Upper Mustang Jeep Tour Itinerary

Welcome to Nepal! Your adventure to the Manaslu Circuit Trek begins today. As soon as you land at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, our representative will be there to receive you. They will give you a warm welcome and take you to your hotel in a private vehicle.

Kathmandu is a bustling city filled with energy, and on the way, you will get a glimpse of its vibrant streets, temples, and markets. Once you reach your hotel, you will check in and take some time to relax after your journey.

After a very long flight, you might want to rest and refresh at your hotel room. If you arrive early in the afternoon, you can step outside and walk around Thamel. It’s a lively tourist place at the heart of the city filled with cafes, shops, and cultural sights. It is a great place to experience the local vibe of Kathmandu before your adventure begins.

You can enjoy a delicious Nepali dinner and experience the warm hospitality of Kathmandu. If you are tired, you may also choose to rest early and rest for the adventure that awaits you. Tomorrow, your adventure officially begins!

• Accommodation: 3 star hotel
• Place: Kathmandu
• Altitude: 1350 m

The day starts early. After breakfast at the hotel, your journey to Pokhara begins. A private jeep will be waiting outside to pick you. You will settle in and drive off as you leave the busy streets of Kathmandu.

The road to Pokhara is long but beautiful. As you move forward, the scenery changes. You cross through green hills, thick forests, and small villages. These winding roads parallel the flow of the Trishuli River where you may see people rafting in the white waters. Along the way, you will get glimpses of tall, majestic Himalayan Mountains.

After driving for about 6 to 7 hours, you will finally arrive in Pokhara. This city is peaceful and surrounded by stunning landscapes. It is also known as the City of Lakes. As you enter this beautiful city, you will see the great Phewa Lake shining under the sun. On a clear day, views of Mount Annapurna, Machhapuchhre, Dhaulagiri, and Manaslu will be seen afar which will sweep your breath away.

In the evening, you can stroll around Pokhara city or take a gentle boat ride on Phewa Lake. The cool breeze and the reflection of the mountains in the water make it a perfect way to end the day.

Tonight, you will stay in a comfortable hotel in Pokhara, getting ready for the real adventure to begin.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Accommodation: 3 star hotel
• Place: Pokhara
• Altitude: 820 m

It's now the second day of travel toward Upper Mustang. You will leave Pokhara and start your drive on a paved road going west. The road follows the Seti Gandaki River, passing through green hills, terrace farmlands, and small villages. The drive is smooth until now with the fresh air making the journey pretty enjoyable.

As you drive further, you will reach Kushma, where you will see the Kali Gandaki River for the first time. The road continues towards Baglung which reveals beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes. Soon, you will arrive at Beni, a small town where the Kali Gandaki meets the Myagdi Rivers.

From here, the adventure gets exciting. There is no paved road anymore, and this is where the real off-roading starts. The path becomes rocky and bumpy, but the scenery makes up for it. You will be driving through one of the difficult roads, with Mount Dhaulagiri (8,167m) on one side and Annapurna I (8,091m) on the other. Along the way, you will pass through forests, traditional villages, and beautiful terrace fields.

After driving for a few hours, you will arrive at a small village named Tatopani. This village is famous for its natural hot springs. It's the site after a long-hauled day where you can spend your time just relaxing in the warm water, giving treatment to your body. The locals believe that the hot springs have healing properties. If you feel like exploring, you can also interact with the villagers and learn about their way of life.

You will relax overnight in Tatopani, making preparations for the next day's trip.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Place: Tatopani
• Altitude: 2600 m

After a delightful breakfast at Tatopani, you will drive through the charming villages of Kalopani and Ghasa. Along the way, you will pass through Marpha, a village famous for its apple orchards. Here, you can catch a glimpse of the local way of life and enjoy the lovely landscapes surrounding the area. The journey continues towards Jomsom, a small town known for its local market and vibrant atmosphere. From Jomsom, the road leads to Kagbeni, which is the last village before you reach Muktinath.

