Highlights
1) Explore Yartung Festival
2) Explore the well-preserved Tibetan culture of Upper Mustang
3) Visit Muktinath, one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites in Nepal
4) Views of the north face of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri
5) Fly over the deepest gorge in the world, the Kali Gandaki
6) Visit the pre-Buddhist Bon village of Lurpa
COST
$1170 (Minimum 4 Pax)
Overnight: Standard Hotel. Bed and Breakfast
Overnight: Standard Hotel. Bed and Breakfast
A scenic drive to Pokhara in the morning, the road runs parallel along with the river Trishuli. Pokhara is also abundant for shopping, sightseeing and rest and recreational activities.
Overnight: Standard Hotel. Bed and Breakfast
Flights leave early to avoid the strong winds that whip through Mustang by late morning. Although the flight is a short twenty minutes, they are memorable minutes as you soar through the Kali Gandaki Gorge, with Dhaulagiri and Tukuche to the west, and Nilgiri Central and Annapurna to the east. Jomsom is a small town on the base of Nilgiri Himal. Explore Dhumba Lake
Overnight: Tea House. Full Board
We will mostly follow the river bed of Kali Gandaki to Kagbeni. Visit old Kagbeni with 500 years old monastery. Hike to the north towards Kagbeni, up the Kali Gandaki, the deepest gorge in the world. The scenery is spectacular. It could be windy, around 11 am, the wind picks up and swoops through the Kali Gandaki. Lunch at Eklaibhatti, 30 minutes from Kagbeni. Late afternoon visit gompa (Monastery), the Thupten Samphel Ling. The gompa houses several small statues, including one of Sakyamuni, the Future Buddha. The views from the rooftop of the gompa are breathtaking.
Overnight: Tea House. Full Board
The trail climbs steeply above Kagbeni to the plateaus and then more gradually to another ancient town of Jharkot. Jharkot is an impressive fortress-like village with its picturesque Kani (huge Chhorten) and large Shakya-Pa sect monastery. The monastery is situated close to the ruins of the forts in Jharkot. The Tibetan name of the monastery is Ngorp. It is believed that this monastery was founded during the regime of King Chopse. Four monks regularly stay there and perform various worshipping during different times of the year. It is the main monastery of Jharkot, Purang and Khinga people. Visitors have to pay a certain fee to enter the monastery. From Jharkot, it is 45 mints climb to Muktinath. From the altitude of Muktinath, one will be overlooking at Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri Ranges. Muktinath is one of the important destinations for Hindus. It also holds an important place for Buddhists too. Visit the monastery in the evening or the next day in the morning.
Overnight: Tea House. Full Board
Yartung is celebrated high up in the Himalayas by Buddhist communities. Just when the monsoon ends and the skies start opening up revealing the blue beauty within is when the Yartung is celebrated. Traditionally the festival was held in celebration of the return of horses and other livestock from high pastures. It is the biggest festival in the trans-Himalayan region and rightly so. Yartung is celebrated with great energy in the Mustang district. Yartung is basically 4 days of debauchery and daredevilry. It is characterized by drinking, merrymaking, archery contest and horse race. The horse race, however, is the main attraction of the festival. Riders from surrounding villages gather and take part in horse races, one of which requires the riders to pick up a scarf with money inside it from the ground while the horse gallops at crazy speeds. It is a sight to behold. This is the time when the riders showcase their strength and horse riding skills.
Overnight: Tea House. Full Board
The place is not accessible by road, so you have to reach there after a moderate trek along one of the tributaries of Kali Gandaki river. Lubra is a Bon village and is said to be the last remaining place in Mustang where the pre-Buddhist religion is followed. On top of the hill above the town sits what is thought to be the last remaining Bon monastery in Nepal. Around 20 families live in Lubra, so it is a small town, and can only be accessed by hiking. You can see the unique traditions dotted around town, such as the colorful string 'devil traps' that people put in their doorways to catch the devil at night.
Overnight at Tea House. Full Board.
Overnight: Standard Hotel. Bed and Breakfast
Today morning, we will be driving back to Kathmandu. Afternoon time is free or we can also visit Bhaktapur.
Overnight: Standard Hotel. Bed and Breakfast
