• Trip Style : Cultural tour and Horse Riding
  • Trip Difficulty : Moderate
  • Max Altitude : 4000 m
  • Daily Walking Hours : 5 tp 6 hours riding
  • Accomodation: Hotel & Lodges
  • Food : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (BLD)
  • Start-End : Kathmandu - Kathmandu

  • highlights Highlights
  • Itinerary Itinerary
  • Cost-Dates Cost & Dates
  • Expect What to Expect
  • gallery Photo Gallery
  • Info Useful Info
  • Reviews Reviews
  • Early Bird Booking
  • Customize My Trip
Home » Upper Mustang Region Trekking » Horse Riding in Upper Mustang

Upper Mustang Horse Back Riding

Horse riding in Upper Mustang region will be a unique and unforgettable experience for those adventure lovers who wish to explore the Trans Himalayan region without a challenge. Mustang is situated in the northern central part of Nepal and at the top of the Kaligandaki River where the languages, culture, and traditions are alike to those of the Tibetan people.

This area is considered one of the most interesting and picturesque places in Nepal. The whole area has an isolated and mystical feel to it, enchanting and inspiring visitors to this region. The upper Mustang is dominated by an endless expanse of yellow and grey rolling hills made smooth by the wind.

We traverse this lonely landscape on horseback via several passes (The highest being the Nyi-La at 3990m), camping in villages nestled in their green irrigated oasis until we reach the spectacular walled town of Lo-Monthang. Visually, this is an extraordinary place and home of the Mustang Raja (King) as well as some beautiful temples and monasteries.

The people of Upper Mustang are always curious about new arrivals and we can expect children, with scary windblown hair and apple-red cheeks, will gather to confront the spectacle of foreign visitors. The abrasive lifestyle required to survive is easily evident here.

Horse riding in Upper Mustang starts after a flight from Pokhara to Jomsom on the upper Kali Gandaki River between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, this holiday to Mustang allows us to explore a weird and wonderful landscape of eroded conglomerate cliffs, colored by natural earth pigments – reds, yellows, browns, and blues.

Horse riding trekking across passes of up to 4100m, we will also be riding through a succession of picturesque white-painted Mustang villages and Tibetan monasteries, set against a backdrop of the distant snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. We have a day to explore our ultimate destination for an excursion in Lo Manthang, a fairy-tale walled city and the capital of Mustang which is quite unlike anything else in Nepal.

This enlightening horse riding adventure to Mustang in Nepal will surely appeal to those looking to explore a very special part of the Himalayas and finally by flight from Jomsom to Pokhara or continue trek to Ghorepani Poon hill and ending Himalayan adventure trip at Pokhara.

Trip Highlights

  • Board on a thrilling and scenic Mountain flight to Jomsom and explore the spectacular views of the Annapurna Himalayas
  • Endeavour into one of the most pristine regions in the Himalayas
  • Explore the restricted and hidden treasure of the Lost Kingdom Upper Mustang known as a little Tibet
  • Enjoy Horse riding along the world’s deepest Canyon – the Kaligandaki valley
  • Explore Chhosar and the mysterious Sky Caves which remains one of the world’s greatest Archaeological mysteries.
  • Explore the white-walled city of Lo-Manthang, the capital of the Forbidden Kingdom, the most preserved medieval fortresses in the Himalayas

We pick you up at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and escort you to a hotel in Thamel. Overnight at a standard hotel in Kathmandu on a bed and breakfast basis.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Hotel
  • itinery-iconMeals: BB
  • itinery-iconPlace: Kathmandu
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:1,350m

Join a full-day tour of Kathmandu Valley visiting Pashupatinath Temple- the most sacred of the Hindu temples in Nepal dedicated to Lord Shiva, built-in 1696. Boudhanath Stupa- the world's largest stupa, Monkey temple and Kathmandu Durbar Square. Overnight at the hotel. 

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Hotel
  • itinery-iconMeals: BB
  • itinery-iconPlace: Kathmandu
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:1,350m

After breakfast, drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara, 200km, 6 hours drive enjoying the beautiful countryside. Overnight at the hotel in Pokhara. Flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara option is also available if you have a limited time or would like to skip the long bus journey. 

