Mustang SELF Jeep drive to Lo-Mangthang

Day 01                        ARRIVE KATHMANDU

It is a panoramic thrill flying into Kathmandu on a clear day. The views of snow-capped mountain peaks sprawling down below you are almost ecstatic, beginning a whole chain of memorable experiences that stay with you for a long, long time. A representative and driver will meet you at the airport and escort you to your designated hotel. The representative will help you check into hotel. At the hotel you will be briefed about your daily activities.

Check In and Overnight at Hotel.

Day 02                        FREE DAY.

Today is a free day in Kathmandu whilst we personally take care of the formalities in obtaining the special Upper Mustang permits that are required. You can naturally explore Kathmandu at your leisure or we can arrange in advance additional activities for today e.g. Everest Mountain Flight or Guided Tour of Kathmandu city or early morning Nagarkot Sun rise tour etc.

Overnight at Hotel.                                                                            

Day 03                        FLY TO POKHARA.
Meals: Breakfast.

After breakfast at the hotel transfer to the airport for 25 minutes flight to Pokhara. On arrival at Pokhara airport meet, assist by our representative and transfer to Hotel.

You can spend the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the sub-tropical climate of laid back Pokhara. There are many lake side cafes to take a leisurely lunch. Perhaps in the afternoon you may like to take a rowing boat out on the lake or take a dip in the hotel pool.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 04                        DRIVE TO THASANG [1750M/5-6 HRS].
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Your wild, overland journey begins and it’s straightforward to start with. Boarding your Land Cruiser type 4WD vehicle, it is smooth tarmac as you head out of Pokhara and into the lower reaches of the Kali Gandaki Valley. Around Beni, you say goodbye to tarmac once and for all and the road becomes a dusty 4WD track that skirts the river. Reaching Tatopani the road now climbs and climbs and climbs as dust gives way to cobbles. First you get views of the Niligiri Himal and as you ascend further the mesmerizing peak of Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas come into view. Things then begin to level out finally as the Kali Gandaki Valley broadens out. A detour then winds its way quickly up to your overnight halt and the comfort of the spectacularly located Thasang Village Lodge. The lodge is perched high above the valley and looming immediately above you is Dhaulagiri in all its splendor, across the valley are the Nilgiri peaks and the Annapurnas.

Overnight at Comfort Lodge, Thasang.

Day 05                        DRIVE TO KAGBENI [2810M/3 HRS].

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Today everything changes! Back down to the valley floor and onto the stony jeep track, which now rises less acutely up towards Jomsom. Pretty soon the trees start to disappear and as you approach Jomsom virtually all vegetation disappears abruptly, marking the furthest extent of the Himalayan rain shadow. On your right the sharp peak of Nilgiri South is more spectacular than ever before and you have now crossed through the Himalayas. The arid landscape of the Mustang region is stretched out before you in the form of the upper reaches of the Kali Gandaki. Not only has the landscape changed, the culture has changed too and the villages from now on have a distinctly Tibetan flavour to them. An hour or so beyond Jomsom, your overnight halt tonight is in Kagbeni. Typical of villages in the Mustang region in terms of architecture, along with Tibetan Buddhist monuments and symbols, Kagbeni is where Upper Mustang begins and to venture further special permits are required.

Overnight at Comfort Lodge, Kagbeni.

Day 06                        DRIVE ALONG THE KALI GANDAKI TO CHARANG [3560M/5-6 HRS].
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Your journey into Upper Mustang begins properly today. After the permits are checked at the police post in Kagbeni, the jeep track today pretty much skirts the side of the Kali Gandaki River Valley. Whether there is any water in the river rather depends on what time of year you’re undertaking the journey. Usually from October to mid-May the broad river floor looks more like a level boulder field. Take a walk onto the river bed and you may just hear water flowing underneath. You could also look for fossils too as evidence that this now high altitude region was once the sea bed of the Tethys Ocean. Along the way you can take a halt and explore the small village of Thangbe and see how their carefully tended terraced fields are irrigated in a landscape that is otherwise dry and barren wilderness. At Chusang there is a river tributary to cross and shortly thereafter the Kali Gandaki River bed itself. At certain times of year (particularly between June & October) it may not be possible for the vehicle you’ve been travelling in so far to make the crossing safely. There are footbridges, but nothing for the vehicle. Out with the summer period it is usually a straightforward case of driving across a stony, flat and wide dried up river bed. When it is not possible to cross, then you will change to a locally chartered jeep/s. Regrettably “in the middle of nowhere”, the local jeeps are not of the same standard or as comfortable as the 4WD vehicle you have been travelling in so far. After crossing the Kali Gandaki the jeep track now climbs away from the valley and there are a couple of high passes (approx 4000m) to cross before dropping down into Charang.

