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 to prepare for the war. Ordinary citizens or people were not permitted to enter the Upper Mustang region. In the Tibetian 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 fully joined 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 wish of the Tibetian People, which they regarded 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.

Although a Tour to Upper Mustang is possible in any season, the ideal season ranges from spring to autumn. However, tourists can also visit the Upper Mustang area in the monsoon area since the region falls in the Rain Shadow Area. Apart from the ideal season, there are off-seasons, where 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 condition 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 as the off-season for trekking, it does not affect the Jeep Tour so much. The lower section of the region suffers from continuous rainfall, which can affect the path of the tour and increase the probability of natural disasters like 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

The main off-season of the Mustang Jeep Tour Is the winter season due to dynamic weather, freezing temperatures, and chances of dangerous blizzards and snowstorms. However, the overland Tour is less hazardous than the two-week trek in the snowy Mustang climate. Traveling in the restricted region on the back of a jeep is enjoyable, but tourists must be wary about extreme weather and the constantly changing dynamic temperature.

The Upper Mustang Overland Jeep Tour is extremely enjoyable jeep Tour in Nepal. However, it is also tricky if you don’t consider important factors like food and accommodations. Generally, during the Upper Mustang Jeep Tour, the Guest stay in the teahouses.

During the upper Mustang 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 good quality. After Kagbeni, the teahouses are standard grade, and many still have nearby bathrooms. 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 tourists must be careful about during their journey to the Himalayas. Despite being in the restricted and remote portion of the country, the tourists will get the chance to have some delicious local cuisines and foods from Western countries. The restaurants, hotels, and teahouses in the Upper Mustang have different types of Indian, Italian, Chinese, etc. The tourists at the destination have the chance to have both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. Trekkers and tourists will have three meals daily, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, every day of the itinerary.

Breakfast

Every day before starting the trek of the day, the tourists will have some delicious breakfast from the breakfast menu. It is one of the most important meals of the day, which is why expert tourists don’t recommend. You can have French Toast, Tibetan bread, Eggs, Chapatis, Rotis, Pancakes, Porridge, Vegetable Dishes, Muesli, etc.

Lunch

Lunch and DInners have almost identical types of menus. The tourists are served lunch after the initial few hours of trek. Some of the menu options for lunch are sandwiches, rice with curry, burgers, pizza, sherpa stew, Tibetan chapati bread, momos (dumplings), macaroni, spaghetti, potatoes, dal and bhat, yak steak, and desserts. Spring rolls and steaks

Dinner

Just like Lunch, Dinner is also an essential meal with almost similar types of menus. After reaching the new destination on the touring day, the tourists will book the teahouse, where they will also have their dinner. Some of the most common menus for dinners are 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 to mix the pleasure of adventure and also the chance of cultural immersion. Upper Mustang is a breathtaking region different from other villages, towns, and cities.

The Mustang region is called “The Last Forbidden Kingdom” since it was forbidden for average people living in the country. 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 Tibetian culture and region. There are several major attractions that the trekkers or tourists can explore during the Upper Mustang Overland Jeep Tour.

Ghar Gompa (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 monastery in the world, which is why thousands of Buddhist pilgrims and tourist visit Upper Mustang to pay respect to Ghar Gumba. One of the major reasons this monastery is so famous is because it was the first meditation place for Padmasambhava or 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 see it as the home of Vishnu, while Buddhists honor it as a place of Avalokiteśvara, 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 valleys’ prestigious views and the delicious Apple delicacies like Apple pie and the 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 started spreading the prophecies of ancient Tibetian civilization, which helped build monasteries and also promoted the culture ever since the Buddhist people of Upper Mustang were working hard to prevent the said culture and traditions.

Rain shadow area

Upper Mustang falls in Nepal’s unique region, also called the 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.

The trekkers need three permits for the Upper Mustang Trek: the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, Trekkers Information Management System, and the Restrictive Area Permit.

Restrictive Area Permit

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

Annapurna Conservation Area Permit

The Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) helps protect and promote the Annapurna region. Having this permit to visit the Annapurna region would be best. It costs NRs 3000 or USD 25. The tourists can issue 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 in which region they visit.A solo trek TIMS permit (without a guide) costs about NRs 2000 or USD 18, while a group trek permit (with a guide) costs about NRs 1000 or USD 9. However, recently, you haven’t been able to issue TIMS permits for solo treks.