Upper Mustang Tiji Festival Trek is a unique cultural trekking adventure to the forbidden kingdom of Mustang in the Himalayas of Nepal during the cultural Tiji Festival.
Take this incredible trekking journey mixed with a beautiful and unique cultural celebration of the Tiji festival in Lo Manthang of Upper Mustang. This trip is a beautiful chance to explore the unique lifestyle and culture of the local people of the Mustang region. In addition to the cultural wonders, you will also enjoy the fascinating landscape of the Upper Mustang region.
Unlike other trekking regions in Nepal, trekking in the Upper Mustang of Nepal is a completely different experience. And Upper Mustang Tiji Festival Trek is even more unique and different than other trips. Explore and learn about the Buddhist cultural lifestyle, celebration, and cultures of the region. At the same time, you traverse trail through the wonderful Himalayan landscape.
Note: Upper Mustang Trek can also be done in any other time of the year. Only the festival trek falls on the particular dates in the month of May every year.
You may like to check Muktinath Jomsom Trek in the Lower Mustang region.
Upper Mustang Trek will follow the same route as the the Festival Trek with only a few days less in it. You can find two different itineraries on this page – one for Upper Mustang Trek and the other for The Festival Trek.
This itinerary is for the Upper Mustang Trek. Except the extra celebration days in Lo Manthang, rest of the days of the itinerary are same as the Upper Mustang Tiji Festival Trek.
Day 01: Kathmandu Arrival
Pick up from the airport. Transfer to hotel. Trip briefing program.
Day 02: Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour – B
Visit Swoyambhunath, Patan Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath. All sites enlisted in the UNESCO’s cultural heritage list. Full day cultural heritage sightseeing tour starts after breakfast and finishes around 4 in the afternoon.
Day 03: Kathmandu – Pokhara – B
Check out hotel to go to Pokhara today. 6 hours’ drive along the highway. Beautiful sceneries along the highway that runs along river banks on most of the stretch.
Reach Pokhara; check into the hotel and wander around Lakeside at a leisurely pace.
Day 04: Pokhara – Jomsom 2,700m – Kagbeni 2,810m – B|L|D
Early morning flight from Pokhara to Jomsom. Beautiful Himalayan flight of about 20 minutes. Enjoy the view of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain range. Prepare for the trek. Trek about 4 hours to Kagbeni to stay overnight.
Day 05: Kagbeni to Chaile 3,050m – B|L|D
5-6 hours of walk to Chaile today. Walk along the Kali Gandaki river bank, past apple orchards and buckwheat fields and via Tangbe to Chaile. Stay overnight there.
Day 06: Chaile – Syanboche 3,475m – B|L|D
6 hours walk today. Walking to Syanboche to stay overnight. Cross two passes, Taklam La 3,624m and Dajori La 3,735m, and reach Samar. Walk past Samar towards Syanboche to stay overnight.
Day 07: Syanboche – Ghami 3,520m – B|L|D
Cross two more high passes today, Yamda La 3,850m and Nyi La 4,010m, while trekking to Ghami. More or less 5 hours of trek takes you to Ghami, one of the big settlements in the region.
Day 08: Ghami – Tsarang 3,620m – B|L|D
5-6 hours of trek today to Tsarang village. Cross Tsarang pass and walk down to Tsarang village to stay overnight.
Day 09: Tsarang – Lo Manthang 3,730m – B|L|D
Reach the destination of the trip today. About 4 hours of the walk takes you to Lo Manthang to stay overnight. Lo Manthang is a beautiful and walled settlement on the mountain.
Day 10: Explore Lo Manthang and Surroundings – B|L|D
Explore the surroundings of Lo Manthang for the whole day. It will be a great cultural and lifestyle experience. Observe and learn a good deal about the place and its importance in local life and enjoy your day.
Day 11: Lo Manthang – Drakmar 3,810m – B|L|D
Trek to Drakmar after wonderful festival celebration in Lo Manthang.
Day 12: Drakmar – Ghilling – 3,805m – B|L|D
Trek to Ghilling today.
