Trekking · Mustang
Upper Mustang Trekking Guide
Everything for an Upper Mustang trek to Lo Manthang — route, permit cost, jeep vs walking, Tiji festival and packing.
To trek Upper Mustang, you stage from Jomsom or Kagbeni in freely accessible Lower Mustang, cross the restricted-area checkpoint north of Kagbeni with a special permit, a licensed guide and a registered agency, and walk (or drive) 10 to 14 days through ochre canyons and Tibetan-Buddhist villages to the walled city of Lo Manthang and back. This guide gathers every piece you need — the day-by-day route, the permit and its cost, jeep versus walking, the Tiji festival and how to pack for altitude — with a dedicated pin for each.
Start here: the route and the rules
The two things travellers ask first are how long and how much. For the walking plan, see our Upper Mustang trek itinerary, which lays out the classic Jomsom–Lo Manthang–Jomsom schedule with rest days for the cave monasteries at Chhoser and a flexible return through Dhakmar and Ghami. For money and paperwork, the Upper Mustang permit and cost guide breaks down the roughly US$500 special permit, the Annapurna permit, and the guide and agency fees that make this one of Nepal's pricier treks. Both build on the national picture in our Nepal trekking guide.
On foot, by jeep, or both
A rough road now runs all the way to Lo Manthang, which has changed how people travel here. If you are short on time, the jeep tour to Lo Manthang covers the headline sights in three to five days. If you are weighing the trade-offs, our honest comparison of Mustang by jeep versus on foot explains why many travellers now drive one direction and walk the other — and why purists still prefer to walk the whole way.
Not everyone wants the restricted north. The freely accessible Lower Mustang trek — Jomsom, Marpha, Kagbeni and the sacred temple at Muktinath — needs only the standard Annapurna permit and makes a fine three-to-four-day trip in its own right, or a warm-up before heading higher.
The festival and the practicalities
If you can time it, go for the Tiji festival: three days of masked monastic dances in the square below the royal palace, usually in May. Our Tiji festival at Lo Manthang pin covers what happens and how to plan around the crowds; it sits among the wider festivals of Nepal. Whatever the season, the high desert is cold, windy and thin-aired, so read the Mustang packing and altitude guide before you set off.
How it all fits together
Everything here connects up to the Mustang travel guide hub, which also covers the road up from Pokhara, the apple village of Marpha and the Chhoser sky caves north of Lo Manthang. Upper Mustang ranks among the most rewarding routes in our best treks in Nepal round-up — a living medieval landscape of walled cities, sky caves and painted gompas, reached on a journey as memorable as its destination.
Work through the pins below in order — itinerary, permit, transport, festival, packing — and you will have a complete, realistic plan for one of the Himalaya's last great desert kingdoms.
Trekking & treks
Festivals & events
Getting around
Frequently asked questions
How do you trek to Upper Mustang?+
You start from Jomsom or Kagbeni in Lower Mustang, then cross the restricted-area checkpoint north of Kagbeni with a special permit, a licensed guide and a registered agency. From there a 10 to 14 day round trip climbs through villages such as Chele, Ghami and Tsarang to the walled city of Lo Manthang and back.
How much does an Upper Mustang trek cost?+
The biggest single cost is the special restricted-area permit, around US$500 per person for ten days, on top of the standard Annapurna permit. Add guide, agency, transport, food and lodging and most organised treks land in the region of US$1,800 to US$3,000 per person, depending on group size and whether you use jeeps.
Can you do Upper Mustang by jeep instead of walking?+
Yes. A rough road now reaches Lo Manthang, so jeep tours of three to five days are possible and popular with travellers short on time. Many people drive one direction and walk the other. You still need the special permit, a guide and an agency, whether you go on foot or by vehicle.
When is the best time for Upper Mustang?+
Mustang lies in the Himalayan rain shadow, so it stays dry through the summer monsoon and the season runs roughly March to November. Spring and autumn give the most settled weather. The Tiji festival at Lo Manthang, usually in May, is the single biggest draw and books out early.
