Upper Mustang Overland Tour – 8 Days

Your flight to Nepal counts as the first day of the Upper Mustang Overland Tour – 8 Days  after you reach the international airport at Kathmandu. At the airport, the officials will direct you towards the immigration section, where you have to fill out a visa application and apply for a tourist visa.

Make sure that you enter all your legal information correctly; the info on your passport must match what you have written on the visa application form.

After filling out the application form, you have to pay your visa fees at a nearby counter. For this tour, you can take a 15-day visa option, which will set you back USD 30.

After paying, you will get a receipt, which you must submit to the visa officer along with your visa application, passport, proof of accommodation, return tickets, and two passport-sized photos. The visa officer will check all your information and stamp the visa on your passport. This entire process can be done within an hour.

As you exit the terminal, one of our reps will locate you and get you on the flight to Pokhara. This flight is just 20 to 25 minutes long with great views of the northern Himalayas. After arriving at Pokhara, we will first check into our accommodation and spend the rest of the day roaming around.

The following day on the Upper Mustang Overland Tour, we will have a scenic breakfast with views of the Annapurna Himalayan Range. Following that, we have a short and scenic flight to Jomsom, the gateway to Upper Mustang.

This 20-minute flight covers approximately 68 km, which would have taken us 3 to 4 hours to cover by road. Arriving at Jomsom, you will immediately notice the stark difference; it is nothing like Pokhara.

From Jomsom, we will get on a jeep to reach Ghami village. This 4 to 5-hour drive will gain us 800 meters of elevation, starting from 2730 meters at Jomson, and ending at 3520 meters above sea level. The total driving distance is around 32 km, starting with a drive towards Kagbeni village.

We will take a 4WD jeep and head north from Jomsom, alongside the Kali Gandaki River Valley. After covering about 10 km, which takes about 30 minutes, we will reach Kagebni village.

From there, you can get a pretty great view of the Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri peaks. After a short break, the drive goes over the Kali Gandaki River, which marks our entry to the Upper Mustang region.

Soon after, we will arrive at the village of Chhusang, after which the road turns rugged and bumpy. We have to ride over a steep trail to Chele village, going over a series of switchbacks.

From Chele, we have more uphill sections to ride over, leading us to Samar village. This village has many traditional stone and mud houses, making for a charming scene. Continuing the drive, we have to climb up the Taklam La Pass, reaching 3624 meters above sea level.

After a short break there, we will drive to Syangboche and hit the final leg of the day. Passing the Syangboche Pass or Yamada La pass, we will reach 4200 meters and descend to Geling, via Tama Gaun, followed by our arrival at Ghami.

On the 3rd day of the Upper Mustang Overland Tour, we will drive from Ghami to Lo Manthang, covering about 25 km of total distance. This drive is going to take about 3 to 4 hours to complete with a net elevation gain of 320 meters.

Starting from 3520 meters above sea level, the day will end at 3840 meters. Although the net elevation change is low, we will gain substantial elevation throughout the drive as we have to cross Nyi La Pass, reaching 4010 meters, and Lo La Pass, reaching 3950 meters above sea level.

After a filling breakfast at Ghami, the drive starts over a rough trail, heading north from the village, passing by chortens and mani walls. This path leads us to the village of Tsarang, also spelled Charang, reaching 3560 meters.

We will visit a huge 5-story high monastery there and continue the climb to reach the base of Nyi La Pass. Enjoying panoramic views of the Annapurna Himalayas, we will climb up the pass and eventually descend towards Lo La Pass.

During the descent, you will see Lo Manthang for the first time on this Upper Mustang Overland Tour.

After the descent, we will have to ride an ascending trail to Lo La Pass, reaching 3950 meters. Gradually, we will get to the summit of the pass and descend a little to get to the walled city of Lo Manthang.

The next day on the Upper Mustang Overland Tour, we do not have long driving hours; instead, we will spend the day walking around Lo Manthang, visiting many attractions and sites.