Day 13: Ghilling – Chhuksang 3,050m – B|L|D
Trek to Chhuksang today to stay overnight.
Day 14: Chhuksang – Jomsom 2,700m – B|L|D
Trek back to Jomsom. End of the trekking part.
Day 15: Jomsom – Pokhara – B
Fly back to Pokhara. Easy day at leisure in Pokhara.
Day 16: Pokhara – Kathmandu – B
Drive back to Kathmandu.
Day 17: Departure Day – B
Transfer to airport.
Day 01 (10 May): Kathmandu Arrival
Pick up from the airport. Transfer to the hotel. Trip briefing program.
Day 02 (11 May): Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour – B
Visit Swoyambhunath, Patan Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath. All sites enlisted in the UNESCO’s cultural heritage list. The full-day cultural heritage sightseeing tour starts after breakfast and finishes around 4 in the afternoon.
Day 03 (12 May): Kathmandu – Pokhara – B
Check out the hotel to go to Pokhara today. 6 hours’ drive along the highway. Beautiful sceneries along the highway that runs along river banks on most of the stretch.
Reach Pokhara; check into a hotel and wander around Lakeside at a leisurely pace.
Day 04 (13 May): Pokhara – Jomsom 2,700m – Kagbeni 2,810m – B|L|D
Early morning flight from Pokhara to Jomsom. Beautiful Himalayan flight of about 20 minutes. Enjoy the view of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain range. Prepare for the trek. Trek about 4 hours to Kagbeni to stay overnight.
Day 05 (14 May): Kagbeni to Chaile 3,050m – B|L|D
5-6 hours of walk to Chaile today. Walk along the Kali Gandaki river bank, past apple orchards and buckwheat fields and via Tangbe to Chaile. Stay overnight there.
Day 06 (15 May): Chaile – Syanboche 3,475m – B|L|D
6 hours walk today. Walking to Syanboche to stay overnight. Cross two passes, Taklam La 3,624m and Dajori La 3,735m, and reach Samar. Walk past Samar towards Syanboche to stay overnight.
Day 07 (16 May): Syanboche – Ghami 3,520m – B|L|D
Cross two more high passes today, Yamda La 3,850m and Nyi La 4,010m, while trekking to Ghami. More or less 5 hours of the trek takes you to Ghami, one of the big settlements in the region.
Day 08 (17 May): Ghami – Tsarang 3,620m – B|L|D
5-6 hours of trek today to Tsarang village. Cross Tsarang pass and walk down to Tsarang village to stay overnight.
Day 09 (18 May): Tsarang – Lo Manthang 3,730m – B|L|D
Reach the destination of the trip today. About 4 hours of the walk takes you to Lo Manthang to stay overnight. Lo Manthang is a beautiful walled-settlement in the mountain.
Day 10,11,12 (19 – 21 May): Festival Days – B|L|D
Immerse into the Tiji Festival Celebration. Great cultural and lifestyle experience. Observe and learn inside out about the festival and its importance in local life.
Day 13 (22 May): Lo Manthang – Drakmar 3,810m – B|L|D
Trek to Drakmar after the wonderful festival celebration in Lo Manthang.
Day 14 (23 May): Drakmar – Ghilling – 3,805m – B|L|D
Trek to Ghilling today.
Day 15 (24 May): Ghilling – Chhuksang 3,050m – B|L|D
Trek to Chhuksang today to stay overnight.
Day 16 (25 May): Chhuksang – Jomsom 2,700m – B|L|D
Trek back to Jomsom. End of the trekking part.
Day 17 (26 May): Jomsom – Pokhara – B
Fly back to Pokhara. Easy day at leisure in Pokhara.
Day 18 (27 May): Pokhara – Kathmandu – B
Drive back to Kathmandu.
Day 19 (28 May): Departure Day – B
Transfer to airport.
Includes:
Excludes:
USD 2157
19 Days
Moderate
4,010m
All overland transportation included, Flight Pokhara-Jomsom-Pokhara
2+
