Over the years, Wilderness in Nepal (WIN), Australia and Keep Walking Nepal have been lending a helping hand to rural and marginalized communities in Nepal through various community projects and medical camps.
In 2023 WIN, Keep Walking Nepal (KWN) and Kushudebu Public Health Mission Nepal (KPHMN) organized a 3-day health camp at Bahadure village in Kaski district (near Pokhara) where more than 1200 patients took benefit of the service.
Keeping on with WIN’s support and love for Nepal, KWN and WIN have planned to organize a 4-day health camp volunteer program in the remote village of Junbesi in Solukhumbu village.
After the medical camp, you embark on the Mustang Overland Tour travelling over stunning valleys with scenic mountain views while getting to experience the ethnic culture of Nepal. You will be spellbound as you travel across the desert-like landscape, barren ridges, deep canyons, eroded cliffs and over 4,000 m high passes.
Nestled on the border of Tibet, to the north of the Annapurna range and south of the Tibetan plateau, Mustang was relatively untouched. Till the mid-1960s Mustang was closed to the world, however, in 1992, the Nepalese government reopened the region by special permit.
Upper Mustang is made up of 34 settlements with the most densely populated settlement at Lo Manthang. There are many species of wildlife, many of which are endangered. Much of the Mustang area is made up of high altitude steppe. Vegetation cover is sparse as snow and strong winds accelerate the erosion process. The irrigated alluvial parts are used intensively for cultivation whilst the lower slopes and alpine meadows are used for grazing.
Keep Walking Nepal would be pleased to have you along on this adventure. The program as a whole introduces you to our country and way of life.
Trip Highlights
- Guided tour of UNESCO world heritage sites in Kathmandu
- Scenic chartered flights: Kathmandu - Junbesi - Kathmandu
- Volunteering at the Junbesi Health Camp 2025
- Scenic scheduled return flights: Kathmandu - Pokhara - Kathmandu
- Fly through the world’s deepest gorge (Kaligandaki Gorge) and over the Himalayas
- Experience Tibet in Nepal: Upper Mustang with its awe-inspiring magnificent barren landscapes
- Visit Muktinath: An important pilgrimage for Hindus and Buddhists
Trip Grade - Moderate
Fixed Departures
Departure | Return | Price (Inc. Tax) | Dept Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|
28 Sep 2025 | 16 Oct 2025 | $4785 USD | Available | Book Now |
Trip Summary
- Day 1 :Arrive Kathmandu, transfer to hotel Tibet and welcome dinner in the evening
- Day 2 :Guided half day tour of Kathmandu
- Day 3 :Chartered Helicopter flight to Junbesi (45 min)
- Day 4- 7 :Volunteer at Medical Camp
- Day 8 :Chartered Helicopter flight to Kathmandu (45 min)
- Day 9 :Fly to Pokhara. Rest of the day at leisure.
- Day 10 :Fly Pokhara to Jomsom (2,743 m; 25 min) and drive to Chuksang (2,980 m) via Kagbeni
- Day 11 :Drive to Ghami (3,540 m; 2.5 hrs). Excursion to Chungsi cave en route (1.5 hrs)
- Day 12 :Drive to Charang (30 min), hike to Ghar Gumba, a.k.a. Lo Gekar Monastery (10 min); drive back to Charang onwards to Lo Manthang (2.5 hrs.)
- Day 13 :Excursion to Chhoser & Kora La
- Day 14 :Drive to Samar (6 hrs)
- Day 15 :Drive via Kagbeni to Muktinath (3.5 hrs) and back to Jomsom (2.5 hrs)
- Day 16 :Morning flight to Pokhara. Full day at leisure
- Day 17 :Guided morning tour of Pokhara. Rest of the day at leisure.
- Day 18 :Morning flight to Kathmandu. Evening dinner with KWN.
- Day 19 :Departure: End of trip
Daily Movements
Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu, transfer to hotel Tibet and welcome dinner in the evening
Our representative will pick you up at Kathmandu International Airport and drive you to your hotel. Depending upon what time you arrive, you can enjoy a full day at leisure and go on a welcome dinner with the KEEP WALKING FAMILY.
Look out for the KEEP WALKING NEPAL board behind the railing once you exit the airport terminal.
Overnight at Hotel Tibet (B, D)
Day 2: Guided half day tour of Kathmandu
After breakfast you will embark on a half day guided tour of UNESCO sites in Kathmandu . The rest of the day is at leisure.
Overnight at Hotel Tibet (B)
Day 3: Chartered Helicopter flight to Junbesi (45 min)
After breakfast, you will drive to the Kathmandu domestic airport for a 45 min chartered helicopter flight to Junbesi where depending upon your arrival time you will help in the medical camp setup at the Junbesi Public Health Center.