After breakfast, we will first visit the Royal Palace, which dates back to the 14th century. This 4-story palace was home to the king of Mustang before the region became a part of Nepal.

After that, we will visit the Thubchen Gompa, where you will get to see vibrant and complex murals that date back to the 15th century.

From there, we will head towards Chode Monastery, one of the active gompas in the region, with resident monks and daily prayers. This gompa is dedicated to the Sakyapa branch of Tibetan Buddhism.

After all that, we will take a short hike to Namgyal Monastery, one of the major religious sites in the region. This hilltop monastery offers a great panoramic scene of the entire region with distant peaks to the north.

Our next stop on the Upper Mustang Overland Tour itinerary is Tingkhar village, which is the last major settlement of the region. Above that, you will not find any villages.

Alternatively, we can also take a short 3-hour jeep ride to Chhoser valley, which remains the most chosen destination from Lo Manthang. The Chhoser Valley is home to the Jhong Cave, a 2500-year-old multi-story cave that was used by ancient monks and travelers.

On the 5th day of the Upper Mustang Overland Tour, we will leave the ancient Lo Manthang and head to one of the most highly revered temples of Nepal, Mukatinath. The total estimated drive duration of the day is 6 to 7 hours, which is the longest in the itinerary.

This drive covers about 70 km of distance with a net elevation loss of 1120 meters. The day starts at 3840 meters and ends at 2720 meters above sea level, with many ascents and descents along the way.

Leaving Lo Manthang, we will head south and ascend gradually to the top of Lo La Pass. This will be the final glimpse of Lo Manthang. After descending from the pass, we will reach Tsarang village after about 2 hours of driving.

From there, we will steadily descend all the way to Ghami village. Sitting at 3520 meters above sea level, we will take a short break before heading south once again. This path leads us to the village of Geling, reaching 3570 meters above sea level.

Continuing the Upper Mustang Overland Tour, we will soon reach Chele village, at 3050 meters, and stop for a filling lunch. This village sits on a ridgeline, with aesthetic views of the Gandaki River valley. Post-lunch, the road crosses the Gandaki River and leads us to Chhusang, at 2980 meters above sea level.

Then, we have to go over a rugged path and cross the Gyu La Pass, reaching 4077 meters above sea level. The view from the top is simply amazing, with Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayan Ranges in the frame.

Descending from the pass, we will eventually get down to Muktinath at 3800 meters above sea level. This temple is one of the main pilgrimage sites for followers of Buddhism and Hinduism. Visiting the temple, you will get to see the intricate architecture of the temple and the 108 water spouts.

If you are feeling adventurous, you can attempt passing under all the water taps (it will be a chilling experience). After that, we will drive to Jomsom, passing by Ranipauwa, Jharkot, and other villages.

Day 6 of the Upper Mustang Overland Tour takes us back to Pokhara. A short 20-minute flight takes us down to 822 meters above sea level, losing about 1898 meters of elevation. Transporting from the arid terrain of Jomsom, Pokhara feels like a tropical heaven.

We will take a 7 AM flight to Pokhara and spend the rest of the day visiting many sites within the city. This will not be a guided sightseeing tour.

The 7th day of the Upper Mustang Overland Tour is here. After a delicious breakfast in Pokhara, we will get on an 8-hour bus ride to Kathmandu. Heading west from Pokhara, we will drive over the Prithvi Highway, pass Dumre, Kurintar, Malekhu, and Naubise to reach Kathmandu.

After arriving at the capital city, we will head to our accommodation for the night. The nightlife in Kathmandu is vibrant; if you are into it, we recommend getting some action to celebrate a successful tour to Upper Mustang.

This is the ultimate day of the Upper Mustang Overland Tour. After a morning breakfast, we will have a short farewell ceremony, go over the final procedures, and escort you to the airport for your next destination.