Overview
Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter allows trekking into the remote frontiers of Nepal and upon reaching the prime feature of the trek ‘Lo-Manthang’ fly back to Kathmandu by a chartered helicopter. Mustang is the forbidden kingdom located in the northern part of the Annapurna region starting from Kagbeni. The landscape of Mustang is similar to the Tibetan plateau being closer to the Tibetan border and the lifestyles of people living in Mustang highly resemble the Tibetan style. Lo-Manthang is the capital city of Mustang surrounded by high walls and inside is located age-old monasteries.
The tour begins with transferring to Pokhara from Kathmandu either by drive or flight then take along flight to Jomsom, the trek-start-point. Then beings the trek passing along old villages, rivers, drylands into the walled city of Lo-Manthang. One more day is allowed in Lo-Manthang to explore around the city and the next day take on helicopter flight back to Kathmandu. En-route this flight witnesses the spectacular panorama of the high Himalayas such as Mt. Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and other snow-capped peaks.
Outline Trekking Itinerary for Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter
Day 01 : Arrive in Kathmandu
Day 02 : Kathmandu to Pokhara 6-7 hours bus ride
Day 03 : Pokhara to Jomsom (flight- 35 min) to Kagbeni (2800 m) 4-5 hrs walk
Day 04 : Kagbeni to Chele (3100m) 5-6 hrs walk
Day 05 : Chele to Geling (3570m) 5-6 hrs walk
Day 06 : Geling to Charang (3560m) 5-6 hrs walk
Day 07 : Charang to Lo Manthang (3840m) 5-6 hrs walk
Day 08 : Explore around Lo-Manthang
Day 09 : Helicopter flight to Pokhara from Lo-Manthang & fly back to Kathmandu
Day 10 : Transfer to International Airport for departure
Trip Highlights
- Hike with the spectacular Himalayan panorama on the backdrop like that of Nilgiri, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri & other snow-capped peaks
- Discover Pokhara, the natural wonder of Nepal with superb mountain views
- Discover the culture & traditions of the ethnic people similar to Tibetan
- Enjoy scenic helicopter flight over Pokhara, Jomsom & Lo-Manthang
- Explore the ancient walled city of Lo-Manthang, the Kingdom of Upper Mustang
Itinerary
After landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu from your designated destinations, you will be received by a representative of the travel company at the arrival gate who will then transfer you to you allotted hotels. If the time persists, you can either visit the city or relax at the hotel to overcome your jet lag. O/N at Hotel.
After exploring the historic Kathmandu Valley, on the day, you will board a tourist bus which will take you towards Pokhara, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. During this 6-7 hours bus ride, you can see Trishuli River along the way. You will reach Pokhara during the early afternoon hours. After lunch, you can wander around the beautiful lake city known for enthralling spectators with its superb mountain views. O/N at Hotel.
You will have to wake up early as the flight to Jomsom leaves in the morning. The super scenic flight takes around 35 minutes to touch down in Jomsom. You will have a whale of a time in the brisk flight as you can see the most amazing natural views from the airplane window. After landing in Jomsom, the trek to Kagbeni will start after lunch. You will reach Kagbeni before sunset where you will get ample time to stroll around the village. O/N Lodge.
Following some rivers over a series of small ridges, on the day, you will proceed towards Chele. During the trip, you will come across various black, red and white Chortens known as hall-marks of the upper Mustang region. You will reach Chele before sunset. O/N Lodge.
The trek towards Geling will continue in the morning. Hiking on undulated trails you will reach Geling, a small village in the district where the buildings painted in red symbolizes monasteries in the region. O/N Lodge.
The trip to Charang is going to be an exciting one. On the way, you will come across different white dzongs and red Gompas. You will reach Charang for an overnight stay. O/N Lodge.
This is going to be an exciting day as you hike towards the walled city of Lo Manthang after crossing the Marang (Chogo) la (4230m). This is a historical town known for known for thousand years’ old monasteries, caves, arts and architecture of the local tribes. You will have to enter to this picturesque city through a gate located in north east corner. O/N Lodge.
This is a reserved day for exploring and sightseeing in Lo-Manthang. Today, you will visit Gompas, ancient palaces, and few historical monuments. Also, you will visit few caves, and cave temples that typify upper Mustang. O/N Lodge.
Early in the morning a chartered helicopter will fly you back to Kathmandu crossing over Jomsom then to the airport in Kathmandu, again witnessing some spectacular mountain panorama of Mt. Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and other snow-capped peaks. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, transfer to your hotel and the rest of the day is free to explore around the city or simply rest at the hotel. O/N at Hotel.
