Upper Mustang Tiji Festival Trek 2025

On arrival at Kathmandu international airport terminal Nepal, Adventure Team staff, and a guide will receive you. You are dropped off at your respective hotels in the popular hub of Kathmandu, Thamel. After the refreshment break our guide/leader will brief us with information regarding hotels, Nepali culture, tours, and Upper Mustang Trekking with a welcome dinner in a typical Nepalese restaurant with a folk cultural program.

This day is separated for the preparation of the entire journey. You will be informed of trekking plans and the packing lists along with what you can expect and how it can be more interesting. A sightseeing tour in Kathmandu is optional, if intended you can visit a number of world heritage-listed places.

Early morning drive of about 08 hours to popular tourism hub Pokhara allowing you to explore the Nepali living style. You are settled in the hotels of Pokhara and can enjoy the peaceful and fresh vibes of the city that are highly appreciated by people from all around the world. Besides, sightseeing is optional for you. (30-minute flight to Pokhara from Kathmandu is available as per request with additional charges)

Early morning short scenic flight is made to Jomsom from Pokhara. Throughout the 22-minute flight, you can please your eyes with woods, rivers, and snowcapped high mountains. Jomsom welcomes visitors with apple orchards and a chilly breeze from the mountains around.

Basically, trekking starts from Jomsom through the bank of Kali Gandaki River leading to Kagbeni. Kagbeni is the gateway of Upper Mustang and we stay there to enjoy the Kagbeni valley composed of the windy village, crackling river, and vibrant barren hillocks. 

After a night's stay at Kagbeni village, we head towards Chele through the old Trans-Himalayan Caravan route of Nepal -Tibet. This morning's walk by Kali Gandaki River leads to well-cultivated terraced farm fields nearby Tirigaon village. Likewise, we will be mesmerized by distinct landscapes and high-shaded cliffs and canyons on the way to Chele.

On route to Chele, we could see pilgrims searching for a fossil named “Salagram Silas” which is regarded as a sacred stone by Hindus and worshiped as an iconic representation of the supreme Lord Vishnu (one of the three main Hindu Gods).

The walk continues for a few hours through Tangbe and Tsusang (Chusang) villages. Further, broken canyons and ruined castle walls surrounded by high red-shaded cliffs are encountered. After crossing the small bridge, an uphill walk for 45 minutes brings you to Chele village.

The morning walk from Chele village gets steeper for an hour onto a ridge at (3,130m) from where one can get a grand view of Gyagar across a huge canyon. Trek continues with a slow climb on the windswept terrain till the pass at 3,540m is reached.

Then walk from Samar village to a ridge that leads to a large gorge painted with red, black, yellow, and white rocks. The journey continues into another valley with juniper trees, a stream and a climbing drive to a ridge at 3,800m. With a few minutes' walk, Syangbochen is accomplished by having a small settlement with few tea shops at 3,710m.

From Syangbochen, we climb gradually through the fields and pass various settlements. Among those settlements, named Ghiling village is our stop for the lunch for this day. Ghiling has a monastery as well as a water-rotating prayer wheel. We have a short break and have lunch to energize ourselves for the further walk to Dhakmar. Following the trails, the right path leads to Tsarang while the left leads to Ghaymi village. We take the left turn, cross Ghami rivulets, and pass Ghaymi village to reach Dhakmar village. Dhakmar is our overnight station 

The 8th-day trek leads to our main destination at Lo-Manthang. On leaving Dhakmar, the longest and most spectacular series of Mani walls (Sacred-Holy prayer stone wall which is built by locals and Buddhist pilgrims) can be encountered. We further climbed to reach Lo-Manthang. Before reaching Lo-Manthang, we visit and observe Ghar Ghumba which is the oldest monastery in the area. After the quality moment at Ghar Ghumba and enjoying the monument we head ahead to climb up. We pass the highest pass of this trekking route named as Morang-La with an altitude of 4353m. Being nearer to Lo-Manthang we see the grand view of the walled village of Lo-Mananthang. A short downhill walk leads to a stream that outlines Lo-Manthang village, from here a short climb on a plateau takes us toward the wall of our ultimate destination, Lo-Manthang. The only entrance to the village is from the northeast gate, the main entrance gate.

On the 1st day, the monks perform a dance called ‘TsaChaam’. This tells the story of the birth of ‘DorjiSonam’- a reincarnated Buddha to conquer a demon. This demon harassed the kingdom of Mustang and brought huge destruction to the country. The performance of the first day includes 52 different steps practiced for months and evoking God and purifying the ground for the dances to take place on Day 2 of the Tiji festival. You can witness the monks enacting the harassment of the said demon on the people of Mustang along with the enchanted prayers.

