Day 1 | International arrival in Tribhuvan Airport, Kathmandu

Welcome to Nepal! A representative from Trans Himalayan Tour will pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel in Kathmandu. We will have booked a 4 star/5 star accommodation for you, depending on your preference. We would also arrange for your visit to Trans Himalayan Tour office in Patan where we will brief you on the itinerary in person and introduce you to your trekking guide. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 02 | Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara, 20 min flight. Ending Elevation: 820m

Take a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara in the morning. Pokhara is a vibrant city gifted with serene lakes and wonderful views of the neighboring Himalayas including Dhaulagiri (8167m), Manaslu (8156m), Machhapuchhre (6993m), and the Annapurna range. Relax in Pokhara for the day, take a boat ride in Phewa Lake and visit the Barahi temple. Enjoy the delicious cuisines in one of the atmospheric restaurants by the lakeside.

Day 03 | Fly to Jomsom (2713m) and trek to Kagbeni: 25 min flight, 3-4 hrs trek. Ending Elevation: 2810m

Jomsom is a famous town and the hub of the region. Everyone in Nepal are fond of the apples grown here. The surrounding landscape is mesmerizing, while every once in a while you will experience strong winds owing to the unique landscape. After the thrilling flight into Jomsom, start the trek by going towards Kagbeni, a town which is on the junction of two rivers, one coming from Muktinath, and one flowing from Lo Manthang (Kali Gandaki). Kagbeni is a cluster of packed houses and winding alleys and from this point onwards, the area of Upper Mustang begins.

Day 04 | Kagbeni to Chhuksang: 5-6 hrs. Ending Elevation: 3050m

As you trek through the day you will start to see the red, white and black chortens symbolic of the Upper Mustang valley and the white washed stone houses dotting the routes. Due to the arid climate, not much grows in the higher altitudes but barley, buckwheat and apple orchards can be found. July – September is a great time to visit when there is lots of greenery and August – September is when the yellow barley fields and the pinkish buckwheat flowers are in bloom.    

Day 05 | Chhuksang to Samar: 4-5 hrs. Ending Elevation: 3660m

After a 45 mins walk from Chhuksang, you will start to notice narrow caves dotting the spectacular cliffs and although they are inaccessible, it leaves you wondering how they were built. Today the trek will be mostly uphill, going through the valleys of the Kali Gandaki river and crossing the Dajori La (3630m) pass. Samar is an old settlement and ‘Sa’ in Tibetan means mud and ‘Mar’ means red, and it is a perfect name for a place from where you can see the incredible red streaked cliffs surrounding the town.   

Day 06 | Samar to Geling: 5-6 hrs. Ending Elevation: 3520m

Today begins by ascending into the Yamda La pass at 3860m, which is around one hour from Samar. On the way, we pass by a few teahouses, chortens and quaint villages. You will notice that most of the goods sold above Samar are from China, whereas in most areas of Nepal, the imports are mainly from India. Overnight in Geling.

Day 07 | Geling to Tsarang: 7-8 hrs. Ending Elevation: 3620m

The trek will take us through a suspension bridge and after crossing the river, we climb back up again. The trail is beautiful and is lined with mani walls. Before arriving at Ghami for lunch, we have to climb over the Nyi pass at 4,025m. The top of the pass provides excellent views of the Mustang valley and the surrounding mountains. Ghami also provides exceptional views of the red, grey and blue cliffs. The towns of Ghami and Tsarang are old settlements and Tsarang village majestically sits atop a steep faced canyon and was once the capital of Lo.

Day 08 | Tsarang to Lo-Manthang: 3-4 hours. Ending Elevation: 3730m

The trek today begins by descending from Tsarang, crossing a stream and then start ascending to Lo La at 3950m. From here you can see the walled city of Lo Manthang, which is the highlight of this trek. It is a short trek today, giving you plenty of time to explore the mystical town of Lo Manthang with its royal palace, ancient gombas and comfortable tea houses.

Day 9 | Explore Lo Manthang

You can spend the day touring the three major gombas of the town, which have undergone restoration in order to preserve the deep rooted culture of the Lo region. Inside the gombas are religious paintings and statues that dates back centuries. You can also hike to Tingkhar, a beautiful viewpoint located north-west of Lo-Mangthang, and get an incredible view of the valley and the hills bordering Tibet.