As per your flight timings, you will be escorted by one of the representatives of Breakfree Adventures to the international terminal at the Tribhuvan International Airport approximately three hours before your flight schedule from your hotel in Kathmandu. A day to bid farewell to the glorious country situated in the South Asia. While waiting for your flight, you can make plans to venture other destinations of the majestic country in near future.
We hope you had a lovely time with us. Breakfree Adventures would be obliged to be your travel partner during your next adventure in Nepal. Have a safe flight back home!
Cost
What is Included
- Airport transfer as per the itinerary.
- Accommodation in Kathmandu including breakfast as per the itinerary.
- Ground transportations from Kathmandu – Pokhara by tourist bus (Option: flight or private vehicle)
- Accommodation in Pokhara including breakfast as per the itinerary.
- Flight fare from Pokhara – Jomsom
- Highly experienced, helpful and friendly Government licensed guide, porter (1 porter for 2 people) and their food, accommodation, transportation, salary, equipment, and accidental insurance for all staff
- Duffle bag, down jacket and sleeping bag during the trek
- First aid medical kit
- Lo Manthang – Kathmandu by Charter Helicopter.
- Domestic airport departure tax.
- Upper Mustang special permit USD 500.00 per person.
- ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area trek Permit) fee.
- All government taxes, VAT and office service charge.
What is Not Included
- Lunch and Dinner in Kathmandu.
- Travel insurance.
- International airfare.
- Any kind of alcoholic drinks, hot water, hot shower, cold drinks, laundry, phone call, and internet.
- Items of a personal nature.
- Nepal entry visa fee
- Tips.
Trip Information
What is Included
What is Not Included
We will provide you with comprehensive information on the every trek and tour we arrange. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require more information or have any questions, we are more than happy to assist you in anyway.
When to go:
February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October & November are the best seasons for the Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter. The weather is sunny and warm offering outstanding views but the nights are cold and can fall to freezing in higher elevations. Trekking in summer/monsoon (June, July) is also good for Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter. The trekking routes are crowded during spring and autumn but during monsoon and winter the routes are not packed and you could enjoy rather best of nature.
Travel Insurance:
Travel insurance is highly recommended and is in fact compulsory should you be going trekking, rafting, paragliding etc. We require that, at a minimum, you are covered for personal injury, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, helicopter rescue, loss of luggage, etc. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. Please check with your insurance company that adventure activities and trekking above 3000m are covered in your policy, as some companies do not cover such things. You must carry proof of insurance (e.g. your insurance certificate) with you on the holiday; if you cannot provide this at the start of the holiday, you will be required to take out a suitable policy at that time.
Meals and Accommodation:
In Kathmandu, we normally use 3 stars hotel with breakfast but can upgrade upon request. During the Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter, we provide the best available guest house which is called Tea house (lodge). Tea Houses are more like hotels, with hot showers, western food, and private rooms (twin sharing). Some guesthouses are basic with shared washing and toilet facilities. If you are travelling in a group, you will share a room with someone else of the same gender from your group. If you prefer a single room, you may indicate your preference on request and pay a supplement. Keep in mind that there are several places which do not allow single accommodations during peak season, but we will try our best to accommodate your preferences if possible. In this arrangement overnight halts with dinner and breakfast will be in Tea-houses (Lodges) and lunches in local restaurants en-route. Furthermore as you will be staying in locally owned lodges you will be benefiting and interacting with the local community. It will give you a true feel for the Nepalese people and their lives.
We provide quality food in sufficient quantities (breakfast, lunch and dinner) from guesthouses chosen from a menu. While Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter your guide will help with menu selection and ensure that you get the best value meals possible. Although the food is usually plentiful and delicious, you should be aware that the menu is not normally extensive due to the extreme locations. Most teahouses offer a variety of rice and noodle dishes, as well as soup and seasonal vegetables. A variety of cereals, bread and egg dishes are generally available for breakfast. There will also be plenty of snacks available such as biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks and in some areas you will find fresh fruit in season. You can buy bottled mineral water from local lodges and shops en route or you can also ask your guide to fill your water bottle with boiled water and treat with water purification pills.
