Upper Mustang Trek

Two major reforms came into effect on March 22, 2026:

1. Permit fee: The old USD $500 flat fee for the first 10 days was scrapped. The new fee is USD $50/day pay-as-you-go, with no minimum stay. This means a 5-day Mustang itinerary now costs $250 in permit fees instead of the old $500 minimum.

2. Solo trekking now permitted: The previous two-person minimum group requirement was relaxed. Solo trekkers can now enter Upper Mustang with a licensed guide (the guide requirement remains mandatory). Mustang is currently the only restricted-area trek in Nepal where this applies — Manaslu still requires minimum two trekkers.

These changes followed the November 2025 reopening of the Korala border between Upper Mustang and Tibet, and are intended to make the region more accessible for shorter and more flexible itineraries.

These are Nepal's two flagship restricted-area treks, and they're very different products:

If your priority is culture, festivals, and a 600-year-old walled city, Upper Mustang. If your priority is a serious physical circuit and Tibetan-border villages, Manaslu. Some trekkers do both on consecutive trips.

Mustang sits in the rain shadow of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs. Monsoon clouds coming up from India hit those 8,000-metre walls and drop their rain on the south side. By the time the air crosses to Mustang on the north side, it's mostly dried out. Annual rainfall in Lo Manthang is around 250 mm — comparable to parts of southern Spain, not Nepal. This is why the landscape is desert-like, why the walled city has survived 600 years intact, and why Mustang is the go-to choice if you want to trek in Nepal in June, July, or August when the rest of the country is rained out.

Moderate fitness. The trek is at moderate altitude (high point around 4,000 m), with no genuine high-pass days like Manaslu's Larkya La. The challenges are more about long days (some 6–8 hours), sustained wind (afternoons can be ferocious), and remoteness than altitude or technicality. Reasonable hikers in good general shape do this trek without problems. We recommend 6–8 weeks of regular hill walking before the trip.

Smaller than people imagine. The walled city is about 300 m by 200 m — you can walk around the entire perimeter in 15 minutes. There are roughly 150 households inside the wall, three working monasteries, the royal palace at the centre, and a single main square. The architecture is Tibetan: mud-brick and rammed-earth buildings whitewashed with ochre, flat roofs piled with firewood, narrow alleys threading between them. The streets are unpaved. There is electricity (since around 2000), partial mobile coverage, and one very small hotel. The atmosphere is quiet, devout, and slightly strange — like walking into a working medieval city that time forgot.

Yes. The Choser Sky Caves complex, 12 km north of Lo Manthang, is included in the standard itinerary as a Day 10 excursion. There are over 10,000 ancient meditation caves carved into the vertical red cliffs of the Choser valley, including the famous "Bee-Hive" formation and a number of caves still actively used by hermit monks. The Konchok Ling cave can be entered on a guided tour with a local key-keeper. The painted caves at Luri Gompa (12th-century murals) are visited separately on Day 12.

Nepal formally abolished the monarchy on October 7, 2008. The last officially recognised King of Mustang, Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista, died in Kathmandu on December 16, 2016, age 86. His adopted son and heir, Jigme Singhi Palbar Bista, is the unofficial 26th king — culturally and spiritually still revered by the Loba people, but not state-recognised. He lives part-time in the Lo Manthang palace and is featured in National Geographic's 2018 Mustang issue. The royal palace is partially open to visitors and the family attends major festivals including Tiji.

Mustang's seasons are different from the rest of Nepal:

- April–early May: peak season, clear skies, blossoming barley fields, Tiji Festival window - May–September: shoulder/monsoon season, but still excellent in Mustang (rain shadow) - October–November: peak season, clearest skies, harvest in the villages - December–February: cold but clear, many lodges close, locals migrate south

If you want the Tiji Festival, you need the May 13–15, 2026 dates specifically. If you want quietest trail with best weather, late October or early November.

Teahouse menus are simpler than Annapurna or Everest — fewer Western options, more local. Tibetan-style food dominates: thukpa, momos, tsampa porridge, salty butter tea. Local Mustang barley and apple products are everywhere. Lower elevations (Jomsom, Kagbeni) have more variety; Lo Manthang and the higher villages are simpler. Accommodation is in family-run teahouses — twin-share rooms, shared bathrooms, hot showers usually available for a small fee. Homestays inside the walled city of Lo Manthang are available on private departures (recommend booking 6+ months ahead).

A 25% deposit confirms your booking. Full balance due 60 days before departure. Cancellations 60+ days out: full refund minus deposit. 30–59 days out: 50% refund. Less than 30 days out: no refund. Note: the Mustang RAP fee (USD $50/day) is non-refundable once permits are issued — typically 7 days before trek start. Tiji Festival departures have stricter cancellation terms due to advance hotel booking. We strongly recommend trip insurance with cancellation cover.