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19 Day Once-in-a-Lifetime Horse Trekking Expedition to Mustang, the Last Forbidden Kingdom of Nepal
Keshar Mahal Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Upper Mustang Horse Ride Adventure Nepal
This listing has the most popular offer available in Nepal
Mustang Horse Trek is an alternative way to explore the hidden kingdom of Lo, the people of Mustang by horseback riding. Time and again Mustang is referred to as “The Forbidden Kingdom of Nepal”. Situated in the mid-Himalayas, the landscape there is barren and preserves some of the remnants of customary Tibetan Buddhist cultural practice. Apart from being in Nepal, Mustang has its own autonomy and the lifestyle of the people here have not changed for centuries. To protect the uniqueness and rawness being ruined by tourism the region has been declared as a restricted area allowing only few tourists to enter the area each year. Actual Adventure with the approval to enter Mustang will travel with a small group of people to Lo Manthang which is the capital of this small kingdom.
Meet the instructors
Basudev
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Highlights
- 11 riding days
- Guided city tour in Kathmandu
- Local Actual Adventure licensed English speaking guide
- Special trekking, Annapurna permit, and all necessary permits included
- Ride to the Forbidden Kingdom of Mustang, a never-ending stretch of barren hills
- Breakfast in Pokhara and Kathmandu and full board meals during the trekking provided
- Airport transfers, ground transportation, and domestic airfare included
- 18 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Styles
11 days with instruction
Group size: Maximum of 16 participants
Airport transfer included:
Tribhuvan International Airport
Accommodation
While in Kathmandu, you will be accommodated in a standard twin sharing room in a three-star hotel. While in Pokhara, you will stay in a two or three-star hotel. During the trek, you will be camping in a tent. The camp includes two-man tents, dining tents, kitchen gear, dining table, chairs, toilet tents, and shower tent.
Program
Outline Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival at Kathmandu
- Day 2: Kathmandu to Pokhara
- Day 3: Pokhara to Jomsom (2,720 meters / 8,925 feet)
- Day 4: Kagbeni to Muktinath (3,760 meters / 12,340 feet)
- Day 5: Kagbeni to Chele (3,050 meters / 10,000 feet)
- Day 6: Chele to Syangboche (3,800 meters / 12,470 feet)
- Day 7: Syangboche to Ghemi (3,520 meters / 11,550 feet)
- Day 8: Ghemi to Dhakmar (3,820 meters / 12,530 feet)
- Day 9: Dhakmar to Charang (3,560 meters / 11,680 feet)
- Day 10: Charang to Lo Monthang (3,809 meters / 12,500 feet)
- Day 11: Lo Manthang
- Day 12: Lo Monthang to Ghemi
- Day 13: Lo Manthang to Samar
- Day 14: Samar to Chhusang
- Day 15: Chhusang to Jomsom
- Day 16: Jomsom to Marpha day trip
- Day 17: Flight to Pokhara
- Day 18: Spare day (in case the flight is canceled or unable to operate)
- Day 19: Depart from Kathmandu for home, the trip ends.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Kathmandu
The group arrives into Kathmandu to be met by the smiling Sherpa crew. You stay at a hotel in the Lazimpat region of Kathmandu, which is close to a multitude of shops and restaurants in the Thamel region.
Day 2: Kathmandu to Pokhara
Stay at Tulshi Hotel at Fewa Lake. You can hire boats to take you out onto the lake or wander around town shopping for Tibetan or Nepalese items. You go by bus to Pokhara if the weather is unsuitable to fly.
Day 3: Pokhara to Jomsom (2,720 meters / 8,925 feet)
Flight (by Twin Otter) up the dramatic ravine of the Kali Gandaki Valley. For centuries, this valley was the primary trade route between the Tibetan High Plains and the comparative lowlands of India. The walls of two of the world’s highest mountains; Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, stand sheer for 5,000 meters / 16,404 feet above the valley floor.
You disembark the plane at the small village of Jomsom and trek to Kagbeni (2,810 meters / 9,220 feet) via Chhanche Lhumba, otherwise known as Ekle Bhatti (“Lonely Hotel”). You follow the river to Kagbeni, a green oasis at the junction of Jhong Khola and Kali Gandaki.
Day 4: Kagbeni to Muktinath (3,760 meters / 12,340 feet)
Muktinath is one of the most important pilgrimage sights for both Hindus and Buddhists and monasteries from the two denominations exist peacefully side by side. Miraculously a fire burns in water under the Buddhist temple which is staffed by nuns.
