Until the 1990s, the isolated region of the Kali Gandaki valley known as Upper Mustang was closed to trekkers due to its sensitive location next to the Tibetan border. Today, however, if you can afford the $700 trekking permit, you can venture into this arid and remote region, which is home to a relatively undisturbed Tibetan culture.

Mustang is one of the few places in the world that has long-lived a very close-niche life and that region was, until recently, inaccessible to outsiders. This isolation helped the people of Mustang to maintain their lifestyle and heritage that remained almost unchanged for centuries. Hidden behind the majestic Himalayan ranges of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, Mustang is filled with beautiful trekking zones. Special Area Trekking Permits are required by trekkers when they visit this region and a Liaison Officer still accompanies every trek to Mustang.

Although officially part of Nepal, the Mustang region in the upper reaches of the Kali Gandaki River is a world unto itself. Long closed to foreigners because of its strategic location on the Tibetan border, Mustang has only been open to trekkers for less than a decade and is closely regulated by the Nepali government. Only organized treks are allowed into the region, and those require an expensive trekking permit. Consequently, treks into Mustang are among the most expensive in Nepal. However, for many people the cost is more than justified by the chance to explore this high desert region that has far more in common with Tibet than it does with Nepal. The brown landscape, jagged peaks, and mud-walled villages are reminders of what Tibet must have been like before the Chinese invasion.

Upper Mustang Trekking  - 17 nights/18 days