Upper Mustang Permit 2026: Solo Trekking Rules and the USD 50 a Day Cost

• Restricted Area PermitUSD 50 per person per day, from Kagbeni
• Rule in force since18 November 2025 (cabinet decision)
• ACAPNPR 3,000, about USD 20
• TIMS cardNot needed
• Solo trekkersAllowed since 22 March 2026, licensed guide required
• High pointLo Manthang, about 3,840 m
• SeasonMarch to November, monsoon included

You can now trek Upper Mustang solo, and the permit costs less for a short trip than it used to. Two recent changes drive this: on 22 March 2026 Nepal removed the rule that forced two trekkers onto one restricted-area permit, and since a cabinet decision on 18 November 2025 the Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit has cost USD 50 per person per day instead of a flat USD 500 for ten days. Upper Mustang is a restricted trekking region in the north of Mustang district, the former Buddhist Kingdom of Lo, and entering it still requires a licensed guide from a registered agency. This guide covers what changed, the permits you need, and the 2026 cost.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Two rules changed for Upper Mustang. First, the Department of Immigration scrapped the minimum-two-trekker requirement across Nepal's restricted areas on 22 March 2026, so a single traveller can now hold the Upper Mustang permit alone. Second, a cabinet decision on 18 November 2025, which amended Schedule 12 of the Immigration Regulations, switched the Restricted Area Permit from the old flat fee of USD 500 for the first 10 days to a daily rate of USD 50 per person, with no 10-day minimum. The daily rate means a shorter itinerary inside the zone now costs less, while a full ten-day stay lands at the same USD 500 as before. Some printed fee schedules, including the one published by the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, still show the old flat rate, so ask your agency to confirm the figure when you book.

Can you trek Upper Mustang solo in 2026?

Yes, a solo traveller can now trek Upper Mustang, with one condition: you walk with your own licensed guide, not alone. A licensed guide from a registered trekking agency stays mandatory in every restricted area, as a condition of the Department of Immigration permit. Guideless, fully independent trekking is not permitted north of Kagbeni. The practical change for a lone traveller is that you no longer need a second paying trekker on the permit, which used to be the single biggest barrier to a solo Mustang trip.

Which permits does Upper Mustang need?

Two permits cover Upper Mustang, and the Restricted Area Permit replaces the TIMS card, so no TIMS is required.

• Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit (RAP): the controlled-zone permit that applies from Kagbeni north to Lo Manthang and the Tibetan border, checked at the Kagbeni post.
• Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP): required because Mustang sits inside the Annapurna Conservation Area; it covers the approach through Jomsom and lower Mustang.

The Restricted Area Permit is a special government document that authorises foreigners to enter a controlled border region, and it can only be issued through a registered agency, never to an independent walker.

Upper Mustang permit cost in 2026

The Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit costs USD 50 per person per day inside the restricted zone, counted from Kagbeni. A trek that spends eight days in the zone pays USD 400; ten days pays USD 500, the same as the old flat fee. The Annapurna Conservation Area Permit adds NPR 3,000, about USD 20, for non-SAARC nationals. Because the fee is now daily, the shorter 10-day itineraries that spend fewer days north of Kagbeni cost noticeably less than the classic two-week route. Fees are set by the government and can change, so a registered agency confirms the current figure at booking.

Upper Mustang permit cost by trip length

The table shows the permit bill for different numbers of days inside the restricted zone, under the new daily rate and the old flat rule. ACAP is added once at about USD 20. Your agency counts the days from the day you pass the Kagbeni checkpost to the day you leave the zone.

The saving only shows on short stays. Under the old rule you paid USD 500 even for six days in the zone, then USD 50 for each day after the tenth, so from ten days up the two rules cost the same.

How do you get the Upper Mustang permits?

A registered trekking agency processes both permits in Kathmandu or Pokhara before you fly to Jomsom. To apply you provide a passport copy with at least six months of validity and passport-size photographs. Agencies also ask for proof of travel insurance that covers trekking at altitude and helicopter evacuation, so bring a copy. Our travel insurance guide explains what to check. Your guide carries the documents for the Kagbeni checkpost, where the Upper Mustang zone officially begins, and for the ACAP posts on the approach.

Why a licensed guide is still required

Upper Mustang's restricted status protects a living Tibetan-Buddhist culture as much as a sensitive border. The walled city of Lo Manthang, at about 3,840 m, the cave monasteries and the chortens of Lo are fragile, and the region only opened to foreign trekkers in 1992. They depend on the permit fees and the guide requirement, which fund their protection and the local economy. A licensed guide also handles the high, dry, wind-exposed terrain and the logistics of a region with few facilities. If you are comparing restricted-area treks, the same 2026 solo rule now applies to the Manaslu Circuit and Kanchenjunga, so all three open up for individual travellers this year.

2026 Upper Mustang permit cost summary

Permit	2026 cost (non-SAARC)
Upper Mustang RAP	USD 50 per person per day (from Kagbeni)
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)	NPR 3,000 (~USD 20)
TIMS card	Not required (RAP replaces it)
Minimum group size	1 (solo allowed from March 2026, guide required)
Who issues the RAP	Department of Immigration, through a registered agency only

When to go: rain shadow and the Tiji festival

Upper Mustang lies in the rain shadow of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, so it stays dry while most of Nepal sits under the monsoon. That makes it one of the few treks that works in June, July and August, as our monsoon trekking guide explains. The main season runs from March to November. Winter is cold and windy, and many lodges in Lo Manthang close.

The Tiji festival in Lo Manthang falls in spring, usually in May or early June. Exact 2027 dates have not been confirmed yet, and our Upper Mustang Tiji Festival Trek runs from 5 to 22 May 2027. Our festival treks guide covers Tiji in more detail.

Planning a solo Upper Mustang trek

The 2026 changes make Upper Mustang both easier to join solo and cheaper for a shorter itinerary, with the only firm requirement being a licensed guide booked through a registered agency. Swotah arranges the RAP and ACAP, confirms the current per-day fee at booking, pairs you with a licensed guide, and carries the paperwork for the Kagbeni checkpost. See the full routes and dates on our 16-day Upper Mustang Trek, from USD 2,399 per person on a group departure, and the shorter 10-day Upper Mustang, from USD 1,600, or contact our team for a solo quote with every permit included.

Upper Mustang Permit FAQ