Mustang - The Forbidden Kingdom
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Kathmandu. Complimentary airport transfers are provided. KE Land Only package services begin with the evening meal.
Day 2: Transfer to the airport and take the half-hour flight west to Pokhara. Great views of the Nepal Himalaya from the plane. After checking in at the group hotel, the afternoon is free to explore this charming lakeside town.
Day 3: An even more exciting morning flight takes us to Jomsom (2713m) in the Kali Gandaki Valley. Here, we meet our crew and board 4WD vehicles for the drive along the bed of the river to the village of Kagbeni. After showing our passes at the police check-post, we trek through Tangbe and Chukksang, before climbing away from the river to camp at Chele (3100m).
Day 4: We climb a ridge above Chele and follow a path cut into the side of a yellow cliff. We pass pretty Samar and 2 low cols, before contouring around and then dropping down to our camping place at Geling (3570m).
Day 5: Today, we board 4WD vehicles again for the drive along the ever-improving jeep road into the heart of Mustang. We cross the Nyi La to Ghami and then the Chinji La (4200m). Beyond Charang, we reach the amazing walled city of Lo Manthang (3840m), where we camp.
Day 6: A day for exploring in and around Lo Manthang, with its narrow alleyways and brightly painted houses and chortens. We spend a second night at our camp outside the city walls.
Day 7: We begin our exciting 6-day walk out from Lo Manthang, with a hike across open plains and a gradual climb to the Dhi La (4100m). From here, we drop down to the bed of the upper Kali Gandaki and the village of Dhi, with its old monastery. Then, ascending beside a tributary stream, we reach our camp at Yara Village (3760m).
Day 8: Leaving our camp set up at Yara, we hike eastwards, through Gara and up to the impressive, 13th century cave monastery of Luri Gompa (3920m), where there are many colourful wall paintings. After a great 6-hour return hike, we spend a second night in Yara.
Day 9: Heading south now, we cross a col and descend into another of the eastern tributaries of the Kali Gandaki, before climbing again to cross the Sertang Danda at an unnamed 3850 metre pass. We overnight at the thriving and not-too-often visited village of Tange (3240m).
Day 10: A short day in terms of distance, but a lot of climbing, as we cross yet another tributary stream and then hike up to the Lelo La at 4200 metres. Great views across a wild landscape to Dhaulagiri, as we descend to camp in the high grazing area and summer shepherds settlement of Pha.
Day 11: Dropping back down towards the Kali Gandaki, we find ourselves on the amazing ridge of the Siyarko Danda and follow this amongst typically eroded Mustangi geology down to the irrigated fields of Tetang (3040m).
Day 12: Today, we hike up to the Gyu La (4077m) for amazing views of the Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri, then drop down easily to the pilgrimage centre of Muktinath in time for a late lunch. We have an hour or two for sightseeing amongst the temples, before driving down to our overnight lodge in Jomsom.
Day 13: We take the short and exciting internal flight to Pokhara and then catch an onward flight to Kathmandu. Check in to the group hotel.
Day 14: A free day for sightseeing in colourful Kathmandu. This is also a useful contingency day. We spend a second night at our hotel in the Nepalese capital.
Day 15: KE Land Only package services end after breakfast. Complimentary airport transfers are provided.