After the monastery visits, you return to Kagbeni with a brisk ride down the trail. In the evening after a tasty meal, you can wander around the town, sit on the street and chat with the locals or visit the Kagbeni monastery.
Day 5: Kagbeni to Chele (3,050 meters / 10,000 feet)
Today, you enter Mustang itself. After completing the necessary procedures for entering the national park, you ride up the valley, sometimes on the riverbed and sometimes along the river terraces. You have lunch in Tangbe village where the local children are as interested in you as you are in them! A grassy orchard provides shelter from the sun and one can try out truly organic apples! From Tangbe, you have great views of Nilgiri Peak dominating the northern skyline. Riding further, you pass through Chhusang with its huge cliffs and cave dwellings across the valley. Not far above Chhusang the trail leaves the Kali Gandaki valley and climbs steeply up to Chele.
Day 6: Chele to Syangboche (3,800 meters / 12,470 feet)
You ascend a long slope towards the Taklam La (Pass) at 3,736 meters / 12,257 feet. The trail takes the ‘Cliff Road’, a very steep trail cut into the side of the valley wall. The horses perform incredibly well in this terrain and it is your own fear which encourages you to dismount and walk the steepest sections. Once over the Taklam La, you pass some Chortens in treeless dry terrain and ride on to the town of Samar. After lunching in Samar, the trail follows a large gorge then climbs to enter another valley. You descend to Syangboche (3,800 meters / 12,470 feet), a unique little enclave where you rest up for the night.
Day 7: Syangboche to Ghemi (3,520m/11,550ft)
At first, you climb gently to a small pass with views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. You descend into the Tama Khola (River) and traverse above the town of Ghiling displaying lush and plentiful barley fields. Another short ascent onto the Nyi La (4,010 meters / 13,155 feet) reveals views of Mustang and the bigger peaks of Nilgiri and Annapurna.
Traversing the high hills with a wide vista, you reach the Ghemi La where you look down into the village of Ghemi and your destination for the day. The ripe yellow wheat and buckwheat fields flowering in pink provide a colorful contrast to the barren and eroded hills around. You stay with the nephew of the King of Mustang and enjoy the relative comfort of his home. There is plenty to see around the town with the harvest in full swing and an active community in full production.
Day 8: Ghemi to Dhakmar (3,820m/12,530ft)
You awake to the sounds of the villagers going about their work. The animals are taken out into the hills to feed and rush hour traffic consists of an assortment of goats and cattle coursing through the narrow streets. You cross a narrow bridge over the Ghemi Khola to climb a long slope, which brings you to a traverse into the Dhakmar Khola. The hills there have terrific coloration and the scene is quite stunning as you approach the village of Dhakmar. Beautiful pink and orange cliffs stand above the green and lush meadows and many ancient caves abound in this region.
You climb up to investigate the closest caves and one gets a real feel for how the long lost inhabitants must have lived. The village is small and surrounded by an abundance of fields, which are beautifully pink with the buckwheat blooms. This is a veritable photographer’s mecca with the cliffs, the fields and the buildings of the village in perfect harmony.
Day 9: Dhakmar to Charang (3,560 meters / 11,680 feet)
You cross the highest pass on the trip today with a long climb up from Dhakmar to the Mui La at 4,170 meters / 13,680 feet. After soaking up the views, you descend into Lo Gekar and the Ghar Gompa (Gompa means monastery). This site was identified by Buddhist saint Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) and is said to be the first Buddhist monastery in the world. You are privileged to enter this ancient building and be educated on the history of Buddhism.
After lunch, you ride through an active harvest into Charang. Here we stay at the house of the King's sister in a large and comfortable lodge. After an extended tea session, you set up your tents on the rooftop. As night, descends the town come alive with the sounds of the villagers singing as they come in from the fields.
Day 10: Charang to Lo Monthang (3,809 meters / 12,500 feet)
An early morning visit to the old fort in town reveals a sense of the history of the area. The highlight of the fort visit is the room containing a 5th century King's armory with all the battle regalia used to keep control in that era. Amongst the weapons is a dried-up human hand! As the story goes, the builder of the Charang monastery had his hand chopped off by the king after he had completed the job so he wouldn’t build another like it! Brings new meaning to the term performance bonus!
You depart by mid-morning and after a long haul out from the river valley, the horses have a good sweat going. The trail is virtually a road at this point and you enjoy a solid canter. It sure is great to feel the wind in the hair! Finally, you top a rise and look down into a large and open valley with green fields and sporadic villages. The largest of the villages is the high walled Lo Monthang, the ultimate destination and home of the King of Mustang.