Fitness and Experience Required:
Our 10 days Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter is moderate trek suitable for passionate walkers who have ability to walk at least 5-7 hours a day with a light day pack. Walking in higher altitude is physically demanding than walking in the lower altitudes; however, if you are in excellent health with average physical fitness and have positive attitude, self confidence and strong determination, you can accomplish the 10 days Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter successfully. Exercising and jogging regularly for some weeks prior of the trip is good idea to enhance your strength and stability. Past hiking experience would be an asset but no technical skill is required for this trip. Participants with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart, lung, and blood disease should inform us before booking the trek.
The Trekking Group:
For the Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter, there will be one Guide, assistant Guide (8 trekkers: 1 assistant guide) and porters for luggage carrying (2 trekkers: 1 porter). This arrangement ensures that should anybody in the group is sick; the trip can still go ahead as planned. We can run the Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter for group of any size, but generally have a maximum of sixteen people, as we’ve found this to be the optimum size for a successful trip. However, if you’d like to make a group booking for more than twelve people together, we can arrange this too.
Trekking Guides and Staff:
The most significant thing that makes your Upper Mustang Trek & Fly-Out by Helicopter successful, enjoyable and memorable is the expert, experienced, courteous and helpful trek and Guide and the crew members who have ability of operating your days in the mountain smoothly. Your trip will be led by the best and most professional Guide. All of our Trekking Guides are carefully selected on the basis of their appropriate experience, Guiding skills and personal aptitude. With an objective of sustaining local communities Breakfree Adventures employs staffs who have plenty of knowledgeable about culture, flora and fauna, geography, and history of Nepal. Trekking Guide of Breakfree Adventures are also trained with following trainings to make them educated on potential medical issues during their trek, biodiversity and environmental issues, English language, etc:
Intensive Wilderness First Aid – KEEP (Kathmandu Environmental Educational Project)
Trekking Guide Training – Nepal Governments Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation department of Hotel Management and Tourism Training Centre of Nepal
Eco Trekking Workshop and Adventure Meet TAAN (Trekking Agents Association of Nepal)
English Language – KEEP(Kathmandu environment education project)
Conservation and Biodiversity TAAN
Rock, Ice Climbing and Mountaineering (Climbing leaders) Nepal Mountaineering Association
Our Trekking Guides obviously speak English sufficient enough to communicate but please consider this is not our mother language. The guides and porters know the routes and locality like the back of their hand, they practice the local culture themselves and they are extremely passionate about their country and its cultural aspects.
Climate and Weather:
The climate of Nepal is as varied as its geography. The low-lying Terai has a sub-tropical monsoonal climate. The Himalayan foothills, where most of our treks take place, are best in the cool dry season from September to May. The traditional trekking season in Nepal is late September to December, with October and November generally recognized as having the best weather. Spring is also a popular time of year with warmer weather and the advantage of seeing spring flowers and rhododendrons in bloom. The visibility is good and days are pleasantly warm, although nights can be cold, and snow is possible above 3,000 meters.
Himalayan weather can be unpredictable where nights are generally cooler and days warmer. It’s a bit colder during the winter season (Jan to Feb) but days can be quite warm and lovely if the sun is shining. You can expect a bit of snow in the months of January/February and December. Expect the unexpected! The temperature could be as high as 20 deg C to -15 deg C low.
Safety and Security:
Security and safety are a high priority of our company however there are risks associated with adventure travel that you should consider before booking. Our trip operators constantly monitor their areas of operation and will cancel or re-route a trip if they feel a destination is unsafe. The decision to travel to a particular country or region is a personnel one.
Responsible Travel
Breakfree Adventures is a leading trekking and travel agency with dedicated travel Professionals who are well trained to give you the best of what Nepal has to offer. Our professional team follows a social philosophy that accepts responsibility for the local people and the environment in which we work. We respect the natural environment and the culture of our country, and we help travellers from around the world discover the natural beauty and cultural treasures of Nepal. We know that responsible travel tries to minimize the impact of tourism on the environment and maximize employment and income-generating opportunities for local communities. The whole of Nepal, including those living in remote rural areas that have very few other opportunities for development, benefits from sustainable tourism.
Breakfree Adventures is passionate about preserving the environment. As responsible tour guides in Nepal, we strive to maintain a symbiotic relationship with the local communities through which we travel. While trekking to different destinations, we choose environmentally- friendly lodges that respect the needs of their staff members. We take care of our staff as well as our valued clients. During our treks and other trips, we follow a zero garbage policy (“pack in, pack out”) and leave nothing behind in the campsites. We always welcome your feedback and comments regarding responsible travel, so please send an e-mail to let us know what you think.
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