Overnight at Basic Lodge, Charang.

Day 07                        DRIVE TO LO-MANTHANG [3840m/2-3 HRS].
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Up and over another mountain pass of around 4000m and then a slight descent and in around 2 hours you have arrived at the fabled city of Lo-Manthang. It is somewhat small for a city. It is a large village really of less than 200 homes and around 875 people. If progress has been good, then you should have the entire afternoon to explore Lo Manthang.

Overnight at Basic Lodge, Lo-Manthang.

Day 08                        ACCLITIZATION IN LO-MANTHANG.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Today is up to you and perhaps how well you have acclimatized. One option is to take a two hour round trip hike to visit the Namgyal Monastery or, if you are feeling strong then a six hour round trip walk will enable you to visit some ancient caves (circa 4100m). Alternatively you can visit these caves by jeep if you do not fancy the walk. Another short walk of around 2 hours is up to the ruins of a fortress, from where there are splendid panoramic views over Lo-Manthang and on clear days the snowy peaks of the Annapurnas may be seen. You may naturally decide to stay local and head out into the surrounding farm lands and see how things are done here.

Overnight at Basic Lodge, Lo-Manthang.

Day 09                        DRIVE BACK TO CHUSANG [3100m/5-6 HRS].
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Theoretically it is possible to drive all the way back to Jomsom from Lo Manthang in one day. This would make it a very, very long day and we would suggest that from a perspective of comfort this is not desirable, and with driver fatigue in mind we don’t think that’s a good idea also. Of course the way back is the way in, but now the Himalayas form your far horizon, getting closer and closer as you progress. So, it’s anything but repetitive in many respects.  Today we recommend travelling as far as Chusang. You should arrive here mid-afternoon and thus be able to give the legs a good stretch and take a hike to the fascinating and rather picturesque ancient village of Tetang.

Overnight at Basic Lodge, Chusang.

Day 10                        DRIVE BACK TO JOMSOM [2700m/3-4 HRS].
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Heading back along the side of the Kali Gandaki Valley the mighty Himalayan peaks get closer and closer. Nligiri South Peak becomes even more impressive and the bulk of Dhaualgiri comes into view and with luck you should be in Jomsom for lunch.

Overnight at Lodge, Jomsom.

Day 11                        FLY BACK TO POKHARA CONNECT FLIGHT TO KATHMANDU.
Meals: Breakfast.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to domestic airport fly back to Pokhara and connect flight to Kathmandu. Upon arrival at domestic airport our representative will meet, greet you and transfer to Hotel.

After your adventures in Upper Mustang, Kathmandu will no doubt feel bigger, noisier and livelier than ever before.

Evening (optional): Thamel is the epi-center for shopping in Kathmandu. It can be a stressful place because of the street vendors, rickshaw drivers and high speed motorbikes. But there is no question that it is jam- packed with shops, selling everything from ready-to-wear Western clothes, embroider T-shirts, Tibetan carpets, clothing, Thangkas (Buddhist paintings) and curios (“singing bowls” etc.), Pashmina shawls, Nepali souvenirs like khukuris (Gurkha’s traditional knife) and madals (drums), jewelry, paper products (the local lokta plant is used to make a fine & unique paper – a nice and practical souvenir or gift), colorful masks and puppets, metalwork & woodcarvings.

Overnight at Hotel. 

Day 12                        FINAL DEPARTURE.
Meals: Breakfast.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to airport.

We ensure that you will leave Kathmandu with cherishing memory and an experience of a lifetime. Our representative will drive you to the airport in time for your flight back home.