Upper Mustang

Spring (March to June) is the best overall season for this trek. Temperatures are pleasant at lower altitude, the skies are generally clear and the higher passes are snow-free from late March. The Tiji Festival in Lo Manthang takes place in May — if you can align your trek to see it, the experience is exceptional. Ask Swotah about the Tiji Festival Trek, specifically timed to coincide with this three-day celebration.

Autumn (September to mid-November) is equal to spring as a trekking season. Post-monsoon clarity gives sharp mountain views; the air is cool and stable. October is typically the single best month for long-distance views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges from the Mustang plateau.

Monsoon (July to September): Uniquely for Nepal, trekking in Upper Mustang during the monsoon is possible because of the rain shadow. The trans-Himalayan plateau sees very little rain regardless of the monsoon season. However, the lower sections (Jomsom and below) will be wet, and flights in and out of Jomsom are frequently delayed or cancelled during monsoon months. Landslides on the Pokhara-Beni road can affect road access.

Winter (December to February): Not recommended. Heavy snow covers the trail and passes from December; temperatures at Lo Manthang drop to minus 20°C at night. The majority of Upper Mustang's inhabitants migrate to Pokhara or Kathmandu for the winter, leaving the villages largely empty.

Upper Mustang requires two trekking permits, both obtained through Swotah before departure from Pokhara:

Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP): Required for all trekkers entering the Mustang region. Cost: NRS 3,000 per person (approximately USD 22).

Restricted Area Permit (RAP): This is the special permit that makes Upper Mustang the Forbidden Kingdom — it is the most restricted trekking zone in Nepal. From November 2025, the cost is USD 50 per person per day in Upper Mustang (the defined restricted zone begins at Kagbeni). Previously the minimum was USD 500 for 10 days regardless of stay; the new per-day rate makes shorter Upper Mustang treks more accessible. The standard 16-day itinerary spends 10 days in the restricted zone (days 3 to 12), making the RAP cost approximately USD 500 per person.

Both permits are included in the Swotah tour price. You are required to carry these permits at all times on the trek — there are checkpoints where they will be checked. Do not cross the checkpoint at Kagbeni into Upper Mustang without your guide and valid permits.

All accommodation on this trek is in teahouses — the simple guesthouses that are the standard of the Nepali trekking circuit. Upper Mustang teahouses are among the most basic in Nepal. Set expectations accordingly: this is not a comfortable hotel trek.

Sleeping rooms: Twin beds in a small room. Single rooms are rarely available. No heating in sleeping rooms; the communal dining room (and usually only the dining room) has a wood-burning stove or electric heater. At 3,800 m in Lo Manthang, sleeping room temperatures at night can drop below freezing. A sleeping bag rated to minus 5°C minimum is essential; minus 10°C is recommended for the Lo Manthang nights.

Toilets and showers: Shared with other guests. Often the squat-style toilets common throughout Asia. Hot showers are available at most teahouses but charged separately (typically NRS 100 to 200 per shower — a bucket of hot water in the more basic establishments). Bring hand sanitiser, wet wipes and your own toilet paper. Do not expect to find toilet paper in the teahouse bathrooms.

The communal dining room is the heart of teahouse life — where meals are cooked, where groups gather, and where guides brief the next day's route. It is also typically the warmest room in the building and the place to dry damp socks and charge phones.

Upper Mustang was known as the Kingdom of Lo — an independent Himalayan kingdom with its own king, traditions and culture for over 600 years. The founder, a warrior chief called Ame Pal, established Lo Manthang in 1380 and became the first king. The location was strategic: the Kali Gandaki gorge was the primary trade route between the Tibetan Plateau and the Indian subcontinent, giving the kings of Lo control over salt, grain and yak trade that made the kingdom wealthy and significant despite its small size.

In 1795, the Kingdom of Mustang was annexed by Nepal's King Prithvi Narayan Shah, but the kings of Lo continued to rule locally as a de facto independent entity for two more centuries. The area was so remote — requiring a challenging cross-mountain approach from any direction — that the outside world knew almost nothing about it until the Swiss geologist and explorer Toni Hagen visited in 1952 as part of his monumental foot-mapping of all Nepal. Upper Mustang was officially closed to foreigners until 1992; even after opening it remained restricted and expensive to enter, limiting visitor numbers.

The last reigning king, Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista, ruled until the Nepalese government abolished all monarchies in 2008. A descendant of Ame Pal across 25 generations, Jigme Dorje was deeply loved by the people of Lo; he died in 2016 and is still revered across the region. His legacy includes the preservation of Lo Manthang's monasteries, the opening of the royal palace to visitors and the continued celebration of the Tiji Festival. His son, Jigme Sinki Palbar Bista, is held in the same regard today.

