Upper Mustang Trek

Information

Distance

130.0 km

Duration

10–14 days

Max elevation

4,960 m

Country

Nepal (NP)

Difficulty

Moderate — dusty, windy terrain on high desert plains; no technical challenges; strong westerly winds can be an obstacle; acclimatization is needed above 3,800 m

Best Season

March–May (spring) and September–November (autumn); June–August is also ideal because the area lies in the monsoon rain shadow of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna

Permits & Fees

ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) Permit (~USD 25) + Restricted Area Permit (USD 50 per day, effective from November 2025); a licensed guide is required; permits are processed in Kathmandu or Pokhara before departure

Description

Upper Mustang — Nepal's so-called 'Last Forbidden Kingdom' — is a high-altitude desert plateau tucked behind the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna massifs, closed to foreign visitors until 1992. Lying entirely in the rain shadow, the landscape shifts dramatically from the lush Himalayan foothills: eroded red and ochre cliffs, windswept canyons, and flat-roofed mud-brick villages whose architecture has changed little since the 15th century. The trek begins at Jomsom (2,720 m), accessed by a short flight from Pokhara, and climbs north through Kagbeni past ancient Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and enigmatic sky caves — cliff-face dwellings believed to be up to 2,000 years old, opened to visitors in 2008. The destination is Lo Manthang (3,840 m), Nepal's only walled city, where whitewashed ramparts and the six-century-old royal palace of the Kingdom of Lo remain largely intact. One of the trek's most distinctive features is its monsoon suitability: while most of Nepal receives heavy rainfall from June to August, Upper Mustang's rain-shadow location makes it one of the few Himalayan regions where clear-sky trekking continues through summer.

Trail Highlights

Lo Manthang (3,840 m) — the only walled city in Nepal and the capital of the Kingdom of Lo; the 600-year-old royal palace; 2,000-year-old sky caves; 14th–15th century Tibetan Buddhist monasteries; a unique red-ochre desert landscape; free of monsoon rain in summer; and views of Nilgiri, Annapurna, and Dhaulagiri