The walled city of Lo Manthang, old monasteries, traditional villages, and cave houses perched high on cliffs are only a few examples of The Last Forbidden Kingdom's incredible wealth in preserved Tibetan Buddhist culture.

Kathmandu, Nepal (June 2023): Organised upper Mustang trekking only began visiting the area in 1992, and numbers are limited with an average of less than 1,000 visitors per year.

The Upper Mustang journey offers an adventure 14-day itinerary with spectacular walking through a striking semi-arid desert with colorful rock formations, deep ravines, and snow-capped peaks around you. It is located in the isolated Trans-Himalayan Region of this semi-independent Tibetan Kingdom. The beautiful surroundings merge flawlessly with history, culture, myth, and folklore.

The dry, Tibet-like region at the northern end of the Kali Gandaki is commonly referred to as Mustang; its locals call it Lo Mustang, one of Nepal's most intriguing regions has a rich,lengthy, and complicated past.

Despite the legends, myths, and mystery surrounding Lo's early history, there are records of Lo-related events dating back to the eighth century. Milarepa, a Tibetan poet who lived from 1040 to 1123, is quite likely to have travelled to Lo. The landscape in Lo itself is reminiscent of the Tibetan plateau with its limitless stretches of grey and yellow undulating hills that have been worn by the wind.

According to Welcome Nepal Treks expert, “The lower portion of upper Mustang receives more rainfall, and the hills there frequently resemble huge red fluted cliffs made of tiny round stones that have been mud-cemented together. When the crops are sown for the summer, the villages, which are many hours distant and almost like mirages in the distance, become a lush green oasis in the desert-like surroundings.”

Length of Upper Mustang Trek & Terrain

The primary route described above is about 100 km long, although you can modify it if you'd like. Every day, the trip begins at 8.30 a.m. after breakfast, and there are numerous opportunities to take pictures, take in the scenery,pause, or enjoy a cup of tea along the way.

The beauty of this trip is that we don't go to any certain height, and the pace is leisurely, allowing for excellent acclimatization. Most days of the upper Mustang trek last 6 to 7 hours and are typically over by midday.

The terrain is along clearly marked trails that have been traveled before. Sometimes the paths are sand and desert-like, other times they are rocky. Crampons, technical equipment, or special skills are not required because this is just a trek. Due to its isolation from the rest of Nepal and the outside world until the early 1990s, the Mustang is unspoiled and has a rich Tibetan culture; yet, you will receive a warm and cordial welcome.