Upper Mustang Heli Trek

Day 1: Arrive at Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu

Upon your arrival at the airport, you will be greeted by one of Visit View Nepal Treks representatives. He will help you to transferred to your hotel. You can check into your hotel and relax. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 2: Fly to Pokhara and transfer to hotel

We will take a 30 minutes scenic flight to Pokhara. Upon arrival in Pokhara, you will be rewarded with wonderful views of the Himalayas. You can see a Himalayas like Mt. Machhapuchhre, Mt. Manaslu, Mt. Dhaulagiri, the five peaks of Annapurna and many others. If you drive to Pokhara also, it offers many amazing sights of the landscapes like pasturelands and terrace farms and rivers. After arrival at Pokhara, we will check into the hotel. In the evening, you can enjoy a pristine boat ride on the Fewa Lake and wander in the city’s attractive streets. Overnight stay at a hotel in Pokhara.

Day 3: Fly to Jomsom (2713m) and trek to Kagbeni (2810m), Duration: 3 – 4 hours trek

Early morning we take a flight to Jomsom. Jomsom is a village famous for its strong winds, apples and its amazing landscape. From Jomsom, we begin our trek on an open trail alongside a beautiful valley. We can enjoy the amazing terrains and admire the many natural features of the landscape while passing through the Eklebhatti village before reaching Kagbeni. Kagbeni is ideally located at the bank of two rivers. The village is beautiful with flat roofed houses. It also has ruins of an old fortress. Overnight stay at a guesthouse in Kagbeni.

Day 4: Kagbeni to Chhuksang (2900m), Duration: 4-5 hours

We begin our walk alongside the east bank of the Kali Gandaki Valley. Walking on both high valley trails, we next follow the path that run alongside the Kali Gandaki River. Following the route, the path opens up on a wide land where a number of mules can be seen carrying goods. As we walk through ancient caves towards Tangbe Village, the valley tends to narrow down. We can admire the well-kept narrow alleys, the whitewashed houses, buck wheat and barley fields, and apple orchards of the gorgeous Tangbe Village as we continue our walk towards Chuksang. It takes about 2 hours walk from Tangbe village to reach Chhuksang. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Chuksang.

Day 5: Chhuksang to Samar (3150m), Duration: 3-4 hours

First, we cross a suspension bridge and then follow the trail that goes along the banks of the Kali Gandaki River. We ascend on a steep trail to the Chele village. On the route, we can get a beautiful sights of the Nilgiri and the Tilicho peaks. From Chele, we head towards the Darori La Pass. We will climb on a steep path and continue ascending alongside a steep canyon. Darori La Pass lies at an altitude of 3735 meters. From the top, it is a gradual descent all the way to the small and picturesque village of Samar. The village is beautiful and filled with ancient poplar trees surrounding it. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Samar.

Day 6: Samar to Geling (3510m), Duration: 5 – 6 hours

Following the trekking trail today we climb on a ridge above the village and we will descend into a large ravine. Before crossing a stream, we will walk on a trail filled with juniper trees. The path then ascends steeply towards the Bhena La Pass at 3838 meters. From the pass we descend for a while before ascending again towards the Yamda La Pass at 3860 meters. We get our first view of Upper Mustang from the top of the Pass.  We will then descend from the pass. We continue walking towards a big stupa, passing cairns before descending to the village of Geling. Geling is a beautiful village with far-reaching fields of barley. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Geling.

Day 7: Geling to Ghami (3490m), Duration: 5-6 hours

We will ascend gently through barley fields. We will pass the Tama Gaon (village) and a chorten on the way to our next location. We climb on a steep trail towards the Nyi La Pass at 4,010 meters. We can get excellent views of the Annapurna range from the top of the Pass. From top, we will descend and walk on a trail that leads us to Ghami. The village is a large dotting of whitewashed houses and barren fields sheltered by overhanging cliffs. Overnight stay at a guesthouse at Ghami.

Day 8: Ghami to Tsarang (3620m), Duration: 5-6 hours Trek

We begin our trek with a descent through a slippery and rough trail. We will cross a suspension bridge over the Ghami Khola. We will begin ascending down towards Tsarang. Along the trail, the pathway is beautiful with Mani walls. Then, we will cross the Tsarang La Pass at 3870 meters and reach the Tsarang village. The village lies atop the Charang Chu canyon. It has a huge fortress and a red gompa towards its east. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Tsarang.

Day 9: Tsarang to Lo-Manthang (3730m), Duration: 3-4 hours

We begin our trek towards Lo-Manthang but before that we will visit the red gompa and a fortress in the morning. Our route drops down to the Tsarang Khola. We will cross a bridge over the river. Then, we will climb up towards the Lo La pass at 3950 meters. We can get good views of northern Mustang and of Lo-Manthang, from the top of the pass. From the pass we descend towards the Lo Manthang. Lo Manthang is an ancient walled capital of Mustang. On the way, we can enjoy the rocky dunes that dot the landscape. The town has only one entry point so we will have to circumambulate the wall to the gate on the north east corner. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Lo Manthang.

Day 10: Explore Lo Manthang

Lo Manthang is a walled town of the remote Upper Mustang region of Nepal. Today, we will visit the three major Gompas of the town –the Jhampa, the Thupchen and the Chhoeda. All of these Gompas have undergone expert restoration over the last two decades. Overnight stay at a guesthouse in Lo Manthang.

Day 11: Helicopter ride over Lo Manthang / Mustang to Pokhara.

