Upper Mustang Tiji Festival Trek

Upon arrival at international airport, our waiting support team will meet and greet you at the airport assist and transfer to the Hotel.

Trekking preparation and permit organize day. Please, check your insurance details and have a copy of your travel medical insurance policy with you.

Our trekking guide will come to the hotel in the morning at six o’clock to pick you with private transport. We’ll drive to Pokhara (200 km) which will take us about 6 to 7 hours on a very scenic route. Along the journey you will witness some stunning scenery of snow capped mountains, green hills, rivers in rafting, and villages. Pokhara is a beautiful valley with panoramic views of Annapurna, Machapuchare (shape of fish tail), Dhaulagiri, Lamjung Himal and Manaslu. The town of Pokhara is set on the banks of the Phewa Lake. It is smaller and much less hectic than Kathmandu providing the perfect starting point for our trek. Stay overnight at hotel.

Early in the morning we will fly to Jomsom. The flight is 25 minutes on a scenic flight view of Spectaculars Mountains. We start the first day trekking from Jomsom (2713m) to Kagbeni (2897m) after breakfast. The trail follows the wide valley of the Kali Gandaki. Here the wind generally picks up after about midday but will at least be blowing at our backs as you head up to ancient village Kagbeni in the morning time. The rest of the day we will explore around the village, people, and culture.

Our journey begins with a special permit check up and onwards to the riverbank of Kaligandaki River up to the valley. During today’s walk, the trail leads us through the picturesque deserted and windswept valleys. This trail continues up and downhill until we reach the Tangbe village. From here we trek onwards to Chhusang and after a 1½ hour walk we cross a river heading up to the huge red chunk of conglomerate that has fallen from the cliff above. The trail continues heading on to small ridges until we reach the Chele village (3050m) after 18 kilometers. Here we will stay overnight at a local tea house.

Today, we start our trek again after breakfast and walk further to Ekle Bhatti then climb to Taklam La Pass (3,624m) through a narrow stretch of plateau with views of Tilicho Peak, Yakawa Kang, Nilgiri and Damodar Danda. After lunch in Samar, we walk further for about three hours until Syanbochen (3475m). The trail today is 8 kilometers long. The rest of the day explores surrounding ancient unique village area. We stay again at a teahouse overnight.

The trail lead us uphill to the Syangboche La (3,860m) and passing a few teahouses, Chortens (Tibetan Stupa), and local villages with Tibetan style houses. We then cross over a few other paths. After lunch, we have a longer climb to the Nyi Pass (4,010m) and Ghami La (3,765m) with wonderful landscape view. Then we descend to Ghaymi (3,520m) for the overnight stay at tea house, after 12 kilometers of walking.

After breakfast, we start our trek on a pleasant and easy trail which we’ll walk for about 4 to 5 hours up to Charang (3,560m). Then after crossing Ghaymi Khola, the trail climbs to a plateau and passes beside a very long Mani wall (Mantra inscribed stone walls) which heads east to Tsarang. After about 11 kilometers up and down the trail get us to the teahouse in Charang, where we will stay overnight. We will enjoy exploring around the ancient village for the rest of the day.

The trail leads us to Lo-Mangthang with a majestic view of Nilgiri, Tilicho, Annapurna I, and Bhrikuti. The landscape scenery is absolutely fascinating. At first, the trail descends to Tsarang Chu Canyon and then climbs steeply up after crossing the river. Then the trail further ascends gently to the windy pass of Lo La (3,950m) , from where you can see the Lo-Mangthang valley (3,810m) while views of the walled city appear magnificently amongst its hills. All of this takes places right next to the Tibetan boarder. We will stay overnight at a local hotel. The rest of the time can be spent exploring around the surrounding areas which are almost identical to Tibet and Tibetan culture.

Today is your special day to explore around Lo-Mangthan and Tiji Fastival. You first explore the surrounding Namgyal Gomba monastery situated on a hilltop, which serves as an important monastery of the local community and also as a local court. After visiting Namgyal Gompa (3,910m) continue the hike to Tingkhar (4,025m), which is a village of around 40 houses, the last main village to the northwest of Lo-Mangthang. After finishing your visit stroll back to the hotel. You have another option to visit the Chamjung and Lhaktung Gumba, the red Thugchen monastery, Chyodi Gomba are in the entrance hall which are the main attractions of Lo Mangthang. Besides this you may visit the four story building of the Raja's Darabar (Royal Place) as well as the surrounding panoramic views of the Himalaya, where the Lo Mangthang Ex: King -Jigme Prabal Bista (25th King of the Upper Mustang Kingdom) offers you Tibetan tea as a sigh of his hospitality.

