Festival · Nepal
Yartung Festival
A summer horse-racing harvest festival in Mustang and Manang, held around the August full moon.
Yartung is the great summer festival of Nepal's high trans-Himalayan valleys — a horse-racing harvest celebration held around the August full moon, when the growing season ends and communities gather to feast, sing, dance and race. It livens up Muktinath and Jomsom in Lower Mustang, Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang and the village of Manang on the Annapurna Circuit. For trekkers timing a high-mountain trip, it is one of the most colourful events in our Nepal festivals and events cluster.
What Yartung celebrates
Yartung marks the end of the summer harvest in the barley- and buckwheat-growing valleys north of the main Himalaya. After months of farming, families come together for several days of celebration. Horse racing is the heart of it — a tradition tied to the region's pastoral, trans-Himalayan culture — accompanied by archery, singing, masked and folk dancing, and generous rounds of local barley brews. In many villages the festival also carries Buddhist overtones, with prayers and monastery involvement.
When it falls
Yartung is held in late summer, generally August, around the full moon of the lunar month of Shrawan, close to Janai Purnima. Exact dates vary between valleys and shift each year — confirm locally and check our best time to visit Nepal guide before planning.
Where it happens
- Muktinath and Jomsom (Lower Mustang): One of the best-known Yartung celebrations unfolds on the open ground near the sacred temple of Muktinath, with horse races on the plateau.
- Lo Manthang (Upper Mustang): The walled city of Lo Manthang holds its own Yartung, blending royal-era tradition with racing and dancing.
- Manang: On the Annapurna Circuit, the village of Manang celebrates with races and festivities in its dramatic mountain setting.
What travellers will see
Expect riders galloping across stony plateaus, crowds in their finest Tibetan-influenced dress, circles of folk dancing, archery contests and a great deal of chang and rakshi (local barley and millet drinks). It is a rare chance to see the living culture of the trans-Himalaya at full celebration, in some of the most striking landscapes in Nepal.
Practical tips for visitors
- Permits matter: Lower Mustang and Manang sit within the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP permit and TIMS), while Upper Mustang around Lo Manthang is a restricted area needing a special permit and a registered guide. Plan with our Nepal trekking guide.
- Acclimatize: These valleys lie at high altitude; read altitude sickness in Nepal before you go.
- Time it carefully: August is monsoon in much of Nepal, but the rain-shadow valleys of Mustang and Manang stay relatively dry, which is part of why Yartung thrives there.
Yartung falls around the same August full moon of Janai Purnima as the Kathmandu Valley's Gai Jatra in Kathmandu, and it follows the late-spring Buddhist month of Saga Dawa in the same high-altitude communities — making the trans-Himalayan valleys a festival-rich destination across the warmer months.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Yartung festival held?+
Yartung is held in late summer, usually August, around the full moon of the lunar month of Shrawan, near Janai Purnima. The exact dates vary by valley and shift each year with the lunar calendar.
Where is Yartung celebrated?+
Yartung is celebrated in Nepal's high trans-Himalayan valleys, most famously around Muktinath and Jomsom in Lower Mustang, at Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang, and in Manang on the Annapurna Circuit.
What happens during Yartung?+
Yartung centres on horse racing, with riders competing across open ground, alongside feasting, singing, dancing, archery and the drinking of local barley brews. It marks the end of the summer growing season and the gathering of the harvest.
Do I need a permit to see Yartung?+
It depends on the valley. Lower Mustang around Muktinath and Manang are within the Annapurna Conservation Area, needing an ACAP permit and TIMS card. Upper Mustang around Lo Manthang is a restricted area requiring a special permit and a registered guide.
