Explore the ancient kingdom of Lo in this driving trip to Upper Mustang and immerse in the cultural and natural wonders of the region. This adventure takes you deeper into the restricted region of the Mustang in the Himalayas. You can explore the vast stretches of rugged mountains and jagged cliffs along with the timeless villages that come along the route.
The adventure eventually takes you to Lo Manthang – the ancient kingdom of Lo – where you will find yourself surrounded by a civilization that is still untouched by modernity. You will certainly enjoy the views of incredible Himalayan peaks and surrounding landscapes. You will also explore the ancient monasteries and caves. Mustang is listed as a restricted region by Nepal Government so a special permit has to be obtained to visit the region.
Highlights of a Driving Trip to Upper Mustang
- Adventure exploration of the ancient Lo kingdom in Upper Mustang
- Rugged mountain terrain
- Sublime views of the Himalayas
- View of two 8,000 meters mountains – Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,167m) & Mt. Annapurna I (8,091m)
- Tibetan Buddhist cultural riches of the secluded region of Mustang
- Explore timeless villages
If you want to go on a trekking adventure to Upper Mustang, check out this trip.
Itinerary of the Driving Trip
Day 01: Arrive in Pokhara(900m)
This is the first day of the trip. You arrive in Pokhara and we meet you at the hotel for a trip briefing. If you reach Pokhara earlier, you will have time to explore the lakeside after checking into a hotel.
Day 02: Drive to Kagbeni (2,804m) – B.L.D (8 Hrs Drive)
Our day starts really early in the morning for a long day drive to Kagbeni in the mountains. The drive will go past beautiful towns along the route. We will drive along the highway to Beni and start driving off-road to Kagbeni. The stretch of about 160 kilometers on the highway and off-road today will take us more or less 8 hours to cover. Although a long-distance drive, the scenery it brings to us is simply spectacular to make our drive fun. Kagbeni along the bank of Kali Gandaki River will also prove to be a relaxing oasis to stay overnight after driving for long hours.
Day 03: Drive to Samar (3,660m) – B.L.D (3 Hrs. Drive)
The second day of driving adventure through the rugged landscapes of the Mustang region will take us to Samar. We will drive past the beautiful villages of Tangbe, Chhusang andChaile on our drive today. About 3 hours of driving on the dusty and bumpy off-road of the mountains will bring awesome sceneries of the beautiful landscapes. The elevation brings us quite different and majestic landscapes than the ones at lower elevations. As we reach Samar early, we will have enough time to explore the surroundings for the rest of the day.
Day 04: Drive to Lo Manthang (3,840m) – B.L.D (5 Hrs. Drive)
We will reach the final destination of the trip today. Our drive takes us to the ancient kingdom of LoManthang to explore its surreal beauty. This isolated mountainous region has remained untouched by the effects of modernity. We will drive to Lo Manthang via Syangbochen, Geling, and Charang villages along the route. The higher elevation and the spectacular landscapes of the region make the drive a wonderful one.
Day 05: Lo Manthang Exploration – B.L.D
We will take an extra day here at Lo Manthang to explore the surroundings. The day will allow us time to explore and immerse in the cultural beauty of the place. We will see how innocent the local people are and how simple and happy their life is. Exploration of the place is certainly surreal and inspirational.
Now the Return Trip
Day 06: Drive to Chhusang (2,980m) – B.L.D (6 Hrs. Drive)
After exploring the amazing wonders of Lo Manthang and its surroundings, we start driving back. The drive today will take us to Chhusang village to stay overnight. It will take us about 6 hours to reach the destination via Charang, Geling, and Samar villages. It is the same road that we took earlier to go to Lo Manthang. We will also have a chance to witness the beauty of the place from a different angle than that of going up.
Day 07: Drive to Marpha (2,670m) – B.L.D (2 Hrs. Drive)
It is a short day drive today. We will drive to Marpha village via Kagbeni and Jomsom. Reaching Marpha early will allow us to explore this beautiful village and enjoy the wonders here for the rest of the day. Marpha is an ethnic village in the region where we can find apple orchards and fascinating surroundings along the Kali Gandaki River valley.
Day 08: Drive to Tatopani (1,190m) – B.L.D (4 Hrs Drive)
It is another easy day where we drive for only about 4 hours. We are heading to Tatopani village as our destination. The reason to stop overnight here is to allow ourselves the luxury of a natural hot spring bath. Tatopani is a famous place for its natural hot springs. Once we reach there, we will go for a refreshing hot spring bath. We will just laze around and relax for the rest of the day.
Day 09: Drive to Pokhara – B.L (4 Hrs. Drive)
We will drive back to Pokhara today. About 4 hours of the drive takes us back to Pokhara. Once we reach Pokhara, we will have time to relax and wander around. The driving trip to Upper Mustang comes to the end here.
Trip Facts
- Trip duration: 09 Days
- The trip starts – in Pokhara
- Trip finishes – Pokhara
- Drive starts – Pokhara
- Drive finishes – Pokhara
- Destination – Lo Manthang (Upper Mustang)
- Highest elevation – 3,840m
- Driving hours – 2 – 8 hours a day varying the duration every day
- Accommodation – Hotel in Pokhara, teahouses in the mountains
Trip Includes:
- Hotel accommodation in Pokhara with breakfast
- Basic lodge accommodation in the mountains
- Special Entry permit and TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System)
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the mountains
- Kathmandu -Pokhara flight ticket
- 4-wheel jeep drive in the mountains
- Emergency rescue arrangement (Make sure your insurance will cover it)
- Insurance for a guide that includes their emergency rescue
- First aid kits
Trip Excludes:
- Lunch and Dinner in Pokhara
- Alcohol and any drinks on the trip
- Gratuities
- All expenses of a personal nature e.g. toilet paper, medicines, confectionery, etc.
- Any other cost raised by unforeseen circumstances
