There is a part of Nepal that most visitors to the country never see and, if you are honest, never know exists. Upper Mustang sits in a high-altitude desert in the far north, tucked behind the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. The monsoon does not reach it. The landscape looks like Mars. The culture inside it is closer to ancient Tibet than to anything else in Nepal. For decades it was a restricted kingdom with a living king, closed almost entirely to the outside world.
Even now, decades after foreign visitors were first allowed in, Upper Mustang remains Nepal’s most remote and most misunderstood destination. This is what you need to know.
Where It Is and What It Looks Like
Upper Mustang begins north of the village of Kagbeni in the Kali Gandaki gorge and extends to the Tibetan border. The landscape changes abruptly when you cross into it. Behind you are the green hills and terraced farms of the lower Mustang and Annapurna region. In front of you is an arid plateau of ochre, red, and grey rock carved by thousands of years of wind into cliffs, caves, and canyon walls. The Kali Gandaki River, one of the world’s deepest gorges, cuts through the middle of it.
The sky here is enormous. Because there are no trees and almost no vegetation above Kagbeni, the horizon is unobstructed in every direction. The light at altitude in a desert landscape changes colour every hour. Photographers who visit Upper Mustang and have also been to Monument Valley or the Ladakh desert say the comparison is fair. It looks unlike anywhere else in Nepal.
Lo Manthang: The Ancient Walled City
The primary destination in Upper Mustang is Lo Manthang, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Lo, at 3,840 metres. The city is surrounded by a white-washed mud wall built centuries ago, with a few gates that remain the only entry points. Inside the wall are narrow lanes, Buddhist monasteries, the former palace of the Raja of Lo, and the homes of several hundred residents who have lived here across generations.
The monasteries in Lo Manthang contain murals dating back 500 to 600 years, some in extraordinary condition given the altitude and climate. The Thubchen Gompa has particularly well-preserved 15th century frescoes. The Jampa Gompa houses a large seated Buddha statue. These are not reconstructed heritage sites. They are active places of worship that have been in continuous use for centuries and still function as the religious centre of the community.
The Tiji Festival, held annually in Lo Manthang in May, is one of the most dramatic religious festivals in Nepal. Three days of masked ritual dances enact the victory of good over evil in a ceremony specific to the Kingdom of Lo. If your travel dates can accommodate it, timing a visit to coincide with Tiji is worth significant planning.
The Permit: What Changed in 2025
For decades, Upper Mustang required a USD 500 restricted area permit for a minimum 10-day visit. This made it one of the most expensive trekking destinations in Nepal and deliberately limited visitor numbers. In November 2025, Nepal replaced this with a new permit system of USD 50 per person per day, with no minimum duration.
This means the cost structure has changed. A 5-day visit now costs USD 250 in restricted area permit fees, compared to USD 500 previously. A 10-day visit costs USD 500, the same as before. A 12-day visit, which is the realistic minimum for a proper trek given the travel time to and from Kagbeni, now costs USD 600 compared to the old rate of USD 500 for 10 days plus USD 50 per additional day.
The practical impact is that shorter visits are now significantly cheaper, making Upper Mustang accessible for travellers with less time or budget. A jeep tour to Lo Manthang and back in 5 or 6 days is now a reasonable option financially in a way it was not before.
You also need an Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, which costs approximately NPR 3,000, and a TIMS card. The restricted area permit can only be obtained through a licensed Nepali trekking agency. You cannot get it yourself at a counter. Book through an agency and they will arrange all permits as part of the package.
The other requirements that remain: you must trek with a registered guide. Solo trekking is not permitted. You need a minimum of two non-Nepali trekkers for the permit. The guide requirement is strictly enforced by police checkpoints along the route.
Getting There: Trek or Jeep
Most visitors reach Upper Mustang by flying from Pokhara to Jomsom airport, which takes around 20 minutes by propeller plane and is one of the more dramatic short flights in Nepal, landing in a strong crosswind valley between canyon walls. From Jomsom it is a full-day drive by jeep to Kagbeni, the entry point to Upper Mustang, and another day’s drive to Lo Manthang.
The alternative is to walk, which takes significantly longer but gives you the trekker’s experience of the landscape at ground level over multiple days. The classic Upper Mustang trek on foot from Jomsom to Lo Manthang and back takes around 10 to 12 days of walking.
A jeep tour with a guide, permits, accommodation, and transport included from Pokhara typically costs USD 1,200 to USD 2,000 per person for a 5 to 7 day program. A trekking package for 12 to 14 days costs more, primarily because of more days of guide fees and the additional permit days at USD 50 per day.
What the Road Has Changed
There is an honesty required here. A rough road now connects Jomsom to Lo Manthang. It was built over the past decade and its existence has changed the character of the route. Parts of the old walking trail run alongside or have been absorbed by the road. The remoteness of Upper Mustang that visitors experienced in the 1990s and early 2000s is not what you find today.
What has not changed is the landscape, which the road cannot alter. The canyon walls, the sky, the desert light, the ancient city of Lo Manthang, the monasteries, the festivals, and the community of people who have lived here for generations remain. The road has brought supplies and connectivity to residents who previously had very limited access to either. That is not a small thing.
Go with realistic expectations about what you will find. Upper Mustang is not a secret. It is not untouched. It is a real place where real people live, with all the complications that come with being a restricted area opened to tourism. What it offers is a landscape and a culture that exist nowhere else in Nepal and almost nowhere else in the world. That is still enough.
Practical Notes
The best time to visit is March through November. The monsoon months of June through August are actually among the most popular for Upper Mustang specifically because the rain shadow keeps it dry while the rest of Nepal is wet. October and November offer the clearest skies and are the peak months. March and April bring warmer temperatures and the Tiji Festival window.
Accommodation in Lo Manthang and along the route ranges from basic teahouses to recently built guesthouses with private rooms and solar-heated water. Do not expect luxury. The basics are well covered and the teahouses are warm and welcoming. The food is simple, dal bhat and noodle soups, and at this altitude that is exactly what you need.
Altitude in Lo Manthang at 3,840 metres requires the same acclimatisation caution as any other high-altitude trekking in Nepal. Ascend slowly, drink plenty of water, and do not push through altitude symptoms.