The main ethnic group is the Lopa people, culturally and linguistically Tibetan, with a way of life built on agriculture (barley, buckwheat and mustard are the main crops), animal husbandry (yak, goat) and, historically, the salt trade. Thakali and Gurung people also live in the lower Mustang valleys. Religion is Tibetan Buddhism, specifically the Sakya and Kagyu schools in Upper Mustang; a small number of Bon practitioners also remain — one of the last concentrations of Bon in Nepal, and also found in Upper Dolpo.

Lo Manthang is the goal of the trek — a medieval walled city at 3,840 m in the heart of the Upper Mustang plateau, its ochre and white walls rising directly from the dry plain with the ridgelines of the Tibetan Plateau behind. It was founded in 1380 and has changed remarkably little since. The city wall encloses roughly 180 households; the royal palace of the kings of Lo dominates the northern corner. Inside the walls, three ancient monasteries are the cultural heart of the city.

Jampa Lhakhang is the oldest monastery in Lo Manthang, established in the 15th century and containing remarkable clay sculptures of Maitreya (the future Buddha) and original wall murals painted in the Tibetan style. Thubchen Gompa, also 15th century, is the largest monastery in Lo Manthang — a great assembly hall with a distinctive blue facade and wall murals of the Thousand Buddhas that run around the entire interior. Chode Monastery is the most active of the three, with a resident monk community. Together, these three monasteries were the subject of a major restoration project by the American Himalayan Foundation in the 1990s and 2000s.

The Royal Palace, opened to visitors by the last king, is a four-storey building with a small museum of royal artefacts and a shrine room. The rooftop gives the best view over the walled city and the plateau.

The Tiji Festival takes place in Lo Manthang in May over three days. Based on the lunar calendar, exact dates vary annually. The festival celebrates the victory of Dorje Sonam (a reincarnation of Buddha) over demons threatening Mustang — enacted through masked dances (Tso Chham and Rha Chham), sword displays and a final procession to expel the demons from the city. Swotah offers a dedicated Tiji Festival Trek timed to coincide with it.

The sky caves — locally known as the Jhong Caves after the village nearest to the most famous cluster — are one of the great mysteries of the Himalaya. Hundreds of man-made cave chambers have been cut into the sandstone and conglomerate cliffs of Upper Mustang, many at heights of 50 metres or more above the valley floor, in clusters of up to five storeys. Reaching them requires a short technical climb on wooden poles or ladders left by local guides.

Why were they built? Nobody knows with certainty. Archaeologists have found mummified human remains in some caves, along with artefacts dating back over 2,000 years, suggesting some were used as burial chambers. Others appear to have served as meditation retreats, granaries or defensive lookout points. More recent Buddhist murals painted on cave walls suggest some were repurposed as shrines after their original function was forgotten. In recent years, local communities have placed Buddhist artefacts in accessible cave chambers to attract visitors; these newer additions are easy to distinguish from the ancient material.

On day 8 of the trek, a half-day excursion from Lo Manthang visits the Jhong Caves — the most accessible and most dramatic cluster. Your guide will take you up into the cliff chambers. Bring a headtorch. The afternoon returns to Lo Manthang for the royal palace and monasteries.

Meals are simple, filling and adapted to the high-altitude environment. Teahouse kitchens serve a consistent menu across Upper Mustang:

Breakfast: tsampa (roasted barley flour porridge), Tibetan bread (a thick, slightly sweet flatbread fried or baked), pancakes, eggs, porridge, tea and coffee. Try salted Tibetan butter tea at least once — warming and sustaining at altitude despite tasting nothing like ordinary tea.

Lunch: usually taken at a teashop on the trail — momos (Tibetan-style dumplings, vegetarian or meat), noodle soup, Tibetan tea and tsampa. On longer or more remote stretches your guide will arrange a packed lunch of Tibetan bread with honey or cheese from the morning teahouse.

Dinner: vegetable or meat soups, fried rice, chow mein (fried noodles), thukpa (thick Tibetan noodle soup with vegetables or meat), dal bhat on days near more populated settlements. Hot lemon is always available; beer and soft drinks are available but at considerably higher cost than at lower altitudes.

Drinking water: Do not buy water in plastic bottles — carry a refillable bottle and either use water purification tablets or boiled water from the teahouse (ask at every stop). River and stream water should only be used where the guide specifically says it is safe.

A typical day: Early breakfast at 7 to 8 am in the communal dining room; the guide briefs the route over breakfast. Set off between 8 and 9 am. Trek 4 to 7 hours with a lunch stop at a trail teashop or packed lunch at a scenic point. Arrive at the next teahouse in the early afternoon for tea and rest. Optional monastery visit or village walk before dinner at 6 to 7 pm. Early night — the alpine cold makes late evenings uncomfortable.