Full of anticipation, you enter the town and revel in this medieval environment. One can just imagine the security this place must have provided when under siege over the ages. There are houses, monasteries, and shops inside the 5m high walls and in the center is the Kings Palace. After setting up tents within a small enclosure outside the city walls, you are invited to meet the King and his wife, the Rani. You are escorted into the palace by the king’s bodyguard and exchange greetings with the Royal couple. You present some gifts you have brought for the occasion. After half an hour, you leave them and all of you feel a real sense of privilege and appreciation for the hospitality you have been shown.
That evening, you dine with a few of the locals. Interesting discussions abound and it is fascinating to realize how worldly these people are given their geographical situation. After such a full day, sleep comes easily!
Day 11: Lo Manthang
You are woken early for a light breakfast. You mount your horses and are soon climbing the gentle slopes towards the very green meadows high above the town. After an hour and a half in the saddle, you arrive at some large yak-wool tents surrounded by a couple of hundred yaks. The inhabitants of the tents have just finishing milking the yaks and are about to make the coveted yak butter which the locals consider a delicacy.
You are invited into one of the tents for yak butter tea, which is made for you over a yak-dung fire. You drink the brew and converse with the nomads through our local guide. A complete juxtaposition between the medieval and the modern, on top of the tent, is a solar panel which powers a light inside, yet everything else about these people's existence is from a different era to your own. Soon you are heading back down the valley and into Lo Manthang again after yet another very fulfilling day.
Day 12: Lo Monthang to Ghemi
It is time for you to leave Lo Monthang behind and your small group of local friends makes a special effort to bid you farewell. You retrace your steps back to Charang for lunch then explore new territory over the Charang La back to Ghemi. You walk the horses down the hill to arrive at the world’s longest Mani wall, opposite Ghemi. Some major chortens nearby provide wonderful photographic opportunities with the changing light and the backdrop of the Dhakmar cliffs and before long you cross the river into Ghemi again. That night, you are drawn into a harvest festival where the locals soon have you up on your feet to join them in traditional Sherpa dance.
Day 13: Lo Manthang to Samar
You ride to Syangboche for lunch then drop into the Syangboche Khola with its steep and narrow gorge which is shear for hundreds of meters above you. A right turn in the trail takes you to Bhena Khola, an ancient cave perched on the side of the hill and apparently the place where the Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) meditated to achieve enlightenment. Now there is a resident monk living a solitary existence and he will graciously show you around the cave and explain the meaning of all the statues and the history of the cave. A huge stalagmite stands inside the cave which looks unnatural in the setting of the conglomerate rock of the cave. You then descend into the valley again and begin the big climb out of the valley to come out on the Bhena La. A short descent brings you back to Samar for the night.
Day 14: Samar to Chhusang
The descent to the Kali Gandaki valley is like a homecoming and it is early afternoon when you stop to have a late lunch and set up camp at Chhusang. You wander around the riverbed in the afternoon looking for saligrams, black rocks that when split reveal nautilus type fossils inside. Altogether this is a pleasant afternoon’s activity before retiring for the evening.
Day 15: Chhusang to Jomsom
You are seasoned riders now and it is no problem for you to ride through to Kagbeni without many stops. You complete formalities at the Annapurna Conservation Committee office then ride on to Elko Bhatti for lunch. You are asked to fill a questionnaire about your experiences and you unanimously agree that restricted entry into Mustang is a good thing as it protects the culture from mass tourism, even if you do have to pay a premium for the experience. The horses can sense that home is close by so you quickly cover the miles back down to Jomsom.
You celebrate the journey you have shared with the Sherpa crew as some of them are departing tomorrow. You share jokes and laugh away in the evening. It seems hard to believe the journey is virtually over!
The team enjoys a late start so after a relaxed breakfast, you ride to Marpha, a pretty town one hour down the valley. With its streets of large flagstones and whitewashed buildings, this town seems very modern to you after your Mustang experience. You meander through stores with lots of new paperback books and enjoy a relaxed lunch before returning to Jomsom.
Day 17: Flight to Pokhara
You fly to Pokhara on the first flight at 8:00 a.m. and then on to Kathmandu. It is luxury getting back to the modern hotel and team members relax in the afternoon either shopping or merely wandering around the town. A haircut and shave at the local barber is a highlight for the gents and part of the Asian experience!
