Upper Mustang is the one trek that works in monsoon

A restricted Tibetan kingdom behind the Himalaya, in a rain shadow so complete you can walk it in July. Red cliffs, cave monasteries and Lo Manthang.

By Prakash Tamang · 9 min read · Updated 1 August 2026

Upper Mustang is not really Nepal in any sense you will recognise from the rest of the country. It sits north of the main Himalayan chain, on the Tibetan plateau, and the culture, architecture, language and landscape are Tibetan. Until 1992 no foreigner was allowed in at all.

It was the Kingdom of Lo, and Lo Manthang — the walled capital, four-square, whitewashed, still holding its old palace and monasteries — is one of the few intact medieval towns left in the Himalaya.

It is also the one serious trek in Nepal that works in the monsoon, because the mountains take the rain out of the air before it gets here.

Why it works when everything else is soaked

Annapurna and Dhaulagiri stand between Mustang and the monsoon. Cloud coming up from India rises, dumps its water on the southern slopes, and arrives over the Kali Gandaki with nothing left. The result is an arid, high-desert landscape that gets a fraction of the rain that falls on Pokhara.

So while July and August are a write-off for the Annapurna Sanctuary, they are a perfectly good time to walk to Lo Manthang. It is warm, the passes are open, and the region is at its busiest with Nepali and Indian pilgrims heading for Muktinath.

This is genuinely useful if your holiday is fixed to a European or North American summer. Most operators will tell you not to trek in Nepal in July. For this one region, that advice is wrong.

The landscape does the work

You start at Jomsom, in the deepest gorge on earth measured shoulder to shoulder, and walk north into country that gets progressively stranger. Ochre and grey cliffs eroded into fins and towers. The red cliffs at Dhakmar. Whole hillsides of caves cut into vertical rock, thousands of them, many still not properly surveyed.

There is almost no vegetation, so the geology is completely exposed — you can read the folding and the layers as you walk. The villages are compact, walled, whitewashed, with poplar windbreaks and barley fields that are the only green for miles. Lo Manthang itself is small enough to walk across in ten minutes and dense enough to spend three days in. The Jhong and Chhoser cave complexes north of the city are the highlight for most people — multi-storey dwellings dug into a cliff face, reached by ladders.

The permit, and why it costs what it costs

Upper Mustang is a restricted area. The special permit is expensive — historically several hundred US dollars for a ten-day window, plus a daily rate beyond that — and it must be arranged through a registered agency. You cannot trek here solo, and you cannot buy the permit yourself.

That is not an operator upsell; it is national policy, and a share of the fee is intended to go back to the region. The practical effect is that Upper Mustang sees a fraction of the traffic of the Annapurna Circuit, which is a large part of why it is worth going.

Fees have moved more than once, so we do not print a figure that will age badly. Tell us your dates and we will quote the current permit cost as a separate line so you can see exactly what is government fee and what is us.

What the walking is actually like

Less demanding than it sounds. You are between roughly 2,800 m and 3,800 m for most of it, crossing several passes around 4,000 m, with nothing near the altitude of Thorong La. Days are moderate and the trail is good.

The two things that wear people down are wind and sun. Afternoon wind up the Kali Gandaki is relentless and full of grit — everyone walks mornings and everyone carries a buff for their face. UV at this altitude with no cloud and no shade is severe.

A road now runs much of the way to Lo Manthang, and jeeps use it. Good itineraries route you onto older trails and side valleys away from it. Ask any operator specifically how many days you spend on the jeep track — the answer separates a good Mustang trek from a dusty one.

Walk it with us

Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.

Upper Mustang — Lo Manthang10 days · 3,840 mRs 253,300 · See dates →Jomsom Muktinath Trek8 days · 3,760 mRs 127,200 · See dates →Annapurna Circuit & Thorong La12 days · 5,416 mRs 167,400 · See dates →

Questions we get asked

Can I really trek Upper Mustang in the monsoon?

Yes — it is one of the few places in Nepal where July and August work well. Getting there can be disrupted, since flights to Jomsom and the road up the Kali Gandaki are affected by weather further south. Build in buffer days.

Do I have to go with a guide?

Yes. Restricted-area permits are only issued through a registered agency and require a minimum group with a licensed guide. Solo trekking is not permitted here, regardless of experience.

Is it suitable for solo female travellers?

Very much so, and we guide solo women here regularly. Because it is a restricted area you will be with a guide throughout, and lodges in Mustang are family-run and used to hosting foreign women. We will do our best to arrange a female guide if you ask in advance.

How hard is it compared to the Annapurna Circuit?

Easier on the lungs — you are lower — and harder on morale, because of the wind, the sun and the lack of shade. Most people who have done both find Mustang less physically demanding overall.

Is Lo Manthang worth the permit cost?

If you are interested in Tibetan Buddhist culture and in landscape, yes, without hesitation. If you are coming primarily for big snow-peak views, spend the money on the Circuit instead — Mustang's mountains are mostly behind you.