The Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang is one of the most authentic Himalayan trekking experiences that one can go for. The festival is deeply rooted in Tibetan Buddhism, following a story about Dorje Jono’s battle with the demons, which has been passed down through generations. The Upper Mustang region has been given the moniker Last Forbidden Kingdom as it was forbidden for outsiders to visit the region. They lifted the ban in 1992 and only allowed a certain number of visitors per year. The Upper Mustang region is one of the sparsely populated regions of Nepal, with a population of under 6000. One of the reasons for that is the extreme weather conditions, which can reach –20 °C in the winter season. However, the daytime and nighttime temperatures during spring, autumn, and summer seasons are very tolerable. Another reason for its low population is accessibility, while it is fairly accessible on foot, vehicles have yet to reach the highlands.
The walled city of Lo Manthang is the main destination of this Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek, since it is the host of the Tiji Festival. There, we will visit the Lo Palace, Thubchen monastery, and Jampa Lhakhang. Along the route, we will visit many other gompa sites, pass by many chortens and mani walls. Monasteries, including Ghar Gompa, Luri Gompa, Chungsi cave, and more, are included in our itinerary.
The 3-day festival of Tiji features masked dance rituals performed by monks. This festival dates back to the 17th century, a product of Tibetan Buddhism folklore. After enjoying the festival, we will drive you to Muktinath, one of the most sacred temples for Hindus and Buddhists. All in all, this trek is a great way to experience the culture of the Himalayas and explore the arid highlands of Upper Mustang.
The first day of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek requires us to arrive in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Your flight to Kathmandu will be a scenic one as you will be able to see a bunch of peaks in the north. After landing at the airport, you will be directed towards the immigration section, where you will get your tourist visa.
You will have to submit your visa application form along with your passport, two passport-sized photos, proof of stay, return tickets, and a visa fee payment slip. You can ask for a visa application form at the counter. After filling it out, you should pay your visa fees at the bank counter nearby. You will be given a receipt for it. While international forms of card payments are accepted, it might not work at times, so you should always carry enough cash.
After about an hour, you will have your visa stamped. Finally, you can leave the airport; you will find one of our reps waiting for you outside the terminal. He will greet you and take you to your hotel for the night.
Sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley is a great way to start your journey in Nepal. On the 2nd day of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek, we will take you to visit some historic and religious sites within Kathmandu Valley. The day tour starts with a morning visit to Swayambhunath Stupa. We will climb the 365 steps, representing each day of the year. After this, we will visit Boudhanath Stupa, a 5th-century stupa.
After lunch at one of your preferred eateries, we will visit Pashupatinath Temple. This Hindu temple is one of the most sacred sites for followers. Our next stop is Kathmandu Durbar Square, a great complex with many temples, a royal palace, and a house for the only Living Goddess in Nepal. Moving on, we will visit many attractions within the valley before calling it a day.
Today, we will drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara, which takes about 8 hours. Leaving Kathmandu after breakfast, we will climb up a switchback road to get to Naubise. From there, we will join the Prithvi Highway that connects Pokhara and Kathmandu. Passing Malekhu, Dumre, Kurintar, and Lekhnath, we will finally reach Pokhara city. We will have our lunch at one of the highway restaurants, and your hotel for the night will be near the serene Phewa Lake. You can take a relaxing walk by the lake in the evening hours and also get a little taste of Pokhara’s vibrant nightlife.
On the 4th day of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek, we will leave Pokhara and get on a flight to Jomsom. This 20-minute flight is a scenic ride taking us to the starting point of the trek. Starting from Jomsom, we will have to cover over 18 km to reach Lubra village. This trek features a net elevation gain of about 250 meters with an estimated trek duration of 5 to 6 hours. Starting the trek, we will descend towards Ekle Bhatti, heading southwest from Jomsom. Trekking along a wide track, we will follow the Kali Gandaki River and reach Ekle Bhatti in about 3 hours. From there, we will head towards Lubra, a remote village in the lower Mustang region.
After a leisurely breakfast, we will get on a ride to Samar. We will start the drive with a short descent and then climb gradually, gaining over 650 meters of elevation. Soon enough, we will reach the Chungshi Ranchung Cave Monastery. Visiting this gompa will be a great side tour as it showcases traditional Tibetan Buddhist architecture. Continuing the drive after a short break, we will arrive at Samar and begin the trek to Syangmochen. The trek is 5 hours long, with an elevation gain of 110 meters, covering about 12 km of total distance.
On the 6th day of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek, we will be on the trails for about 5 to 6 hours, with a total trek distance of 14 km. This net elevation change of the day is very minimal, but the trail features many ups and downs. Leaving Syangmochen, we will head southeast over undulating trails. From there, it will take us about 40 minutes to reach Tama Gaon, a tiny village which was a part of the ancient trade route. Soon after, we will reach Ghami village, where an old gompa is located. This is a great place to rest, and so we will. From there, we will hit the final climb of the day, a ridgeline walk with deep gorges on one side. Passing the ridges, we will arrive at Dhakmar village, sitting beneath canyon walls.