Day 18: Spare day
This day is kept in case the flight is canceled or unable to operate.
Day 19: Departure day
Depart from Kathmandu for home, the trip ends.
Instructors
Basudev Sapkota
Mr. Basudev Sapkota is one of the loyal guides of Actual Adventure Pvt.Ltd. He lives in Sindhupalchwok and has been a mountain trekking guide since he was 18. He has about 15 years of experience as a trekking guide and mountaineering guide with different large companies in Nepal. He joined Actual Adventure Pvt.Ltd since it was established. He has trekked in most of the trekking routes in Nepal. He also has trekked in restricted areas in Nepal. He knows all adventure activities in Nepal. He is a very experienced and knowledgeable guide.
Location
Actual Adventure with the approval to enter Mustang will travel with a small group of people to Lo Manthang which is the capital of this small kingdom. While trekking in this region, you will be accompanied by Sherpa people who are known throughout the world for their climbing skills. They will help you to get going with the change in the landscape and the people along with offering lip-smacking meals and setting up your camps.
This invincible journey towards the unlike Mustang begins from Kathmandu, the capital city of the country. The following day, you will fly to the lake city of Pokhara. After spending a day exploring and discovering the unique flavor of this city, you will fly to Jomsom through the regal Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massif. In Jomsom, you will hire horses and ride to the Forbidden Kingdom of Mustang shortly after visiting Muktinath (a holy temple for both Hindus and Buddhists).
Leaving the normal tourist route in Mustang, you will ride on horseback through lower Mustang overlooking the Kali Gandaki River. Kali Gandaki originating from the high plains of Tibet flows through Mustang and ultimately makes its way to India.
The landscape of Upper Mustang is dominated by a never-ending stretch of barren hills. You will make your way through this landscape on horseback through several passes including Nyi La (4,010 meters). You will set your camp in the side of the villages you come by until you reach Lo Manthang. Lo Manthang is the home to Mustangi Raja and has some beautiful and unique temples and monasteries. People there are always welcoming and you will bump into small children with apple-red cheeks confronting the foreign visitors. The unique and abrasive lifestyle of the people living here seems of be required to survive in this distant country.
After exploring the place and interacting with the people, you will retrace your path back to Jomsom and fly to Pokhara and then to Kathmandu where the trip comes to an end. In general, you can say Upper Mustang trek introduces you into raw wilderness and grants you lifetime experience beneath the open sky with arid landscape extending up to the horizon.
Food
You will be served daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner during your riding camp in Mustang. All meals are prepared by an expert camping cook and kitchen team during the trek. For your stay in Kathmandu and Pokhara, only breakfast at the hotel is included in the price.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- Return airport transfers by a private tourist vehicle
- Standard twin sharing accommodation in a three-star hotel in Kathmandu (breakfast included)
- Standard twin sharing accommodation in two/three-star hotel in Pokhara (breakfast included)
- Guided city tour in Kathmandu by a private tourist vehicle
- All your standard meals prepared by an expert camping cook and kitchen team during the trek (breakfasts, lunches, and dinners)
- Tented accommodation and equipment during the camping trek (two-man tents, dining tents, kitchen gear, dining table, chairs, toilet tents, shower tent provided)
- Local Actual Adventure licensed English speaking guide
- The required number of local staff, porters and mules to carry your luggage during the trek
- Food, accommodation, salary, insurance, equipment, and medicine for all staff
- Special trekking permit 700 USD per person for 10 days from Kagbeni to Kagbeni
- Annapurna conservation permit and all necessary permits
- Tourist bus transfer between Kathmandu - Pokhara - Kathmandu
- Airfare between Pokhara - Jomsom - Pokhara including airport departure tax
- Sightseeing/monument entrance fees in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Farewell dinner in a typical Nepali Restaurant with a cultural dance show
- All government taxes, vat, tourist service charges
- Official expenses
What's not included
- Lunch and dinner whilst in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Travel insurance which covers emergency rescue and evacuation
- International airfare and airport departure tax Nepal entry visa
- Alcoholic and cold drinks
- Personal trekking equipment
- Tips for trekking staff and driver (tipping is expected)
- Any other expenses which are not mentioned on the 'What's included' section
How to get there
Recommended Airports
KTM
Tribhuvan International Airport
4 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). Transfer from and to this airport is included. The actual Adventure team will pick you up at the airport or any agreed point. Please let them know your arrival date and time in advance.
Airport: Tribhuvan International Airport
Airport transfer included: Tribhuvan International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.
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