Upper Mustang remained unchanged for centuries partly because of its inaccessibility. Road access now exists to much of the area, and Nepali domestic tourism — which carries no permit costs — has grown rapidly since the mid-2010s. Swotah asks all guests to help limit the impact of their visit:

• Do not buy water in plastic bottles. Carry a refillable bottle and purify water or use boiled teahouse water.
• Do not litter. Carry all rubbish to the next teahouse and put it in the assigned bin. Do not throw it in the kitchen fire — this is culturally inappropriate in Nepal.
• Do not throw anything into rivers or streams.
• Do not draw on, chip, carve or deface mani walls, chortens or any religious structure. The carved and painted stones on mani walls are acts of devotion that sometimes represent years of work.
• Do not pull down or take prayer flags. They are available for purchase to take home.
• In monasteries: remove shoes, sit quietly, walk clockwise, do not touch statues or religious objects. A donation to the monastery fund is expected and appreciated.
• Ask your guide before photographing local people closely, particularly monks or people at prayer.

Buying locally made souvenirs, staying in teahouses and family homestays, and hiring a local porter directly supports the communities you pass through.

Flights to/from Jomsom: All flights operate in the early morning before the Kali Gandaki gorge winds rise — typically between 6 and 10 am. After noon, the gorge winds make safe landing impossible. Weather delays are common; it is entirely normal to wait one to three days for a Jomsom flight. Build flexibility into your international departure — do not book your international flight for the day after the scheduled Jomsom-Pokhara flight. If flights are cancelled for more than two days, an alternative jeep/bus route to Pokhara (5 to 6 hours) is available.

Connectivity: Ncell and NTC mobile networks cover parts of the Mustang valley but coverage is unreliable above Jomsom. Lo Manthang has intermittent coverage. Buy an Ncell SIM at Kathmandu airport on arrival. Some teahouses offer Wi-Fi via satellite connection for a small charge.

Electricity and charging: Solar power provides limited electricity in most teahouses. Charging phones and cameras is possible in the dining room but may be charged (NRS 100 to 200). Bring a fully charged power bank from Pokhara. Batteries drain faster in cold conditions at altitude.

Money: There are no ATMs in Upper Mustang. Withdraw sufficient Nepali Rupees in Pokhara before flying to Jomsom. Budget approximately NRS 500 to 1,000 per day for hot showers, phone charging, extra drinks and any personal purchases. Most teahouses do not accept credit cards.

Health: A hospital in Jomsom and a basic health post in Lo Manthang provide first-line care. For anything serious, evacuation to Pokhara is the only option — ensure your travel insurance includes helicopter rescue from remote Nepal (minimum USD 5,000 coverage recommended). Your guide carries a first aid kit and has first aid training.

The Tiji Festival is the most important annual celebration in Upper Mustang, held over three days in May at Lo Manthang. The exact dates change yearly following the Tibetan lunar calendar. The festival has been celebrated for approximately 500 years and commemorates the victory of Dorje Sonam — a reincarnation of the Buddha — over the demons who were terrorising the people of Mustang.

Each of the three days has a different ritual:

Day 1 (Tso Chham): Monks of Lo Manthang's monasteries perform elaborate masked dances in the courtyard of Chode Monastery telling the story of the demons and Dorje Sonam. The costumes are extraordinarily detailed — made over months — and the slow ritual dances have a hypnotic quality.

Day 2: Dorje Sonam begins the chase of the demons through the walled city, accompanied by sword dances and music. The energy builds throughout the day.

Day 3 (Rha Chham): The climax. Dorje Sonam succeeds in expelling the demons: a masked procession leads from the monastery to the city gates, where the demons are symbolically cast out of Mustang. The third day is the most dramatic for visitors and the most photographed.

The festival draws Lopa people from across the Upper Mustang valley, Tibetan traders from across the border, and foreign visitors who have timed their trek specifically to see it. Swotah runs a dedicated Tiji Festival Trek — ask for details if you are interested.

Upper Mustang sits north of the main Himalayan range in the rain shadow of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. The vegetation is strikingly sparse compared with most of Nepal: above the treeline (which ends around Chhusang at roughly 3,000 m), the dominant plants are thorny scrub, high-altitude grasses and the occasional wild rose. The distinctive landscape feature is the red, orange and grey sandstone and conglomerate cliffs — sculpted by wind and the Kali Gandaki into towers, arches and canyon walls that give Upper Mustang its surreal, Mars-like quality.

Wildlife: the Himalayan Wolf (Canis lupus chanco) is present in Upper Mustang — one of the largest populations in Nepal. Blue Sheep (bharal) are commonly seen on rocky slopes. Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits the area but sightings are rare; their presence explains why wolves and blue sheep are sighted — the whole predator-prey chain is intact. The Himalayan Griffon Vulture is frequently overhead.

Mountain views from the Upper Mustang plateau are dominated by Nilgiri North (7,061 m) directly above the southern approach, Annapurna I (8,091 m) to the southeast, and Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) to the southwest. On the final flight from Jomsom to Pokhara, Machhapuchhre (6,993 m) fills the window at close range.