Upper Mustang Overland Jeep Tour

Lo-Man Thang is the forbidden kingdom in Nepal’s Upper Mustang area. In 1380, the Tibetan Emperor Ame Pal founded the Lo-Manthang. It was a walled city, like a fortress, prepared for war. Ordinary citizens or people were not permitted to enter the Upper Mustang region. In the Tibetan language, Lo Means South. For 25 years, the lineage of Ame Pal continued to rule the city.

Around 1795, Mustang became part of Nepal but remained a separate principality until the 1950s, when it was fully incorporated into Nepal. British Tibetologist David Snellgrove visited Mustang to study its temples and monasteries in 1956, 1960-61, and 1978. In 1950, Tibet became part of China, against the wishes of the Tibetan people, who regarded it as the Chinese Invasion of Tibet.

Due to the rebellion between the two countries, the Upper Mustang became a hub for the CIA for a long time. Then, the President of the USA started supporting China, which made Lo-Man Thang a fortress for the rebellious guerrillas. This is the reason Upper Mustang became the Last Forbidden Kingdom.

The Upper Mustang Overland Jeep Tour is easy and doesn’t require intense physical effort. You will be traveling by jeep, so you don’t need to walk much. However, you should be in good physical health to enjoy the trip.

There are no technical climbs or tough hiking. You’ll explore monasteries, caves, and villages with some easy walking on gentle slopes. The altitude isn’t too high, so the chances of getting altitude sickness are very low. This tour is perfect if you want adventure without the hard trekking. But if you are an adventure lover and want a challenging trip then Upper Mustang Trek is more suitable for you.

Although a Jeep tour to Upper Mustang is possible in any season, the ideal season is spring and autumn. Nonetheless, tourists can also visit the Upper Mustang area during the monsoon season, as the region falls within the Rain Shadow Area. Apart from the ideal season, there are off-seasons, when trekking activities are less than usual. So, let’s get into some of the seasons you can go for the Upper Mustang Overland Jeep Tour.

Spring

Spring is one of the best seasons for the Overland Tour of the Upper Mustang. One of the major attractions of the Spring season is the ideal conditions for the Upper Mustang Jeep Tour. The weather is clear, and the temperature is mild, suitable for trekking or touring. Furthermore, tourists can participate in and enjoy the iconic Tiji festivals that last three days during the spring. Tiji festivals are often celebrated in April and May.

Autumn

Autumn is also one of the best seasons for the Jeep Tour of Upper Mustang. This season begins in September and ends in November when the month feels somewhat cold. It is the ideal season for sightseeing the beautiful natural beauty of the region, with clear skies, incredible weather, and mild to chilly temperatures, which are suitable for any tour and trek.

Monsoon season

Although the Monsoon season falls during the off-season for trekking, it does not affect the Upper Mustang overland tour including Muktinath. The lower section of the region suffers from continuous rainfall, which can affect the tour’s path and increase the probability of natural disasters, such as floods and Landslides. However, when you reach the high altitude of Upper Mustang, the monsoon season doesn’t affect you as the region falls in the rain shadow area. It becomes even prettier for the Jeep Tour.

Winter Season

Winter is the off-season for the Jeep tour in Upper Mustang. The weather gets very cold, and snowstorms and blizzards can make travel risky. Still, taking a jeep is much easier and safer than doing a long two-week trek in the snow. You need to be careful as the weather can change quickly, and temperatures can drop suddenly. If you plan to travel in winter, be sure to prepare well and stay informed about the weather conditions.

During the upper Mustang 4WD jeep tour, you will stay in three-star hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara and guesthouses in Mustang. The rooms are set up for two people. You can request one for an extra fee if you prefer a single room. Most rooms will have private bathrooms, but some teahouses only have shared sinks and toilets.

Single rooms are easy to find in Kathmandu and lower-altitude areas but may be hard to get at higher elevations. Until Kagbeni, the accommodations are also of good quality. After Kagbeni, the teahouses are standard grade. Most teahouses offer Wi-Fi. To keep warm, there are nice dining rooms with traditional heaters.

Just like accommodation, food is also an essential component that you must be careful about during your Mustang overland jeep tour. Despite being in the restricted and remote portion of the country, you will still enjoy some delicious local cuisine and food from Western countries. The restaurants, hotels, and teahouses in Upper Mustang offer a variety of cuisines, including Indian, Italian, Chinese, and more. You have the option of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals.

