Upper Mustang – The Forbidden Kingdom

This Upper Mustang Trekking leads you into the heart of the forbidden Kingdom: Lo Manthang. In fact, it used to be part of the Tibetan empire and is therefore closely tied to Tibet: You will experience Tibetan culture, language and geography. Enjoy Mustang’s rugged, mysterious, arid and haunting wilderness. Especially the wind eroded hills and cliffs make you feel like you’re in a lunar landscape. A Kingdom within a Kingdom, Mustang’s wealth was derived from its position on the Kali Gandaki – Thak Khola trade route to Tibet.

Our Upper Mustang Tour begins in Kathmandu to get a first glimpse of Nepali history and culture. Further, the beautiful lakeside town of Pokhara waits for you to be explored. We then commence our trek to Jomsom (lower Mustang), passing along the banks of the Kali Gandaki River towards Kagbeni. On route to Lo Manthang in upper Mustang we pass through the extraordinary village of Tsarang. Noteworthy, this village is around 800 years old. Here, a set of human hands, said to belong to the site’s master builder, still remains. According to the legend, the king cut the builder’s hands off to prevent him from constructing any other place to rival it.

Lo Manthang
Forbidden to foreigners until 1992, Mustang remains a controlled region which very few people visit, due a deliberate policy of cultural and environmental preservation. However, this is also why culture is so well-preserved in the former forbidden kingdom. Also, the unspoiled nature has not yet suffered from excessive tourist inflows unlike other areas. We will explore the exotic walled city of Lo Manthang, which is the former seat of the King. Discover the Kings Palace, surrounded by a maize of gompas and private houses all enshrined within the city boundary walls. Mustang appears to be one of the few places on earth that are frozen in time. Therefore, it remains one of the ultimate journeys ever to be made in one’s lifetime. The trek allows us to visit all the major villages on route so you’ll get first hand insights into Nepali/Tibetan culture.