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Hotel
  • itinery-iconMeals: BB
  • itinery-iconPlace: Pokhara
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:9,10m

Relishing the stunning view of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, we take a 25-minute flight to Jomsom. Upon landing in Jomsom, we meet the guide, helper, and our team of horses and their horseman and begin our ride to Kagbeni. Riding our horses along the Kali Gandaki River, we pass beautiful Ekleybatti village with small houses and old fortresses and reach Kagbeni after 4 hours of riding. Overnight at a lodge in Kagbeni.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Kagbeni
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:2,810m

Registering our permit at a checkpoint, we ride our horses along the bank of Kali Gandaki River and reach Tangbe village. We ride along a couple of Buddhist monasteries and Chortens before we enter Chhusang village. We then ride on rocky ridges for a couple of hours and reach Tsaile, where we will spend our overnight at a lodge in Tsaile. 

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Tsaile
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:3,050m

We ride our horses uphill to Ridge canyon and continue our ride on steep terrain to Taklam La Pass (3624m). Enjoying the mesmerizing view of Nilgiri Himal (7061m), Yakawa Kang (6482m), and Tilicho Peak (7134m), and Damodar Danda (4975m), we pass several lush forests, water streams, and villages to reach Rachung Cave. From Rachung Cave, we ride for a couple of hours and arrive at Syangboche. Overnight at a lodge in Syangboche.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Syangboche
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:3,800m

We leave Syangboche for Drakmar with a beautiful panorama of Dhaulagiri ranges behind us. On our way, we come across many monasteries, Chortens, small villages, and lush Himalayan forests. After riding for 5 hours, we reach Drakmar. Overnight at a lodge in Drakmar.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Drakmar
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:3,820m

Leaving Drakmar, we ascend on a steep trail and pass a couple of lush Himalayan forests of Juniper. We then ride downhill and then climb a ridge to reach Ghar Gompa. Ghar Gompa is the oldest Buddhist monastery in Mustang that is also known as Lo Gyaker which means “Pure virtue of Lo”. From Ghar Gompa, we ride and trek to Marang-La Pass (4230m) which is the gateway to Lo-Manthang and all the way downhill riding until reaching Lo-Manthang. Lo-Manthang is the walled capital of the Kingdom of Mustang and is composed of colourful desserts and rugged houses. Overnight at a lodge in Lo-Manthang.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Lo-Manthang
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:3,810m

We take a day of exploration on horseback riding and hike up to Chosar village and Jhong Cave which is the largest man-made cave in Upper Mustang. We relish the panorama from Chosar and return back to Lo-Manthang. Overnight at a lodge in Lo-Manthang. 

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Lo-Manthang
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:3,810m

Riding along a steep sandy trail, we climb Lo-La Pass (3950m) which leads us to Tsarang. We ride our horses along Tsarang Khola (Khola means River) and cross an iron bridge over it to reach Tsarang. We then explore Tsarang Palace and monastery. Overnight at a lodge in Tsarang.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Tsarang
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:3,560m

We come across many Mani walls, Chortens, and Buddhist monasteries before reaching Ghami. From Ghami, we climb Ghami-La Pass (3250m) and Nyi-La Pass (3932m) which leads us to Tamagaon. We ride along streams to reach Syangboche. Overnight at a lodge in Syangboche.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Syangboche
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:3,800m

Riding and climbing Yamdo-La (4010m), we descend down to Bhena. We then ride along streams and pass Samar, then Tsaile. From Tsaile, we follow the flow of Kali Gandaki River and finally reach Chhusang after 7 hours of riding and trekking. Overnight at a lodge in Chhusang.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Chhusang
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:2,980m

On our last day of the horseback riding adventure in the Forbidden Land, we move on a rocky trail till we reach Tangbe. We then ride along small streams on a steep trail and pass beautiful small villages. After 6 hours of ride and trek, we reach Jomsom. Overnight at a lodge in Jomsom.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Guest House
  • itinery-iconMeals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • itinery-iconPlace: Jomsom
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:2,720m

In the morning at around 7 AM, we fly off to Pokhara with a splendid view of the Himalayas. Reaching Pokhara airport, transfer to the hotel. The rest of the time will be on your own, exploring the beautiful lake city visiting lakes and caves. Overnight at the hotel.

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Hotel
  • itinery-iconMeals: BB
  • itinery-iconPlace: Pokhara
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:9,10m

After breakfast, drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu, 200km, 6 hours drive. Overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu. 

  • itinery-iconAccommodation: Hotel
  • itinery-iconMeals: BB
  • itinery-iconPlace: Kathmandu
  • itinery-iconMaximum Altitude:1,350m

After breakfast in the hotel, we drop you at Tribhuvan International Airport for your scheduled flight back home. Wish you have a safe and sound journey back home. 

Want to Tailor this itinerary?

  • PRICES & DATES