Today, we will start the day at around 4:30 in the morning to make sure that we cover our trekking distance and reach Lo Manthang just in time to observe the First Day of the Tiji Festival. The estimated trekking duration of the day is 6 to 7 hours, with an elevation gain of about 150 meters. This trek will have us cover over 17 km of total distance. Starting off, we will head northeast towards the cliff as the trail slowly ascends. After about two hours of trekking, we will reach Ghar Gompa, a monastery dating back to the 8th century. Sitting at 3930 meters above sea level, this religious site is a great place to explore and rest. Continuing the trek, we will climb to the Marang La Pass. From the summit, you can enjoy a great view of the Annapurna and Nilgiri ranges. Descending from the pass, we will traverse a ridgeline with prayer flags. After a short while, the walled town of Lo Manthang can be seen in the distance. The medieval gate of the town and the traditional mud houses are hard to miss. After reaching our destination, we will get to see the Tsa Chham masked dance, starting on the first day of the Tiji Festival.
Today, we will be visiting a couple of monasteries within the walled town and nearby it. Starting the day with breakfast, we will first visit the Thubchen Lhakang Monastery, a 15th-century gompa that features gold and turquoise paintings. From there, we will head to Jampa Lhakang, also known as Maitreya Temple. This 11th-century temple houses one of the biggest mandala wall paintings in the world. Lastly, we will visit the Chhodey Monastery. This gompa actively takes in young monks as it serves as a school. This site is popular for preserving the teachings of Buddhism and practices that have been passed down through generations. After that, we will head back to our accommodation for lunch. Later, the 2nd day of the Tiji festival begins. A dance depicting the battle between Dorje Jono and the demonic forces. Rhythmic horns, drums, and traditional instruments are played on the sidelines, adding intensity to the dance.
Day 9 of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek features a hike to Chhoser Cave, also known as Chosar Cave. After breakfast, we will take a short walk and reach the cave. We will explore the famous Chosar Sky Caves, a deep man-made cave that has been used for centuries for meditation, accommodation, and even burials. The cave is over five storeys tall with 40 different rooms. Ladders are placed to climb up and down. After we get back to Lo Manthang, we will observe the Rha Chham masked dance, signifying the last day of the Tiji Festival. This energetic dance performance is the final battle of Dorje Jono, winning over the demonic forces.
On the 10th day of the Tiji Festival in the Upper Mustang trek, we will leave Lo Manthang via the northern gate and ascend a little to the Lo La ridgeline, reaching 3960 meters. From there, the trail turns wide, crossing the barren plateau with views of Annapurna and Nilgiri peaks. After a while, we will descend to Dhi Gaon, our lunch spot of the day. Leaving Dhi Gaon, we will cross a small bridge and follow a river upstream. The final part of the trek is a gradual climb to the hill of Yara. We will trek about 16 km, which takes about 7 to 8 hours.
Day 11 of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek features a short 7 km acclimatization hike and an estimated duration of 3 to 4 hours. After a filling breakfast at Yara, we will get on a ridgeline above the village, traversing windy trails to a cliff. This path leads us to Luri Gompa, also known as Tashi Kabum, and it gains us about 100 meters of elevation. This 12th-century gompa features ancient paintings, chortens, thangkas, intricately designed statues, and relics.
Today’s trek features an estimated trek distance of 6 to 7 hours with a total distance of 17.5 km. At the end of the day, we will lose about 370 meters of elevation. Leaving Yara, the trail descends steeply and crosses the Dhechyang Khola valley. After a short while, the trail transitions to a wide plateau, with undulating trails and ridgelines. Soon enough, we will reach the village of Dye, where we will rest a little. From there, the trail ascends sharply over a terrain full of loose stones. This climb takes about 2 to 3 hours to complete, taking us to Tange village.
This is the last trekking day of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek. We will trek about 20.5 km in total, taking about 7 hours to cover, and featuring a net elevation loss of 260 meters. Departing from Tange, we will go over a series of ridgelines and ascend to Paha village, reaching 4218 meters above sea level. From there, we will descend to Chhusang village, passing the Siyarko Tangk ridge. The descent is rocky and uneven; however, the views are great. Soon enough, we will reach the Chhomnang area, which leads us into the Kali Gandaki River valley. Crossing this section takes us to Chhusang village, from there we will drive to Kagbeni.
From Kagbeni, it will take us about 4 hours to reach Muktinath. After a short visit to the temple, we will take a lunch break nearby. Post-lunch, the jeep will drive us all the way to Marpha village. This 2-hour ride to Marpha will be bumpy but very scenic. You can explore the village for the time being.
Day 15 of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek is yet another driving day. We will cover about 138 km of distance, which will take us 5 hours. Leaving Marpha, we will head towards Kagbeni, from there, we will head to Jharkot and eventually reach Pokhara via the Pokhara-Baglung highway.
After spending a relaxing night in Pokhara, we will head back to Kathmandu the next morning. Day 16 of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek features an 8-hour-long drive, traveling over 200 km to get to Kathmandu. After reaching the capital, we will drop you off at your accommodation for the night.
This is the ultimate day of the Tiji Festival in Upper Mustang trek. As per the schedule of your flight, we will drop you off at the airport, preferably 2 to 3 hours before the departure time.
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