Day 10 | Lo-Mangthang to Drakmar: 6-7 hrs. Ending Elevation: 3810m

To add a bit more change, instead of trekking down the same route to Samar, we take a slight detour via Drakmar. We reach the Ghar Gomba in Gyakar village which is one of the oldest gompas and is decorated with rock paintings. Drakmar also has stunning views of the red streaked cliffs that are the defining features of Lo Manthang.   

Day 11 | Drakmar to Samar: 6-7 hrs. Ending Elevation: 3660m

The return trail is mostly a descent through the dry plateau. We stay one more night in the charming village of Samar, which has more comfortable tea houses than its neighboring villages.

Day 12 | Samar to Chhuksang: 3-4 hrs. Ending Elevation: 3050m

We arrive at a familiar trail as it is the same one we used to trek above to Lo Manthang. We begin our trek after breakfast and enjoy the last full day in the remote region of Upper Mustang.

Day 13 | Chhuksang to Muktinath: 7-8 hrs. Ending Elevation: 3800m

To keep the excitement flowing we decided to take you on a different route back to Jomsom. There is no roads for vehicle this way and it is a very interesting path where you go up a hill and cross over to reach the spiritual city of Muktinath. As there are no settlements in between after a village one hour from Chhuksang, you will need to take plenty of water and a packed lunch. The hill before Muktinath offers great views of the Muktinath and Mustang Valley, as well as that of the Himalayas. 

Day 14 | Muktinath to Jomsom: 5-6 hours trek. Ending Elevation: 2743m  

Muktinath is a sacred temple complex, one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus and Buddhists. In the premises there are 108 waterspouts and bathing in each of the spouts is believed to bring salvation for Hindus. For Buddhists, Muktinath is a holy site as the great guru Rinpoche came here to meditate. You can visit the temple via a short horse ride and experience the spiritual energy.

The path from Muktinath to Jomson is mostly downhill and mainly the same road where vehicles will be passing through. However there is a very interesting side path that overlooks the Kali Gandaki river basin and some interesting rock fossils, and you may be able to see the whirlwinds blowing along the river basin.  Jomsom is a great place to end the trek and enjoy the last night with your guides and porters.
 

Day 15 | Jomsom to Pokhara and Pokhara to Kathmandu via domestic flights. Ending Elevation: 1400m

The flights out of Jomsom are scheduled around 7-9am and it is a short and thrilling ride to Pokhara. If the weather is clear, the view from the windows passes by snow-capped peaks and valley, and the streams from the Kali Gandaki river flowing in many directions. 

In the afternoon, take another flight from Pokhara back to Kathmandu and relax at your hotel in Kathmandu for the night.

Day 16 | Full Day Tours in Kathmandu Valley

The day can be arranged for some sight-seeing around the famous World Heritage sites in Kathmandu, highly recommended are Patan Dubar Square, Boudhanath stupa and Pashupatinath temple. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 17 | International Departure

As this epic adventure wraps up, you may already be planning for your next trip to Nepal. A representative from Trans Himalayan Tour will escort you to the international airport in Kathmandu and we wish you a pleasant flight home. All the best until we meet again! 

Include:

 International & domestic airport pick up and drop off to and from a hotel in Kathmandu

 Overnights in Kathmandu on BB (bed & breakfast) basis in a 4/5 star category hotel

 Domestic flights and ground transportation

 Government licensed main trekking guide, assistant guide (for groups over 3 pax) and porters. One porter for every two trekkers.

 Staff costs are included – wages, insurance, equipment, food & accommodation

 Trekking accommodation in tea houses with attached bathrooms where available

 3 meals a day including breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus tea/coffee breaks during the trek

 A 60 liter company duffel bag per person – for yours to keep

 Sleeping bags (good up to -20 degrees) and hot water bags for the duration of the trek

 First Aid kit – to be carried by the trekking guide

 Trekking permits and entrance fees

 Kathmandu valley sight-seeing tour with private vehicle and city guide as mentioned in itinerary

 All rates are inclusive of service charge and government tax

Exclude:

 International flight tickets

 Lunch & dinner outside of trekking (not included in Kathmandu/other cities)

 Nepal entry visa fee – visa is available upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu

 Medical insurance – please make sure you have travel insurance for Nepal

 Alcoholic beverages/soft drinks/bottled water

 Tips (tipping is expected)