Sightseeing · Mustang
Jhong Cave & Village
A quiet fortress village in the Muktinath valley, with a ruined dzong, an old gompa and cliff cave shrines.
- Price
- $
- Address
- Jhong, Mustang, Gandaki Province
Jhong — also written Dzong — is a quiet fortress village tucked into the Muktinath valley of Mustang, a short way east of Jharkot and below the sacred temple. Often skipped by trekkers hurrying to Muktinath, it rewards a detour with a ruined hilltop fort, a small Tibetan Buddhist monastery, traditional mud-brick lanes and cave shrines cut into the cliffs nearby.
What to expect
The village takes its name from the dzong, the Tibetan-style fort whose weathered ruins crown the rise above the houses. Below it spreads a compact settlement of whitewashed and ochre homes among hand-watered barley terraces, with a modest gompa at its heart. The cliffs around Jhong are pocked with openings and small cave shrines, a lower-valley echo of the great sky caves further north — a reminder that cave dwelling and meditation run right through Mustang's history.
Because it lies off the main pilgrim route, Jhong stays peaceful even when Ranipauwa, the lodging hub right below Muktinath, is busy. It pairs naturally with neighbouring Jharkot and its red Sakya monastery, and the three villages together make an easy, rewarding half-day loop in the Muktinath valley.
A valley of forts
Jhong is one of several fortified villages — alongside Jharkot and Kagbeni — that once guarded the approaches to the sacred springs of Muktinath and the salt-trade route through the Kali Gandaki. The forts are ruins now, grazed by goats and threaded with prayer flags, but they give the valley a layered, lived-in feel. For more villages in this vein, see our national guide to the most beautiful villages in Nepal.
Good to know
- Altitude: Jhong sits around 3,500m in the Muktinath valley; take it easy if you have come up quickly by jeep, and read our altitude sickness in Nepal guide.
- Access: Jhong is in freely accessible Lower Mustang on the standard Annapurna permit — no special permit needed here.
- Nearby: Combine it with the sacred temple at Muktinath and the fortress village of Jharkot just to the west.
- Plan around it: See where it fits among the Upper Mustang highlights and the wider Mustang hub.
For travellers who like to slip off the main track, Jhong is a small, atmospheric reward — a fort-crowned village where the everyday rhythms of the Muktinath valley carry on much as they have for generations.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Jhong village?+
Jhong, also spelled Dzong, is a small village in the Muktinath valley of Mustang district, Gandaki Province, a short distance east of Jharkot and below the Muktinath temple. It sits in freely accessible Lower Mustang on the standard Annapurna permit.
What is there to see in Jhong?+
Jhong is built around the ruins of an old dzong, or fort, that gives the village its name, with a small Tibetan Buddhist monastery and traditional mud-brick houses among barley terraces. Cave shrines and openings are cut into the cliffs near the village.
Do you need a permit for Jhong?+
No restricted-area permit is needed for Jhong, which lies in Lower Mustang on the standard Annapurna Conservation Area permit. The special Upper Mustang permit is only required north of Kagbeni. Confirm current rules before you travel.
How do you get to Jhong?+
Jhong is reached on a short walk or jeep ride from Jharkot and Ranipauwa in the Muktinath valley, off the main route up to the temple. Most visitors add it as a quiet detour while staying near Muktinath.
