Upper Mustang Trek Cost: How Many Do You Know?

For a successful and memorable trekking experience in Upper Mustang, choosing a reliable and trustworthy trekking company with a well-established history of organizing treks in the region is imperative. Doing so allows you to access a comprehensive breakdown of the Upper Mustang Trek costs and effectively plan your hike based on your specific budget and personal preferences. This will ensure your expedition is enjoyable and safe, with all your needs catered for throughout the journey.

Nepal’s Upper Mustang Trek is a stunning hiking destination, boasting its pristine Himalayan landscape and rich Tibetan Buddhist culture. While exploring this beautiful region can be expensive, the Upper Mustang Trek Cost is notably higher than other trekking destinations, such as Annapurna, Langtang, and Everest.

If you are seeking cheaper options, you may try Lower Mustang Trek. The Upper Mustang Trek price depends on group size, availability of the fixed date, and how to get there relatively cheaper way.

Our Upper Mustang Trek customers only have positive reviews. Upper Mustang is much more convenient than other trails in Nepal to halt tourist crudes.

Why trek to Upper Mustang?

Embarking on the Upper Mustang Trek is an unforgettable experience that offers a unique blend of natural beauty, cultural immersion, and spiritual awakening. This popular destination in Nepal is known for its breathtaking scenery and cultural experiences. Nevertheless, there are many reasons why you should go for a trek to Upper Mustang.

It’s a small, off-the-beaten-track in Nepal. For example, the upper Mustang is visited by only about 1500 to 2300 tourists, while Everest Base Camp Trek has 30,000 tourists.

It is exceptional, over 4000 meters, due to colorful cliffs and the beautiful alpine pastures. These combinations are going to take very few places on this planet!

Upper Mustang Trek	Quick fact
The High Himalayas, such as Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massif	Over 6 to 8000 meters
Upper Mustang Trek difficulty	3 of 5 (Moderate)
Highest altitude	4200 meters
Best season	Spring, Summer, and Autumn
Accommodation	Lodge/Hotel
Trek starting & ending point	Jomsom
Mode of transport	Flight / Local bus / Local Jeep
Trekking days	More than two weeks (12 – 16 days)

What will include in the Upper Mustang Trek cost?

Generally, the following services include the Upper Mustang Trekking cost while the trekking company sends you a travel proposal, although Himalayan Exploration provides customized trekking packages within Nepal.

• Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit
• Annapurna Conservation Area Project entry Permit
• Guide and Porters
• Meals and Accommodations
• Transportation such as local bus or Jeep/domestic flights

The Upper Mustang Trek is one of the restricted trekking destinations in Nepal. You must also have a licensed guide or porters via a local trekking agency. And you’ll need to have the Upper Mustang permits issued by the Department of Immigration.

In contrast, ACAP is from the Nepal Tourism Board—noted that you might apply through a local trekking company for the restricted area. However, you’ll need two different permits, as mentioned above.

Trekker’s Information Management Systems (TIMS) does not require trekking in Upper Mustang. However, if you expand to Annapurna Circuit, it is mandatory.

Upper Mustang Trekking Permit Cost

Annapurna Conservation Area Project Permit Cost	NPR 3000
Upper Mustang RAP	USD 500 per person, for ten days
Total permit cost	For one person USD 530

A copy of the passport, photo, and the original key with the visa stamp is necessary to obtain the Upper Mustang Trek Permit. It will only take 3-4 hours to get a permit from Sunday to Friday (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Also, make sure that, except for public holidays.

If you don’t have an extra day in Kathmandu for a permit, some companies also facilitate issuing the permits without an original passport and a visa. If you want a trekking license issued in advance or to check with your company, don’t hesitate to contact us.

The guides and porters prices.

While Nepal has many trekking trails, tourists can go hiking without a guide. Besides that, Nepal has some trekking routes, which are not solo travel friendly because of the restriction that applies to the Upper Mustang.

Having at least two trekkers in a group is also mandatory to get a trekking permit. Please check with your company if you travel solo and whether they can match you or obtain a trekking permit. If you go alone, you will pay double the permit costs and trek with a natural person.

Hiring a professional guide to Upper Mustang is more expensive than any other trek in Nepal. The average price is 30 to 35 USD daily, covering food, lodging, and guide insurance. It’s, of course; the meals are expensive due to remoteness.

Guide and Porter Cost For Upper Mustang Trek:

Well trained and Skilled Guide with local knowledge	US$ 35/day
Professional & Experienced Porter/Guide	US$ 33-35/day
Experienced Trekking porter	US$ 28-30/day

We also arrange a Porter com guide if the customers ask us. But the price of hiring a porter is not that different from hiring a guide. Although, due to the food price and insurance, it is a little more expensive.

Hiring a porter for the Upper Mustang trek would cost about USD 30 to 35 daily, including lodging, accommodation, and insurance.

The positive things about having a porter guide are that it helps split the load and carry your stuff through the trail.

Even though it is highly recommended that you go through a qualified guide for safety reasons, you’ll be confident they underwent such intensive training to get their license.

Of course, it all depends on you as long as you don’t go to Upper Mustang Trek solo without a guide or a porter. Going either Guide or Guide com Porter is all-inclusive with the upper Mustang trek cost.