The second day is the main list of the Tiji Festival. Many tourists travel 100 kilometers from Jomsom through barren areas to attend the second day of the Tiji Festival. Tourist crowd around the square and top of the buildings to watch the show of the day by standing shoulder to shoulder with locals. The monks perform ‘NgaCham’. During this performance, DorjeeSonam tries to return the demon to the Buddha realm. You see different dances, dance with drums, by monks, wolves with swords, ghosts dances, dangerous attitudes, warriors ragging demons, and monkey boys entertaining the audience. The King of Lo arrives on the Second day and settles on his throne.

On the 3rd and final day of the Tiji festival, the ‘Rhachham’ dance takes place. In this ceremony, DorjeeSonam triumphs over the evil demon and banishes him from Mustang. Numbers of monks enchant prayer and mantras with drums and worship. The festival goes beyond the town’s main square, and monks and people walk through the city. They walk away from the city and fire the gun to scare off the demon and claim the victory over demon and destruction by peace. The monk who plays the role of Dorjee Sonam does this by throwing an effigy. This effigy made from Tsampa (barley) represents the demon ‘Ma Tam Ru Ta’.This defeat brings peace and prosperity to the land of Mustang. Every year Tiji festival takes place in the hope of spreading peace throughout the world.

After an amazing time in Lo-Manthang, early morning we head towards Charang. We need to walk for 2 hours to reach Charang. Though we stay at Yara, we visit one of the oldest palaces, monasteries, and open valleys that come on our way. This day we slowly stroll and explore the area and reach Yara. Yara is another cozy village for our stay.

The trail towards Tengbe from Yara is filled with solitude and tranquility as we could find no settlements on our way. Probably, there is a small tea house offering limited service far away from the city chaos and urbanization. You just see the Himalayas, barren colorful hillocks, long trails, and Nepal Adventure Team’s guide on today’s entire journey. This day is all about cherishing the tranquility, nature, and settlement-free environment, and enjoying the hike. Having a smooth gradual calm hike, we stay at Tengbe to rest.

This day is the tough day of our trek as we have to walk for long hours. Besides, the trail to Chuksang from Tengbe is more peaceful, settlements, and hustle free than the trails from Yara to Tengbe. We find no settlements at all in this way which makes it a more peaceful, entirely unspoiled nature, with zero human settlements, and just the moments of nature and you. Since there are no settlements on the trail, Nepal Adventure Team arranges packed lunches for you to keep you healthy and energetic. You just have to gradually walk enjoying nature and its tranquility to reach Chuksang for the night stay.

This is the last day of the Upper Mustang Trekking to enjoy the unspoiled and unexplored aspects of nature as this is the end of those trails having limited settlements and human chaos. You see a few settlements and tea house lodges on your way. However, Nepal Adventure Team prefers to use quality packed lunches for this day as well. You do not have to hike long hours as you did on the previous day from Tengbe to Chuksang. Today, we head to one of the most famous places named Muktinath which has Muktinath Temple at an altitude of 3700m. Muktinath Temple holds high religious value for all Hindus and Buddhists. People from different parts of the world visit Muktinath Temple and receive blessings. Additionally, Muktinath Temple is situated at the lap of the Himalayas offering a heart-pleasing view of mountains, hills, and settlements. It has 108 holy water streams and two holy ponds and bathing in them is believed to be blissful, valuable, a blessing, and a way of salvation. Pilgrims believe it makes them pure.

Early morning you make a visit to Muktinath Temple and cherish the religious and unspoiled environment. Then, you head downhill towards Jomsom to take a flight to Pokhara. Jomsom is the only place in this region having modern facilities, quite dense settlements yet amazing surroundings. However, you can choose to stay at Jomsom instead of Muktinath such that you enjoy more facilities and more rest you do not have to walk. Nepal Adventure Team arranges your stay at Pokhara and if required sightseeing in Pokhara can be managed. 

We drive back to Kathmandu on a tourist bus as the way we came to Pokhara. You are transferred to respective hotels with leisure time for relaxation and shopping for souvenirs. Farewell Dinner is arranged for you by the Nepal Adventure Team to add more amazing moments to your stay in Nepal. (30-minute flight to Kathmandu from Pokhara is available as per request with additional charges)

The incredible Upper Mustang Trek ends here on the 17th day. You will be dropped to the airport by our staff as per your flight schedule. Nepal Adventure Team appreciates you for completing the trek and bids you a warm see-off with the hope to serve you further in the following days.