Upper Mustang Ultimate Adventure Tour

Overland Upper Mustang Adventure Tour is an incredible four-wheel drive ride to reach the scenic and picturesque Upper Mustang known by Lo country. This area of Upper Mustang is blessed with stunning scenery of snowcapped mountains and canyons of diverse impressive colors that make it one of the most photogenic places in and around Himalaya.

Upper Mustang is located Nepal Far North West Himalayan between the massive Dhaulagiri mountains and North West Annapurna Himalaya ranges of mountains with Damodar, Bhirkuti peaks. The country around Upper Mustang is actually called Lo. It’s an extension of Tibet vast South West plateau.

Upper Mustang Overland Adventure, which is now possible, since the road has been constructed since last few year. The area of Upper Mustang was closed to outsiders for many decades. Now, it is available for tourists to explore and take in the beautiful scenery and traditional villages rich with cultural heritage.

Upper Mustang Adventure Tour will make you feel like you’re in Tibet, with its dramatic and unique landscapes and Buddhist religions.

Upper Mustang is also found on the Trans-Himalayan Salt Trade Route, Caravan Trail of Nepal or Tibet. Lo-Manthang is a short distance from Upper Mustang. This was once a walled kingdom in Upper Mustang and Lo country.

Upper Mustang was once considered a forbidden kingdom. Raja (King), of Mustang, ruled it until the last decades. Before Nepal became a republic country, one can visit Lo-Manthang’s walled kingdom and tour many monasteries.

Lo-Manthang is the largest village / city, with over 150 houses. There are also many residential quarters for priests, monks, and lamas. The houses are tightly packed with palaces and monasteries located on the bottom with L-shaped houses.

Its walled village also includes a school, health post, and police post. There are also several important chhorten located outside of the walls, east of the monastic areas and north of the gate.

Lo Manthang village is wealthy and retains a strong sense of community. People call themselves Lobas (people from Lo).

Upper Mustang Adventure Tour starts with a short flight from Pokhara, a beautiful touristic destination. The plane’s window offers a stunning view of Annapurna mountain range and Dhaulagiri mountain range.

After landing in Pokhara, we flew short distances to Jomsom. This is the headquarters town for the entire Mustang district. There are time at Jomsom to take a break and enjoy the beautiful Upper Mustang Overland Adventure.

Ride on four-wheel jeeps, or land-rovers, towards Kagbeni village. This is the entrance to Upper Mustang. Beyond Tibet, travelers will need special permission and additional fees to get into Upper Mustang.

Continue your drive from Kagbeni to the interesting Tibetan-like village. From there, ride into many interesting villages such as Geling, Chele, Geling, Tsarang, Tsele (Charang), and finally into the walled kingdom of Lo-Manthang at 3,700m.

Lo-Manthang is reached via a drive that leads over few passes, Nyi- La at 3,950m above sea level. The stunning scenery includes the country’s dramatic landscapes, Mustang Himal’s snow-capped peaks, and poplars and willows. Village areas include well-tended fields of mustard, wheat, and barley, the staple crops in the Mustang region.

Lo-Manthang is a day of rest and exploration. You will visit the monasteries of Namgyal Gompa (God House), Champa Lakhang, Red Thubchen Gompa or Chyodi Gompa.

After enjoying a wonderful time at Lo-Manthang, its fascinating culture, customs of Buddhism religion, and simple farm life, it is back to Jomsom to take a scenic flight to Pokhara, renown for being a popular tourist destination.

When to travel Upper Mustang

To visit Upper Mustang in March-June, September-November are the best months to travel there. This depends on your holiday length to Nepal. If you only have a few days to travel to Nepal, it is possible to travel to Upper Mustang in July or August.

Upper Mustang is located in the rain shadow of Tibet, where monsoon clouds are blocked by Himalayan mountain chains. This makes it dry and arid.

March through May are the clearest months with cool and dry air. This is great for mountain views and landscapes. However, late afternoons can become cloudy and less likely to see snow or rain.

The country will be green from July to September due to some moisture from the monsoon clouds. With some light rains, September through November months are clear for beautiful views and pleasant drives.

It can be very cold at night and in the morning. There is a chance of snow between October and November. This is why most Upper Mustang residents migrate to warmer areas of Nepal or India to escape the freezing temperatures that last from November to February.

Routes to Upper Mustang

Upper Mustang is easily reached by driving from Kathmandu, with overnight stops at Pokhara city or Beni town. Next, follow Kali-Gandaki River downstream through Tatopani Village (a place where Mustang area begins), Ghasa, Lete, Kalapani and Tuckuche before reaching Upper Mustang.

The shortest route is via a short flight from Jomsom to Pokhara. Alternatively, one can fly to Jomsom, then to Upper Mustang, and then drive to Pokhara via Tatopani village or Beni, which leads to the Kali-Gandaki River’s deepest gorge.

The Kaligandaki deep gorge is ten times deeper than Grand Canyon in the USA. It was formed by big drops from Mt. Dhaulagiri, the 7 ^th most and Mt. Annapurna I is the tenth-highest mountain in the world. The Kaligandaki River’s deepest gorge is located between the high mountains and Lete.

Culture and People:

Upper Mustang’s people were influenced by strong Tibetan Buddhism religion, culture, and trade. All salt and wool trade was done within Kali Gandaki and up to Lo-Manthang, which brought substantial economic growth to this wonderful village.

The palace of former Mustang Raja is a 4 story building that stands in the heart of the large village. It looks like a medieval-era city. It was the home of Jigme Parbal Bista, the former Raja (king), and Rani (queen), both from the noble Lhasa and Shigatse families in Tibet.

Upper Mustang is a highly spiritual area. You can see it around the village, its monasteries, and at Lo-Manthang in Namgyal Gompa (God House), Red Thubchen Gompa, and Chyyi Gompa. There’s also a great Entrance Hall that allows you to enter the palace interior.