Upper Mustang via Pokhara and Jomsom in 16 Days: Route, Cost and Who It Suits

Last updated 15 October 2026.

Short answer: The Upper Mustang Trek via Pokhara and Jomsom, 16 Days flies you from Kathmandu to Pokhara and then goes by road to Jomsom with a night in Tatopani, so you skip the 10 to 14 hour drive from Kathmandu. You walk nine days inside the restricted area to Lo Manthang, the walled capital, with a free day there and a whole extra day for the Chhoser caves. It costs from USD 2,065 per person on Budget, USD 3,230 on Standard and USD 4,480 on Luxury (two to four guests; on your own USD 2,990, 4,330 and 6,375), with the restricted-area permit of USD 450 and the Kathmandu to Pokhara flights already in the price. It suits you if you have two weeks, want a gentle start, and can sit through a few long walking days. If you only have ten days and don't mind a road, my 10-day trek is the cheaper way.

Scheduled Pokhara–Jomsom flights stopped on 19–21 October 2026 for about five months (charter flights still run), so for now we go by road. The Beni–Jomsom road is open again after the September floods but slow in places (checked 26 October 2026).

I am Shreejan. This is the route I built for people who asked how to see Upper Mustang without losing two days in a vehicle at each end. Prices below are from the live package page as I read it on 27 October 2026.

What is the Upper Mustang trek via Pokhara and Jomsom in 16 days?

It is a Kathmandu to Kathmandu trip. You fly west on day 2 and sleep in Pokhara. On day 3 you drive up the Kali Gandaki gorge to Tatopani, and on day 4 you drive on to Jomsom (2,720 m) and walk about two hours north to Kagbeni (2,804 m). When scheduled Pokhara–Jomsom flights restart (expected around spring 2027), we go back to flying in and the trip is one day shorter.

The highest point is the Choku La, about 4,290 m, on day 8. The highest night is Lo Manthang at 3,840 m. If you want the places one by one, I have written village guides to Lo Manthang and Ghar Gompa.

Why drive in and jeep out?

Going up the gorge by road with a night in Tatopani lets the height come gradually, and the short walk from Jomsom to Kagbeni shows how you feel in the sun, wind and height. When scheduled Pokhara–Jomsom flights restart (expected around spring 2027), we go back to flying in and the trip is one day shorter. The Jomsom flight is cancelled often in strong wind and in the monsoon, so I never let your last day depend on it. The way out is a private four-wheel-drive jeep down the Kali Gandaki gorge, past Marpha and Tukuche, to Pokhara. One jeep carries four guests. If you would rather not walk the three days back, you can ride from Lo Manthang to Pokhara in the jeep instead. That costs USD 200 more per jeep on every tier.

I compare the two ways in step by step in my post on flying to Jomsom or driving from Kathmandu.

Who does this trek suit?

It suits a walker who is comfortable with five to eight hours on the trail and nights above 3,000 m. There is no technical walking. The challenge is distance, wind and dry air. See how hard Upper Mustang really is.

Tell me before you book about any heart, lung or blood-pressure condition.

How much does the Upper Mustang trek via Pokhara and Jomsom cost?

These are per-person prices, the same for a private trip and for a group of that size. I read them from the live package page on 27 October 2026, and the page holds these prices for 2027.

If you travel alone, the solo prices in the first row apply. They pay for a whole room for you on the trek and an unshared jeep.

Budget has no porter, so you carry your own pack, trail meals are yours to pay, and rooms are shared. Standard has all meals on the trek, private twin rooms and one porter for every two trekkers. A solo Standard trekker has no porter and the guide carries up to 10 kg. Luxury has a dedicated porter each, private deluxe rooms with an ensuite where the lodge has one, all meals with fruit and nuts and unlimited soft drinks. An extra porter is USD 25 a day plus 13 per cent VAT and the 3.5 per cent bank charge.

In every price: the Kathmandu to Pokhara return flights, the road from Pokhara to Jomsom, the jeep back from Jomsom, airport transfers, a licensed guide, the Upper Mustang, Annapurna Conservation Area and TIMS permits, and a farewell dinner in Pokhara. Not in the price: your international flight, insurance, tips, personal spending, drinks, and your Nepal visa (USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, cash on arrival).