Overnight at Local Lodge (B, L, D)
Day 4- 7: Volunteer at Medical Camp
You will engage in various volunteer activities at the medical camp.
Overnight at Local Lodge (B, L, D)
Day 8: Chartered Helicopter flight to Kathmandu (45 min)
After breakfast you will fly back to Kathmandu where you’ll have the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at Hotel Barahi in Kathmandu (B)
Day 9: Fly to Pokhara. Rest of the day at leisure.
After breakfast you will fly to Pokhara. You have the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at Hotel Barahi Pokhara (B)
Day 10: Fly Pokhara to Jomsom (2,743 m; 25 min) and drive to Chuksang (2,980 m) via Kagbeni
You will start with an early flight to Jomsom Or Dzongsam meaning “New Fort “and walk to a local restaurant for breakfast (if you haven’t had breakfast at your hotel in Pokhara).
The first leg of the drive to Kagbeni (about 15 min) is an experience in itself as most of the time you will be driving on the riverbed canyon while crossing several streams.
At Kagbeni you can visit the Kag Chode Thupten Samphel Ling Gompa, an important Shakya Pa sect monastery found in 1429, the Kag Khar palace, a ruined palace that used to the fortified palace along the “Salt Trade Route” and the Devthen Chorten.
After lunch at Kagbeni, you will head towards your overnight destination for the day to Chuksang and into Upper Mustang.
Chuksang town has 3 separate parts and ruined castle walls on the nearby cliffs making a lovely stop for the night. For those who would like to stretch their legs, we recommend you walk to the nearby picturesque ancient village of Tetang.
Overnight at a Local Lodge in Chuksang (B,L,D)
Day 11: Drive to Ghami (3,540 m; 2.5 hrs). Excursion to Chungsi cave en route (1.5 hrs)
After breakfast you will drive towards Syangboche (3,800m; 1.5 hrs. drive), a small village with few houses. En route you will have views of Nilgiri on the southern skyline.
You will stop for a visit to the Chungsi cave just before Syangboche. The cave is only accessible by foot. The trail is marked by a cairn and steeply descends along the shadow side of the cliff to a gorge. At the bottom flows the Duptak Chu, a tributary of the Mustang Khola.
The Chungsi cave is naturally carved on a side of a cliff. It is said that the great sage Guru Ripomche is meditated on his way to Tibet in the 8th century and fought a fierce battle with a giant demon nearby. On the cave walls are many naturally formed deities which look like paintings. The cave also contains many sacred relics, statues and myths.
After spending some time admiring the natural beauty, culture and relics you will ascend back to Syangboche for lunch and continue the drive towards the beautiful village of Ghami (about 1 hr).
You can either spend the rest of the day at leisure or embark further on to Dhakmar (round trip about 3.5 hrs.)
Dhakmar is a high desert canyon region with astonishingly red cliffs. It is said that Guru Rimpoche had slain the demon Dhak Chhenmaon on request of the Tibetan king Thisong Deuchan, and the demon’s blood painted the cliffs red.
Overnight at a Local Lodge in Ghami (B,L,D)
Day 12: Drive to Charang (30 min), hike to Ghar Gumba, a.k.a. Lo Gekar Monastery (10 min); drive back to Charang onwards to Lo Manthang (2.5 hrs.)
En-route you will drive across the Ghami river to reach the Charang La pass. The pass offers majestic view of Annapurna, Nilgiri and Bhrikuti. You then drive across a plateau crossing several mani walls to the old capital of the Mustang Kingdom at Tsarang/Charang.
At Charang you will visit the iconic red Thupten Shedrup Monastery which was built in 1385AD and the former 5 storied Palace built in 1378AD.
The Thupten Shedrup Monastery is huge and is perched on the edge of the Kali Gandaki gorge,on the East End of the village. The ruins of the former palace of the Raja of Mustang is strategically located astride a hill. It’s a steep, short hike up to the palace and although it is now dilapidated, there are great views from here and the small chapel and armory (now a museum) are open to the public. The Palace also has 108 volumes of Kangyur Text engraved in Gold.
Another Upper Mustang destination is Ghar Gompa (Lo Gekar monastery) which is believed to the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery established by Guru Rinpoche even before the ‘Samye monastery’ in Tibet. After some quick snack at the tea stall you will drive back to Charang and continue onward to Lo Manthang.
From Tsarang the road drops down into a deep canyon before climbing up the other side. The trail then continues along the Thuling Khola on the new dirt road towards Lo. The multi-hued canyons will spread impressively around you.