After reaching Kagbeni, you have to take a small walk to reach the Muktinath temple. You can't reach Muktinath temple all the way by your jeep. You will need to take a short hike to the temple. Once you reach Muktinath Temple, you will see the 108 holy taps dedicated to Lord Vishnu, where you can take a ceremonial bath. The temple is a sacred pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists, making it an essential spiritual stop on this journey.

Next, you will visit the Jal Devi Temple, where you can witness something quite unique, the natural gas that causes the fire to light itself. This is pretty interesting and I think one of the most interesting things you’ll see at Muktinath.

Before heading back to Kagbeni, take some time to explore one of the local Buddhist monasteries in Jharkot. From here, you have an amazing view of the massive peaks, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, and Tukuche Peak.

After a day of exploration, you will get back to Kagbeni and stay here for the night. You will stay at a guesthouse and enjoy a delicious dinner along with your overnight stay.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Accommodation: Standard Tea House
• Place: Muktinath
• Altitude: 3800 m

Today we start the day visiting the Kagbeni Monastery and the old villages of Kagbeni after breakfast. This is a spiritual place for both Hindus and Buddhists, so it’s a great spot to learn more about the local culture. Before leaving Kagbeni, our guide will take care of the special permit check-in for Upper Mustang at the local office. Once the formalities are done, we continue our journey into the mystical land of Upper Mustang.

We start by driving through Chhusang, a village near the border of the controlled area of Upper Mustang. As we pass Chhusang, the beauty of the region starts to unfold. We take a visit to Tangbe, a place that is popular for its beautiful stupas, Chhortens, and onward to Samar, Syangboche, and Ghiling. Each village offers its own charm with local houses and stunning views of the mountains and valleys.

Along the way, we reach Syangboche Pass, located at an elevation of 4200 meters. From here, you can take in the amazing landscapes that will leave you speechless. As we continue our journey, we will pass through some local farmer houses with Yak caravans and witness the local way of life.

Now, we reach the Ghami village which is such a peaceful town with a monastery. This village is not only beautiful but it does have a historic significance as it was once a place where the Royal family stayed. After a long but beautiful journey, we will spend the night in Ghami at a cozy guesthouse with all meals included, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• Place: Syangboche Pass
• Altitude: 4200 m

After breakfast, we will embark on our journey to Lo Manthang, the capital of upper Mustang. This beautiful walled city lies hidden behind the Himalayas on a rugged plateau. Upper Mustang is one of the best-preserved regions of Tibetan culture in the world. Until 1992, foreigners were not allowed to enter this area without a special permit.

We begin our drive by crossing several rivers like the Ghami River, Charang River, and Dokpolo River. The road winds across wide, calm plateaus and offers stunning views. We will also pass by Mani walls, which are a common sight in Upper Mustang. After crossing the Lho Pass (3950m), we reach Tsarang, the second-largest village in the area. Here, you can see traditional life, visit a few monasteries which will be a great experience.

From Tsarang, we head towards Lo Manthang. As we drive towards our destination, you get amazing views of the Annapurna range, Tilicho, Nilgiri, and Bhrikuti peaks. The closer we get to Lo Manthang, the more we will see the whitewashed houses and the famous walled city.

Now that we have arrived in Lo Manthang, it would be a good time to relax for the rest of the day and explore this historic place. Today you’ll stay at a guesthouse in Lo Manthang and enjoy the relaxing night under the clear sky.

Today is a special day, as you get to dive deep into the history and culture of the area. After having a light breakfast, we will begin to explore Lo Manthang and Chhosar. Lo Manthang is the capital of Upper Mustang, a place full of ancient monasteries, sacred temples, and interesting sites.

First, we visit the Namgyal Gompa. It serves as a temple of worship and a local court house where important matters are discussed and settled. After that, we will visit the Champa Lhakang temple. It’s a significant religious site in the region. The walls of the temple display beautiful mandalas that showcase local craftsmanship.

Next, we will take a trip to Chhosar, a village that is full of mystery. We will explore the famous Shija Jhong Cave here. This sky cave is five stories tall and has 40 rooms inside. These sky caves of Chhosar have been used for various purposes like burials, meditation, and even residences. The practice of sky burial in Upper Mustang is still in practice even at this time. The caves provide a glimpse into the strange tradition of the region.