What are the hotel nights on top?

Kathmandu and Pokhara hotels are not in any trek tier. This route has two nights in each city, nights 1 and 15 in Kathmandu and nights 2 and 14 in Pokhara. At my add-on rates, two guests sharing one room pay about USD 190 each on Budget, USD 220 on Standard and USD 510 on Luxury for all four nights. A solo traveller pays for a whole room. Our family homestay in Kathmandu is USD 15 per person a night.

How does it compare with the 10-day trek and the jeep tour?

The 16-day trek costs USD 1,185 more than the 10-day on Budget, USD 1,380 more on Standard and USD 1,350 more on Luxury. You are paying for six more days, two domestic flights, the road from Pokhara and the jeep back. Per day, Budget is about USD 155 against about USD 129 on the 10-day. Compare the jeep tour and the trek, or see my Upper Mustang cost guide.

What is the Upper Mustang permit in 2027?

Upper Mustang is a restricted area. You need a licensed guide, a restricted-area permit and a TIMS card, and we arrange all of it. The permit is USD 50 per person per day on the Department of Immigration fee page, charged for the days you are inside. On this route that is 9 days, so USD 450 per person, and it is in the price. Since 22 March 2026 the form accepts one trekker, so you can go alone. The government allows at most 7 trekkers per guide in restricted areas.

An extra acclimatisation night, if you need one, is USD 180 on Budget, USD 225 on Standard and USD 405 on Luxury per person, permit included. My post on the 2026 permit rule changes explains the solo rule.

Is the Pokhara and Jomsom route reliable?

On this route you go by road from Pokhara to Jomsom, so the weather risk is a slow or blocked road, not a cancelled flight. I tell everyone to keep one spare day before the international flight home. When scheduled flights run, the Jomsom flight is in the morning only and often delayed in strong wind and in the monsoon. If the road costs us a day on the way in, the Chhoser day is the first to give way.

The Beni to Jomsom road, the Kali Gandaki route we use both ways, was damaged by the heavy rain in late September. As of 14 October 2026, I was told the Beni to Jomsom road is repaired and open to vehicles. I check the whole road 48 hours before each departure. If the road is not open, we move your dates free. The full story is in my update on the Jomsom road and how to reach Mustang.

When should you go in 2027?

Upper Mustang sits in the rain shadow behind the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, so the trail stays fairly dry in the monsoon.

Our best months are March to May and September to November, and July and August are workable. For the winter months, tell me your dates and I will give you an honest answer. For a closer look at the summer option, read my post on Upper Mustang in the monsoon.

Do you need insurance?

Yes, and you should buy it at home, not in Nepal. It must cover trekking and helicopter rescue. Our package page asks for cover to 5,000 m, which sits comfortably above the highest point of this trek at about 4,290 m.

Questions people ask

How many days do you need for Upper Mustang via Pokhara and Jomsom? Sixteen days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu, nine of them inside the restricted area. Keep one spare day before your flight home.

How much does Upper Mustang cost in 2027? On this route it is from USD 2,475 per person on Budget, USD 3,230 on Standard and USD 4,480 on Luxury for two to four guests. On your own it is USD 2,990 on Budget, USD 4,330 on Standard and USD 6,375 on Luxury. Hotels, your international flight, insurance, tips and drinks are extra.

How much is the Upper Mustang permit? USD 50 per person per day inside the area, so USD 450 for the 9 days on this route. It is paid by us and included in the price.

Can I trek Upper Mustang solo? Yes, with a licensed guide. Since 22 March 2026 one trekker can hold the permit. A solo traveller pays the solo price shown above, and a solo Standard trekker has no porter.

Is it better to fly or drive to Upper Mustang? Take the 16-day route via Pokhara if you have sixteen days and want to avoid the long Kathmandu to Kagbeni road days. Take the 10-day trek if you have ten days and don't mind the road.

What are the terms for this trek?

Group size is 1 to 20, and you can also trek solo. The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, with no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 7 days notice to any date within one year. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash in Kathmandu carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients.

How do you plan this with us?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates, how many of you there are and whether you would rather fly or drive. I will tell you which tier and which route I would choose, and send you the exact quote.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.