You will also start to see a few snow peaks ahead of you as you near the Lo La pass; to the south are the Annapurna peaks and the familiar peak of Nilgiri, to the east is a chain of snow-capped peaks, the largest of which is Bhrikuti (6363m/20,877ft). The pass leads through a partial tunnel of rock, flanked on the right strings of Tibetan prayer flags and then climbs to the ridge to the right for wonderful views down to the fabled city Lo Manthang.
Your 2-night stay will give you ample time to explore the old walled city and the village that has spilt outside of the walls of the old town. Prior to the invasion of Tibet, Lo Manthang was a prosperous center for the salt and wool trade. On the first day, you will visit the 4 story Mustang Durbar , Chyodi Gompa, Namgyal Gompa, Tingkhar and Tall Champa Lakhang Gompa.
Overnight at a Local Lodge in Lo Manthang (B,L,D)
Day 13: Excursion to Chhoser & Kora La
Today you’ll drive along the Nepal-China Kora La highway to Chooser Valley. The route is beautiful as you drive past ancient ruins in the middle of the Himalayan desert.
Chooser valley is famous for Garphu and Nyphu Gompas and the famous Chooser caves aka the Zhong cave. It is believed that the cave was built by the escapee monks from Tibet. It is dug right out on a hill like a rabbit’s borough. The cave has around 40 room or openings and served different purpose in different time. Currently, it is preserved as a tourist attraction.
After lunch, you can optionally drive to Kora La; one of the oldest trading passes between Nepal and Tibet or drive back to Lo Manthang.
Overnight at a Local Lodge in Lo Manthang (B,L,D)
Day 14: Drive to Samar (6 hrs)
Bidding farewell to Lo Manthang you will drive for about 6 hours via Charang and Ghami to the small hamlet of Samar.
There are a few houses at Samar; it’s a desert oasis with a beautiful view point.
Overnight at a Local Lodge in Samar (B,L,D)
Day 15: Drive via Kagbeni to Muktinath (3.5 hrs) and back to Jomsom (2.5 hrs)
You will backtrack till Kagbeni and then follow the Jomsom Muktinath highway to the village of Ranipauwa and visit Muktinath, a pilgrimage celebrated by both Hindus and Buddhists.
Afterwards, you will follow the highway all the way to Jomsom.
Overnight at a Local Lodge in Jomsom (B,L,D)
Day 16: Morning flight to Pokhara. Full day at leisure
Early in the morning you will fly back to Pokhara where you have rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at Hotel Barahi Pokhara (B)
Day 17: Guided morning tour of Pokhara. Rest of the day at leisure.
This is a contingency day in case Jomsom to Pokhara flight gets cancelled the day before.
After a guided tour of major sites in Pokhara in the morning, you’ve the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at Hotel Barahi Pokhara (B)
Day 18: Morning flight to Kathmandu. Evening dinner with KWN.
You will depart on a morning flight to Kathmandu. The rest of the day at Kathmandu is at leisure.
Overnight at Hotel Barahi in Kathmandu (B,D)
Day 19: Departure: End of trip
Your journey comes to an end today. A Keep Walking Nepal will drop you to Tribhuwan International Airport for your flight back home.
(B)
Cost - US $ 4785 (joining Kathmandu)
(Single Supplement: additional US $ )
Cost Includes:
- Airport pick up and drop off by private vehicle as per the itinerary.
- All local transportation as per itinerary
- Guided half day tour in Kathmandu & Pokhara
- Twin sharing accommodation at the Hotel Tibet & Hotel Barahi in Kathmandu, and the Hotel Barahi in Pokhara
- Twin sharing accommodation at the medical camp and on the trek in local lodges
- Twin sharing accommodation on the tour at local lodges in Mustang
- Meals as specified in the above itinerary
- Chartered helicopter flights for the Kathmandu – Junbesi – Kathmandu route
- Domestic flight tickets for
Kathmandu – Pokhara – Kathmandu
Pokhara – Jomsom – Pokhara - Experienced local guide and trek crew (insurance for trek crew included)
- All permits & entrance fees as per program (unless mentioned otherwise)
- Upper Mustang restricted area permit of US$ 500 per person
- Use of and access to a First Aid medical kit by trained and certified staff (if you require first aid assistance)
- Duffel Bag, Sleeping bag, Down Jacket
Cost Excludes:
- Meals other than specified in the itinerary.
- International airfares.
- Nepal entry visa fee.
- Rescue & travel insurance.
- Items of a personal nature.
- Alcoholic drinks, hot shower, cold drinks, bottled water, laundry, phone call, and internet.
- Tips (average daily rate is USD 6 TO 7 per person per day)
TRIP FACTS
-
Duration
19 Days -
Best Season
October -
Max-Altitude
4,200m -
Difficulty Level
Moderate -
Group Size
minimum 4 persons -
Accomodation
Hotel & Local Lodge