A plain guide to the Dolpo to Mustang trek on the Great Himalaya Trail: the route from Phoksundo Lake over the Ghami La to Lo Manthang, the best time to go, permits, difficulty and cost.
The Dolpo to Mustang trek crosses two of the most remote regions of Nepal on foot. You start at the turquoise Phoksundo Lake in Dolpo, cross high passes to Shey Gompa and the villages of Upper Dolpo, and finish over the Ghami La into Upper Mustang and the walled town of Lo Manthang. It is a section of the Great Himalaya Trail, and one of the hardest and most beautiful treks in the country.
We run this trek as the Upper Dolpo to Upper Mustang Trek, 32 days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu. This guide explains the route, the best time to go, the permits, how hard it is, and what it costs, in plain words.
What is the Dolpo to Mustang trek?
Dolpo and Upper Mustang both lie north of the main Himalaya. The land is dry and high and looks more like Tibet than the rest of Nepal. The villages are Tibetan Buddhist, and in Dolpo some families still follow Bon, the old religion of Tibet. Both areas were closed to foreigners for a long time and still need a restricted area permit.
The trek joins the two regions with a long camping route. For most of the way there are no roads, no lodges and very few other trekkers. You sleep in tents, our crew cooks every meal, and the days are spent walking through wide valleys and over passes above 5,000 m.
The route
The trek starts with flights from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj and on to Juphal, a small airstrip in Dolpa district. From there the route goes:
- Juphal to Phoksundo Lake: up the Suli Gad gorge through forest and villages to Ringmo and the lake, the deepest in Nepal.
- Phoksundo to Shey Gompa: along the cliff trail above the lake, then over the Kang La (5,350 m) to Shey Gompa below the Crystal Mountain.
- Shey to the Panzang valley: over the Sela La (5,010 m) to Namgung and Saldang, then over smaller passes to Khoma, Shimen and Tinje.
- Tinje to Chharka: along the old trade trail to Rapka and over the Chharka La to Chharka Bhot, the last village in Dolpo.
- Chharka to Upper Mustang: three days without villages to the Ghami La (5,705 m), the highest point of the trek, and down to Ghami.
- Upper Mustang: past the red cliffs of Dhakmar and Ghar Gompa to Tsarang and Lo Manthang.
From Lo Manthang we go back by road: jeep to Jomsom, then drives to Pokhara and Kathmandu.
How many days does it take?
Our trek is 32 days in total, with 24 days on foot. That includes two rest days for acclimatization (at Phoksundo Lake and Shey Gompa), a spare day at Chharka for bad weather, and a full day in Lo Manthang. Other operators run the route in 27 to 35 days. Shorter versions usually skip Lo Manthang and finish in Jomsom, or cut the rest days.
| Part | Days | Sleep |
|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu, permits and flights to Juphal | 1-4 | Hotels, then camp |
| Juphal to Phoksundo Lake, rest day | 4-8 | Camp |
| Kang La to Shey Gompa, rest day | 9-12 | Camp |
| Saldang, Khoma, Shimen, Tinje, Rapka | 13-18 | Camp |
| Chharka, spare day | 19-20 | Camp |
| Ghami La into Upper Mustang | 21-25 | Camp, then lodge |
| Tsarang and Lo Manthang | 26-28 | Lodges |
| Road back to Jomsom, Pokhara, Kathmandu | 29-32 | Hotels |
You can see every day in detail on the trip page.
Best time for the Dolpo to Mustang trek
The best time on the trail is September to mid-October. The monsoon clouds are gone, the mountain views are clear, and it is harvest time in the Dolpo villages, so you see people threshing barley on the flat roofs. Late May and June are also good, with long days and the passes opening after winter.
Because the trek is so long, the start date matters more than the month. The Ghami La comes on day 23, and the first snow can close it from late October. So we start our groups between April and early June, or between late August and mid-September. In April there can still be snow on the first high passes, so it is colder and needs more flexibility.
July and August are possible, because Dolpo and Mustang are in the rain shadow and stay fairly dry. The problem is getting in and out: flights to Juphal are often delayed by cloud, and the road from Jomsom can have landslides. From November to April the high passes are closed by snow, and we do not run the trek.
Permits
You need four permits for this trek:
- Upper Dolpo restricted area permit: about US$500 per person for the first 10 days, then US$50 per day.
- Upper Mustang restricted area permit: about US$500 per person for the first 10 days, then US$50 per day.
- Shey Phoksundo National Park entry permit.
- Annapurna Conservation Area permit.
Restricted area permits need at least two trekkers, a licensed guide and a booking through a registered agency in Nepal. You cannot do this trek alone. The permits are issued in Kathmandu with your original passport, which is why our itinerary has a permit day on day 2. Fees change from time to time, so check the current rates when you book.
How hard is it?
This is one of the hardest treks in Nepal. You walk for 24 days, most nights are above 3,500 m, and you cross four passes above 5,000 m. The highest is the Ghami La at 5,705 m, and the highest camp is about 5,380 m. Days are 4 to 8 hours on rough trails, sometimes on scree and narrow paths.
You do not need climbing skills, but you should have done at least one multi-day trek above 4,000 m before, such as Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna Circuit, and know how your body handles altitude. Start training at least three months ahead with long hill walks carrying a loaded pack.
Altitude and safety
The route gains height slowly. By the time you reach the Ghami La you have spent three weeks above 3,000 m. We plan rest days at Phoksundo Lake and Shey Gompa, and the spare day at Chharka gives room if the weather turns or someone needs more time. Your guide checks everyone every day, and if someone shows signs of altitude sickness, they go down.
Large parts of Upper Dolpo have no phone signal. Expect two to three weeks without contact, and make sure your travel insurance covers trekking up to 6,000 m and helicopter rescue.
Camping, food and water
You camp for about 20 nights, in two-person tents with mattresses, with a dining tent and a toilet tent. Our cook makes three hot meals a day: porridge, eggs and bread in the morning, and rice, dal, noodles, pasta, potatoes and vegetables for lunch and dinner. The crew boils drinking water every morning and evening. Bring a filter or tablets for refills from streams during the day. In Upper Mustang you sleep in village lodges.
How much does the Dolpo to Mustang trek cost?
Prices for this route range a lot between operators, from about US$4,400 to more than US$8,000 per person. The difference is usually in what is included: flights, permits, the number of crew, the hotel in Kathmandu, and whether the route reaches Lo Manthang.
Our Upper Dolpo to Upper Mustang Trek costs US$4,500 per person for two travellers, or US$7,000 if you travel alone. That includes the flights to Nepalgunj and Juphal, all four permits, the full camping crew and equipment, three meals a day on the trek, the lodges in Mustang, the road transport back to Kathmandu, and hotels in Kathmandu, Nepalgunj, Jomsom and Pokhara. For three or more people, send us an enquiry and we send you a price for your group.
Dolpo to Mustang, or one region only?
If you do not have five weeks, you can trek one region on its own. The Upper Dolpo Trek covers Phoksundo Lake, Shey Gompa and the Crystal Mountain. The Upper Mustang Trek is shorter and easier, with lodges all the way to Lo Manthang. The full traverse is for trekkers who want both, and the empty country in between.
For more routes like this, see our Great Himalaya Trail treks, from Kanchenjunga in the east to Humla in the far west.
Who leads the trek?
The trek is led by one of our senior guides: Ranbir Gurung, Chakra Makalu, Mingma Norbu Sherpa or Pasang Sherpa. They travel with our cook, camp crew and porters, who carry the tents and food and set up camp each afternoon.
If you have questions about the Dolpo to Mustang trek, contact us. We are happy to help you plan it.
