Upper Mustang & Lo Manthang

About this journey

Beyond Kagbeni the country becomes restricted. Upper Mustang was closed to outsiders until 1992 and still needs a special permit issued in advance — currently USD 500 per person for ten days, with a compulsory licensed guide and a minimum of two trekkers. What it protects is the walled town of Lo Manthang, its royal palace and 15th-century monasteries, and a Tibetan Buddhist culture that survived intact because nobody could get in.

Highlights

• The walled town and royal palace of Lo Manthang
• Thubchen and Jampa monasteries, 15th century
• The sky caves of Chhoser at Jhong
• Ghar Gompa, said to predate Samye in Tibet
• Ochre and grey badland cliffs the whole way north

Typical itinerary

The standard route. We shorten, extend or reverse it around your dates.

1. 1

   Day 1

   Fly or drive Pokhara to Jomsom

2. 2

   Day 2

   Jomsom to Kagbeni and Chele

3. 3

   Day 3

   Chele to Syangboche

4. 4

   Day 4

   Syangboche to Ghami

5. 5

   Day 5

   Ghami to Tsarang

6. 6

   Day 6

   Tsarang to Lo Manthang over the Lo La

7. 7

   Day 7

   Lo Manthang — palace, Thubchen and Jampa monasteries

8. 8

   Day 8

   Day trip to the Chhoser sky caves

9. 9

   Day 9

   Lo Manthang to Drakmar via Ghar Gompa

10. 10

    Day 10

    Drakmar to Samar

11. 11

    Day 11

    Samar to Kagbeni and Jomsom

12. 12

    Day 12

    Jomsom to Pokhara by air or road

Permits

• Upper Mustang restricted-area permit (USD 500 / 10 days, minimum 2 trekkers)
• ACAP entry permit
• Licensed guide — compulsory in restricted areas

We process these for you. Bring your passport and passport photographs.

Getting there

• Permit must be issued in Kathmandu or Pokhara before you travel — allow lead time
• Fly Pokhara–Jomsom, or drive; jeep road now runs most of the way to Lo Manthang
• Walkable through the monsoon, which is when most of Nepal is not