For breakfast, you can enjoy French Toast, Tibetan bread, Eggs, Chapatis, Rotis, Pancakes, Porridge, Vegetable Dishes, Muesli, and more. The lunch plan includes sandwiches, rice with curry, burgers, pizza, Sherpa stew, Tibetan chapati bread, momos (dumplings), macaroni, spaghetti, potatoes, dal and bhat, yak steak, spring rolls, and steaks. Likewise, the dinner options include Local Nepali Dal Bhat, Pizzas, Burgers, Dumplings, sandwiches, Steaks, Stews, Spaghetti, Macaroni, and other beverages and desserts.

Upper Mustang is one of the most famous regions in Nepal for touring and trekking purposes. It is a rare opportunity that combines the pleasure of adventure with the chance for cultural immersion. The remote beauty of the Upper Mustang region has rugged landscapes, towering mountain peaks, and deep canyons. Due to the restrictive nature of the region, the Upper Mustang has been successfully conserving the ancient Tibetan culture and religion. There are several major attractions that the trekkers or tourists can explore during the Upper Mustang Overland Jeep Tour. These include;

Ghar Gumba (oldest Buddhist Monastery)

Lo Gekar Monastery, also known as Ghar Gumba, is located in Marang, which is part of the Lo Ghekar Damodar Kunda Rural Municipality in Upper Mustang. It was built in the 8th century, making it older than the Samya Monastery in Tibet. It is among the oldest monasteries in the world, which is why thousands of Buddhist pilgrims and tourists visit Upper Mustang to pay their respects to Ghar Gumba. One of the primary reasons this monastery is renowned is that it was the first meditation retreat for Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche.

Shija Jong cave

Shija Jong Cave is another major attraction of the Upper Mustang region. It is located over 20 km from the capital of Upper Mustang, Lo-Man Thang. This cave is five stories high and is an unmissable must-see attraction. This cave was first inhabited by Khampa rebels, who terrorized the locals. However, when the Nepal army seized the Mustang region, they killed the rebel leaders and established peace, after which the cave became another attraction.

Muktinath Temple

Muktinath is an ancient temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Mustang, Nepal. This temple is worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus worldwide. Hindus regard it as the home of Vishnu, while Buddhists venerate it as a place of Avalokiteshvara, their deity. Muktinath is known as “the lord of liberation.” Located in the Muktinath valley at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass, this temple is one of the highest in the world, sitting at 3,800 meters above sea level. It is known as one of the 108 Divya Desams in Hinduism and is the only one located outside India. Additionally, it is one of the 51 Shakta pithas linked to the goddess Sati.

Marpha Apple Farm

Marpha Apple Farm is another major attraction of the Upper Mustang Trek. Many trekkers and tourists visit the Marpha Apple Farm for the valley’s prestigious views and the delicious Apple delicacies, such as apple pie and apple-made drinks like Apple Marpha. This place is also ideal for clicking some of the best and most picturesque photos of the mountains and valleys.

Monasteries and Cultural Heritage

The Upper Mustang Jeep Tour is a chance to experience mountainous adventure and cultural immersion in ancient Buddhist traditions and rituals. After Guru Rinpoche arrived at Upper Mustang, he meditated in several caves. His influence began spreading the prophecies of ancient Tibetan civilization, which helped build monasteries and promoted the culture, as the Buddhist people of Upper Mustang worked hard to preserve these traditions.

Rain shadow area

Upper Mustang lies in Nepal’s unique Rain Shadow Area. A rain shadow happens when a mountain range blocks winds that carry moisture. As this moist air rises over the mountains, it cools down and creates rain on the side facing the wind, known as the windward side. When the air moves down on the other side, called the leeward side, it has lost much of its moisture, making that area dry. This makes Upper Mustang dry and perfect for travel, even during the rainy season in other parts of Nepal.

Outline Item ListYes, you need three permits for the Upper Mustang Trek: the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, the Trekker’s Information Management System, and a special restricted area permit called the Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit (RAP).

Restrictive Area Permit

One of the unique trekking permits that you need to obtain for the Upper Mustang Overland Jeep Tour is the restricted area permit. An individual cannot issue the restrictive area permit, so they must hire a trekking agency that can issue this permit on their behalf. The permit costs $500 for the first 10 days. After that, the cost is $50 for each additional day.

Annapurna Conservation Area Permit

The Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) helps protect and promote the conservation of the Annapurna region. Having this permit to visit the Annapurna region would be best. It costs NRs 3000 or USD 25. Tourists can obtain this permit from the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu or the TAAN office in Pokhara.

TIMS Card

TIMS Card stands for Trekkers Information Management System. This permit is essential for the government to monitor the number of trekkers or tourists visiting the country and which region they visit. A solo trek TIMS permit (without a tour guide) costs about NRs 2000 or USD 18, while a group trek permit (with a guide) costs about NRs 1000 or USD 9.