Mustang
Nepal Travel Destination

Mustang is the name of the district in northern Nepal bordering Tibet (China) and it runs along the Kali Gandaki River. This isolated region, the Mustang District, denoting “fertile plain” and pronounced Mun Tan in Tibetan, is the area north of the Annapurna Conservation Area known as the Kingdom of Lo. The areas mystique which attracts travelers today, dates back hundreds of years to around the 7th century. The Mustang Region has served not only as the major trade route between Tibet, India, and Nepal but it also was a gateway in the 19th and the early 20th centuries for the inquisitive travelers trying their luck to sneak into forbidden Tibet. As such, Mustang (the Kingdom of Lo) is mentioned in numerous books describing the perils and many failed attempts of reaching Tibet through this region.

There are over 9,000 people living in the towns of the district which is divided into three main towns and around 30 other smaller settlements while some people still live in cave dwellings. The capital of Lo named is Manthang, which translates (from the Tibetan) as "plain of aspiration.”. The people of Nepal's Mustang area practice their original Tibetan culture, language, and traditions and the majority of them are either Thakalis or Tibetan. (You can read more on the Thakalis on our ethnic groups page.) Because they are from the border of Tibet but live in Nepal they speak Nepali, Tibetan and a number of different dialect variations in between.

The first legal travelers that were allowed to visit Mustang visited in March 1992. This shows the new-ness of the opportunity to visit this high dessert area. Travel to Lo is through an almost treeless landscape with silence broken by winds sweeping across the open spaces. The surroundings make you feel like you are on another planet – a truly unique place.

For the most part, traveling through the area you will be above an elevation of 2500 meters with a maximum altitude of 4000 meters. The environment is rather dry since it sits in the rain shadow of the Annapurna Range which causes there to be considerably less rain in the region compared to the rest of Nepal – especially during Nepal's monsoon season. At this time, the skies are cloudy and there is some rain. During the winter months, it usually snows, sometimes as much as 30 to 40 centimeters of the white powder accumulates on the ground. Because of the snow and the cold weather that comes with it, many local people of the area retreat for trading expeditions.

The best time to travel to Mustang would be from late March until early November before the harsh winter cold starts. (For more information on weather, see our Nepal trekking season guide.)

Because of the high – yet well worth it – permit costs to travel through this region the area has been virtually unscaved and protected from the constant advancement of globalization in Nepal. You are probably wondering about the cost of the permit, it is around $70.00 a day per person and the trek is usually a minimum of 10 days. But for those who truly want a unique travel experience – this is one that can be found no where else.

Though Nepal is in general is a place that time forgot, the people of Nepal despite clinging to and preserving their cultural icons, such as those in Kathmandu, have slowly begun to absorb western ideals. In this respect, the people of Mustang are a true travel attraction as to this day, due to the limited amount of tourists and everything that goes along with tourism. They have been able to maintain their ancient traditions and lifestyles. This is why many travel agencies regard and name trips to the Kingdom of Lo as a visit to ancient civilizations and as travel not only to a different time but to a different land. We too, are no different.

We call our Mustang travel itinerary “Ancient Civilization-Mustang.”

The starting point to get to Mustang is usually Jomsom. For the dedicated trekker or those wanting to travel across Nepal by foot, may opt to trek 5-6 days to get to Jomsom from Pokhara. For those just wanting to get to Mustang, you may opt to simply fly 30 minutes from Pokhara straight to Jomsom. From Jomsom your trip to Mustang will require a minimum of 10 days and could be longer depending on situations such as the travelers fitness level or any symptoms of altitude sickness, etc.