Upper Mustang Trek with Luri Gumba

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

Our trekking guide will come to the hotel in the morning at six o’clock to pick you up by 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 (the shape of fish fishtail), Dhaulagiri, Lamjung Himal, and Manaslu. The town of Pokhara is set on the banks of Phewa Lake. It is smaller and much less hectic than Kathmandu providing the perfect starting point for our trek. Stay overnight at the hotel.

If you wish you avoid the long drive to Pokhara then you may take a short flight from Kathmandu at an additional cost ( USD 106 per person). It will be a 20 to 30-minute flight, 

Early in the morning, we will fly to Jomsom. The flight is 25 minutes on a scenic flight with a view of spectacular mountains. Then drive from Jomsom to Kagbeni for 45 minutes to 1 hour or you can walk from Jomsom (2713m) to Kagbeni (2897m) after breakfast tow to three hours along the Kalaigandaki River bank. 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. Staying overnight at the tea house at Kagbeni. 

Our journey begins with a special permit check-up and onwards to the riverbank of Kaligandaki River up to the valley. Today’s walk, the trail leads us through the picturesque deserted and windswept valleys. This trail continues up and downhill until we reach Tangbe village. From here we trek onwards to Chhusang and after a 1½ hour walk. Here we will stay overnight at a local tea house.

Today, we start our trek again after breakfast and 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) in 45 minutes to an hour. Keep walking further to Ekle Bhatti then climb to Taklam La Pass (3,624m) through a narrow stretch of the plateau with views of Tilicho Peak, Yaskawa Kang, Nilgiri, and Damodar Danda and get in Samar (3,660m). We stay again at a teahouse overnight.

After breakfast at the Tea house, the trail descended the Chungsi Monastery Cave (3400m), we walked for about two to three hours until we got to the Syanbochen (3475m) main trail. The rest of the day explores the surrounding ancient unique village area. After lunch at Syangbuchen, the trail leads us uphill to the Syangboche La (3,860m) and passes a few teahouses, Chortens (Tibetan Stupa), and local villages with Tibetan-style houses. We then cross over a few other paths. Finally, we get to Ghiling (3.570m) village and check in the tea house for an overnight stay. 

After breakfast, we start our trek on a pleasant and easy trail which we’ll walk for about 4 to 5 hours up to Dhakmar (3,820m), the trail separate from Ghami (3,520m) to go Charang (3,560m) and Lomanthang. However, this route is affected by road, so, we hike through the trekking trail untouched by road, so we have a long climb to the Nyi Pass (4,010m) and Ghami La (3,765m) with a wonderful landscape view. Keep walking to the Dhakmar (3,820m) for an overnight stay at the tea house, after 14.3 kilometers of walking. Enjoy the remaining time wandering around the ancient village and people's livelihood. 

This is one of the big days during our trip. The trail leads us to Lo-Mangthang with a majestic view of Nilgiri, Tilicho, Annapurna I, and Bhrikuti. The landscape scenery is absolutely fascinating from the Mui La Pass (4,170m) and stops for lunch at Ghar Gumba (3,950m) known as Lo Gekar Gumba. This is one of the oldest monasteries in Nepal and 2nd oldest monastery in the world established in the 8th century by guru Padmasambhava well known as Guru Rinpoche, who was the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. Then walk to the Lomanthang via Chogo La (4,280m). Then the trail further ascends gently to the windy trail, 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 place right next to the Tibetan border. 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. Staying overnight at Hotel at Lo Manthang. 

If some trekkers don't like to cross the high passes, then they could go to Lo Mantnag by Jeep or bus through the Charang Village. The road 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. You may go to Ghar Gumpa via Mui La (4,170m) from Dhakmar skip Charang Village. This is more option available for every trekker. 

Today is your special day to explore around Lo-Mangthang. 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, and 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 Darbar (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 a walled city, 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 regime of the Mustang King, the towers were guarded by armed guards to defend the town from the enemies.

On this day you may visit the Namgyal ‘The Monastery of Victory’, Tinker ‘Summer Palace of Mustangs King’, Chooser Valley ‘famous for cave culture’, and Luri Gumba ‘built inside the rock’ which are other major attractions of Upper Mustang. Jhong Cave at Choser (3,961m) is a spectacular multi-storied cave building with 42 rooms, which is an example of ancient human civilization and their tradition to get into Cave Gumba it takes about a 1 ½ to 2 hours walk away from Lo Manthang or you have the option of pony trek or hire a motorbike or any Vehicles. You can visit Kamaling Monastery (4,030m) while visiting There are other many hidden treasures around the Chooser Village that you may explore as well if not too tired. Or if you have enough time, you may Drive to Kora La 4,660m (Nepal-Tibet border).

At the begging of a day trip, we climb less steeply to the Lo La Pass an elevation of 3,950 meters, and via Dhi La (3950m), you have amazing scenery of Lo-Manthang behind you; this is the last view of Lo-Manthang before making the next left at the trail marker signaling the route to Dhi Village. The scenery is a stunningly beautiful and dramatic canyon top walk for a few hours, always with extremely dramatic views, often rolling. The route is a geologist's dream, a mini Grand Canyon of ancient, breakdown, and sculpted rocks. The trail descent gets steeper and the scare looser the further we descend, your pole supports you. Soon we see the lush, green oasis called Dhi Village (3,360m) below us; this is an old salt trading route to Tibet.

