Upper Mustang Trek

As of 2026 the restricted-area permit costs 50 US dollars per person for each day you are inside the zone, which begins at Kagbeni. It replaced the old flat fee of 500 dollars for ten days, so shorter trips now cost less and you pay only for the days you use. On top of that you need the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, around 25 to 30 dollars, and a TIMS card, around 20 dollars. We arrange all three. The restricted permit can only be issued through a registered agency, never to an individual.

Upper Mustang is a restricted area, and the rules require a licensed guide on every trip. A notice in early 2026 began allowing solo trekkers to hold a restricted-area permit with a guide, but enforcement is still settling and several requirements are in transition, so for now we run this trek with a minimum of two trekkers. If you are travelling alone and want to go, talk to us; we can often pair you with a departure. A guide is mandatory either way.

It can be either, and we tell you which. A dirt road now runs the length of the valley to Lo Manthang, so many trips sold as treks are really jeep tours. Our Trail tier is an honest jeep journey: fast and accessible, but you gain altitude quickly with little walking acclimatisation. The Journey walks the classic trail to Lo Manthang and back on foot. The Transformation walks a full circuit. Day by day, we tell you what is driven and what is walked.

The sleeping altitude is moderate: Lo Manthang sits at 3,840 m, and the highest pass on the standard route is around 3,950 m, lower than most major Nepal treks. The difficulty is distance, wind and dryness: long days across an exposed plateau with a strong afternoon wind. The Transformation circuit goes higher, up to around 4,320 m. With a measured pace and the rest day in Lo Manthang, most reasonably fit walkers manage The Journey comfortably.

Tiji is a three-day Tibetan-Buddhist festival in Lo Manthang, set by the monastery on the lunar calendar, usually in May. The strongest current indication for 2027 is 1 to 3 June, but the date is confirmed only a few months ahead, so treat it as provisional until then. The Transformation can be timed to Tiji as an optional departure. If the festival matters to you, tell us early so we can confirm dates and secure lodging, which is tight during Tiji.

Yes, and it is one of the region's genuine advantages. Upper Mustang sits in the rain shadow north of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs, so it stays largely dry through June, July and August, when most of Nepal is under monsoon rain. The trade-off is that the approach through the lower valley can still see rain and the occasional flight delay, which is why we build a buffer day into the schedule.

It means the government controls who enters and how. North of the Kagbeni checkpost you must hold the restricted-area permit, which only a registered agency can obtain, and you must travel with a licensed guide. You cannot trek here independently. The rules exist for border security and cultural preservation: Upper Mustang borders Tibet and holds a living Tibetan-Buddhist culture the permit system is meant to protect. Overstaying or entering without a permit carries heavy penalties, so we keep the paperwork exact.

Yes, on request. Muktinath, the temple sacred to Hindus and Buddhists, sits on a side valley east of Kagbeni, the opposite direction to Lo Manthang, so it is not part of the core route. Because Kagbeni is the shared gateway, it is straightforward to add the Jomsom Muktinath route as an extension. It needs no restricted-area permit and adds a few days. Ask us and we will build a combined itinerary.