The region where the Mustang Circuit and Upper Mustang Trek takes place was only opened to trekkers in 1992, before which it was a literal forbidden kingdom, and even now it sees only around 700 trekkers a year.
The Mustang Circuit itself takes from 12 to 14 days. The continuation onto the Upper Mustang trek can take up to an additional 4-6 days.
Mustang Circuit Trek
Overview
Sights on the Mustang trek include monasteries and castles dating to the 14th century, fossils which are believed to be older than the mountains and the walled city of Lo-Mathang.
Lo-Manthang has walls 20 feet high with a turret at each corner. Often, on street corners you will find small groups of women spinning wool. Towards the end of the afternoon, large herds of goats are taken through the city gate and back to their sheds. There are beautiful, large monasteries such as Thugchen Gompa. An amchi is a traditional Tibetan doctor, and the amchi museum and school await you.
Among the most eye-catching attractions along the trek are the colourful rock formations found here, which could pass for the work of a major artist. This trek is of moderate difficulty and, being in the rain shadow zone, less subject to rain in the monsoon season.
Mustang has it own king, albeit unofficially, since Nepal became a republic in 2008. Still well-regarded, he is Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista, who was born around 1933 and can trace his lineage as far back as the warrior, Ame Pal, who founded the kingdom in 1380. His palace is a huge, four-storey building. He sometimes takes visitors.
One highlight is the three-day Tiji festival, which takes place at the end of the dry season in late winter or spring. Here, a thousand people re-enact a myth of a deity named Dorje Jon who fought with his demon father to the save the kingdom – his father deprived it of water, a highly-precious resource. Everything along this trek looks much as it did 600 years ago.
Regional Map
The trek takes place north of two giants – Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, at the southern tip of the Tibetan Plateau. Lying so close to Tibet, Tibetan influence is heavy. It is a massive, high valley that is arid and dry, brimming with eroded canyons and those colourful rock formations. It has the appearance of a desert and was once famously described as “barren as a dead deer.”
The average elevation of Mustang is 13,000 feet and the highest point, Mui La, is less than 700 feet more than that.
Mustang Trek Itinerary
Below is a detailed Mustang Circuit itinerary. Please note that there are several Mustang Circuit and Upper Mustang Trek itineraries that can be done.
Below we have laid out the most popular version – 14 days, leaving from Kathmandu. You can choose a slightly longer or shorter version depending on the amount of time you have. If you want to make your own way to Jomsom then you could probably organise this with your operator or guide.
Day 1-2: Arrive in Kathmandu
Day 3: Drive to Pokhara
Day 4: Fly to Jomson and hike to Kagbeni
Day 5: Trek to Samar
Day 6: Trek to Geling
Day 7: Trek to Tsarang
Day 8: Hike to Lo-Manthang
Day 9: Rest day at Lo-Manthang
Day 10: Hike back to Ghemi
Day 11: Hike back to Samar
Day 12: Back to Jomson
Day 13: Fly back to Pokhara
Day 14: Fly back to Kathmandu
Recommended Guidebook
The Mustang Trek is covered in Annapurna: A Trekker’s Guide by Sian Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons and in Shangri-La: A Travel Guide to the Himalayan Dream by Michael Buckley.
Hi there is a group of three of us looking to do the upper Mustang trek starting at the end of October and finishing in the first two weeks of Nov. Is that too late in the season? Will there be lodging still available? Also which guide services do you recommend? Thank you for any help you can offer. Cheers, Carl
Hi Carl, it is possible to do the Mustang Circuit this late in the year. I’m not sure on availability of guides and teahouses though. Anyone want to chime in here, to help Carl?
Want to do the trek in April or may need costs and can I do it single or join a group