Upper Mustang Trek - 18 days

Namaste and welcome to Nepal. Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, the Nepal Kameleon Holidays representative receives and transfers you to the hotel. After a short refreshment, we briefly explain to you about the sightseeing trip and the preparation for the trek. Overnight at hotel. (A) 

Breakfast at the hotel. Then we set out for the sightseeing tour in Kathmandu, exploring some of the unique monumental sites that are enlisted in the World Heritage Sites UNESCO.

Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple): The temple is located at the top of the hill in Kathmandu, which is a 5th-century religious significant site. It is regarded as a self-sprung monumental site. For the Buddhist pilgrimage trip or tour in Nepal, Swayambhunath stupa remains the first selection in the Kathmandu valley. One of the UNESCO monumental sites, Swayambhunath is also popular as the monkey temple, having uncountable monkeys. Newari Buddhism is one of the major features here, which is known as Vajrayana. The eyes of Buddha represent wisdom and compassion. To climb the steps up the hilltop is believed to be the ladder to lead you to the state of enlightenment.

Pashupatinath Temple: The temple is one of the most sacred and popular pilgrimage destinations for Hindu devotees around the world. It is located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River, about 5 km distance from the east of the valley. It is listed as a UNESCO site and travelers love to explore the 15th-century arts and architecture around the area of the temple. It has got wonderful pyramid-shaped temples, extensive cultural heritages, Ashrams for the old people and Sadhus along with remarkable inscriptions. It is very special during the Shivaratri festival and nearly one million people visit the Pashupatinath temple every year.

Boudhanath Stupa: Boudhanath Stupa is located about 10 km east of Kathmandu, is antique, and has a huge mandala. The stupa is one of the biggest among this type. The surrounding of this stupa is dominated by Tibetan refugee settlements. One of the prominent World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu valley, Boudhanath is a highly adored tour and pilgrimage destination. Buddhist monks and devotees can be seen to be doing a religious way of paying homage around different corners of the Stupa within. 

Driving from Kathmandu to Pokhara takes 8 hours through the Prithvi Highway. The Riverside settlement looks picturesque and you will get a couple of breaks for snacks and lunch. Arriving in Pokhara, transfer to the hotel. You may walk and explore around the Lakeside street in the evening. Overnight at the hotel. 

Having breakfast at the hotel, we drive on Jomsom Muktinath Highway, enjoying the view of the cliff, roadside motels and villages, along with some of the most stunning waterfalls. We proceed to the paperwork at Ghasa and drive further to Marpha-Jomsom-Kagbeni. Well, we continue 13 km further to Chhusang, which is the border point of Mustang. Overnight at lodge. 

From Chele, we begin to walk to Eklo Bhatti. The first pass of Taklam La Pass (3624 meters) offers the breathtaking surroundings of the sandy rocks. The streamline takes the route in a winding form. The Himalayan views of Tilicho Peak, Yakawa Kang, and Damodar Danda can be seen from the top. Then, we walk down to the Samar village and trek further to the Chungsi Cave, which is about a 3.5-hour walk. The Chungsi Cave is an 8th-century Guru Rinpoche Meditation Cave.  Then we hike to Syangbochen and stay Overnight. Overnight at the hotel. 

Having a wonderful breakfast, we ascend to Yamda La (3850 meters), walking through the chhortens and some tiny villages. The sceneries of barley fields are amazing. Crossing the Nyi Pass of 4010 meters, we trek down to Ghyami and take a rest. It is one of the biggest villages in this region. Overnight at lodge.  

It's a gradual downhill walk from Syangbochen, but the initial route is uphill. First we reach to Ghiling, which is a tiny settlement with a monastery. The trail ahead includes a high pass and descend to Ghami. Ghami is a big settlement with several guest houses. 

You may visit the Ghami Gompa in the morning. After having breakfast at the hotel, cross the River, and trek making the longest mani wall of Mustang on your right. Among the two routes, we skip the main road that leads to Tsarang; and take the route that takes us to Dhakmar. The entire cliff is decorated with red color, which has a rich mythology, regarding Guru Rinpoche. It is believed that; Guru Rinpoche slays down the lady demon and the entire cliff is red with the demon's blood. 

From Dhakmar, trek further to Lo Gekar Monastery (aka Ghar Gompa), which is located at 3950 meters altitude. It's a 7th-century Monastery, which was built by the precious master Guru Rinpoche. It is regarded as the oldest monastery in the world.  For an overnight stay, we stretch till Marang. Overnight at the hotel/lodge. 

On the trail from Marang following the Tsarang Khola, we meet the roadway to Lomanthang. On the way, we encounter Sungda Chorten, which is a masterpiece. Ahead of it, you will see the entire part of Lomanthang, a stone-walled town. Welcome to Lomanthang, the 14th Century town, located in an isolated part of Mustang. You can explore the surroundings in the evening. Overnight at the hotel/lodge. 

Wow, it’s an exploration day in Lo-Manthang. After breakfast, we set out to visit the monasteries and the local villages. Namgyal Gompa and Tingkhar Gompa are the most popular among others. Instead of this, you can also visit the Red Thugchen Gompa, Chyodi Gompa, and the Entrance Hall, that is the supreme attractions of this town. Back to the place to stay. Overnight at lodge. 

From Lomanthang, we trek to the magical Choser valley, which is loaded with caves and monasteries. Mainly, the prime attractions include Sky Jhong Cave, Nyiphu Monastic School, and the surroundings. It is believed that there are more than 10000 caves in Upper Mustang. Also, we get the story of the Khampa revolution's connection and many stories about it. Overnight at the hotel/lodge. 

Explore the caves and monasteries once again, and enjoy breakfast at this mystical setting of Upper Mustang. Well, the trek is over now. We will enjoy the jeep tour and explore some of the excellent caves and monasteries. By the jeep, we drive back to Lomanthang and continue to Tsarang, which is a new town as the previous route was different. Tsarang is a gateway to Luri Gompa, where we drive. Located at the top of the hill, Luri Gompa attracts thousands of Buddhist devotees around the globe every year. It is a significant cave monastery for  Himalayan Buddhism. Then we come back to Tsarang. Overnight at the hotel. 

The beautiful Tsarang village has two giant monasteries and a ruined fort. This is a picturesque town with lots of trees as well. Exploring this impressive village, we drive back via Ghami, Syangbochen, Chaile, Chhusang, and Kagbeni. While driving downhill, first, we explore the most significant Hindu pilgrimage devotees- Muktinath Temple. Then we drive downhill to Kagbeni and take a rest. Overnight at the hotel. 

Kagbeni is a beautiful town and a gateway to Upper Mustang. It is located at the juncture of the Kali Gandaki River and Kag Khola, which is a sacred Hindu ritual zone. Kagbeni is picturesque with its surrounding vegetation crops. After exploration, we drive back to Pokhara via Marpha, where we explore the antique town inside. Welcome back to Pokhara. Overnight at the hotel. 

Good morning, Pokhara. The day begins with an exploration of some of the impressive sites in Pokhara. They include David Falls, Gupteshor Cave, Boating on the Lake, Seti River Gorge, and the Mountaineering Museum. Overnight at the hotel. 

From Pokhara, we drive back to Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel. As an option for driving, there is half an hour's flight to Kathmandu. Driving takes about 8 hours. Stay relaxed in the evening or walk around the local place. Overnight at hotel. 

Well, this is entirely your time. You can do a massage, go shopping, relax, explore the tourist market, and spend quality time. We will meet you in the evening for a culture dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

It's time to bid farewell. A Representative of Nepal Kameleon Holidays drops you to the airport for your final departure. We hope to serve you time and again.