After having a cup of tea and a rest in Dhi, the trail descend to the Kali Gandaki River and crosses a bridge, and then turns left at the next major river junction five minutes further down the valley. We keep on another hour's walk along the river valley, with the last ascent on the left of the Saligram-filled riverbed, to reach beautiful Yara. Notice the fluted cliff side across the river, from Yara; fantastic, sculpted canyons with the remains of a network of ancient caves, now eroded enough to be inaccessible. We stay at the Tea House at Yara, a bustling village full of Mustang life. If you walk above the village in the afternoon, you have a lovely view of Yara village.

After having breakfast, we head out on a day trip to Luri Gompa and Tashi Kabum with pack lunch. The trail goes along the Saligram spotted riverbed for an hour to reach the access point to the Tashi Kumbum cave complex, accessible via a narrow ledge of a trail. Tashi Kumbum is a newly discovered ancient cave; a group of six cave dwellings from the 15th century. Here are fantastic Buddhist murals and a large exquisitely painted Chorten.

To get to Monastery, we need to hike for another hour along the narrowing river valley to the fabled Druk-pa Luri Gompa and its complex of Tibetan Buddhist caves, some of which are accessible others now 'closed' forever. From the river, we'll have a short hike up to the newer Gomba, and then a steeper hike up to the cave complex on a newly rebuilt trail.

According to the locals, one of the older Kings of Lo married a Bhutanese princess, thus the Druk-pa influence. The main Luri Gompa is situated down near the riverbank and one of the nuns who keep the key will lead on a crumbling trail up to the upper prayer room and the fifteenth-century 'Kabum Stupa', made of highly polished stucco and painted with intricately detailed Newari-styled Buddhist frescos of the Kagyupa saints Tilopa, Naropa and Marpa. Locals believe that it is from the 13th to 14th century, and linked to the Tashi Kumbum caves, one of a group of connected cave dwellings throughout this particular region. Unfortunately, or fortunately, most have been rendered inaccessible due to the intense erosion in Mustang, so will remain hidden throughout history.

We'll return to Yara via Ghara, another lovely village on the high plateau about half an hour from Luri Gompa. We can stay on the higher trail after Ghara, reaching Yara about an hour later.

Today we need to cross Kali Gandaki River several times without a bridge, so it's better to use your sandals. It is a day of sandal hiking. We drop back down to the Puyung Khola and return to Surkhang, the very small administrative center just south of Dhi, and hike above the village to a viewpoint looking down the Kali Gandaki. About 20 minutes walk after this point, we are back on the riverbank, and we have to cross the river for the first time, either on a precarious series of stone steps or with sandals, across the river. Keep your sandals on from this point as we'll have to re-cross the river several times. After one and half hours of river bank walking, we reach the large Dechyang Khola from where Saligrams are mined further upriver.

Walking south along the stunning Kali Gandaki riverbank for another one and half hours, searching for Saligrams, and crossing the river several times, we finally reach the Tangge Khola Sumdo. Turning left, we trek along this pebbly, windy floodplain for another hour or more, crossing this river several times as well before finally spotting the magical, whitewashed village of Tangge built into the terraced hillside. Climbing slightly to the main trail, we pass the line of red, yellow, white, and blue-grey Chortens and the long Mani wall with four carved figures on each.

Tagged is an incredibly stunning village, with monumental ochre and white Chortens, long Mani walls, and traditional architecture, surrounded by terraced barley fields, a village of many sheep, goats, and large mastiffs, and the largest Chorten in Mustang (over 50 feet high). Many houses and barley fields were swiped away by massive mudslides. According to elderly people, there were over 100 houses in Tangge before this tragedy, but now there are only twenty houses. Look to the south for views of the snow peak called Ka Karru by locals. We stay at Tea House overnight.

This is another long day. Therefore we need to start early in the morning. As there is no good tea house, it will best to buy pack lunch and sufficient water reserve. After leaving the village, we need to cross the suspension bridge and follow the river bank shortly. Again we need to cross the river; then the trail goes steeply climbed up to reach a small pass which takes about 3 hours. Now, we need to climb straight to Pha (shelter house) where we have our packed lunch. After the lunch break, the trail continues crossing many small passes and Pa Pass (4210m) for about 2 hours until we reach the top of the hill. Then we follow the steeply descends trail with strong winds until we reach Chhusang village. We have a superb view of Nilgiri Himal, Dhaulagiri I, Tukuche Peak, and other snow peaks. We stay overnight in Lodge.

Today is our last day and is quite long. It is better to start early as the wind will also pick up early. We will trek to Kagbeni which finishes the upper Mustang trails and joins up with the normal as Annapurna circuit trek. We follow the trails downstream of the Kaligandaki river. Sometimes we go over small passes but it is not too difficult. We gradually get down through this old salt trade route, alongside Stupas and monasteries. After lunch at Kagbeni will head on to Jomsom (2710) for the overnight stop. The trail goes to the Ekle Bhatti which gives some close views of Nilgiri and a beautiful view of the Kagebeni village. The trail continues down the stony path facing Tukuche( 6960m), Dhaulagiri (8168m), and Nilgiri ( 6940m). We arrive at Jomsom for lunch and then explore this district headquarters.

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 the morning in a hotel lobby in order to have breakfast or seek advice from your trekking guide. We will drive back to Kathmandu through 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 of flying time with spectacular views of the Himalayas, high hills, terraces, local settlements, and forests. This can indeed make it worth flying.

On this pleasant day, you may have full day at leisure either relax at hotel or explore the around Thamel. Today is day of ending your journey, so we hand over you Trip Certificate, Trekking Permit and TIMS Card for memory of Nepal trip. Today is free or last minute shopping for souvenirs or gift to your family, friends or relatives for you until departure. Our assist will be transfer to the International Airport for your departure flight to your onwards destination, taking with you the memory of a life time.