After exploring the beautiful region of Upper Mustang, we will enjoy a helicopter tour on our return journey to Pokhara. The helicopter ride begins from Lo Manthang and it is one of the major highlights of the entire trip. We can get remarkable views of the unique landscape of Upper Mustang, from the helicopter. We can also see sights of the mighty Himalayas and serene lakes, as we get near Pokhara. We can spend the rest of the day boating in the serene waters of the Phewa Lake. Likewise, you can explore the quaint streets of Pokhara.  Overnight stay in a hotel in Pokhara.

Day 12: Fly to Kathmandu

After breakfast, we will say goodbye to the beautiful northern skyline of Pokhara. We fly back to Kathmandu. We can take rest after reaching Kathmandu. Rest of the time, you can do some souvenir shopping. Overnight stay at a hotel.

Day 13: Farewell

You will be dropped off at the airport by one of Visit View Nepal Treks representatives approx. three hours before your flight. We wish you a safe flight.

What's included

  • All ground transportation by private vehicle including airport pickup and drop off.
  • Two nights’ accommodation with breakfast at a 5-star hotel in Kathmandu.
  • Two night accommodation with breakfast at a 5-star hotel in Pokhara.
  • Round trip airfare from Kathmandu to Pokhara and Pokhara to Kathmandu.
  • Airfare from Pokhara to Jomsom.
  • Private Charger Helicopter Ride from Lo - Manthang to Pokhara.
  • Best available twin sharing lodge to lodge accommodation during the trek
  • Full board meals with tea/coffee (breakfast, lunch, dinner) during the trek
  • Down jacket, four seasonal sleeping bag, Visit View Nepal Treks duffel bag, t-shirt, and trekking map (down jacket and sleeping bag are to be returned after trip completion)
  • An experienced English-speaking (trekking guide), porter to carry luggage (2 trekkers: 1 porter) including their salary, insurance, equipment, flight, food and lodging
  • A comprehensive medical kit
  • All necessary paper work and permits (ACAP, Special trekking permit), please bring 3 passport size photos for permit
  • All government and local taxes

What's not included

  • Meals not specified in the 'Meal Inclusions' in the itinerary'
  • International airfare
  • Travel insurance
  • Nepal entry visa: you can obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. (A multiple-entry tourist visa good for 30 days can be obtained by paying US $ 40 or equivalent foreign currency. Similarly, multiple-entry tourist visas for 90 days can be obtained by paying US $ 100. Please bring 2 copies of passport-size photos.)
  • Hot shower during the trek.
  • Personal trekking equipment’s
  • Cold drinks, water, snacks and other personal expenses.
  • Tips and gratuities for trekking staff and drivers.

The Upper Mustang Heli Trek is a comfortable blend of a helicopter ride and trekking in one of the most isolated regions of Nepal – Upper Mustang. Upper Mustang is a place of many hidden treasures, and it is one of the last places on Earth that still has the practice of Tibetan Buddhism in its most unblemished forms. Upper Mustang is one of Nepal’s most distinguished trekking destinations.

Upper Mustang presents fantastic rock and corroded hill formations in the amethyst landscape as opposed to the lush trekking locations that other regions are famed for. It lies at the rain-shadow zone of the Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna Mountain ranges. The brown landscape of this region makes a beautiful contrast to the glowing white ridges of the Himalayas while trekking. The Upper Mustang Heli Trek presents a whole new perspective of the region as seen from an aerial view, as it is a fascinating combination of trekking and a helicopter ride.

The many monasteries of the region are treasure houses of many old artifacts, and the practice of the Tibetan Buddhist religion by the people there is a great way to experience something captured in a time-wrap. Upper Mustang trekking is like going back in time because of how little change has occurred in the practice of the religion that started hundreds of years ago.

Upper Mustang Heli Trek

We start a trek with a drive from Kathmandu to the lakeside city of Pokhara. We then follow the trekking trail that goes through many ethnic villages of Upper Mustang. We will pass through the villages like Kagbeni, Chuksang, Samar, Geling, Ghami, Tsarang, and Lo Manthang. Along the way, we can find many gumbas, chortens, and monasteries which provide a very religious nuance to the region. The villages are filled with the presentation of the people’s unique and exotic culture.  Upper Mustang Heli Trek provides one of the best and most comfortable trekking journeys in the country. This trek combines the trekking aspect of the journey with a thrilling helicopter ride above the oxidized red cliffs of Mustang’s terrain.

On the way, your companions will be the temples, the gumbas, and the prayer flags that line the trekking trail at various spots. In contrast, trekking and the people going about their day in the remote, isolated region in their traditional attire are sure to be one of the most amazing experiences of a lifetime. Upper Mustang is a great place to experience the ancient Tibetan culture right in Nepal without having to visit Tibet because it lies close to the Tibetan plateau. The spellbinding brown landscape of Mustang that resembles the Grand Canyon’s deeper abyss presents one of the world’s unique terrains. The rock formations of the place look like it is from another planet.

Upper Mustang Heli Trek

Additionally, the cliffs also contain many forgotten Buddhist artifacts of past times and mysterious caves dug out thousands of years ago. The region’s rich cultural presence truly captures Nepal’s multicultural aspect. The Upper Mustang Heli Trek is a wonderful journey as it presents the best feature of the region with the added thrill of a gorgeous helicopter ride over the sandy dunes and rocky cliffs of Mustang.

Detailed Itinerary