, but it’s also worthwhile to unwind and take in the breathtaking surroundings.

You will go from Lupra village to Jomsom while stopping at a nearby Bonpo monastery. You will be far from the crowds and the jeep track to Jharkot and Muktinath, even if you must to re-climb the mountain to rejoin the trail. It is a fantastic route that trekkers on the Annapurna circuit overlook.

You will have a unique and uncommon opportunity to learn about Bonpo, an ancient pre-Buddhist faith that isn’t now represented by many monasteries, while traveling a breathtaking alternate route back to Jomsom.

Trekking time: 6 hours

After breakfast in Jomsom, you’ll catch a 30-minute morning flight to Pokhara. Snag a window seat as the scenic mountain views en route will be nothing short of spectacular.

Upon arrival in Pokhara, settle in your hotel and enjoy the afternoon and evening on your own. This relaxed lakeside town is the gateway to the Himalayas, so unwind in the cool local cafés, explore Phewa Lake by boat or by land, or stretch out after your trek in a yoga class.

Flight time: 30 minutes

You might have time to do some sightseeing, unwind, or visit one of Pokhara’s coffee shops after breakfast. You’ll be picked up from your hotel and driven to the domestic airport in time to board your aircraft back to Kathmandu, which departs around 1.5 hours later.

You will be driven to your hotel in Kathmandu where you can spend the remainder of the afternoon and evening at your own. Take a rickshaw, bicycle, or foot tour of Kathmandu’s streets to view anything you might have missed at the start of your stay or to look for souvenirs.

Choose from a variety of Nepali, French, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern dishes throughout the city in the evening.

It’s time to bid Nepal adieu. Take advantage of your last few hours in Kathmandu by eating breakfast in a café, taking one last stroll past the temples and along the winding lanes, and shopping for trinkets. To get you to the airport for your journey back home, a driver will be waiting for you at your hotel. It is ideal to arrive at the airport at least two hours before takeoff.