Lo Manthang is known as walled city also, it is believed to be built in 1380 AD by the first King of Lo ‘Ame Pal’. The wall which is 2422 feet (725m) long and 26 feet (about 8 m) high has a series of 14 towers along its border. The towers rise 40 feet (12m) high, 6 feet (2m) wide at the base and 3 feet (1m) wide at the top. During the regimes of the Mustangi King, the towers were guarded by armed guards to defend the town from the enemies. The ceremony start early in the afternoon, some of Lama blow the horns making with echo sound before announcing the two twelve-foot copper Dunchens, with their elephantine blurting, followed by two double-reeled horns, all accompanied by drum and cymbals. Then an ancient Tanka unrolled down from three stories high entire south wall of the Monastery. This Thanka is re-preventative of great saint Padma Sambhava who is well known as Guru Rimpoche , he introduced this ceremony to Tibet in the 8th century. At mid day, the 11 Lamas (Monks) in maroon and gold, wearing high red hats, will came from the palace and take their places along the wall beneath the Thanka, with Tashi Tenzing on the elevated seat just in the center. While they are chanting, twelve more monks come from the palace in maroon and royal blue and glittering gold brocade, with cymbal-shaped hats decked with upright peacock plumes. After that flock of Lama with masked start the portrayals of the Tiji myth by dance. The story of dance performance is about demon and god. Dorje Jono repels the demon through the power of his magical dancing – he dances fifty-two separate dances, one of them in ten different bodies, each with a different head. At the end of dance Dorje Jono kills the demon after which his people are relieved of their plague of misfortunes, water becomes plentiful once more, and the balance and harmony of existence are restored.

This is special day of celebration. People around the villages come to this ceremony with their traditional dress; the outlying hamlets and the small square will be thronged with wild beautiful people, with all of the women and children, at least. The King of Mustang also used to present the festival as main guest wearing a whole crown of tiny river pearls set off by dozens of large red coralline tones interspersed with matched ornaments of turquoise. Now, Nepal become of state of federal democracy Republic, we do not have any more King accordingly constitution. Even, the local greet Ex –Royal family like previously. The theatre of the festival then becomes a blur of costumes and masks, the twelve-foot horns, gold cups of wheat, butter cakes, snow peaks and wind and dust and sun, rajas and foreigners, dogs and yaks. This is enjoyable day with different performance.

Tiji Festival ends with the ceremonial destruction of the evil remains, represented by some long black yak hair and red Torma (made by barley flour) cakes minced to a dark red gurry. The demons red remnants are set out on an old tiger skin, where-upon they are attacked by bow and arrow, slings, and the old guns. The poor devils remains are over- turned upon the ground, each time to a wild cannonade from the old muzzle-loaders and a wave of cheers and smoke. This day you may visit to the Namgyal ‘The Monastery of Victory’, Tinker ‘summer palace of Mustangies King’, Choser Valley ‘famous for cave culture’ and Luri Gumba ‘built inside the rock’ are other major attraction of Upper Mustang. Choser Cave is spectacular multi storied cave building with 42 rooms, which is an example of ancient human civilization and their tradition and to get in cave Gumba it takes about 1 ½ to 2 hour walk away from Lo Manthang or you have option pony trek or hire motorbike or any Vehicles. There are other many hidden treasure around the Choser Village (4,320m), where you may explore as well if not too tired.

We will drive back by Jeep Lo-Mangthang to Jomsom (2713m) through the amazing landscape and unique villages review. During this drive you may need to change Jeep few places. Which is depends on road condition and jeep management rule and regulation by locals.

Early in the morning we fly to Pokhara by small aircraft while enjoying the majestic mountain views above the world’s deepest gorge. The rest of the day can be spent relaxing in the Pokhara hotel. If you are up for it, feel free to wander around the Lake Side city with its fascinating mountains panorama views and charming nature.

We should be ready by 6:00 in morning in hotel lobby in order to have breakfast or seek advice from your trekking guide. We will drive back to Kathmandu through on the main road passing terraces, streams, rivers, local settlements, and high hills. It takes about 7 hours (conditional) to reach your hotel in Kathmandu. If you are interested to fly from Pokhara to Katmandu (bear in mind the extra cost of the plane tickets) please request Nepal Mother House Trekking to book your flight ticket in advance. It takes about 30 minutes flying time with spectacular views of the Himalayas, high hills, terraces, local settlements, and forests. This can indeed make it worth flying.