After exploring Chhosar, we will head back to Lo Manthang. Here, we will take the time to discover more ancient monasteries. You will have the chance to visit Jampa Gompa. It’s one of the oldest monasteries in the region which was built in the 15th century. We will also explore Thubchen Gompa and Chodey Gompa. These monasteries offer a peaceful environment to see the unique culture of the region and also hold a rich history of this region.

At the end of the day, we will make our way to the Lo Manthang Palace. Although the monarchy has ended, the royal family still lives in the palace. This palace was built around the year 1400 and has an impressive structure that provides an insight into the royal past of Upper Mustang.

After a full day of exploration, we will return to our guest house. You can just relax and reflect over the wonderful sites you’ve seen so far. It will surely be a memorable day, filled with cultural insights and understanding of Upper Mustang’s rich history.

Today we start our return journey to Jomsom. After breakfast, we leave Lo Manthang and drive through the broad valleys of Upper Mustang. The road takes us past small villages, ancient monasteries, and Buddhist stupas. The dry and rugged landscape extends as far as the eye can see.

As we move forward, we follow the Kali Gandaki River. This river is special because it holds the world’s deepest gorge between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountains. We cross the Kali Gandaki River multiple times and each crossing shows a different side of its beauty.

From Kagbeni, the road becomes semi-graveled and follows the river. The journey offers breathtaking views of the Himalayas. Slowly, we make our way back to Jomsom, reaching there by lunch hour.

The rest of the day is free for you to explore Jomsom. You can visit the local market, enjoy a warm drink at a tea house, or simply relax after the long drive. We will stay in Jomsom tonight and prepare for the next part of our journey.

After breakfast, It is time to head back to Pokhara. This is the same road that we took to reach Jomsom. This means we get to see the beautiful landscapes once again. There may be some possibilities of many beautiful places that you might have missed before, so we'll stop at those stops and enjoy the missing spots.

The route follows the Kali Gandaki River and passes through scenic villages and stunning hills. As we move forward, we cross Marpha and Kagbeni, two villages known for their Tibetan culture and apple orchards. The fresh mountain air and peaceful surroundings make the journey enjoyable.

After a few hours, we reach Tatopani, a village famous for its natural hot springs. This is where we stop for lunch and a short rest. If time allows, you can dip your feet in the warm water and relax for a while.

As the road leaves Tatopani, it narrows and becomes rugged on the way to Beni. As we leave the rough roads behind, we get closer to Pokhara. The landscapes change from dry and rocky terrain to lush green valleys. After 6-7 hours of driving, we finally arrive in Pokhara, the beautiful lake city.

You can walk around the lakeside, enjoy a nice meal, or just rest after the long journey.

After breakfast, we leave Pokhara for Kathmandu. You have two options for this journey. You can either drive back through the scenic highway or take a short flight.

If you choose to drive, the journey takes around 6 hours. The road follows the beautiful Marsyangdi River, then meets the Trishuli River. Along the way, we pass through Damauli, Dumre, and Mugling, lively market towns where you can see the daily life of local people.

If you choose to fly, the journey is much quicker and smoother. The 25-minute flight offers stunning aerial views of the Himalayas, lush valleys, and beautiful landscapes before landing in Kathmandu.

Once we arrive in Kathmandu, you can rest at your hotel or explore the city. If you have time, you can go souvenir shopping in Thamel or visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The lively streets of Kathmandu’s ancient royal cities are filled with history, culture, and beautiful handicrafts.

In the evening, we gather for a special farewell dinner to celebrate the journey. This is an ideal moment to share experiences and memories before wrapping up the Upper Mustang adventure.

Today is the last day of your Upper Mustang Jeep Tour. After an unforgettable journey, it is time to head back home.

In the morning, you will pack your things and get ready for departure. Our representative will come to pick you up in a private vehicle and drive you to Tribhuvan International Airport for your final departure.

The Upper Mustang adventure may have come to an end, but it's going to stay in your memories forever. Have a safe journey and we hope to see you again!