Transportation (Drive or fly)

The only most convenient way to get to Upper Mustang’s starting point is to take the 20-minute flight to Pokhara and catch another flight to Jomsom the next day. If someone wants to take a long trip from Kathmandu, there’s a night or day bus to Jomsom.

It may be cheaper, but getting from a local bus to the Upper Mustang trek may be difficult. Therefore, understanding how trailhead transport operates when planning the Upper Mustang Trek itinerary is significant.

If you want to make yourself comfortable, I recommend going on the first day from Kathmandu to Pokhara and spending a night there. It would be best if you also flew to Jomsom the next day.

Transportation cost list for the Upper Mustang Trek

One-way flight cost to Jomsom	US$ 124×2 = 248 per person
One-way flight cost to Jomsom	US$ 130×2 = 260 per person
Direct Bus from Kathmandu to Jomsom local bus cost	US$ 28×2 = 56 per person
Kathmandu to Pokhara (Tourist Bus)	US$10 ×2 = 20 per person

Meals and accommodation

Because of the town’s distant proximity, the cost of food is typically higher since Upper Mustang is one of Nepal’s remote areas. All those who have been to other base camps in Nepal will be aware that the cost of food increases as the elevation rises. That is because the delivery of food is more complicated.

Supplies are transported from Pokhara to Jomsom by helicopter. So you might imagine how much work is put into every meal you can eat in the region. So you may want to budget about USD 8-10 per meal.

It has changed significantly in Mustang Region. However, speaking about this year, I assure you that basic accommodation at Upper Mustang is not a problem as tea houses have started springing up in every camp. Therefore, bringing up to sixteen people at a time should not be challenging for a small group—a single twin sharing bed costs around US$ 6 to US$ 9 a night.

Telecommunications and wi-fi facilities in the Mustang Region.

Only a few spots in the Mustang region have a cell phone signal. However, several villages do have a satellite emergency telephone. In addition, some lodges in specific towns, such as Jomsom, Kagbeni, and Jomsom, provide wireless internet access at an additional cost.

It’s commonly known that if you need to make an extra effort, please don’t claim to be cheap because you’re being paid in the mountain. You may also wish to add additional costs to your budget for any trek in Nepal. Those things are permanently excluded from the Upper Mustang Trek Cost.

• Charging batteries of your gadgets
• Hot Showers (available at lodges upon request)
• Donations
• Tipping

What do you expect to get a guide from our company?

• We seriously take your safety and security. We also ensure that all of our guides are highly qualified and Government-authorized.
• Most of our skilled guides come from the mountain region. They are familiar with restricted trekking areas in Nepal, such as Manaslu, Tsum Valley, Upper Dolpo, Upper Mustang, Kanchenjunga, and Nar Phu. So, they know their way in these mountains very well.
• Our guides were at least two to three times a year at Upper Mustang, so you can be sure of their experience in this region.
• Our guide is mainly young but also well-educated and experienced. In addition, the guides can speak English well and are available in other languages.
• We want to ensure you enjoy your time with Himalayan Exploration apart from being safe. Therefore, all guides earned 5 out of the 5-star scale from our previous customers.
• Every guide has an excellent link to the locals and tea houses on the trail. So contact with tea houses or searching for accommodation isn’t a problem.
• We hold meetings with a guide before departure or even by phone before confirming trekking with us to ensure you have a good relationship with the guide. You can ask the guide for questions and verify expertise and experience. Due to any reason, if you are not happy, we will be glad to provide another guide that fits your requirements.

How do you know a company that specializes in Upper Mustang Trek?

Here are some tips on finding the right travel company for your next trip to Upper Mustang. Some of my below ideas could save a few hundred dollars but still end up with the best service. At the same time, you can ensure you have everything, particularly if you want to go with a large and expensive company!

• Check their legal documents to ensure the Nepal government is registered and licensed appropriately.
• Search for a company not listed in Google’s top ads section, as such companies will pass on advertisement costs to customers.
• Check out what other trekkers say about the service, such as Tripadvisor. These are independent reviews written by consumers and reviewed by Tripadvisor so that you can be sure of the level of service that these companies can offer. If 90% of their customers are well served, certainly, chances are, you will provide the same service.
• Consult with a local company if your guide has a license, first aid, high-altitude training, insurance, and the right hiking equipment.

Conclusion

Based on your analysis, various companies offer the Upper Mustang Trekking at different prices. Therefore, it confuses you as the price range is quite diverse, making it challenging to determine which company to trust. Consequently, it is crucial to have a comprehensive guide for the Upper Mustang Trek before making any decisions.

For instance, to find out how much the Upper Mustang Trek costs. From international tour operators exceeds US$ 4000. However, if you search with a local travel company for Upper Mustang Trek price, you may be able to lower the cost of the same package from US$ 1800 to US$ 2500 per person based on the services provided.

Nevertheless, I assure you that Nepal’s local agencies will deliver an excellent trekking itinerary, and a fraction of the price equals quality. So whether you’re going to the more expensive or cheaper doesn’t matter because everyone sleeps in the same tea-house category.

There is nothing like a 5-star tea house in the mountain area. As a local trekking company, we offer Upper Mustang Trek prices for Nepali and foreigners.