Saddle up in Mustang

Itinerary

• 01Namaste, welcome to Nepal Your arrival at Kathmandu airport where you will be met by an AIT representative and transfer to your hotel. In the late afternoon, your driver will take you to our office for a briefing.
  
  Meals: ****
  
• 02Sightseeing of Kathmandu & food safari Culture and food are on the program today! Cuisine is culture; it is part of the customs, history and traditions of a people. You will alternate between visits to monuments, local markets and sampling the favorite snacks of local people.
  
  Today, a guide who will introduce you not only to the history of the monuments but also the city’s past will accompany you.
  
  Visit Pashupatinath Temple, the most important Hindu temple in Nepal consecrated to Lord Shiva. The original core dates back to the 6th century AD and is known for its architecture in the shape of a pagoda. This place, also known as Little Benares, is located along the Bagmati River; here every day funeral ceremonies take place with the corpses being burned on pyres before the scattering of the ashes on the Bagmati River.
  
  Afterwards visit the huge Boudhanath Stupa, the most important Buddhist cultural center in Kathmandu since numerous refugees from Tibet have stopped there, creating more than 50 Gompas (Tibetan monasteries). Since 1979, Boudhanath has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  
  In the afternoon, visit another important Buddhist center, the stupa of Swayambhunath, known as the monkey temple because of the high number of monkeys living inside. This ancient religious complex is located atop a hill to the west in the Kathmandu Valley, and from here there are beautiful views of the city and the valley that surrounds it.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 03Pokhara, the city of lakes Depart by car for Pokhara (around 6 hours) crossing the valley traversed by the Trisuli River. The valley of Pokhara is one of the most picturesque places in Nepal, and its beauty is enhanced by the enchanting lakes that originate from Annapurna.
  
  Visit Devi’s fall, a waterfall about 150 meters long, but part flows in an underground tunnel. After forming the waterfall and passing through the tunnel, the water flows into an adjacent cave, the Gupteshwor Mahadev . The cave is accessed by walking down an impressive flight of steps that is decorated with statues of Hindu gods, particularly Lord Ganesh who is the God who brings good luck. You will meet many Hindu worshippers who visit the cave, as it houses a shrine with a rock shaped by water and time that represents Lord Shiva.
  
  At sunset, go for a walk on the shores of Lake Phewa, the lakeside atmosphere is able to inspire inner peace and serenity. The reflections and colors of the many wooden boats moored along Its shores produce a distinctive ambience.You can take a boat and visit the Vahar Mandir temple, which is located on an island in the middle of the lake. This temple is the most revered in the city.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 04Fly to Jomsom & ride to Kagbeni We will leave early to take a spectacular flight from Pokhara to Jomsom (about 20 minutes). We will arrive at Jomsom airport where we will assemble our bikes. After breakfast, the adventure begins and we will pedal to Kagbeni (2800m). We will follow the Kaligandaki Gorge on a flat, rocky track along a trail. Kagbeni is the entry point into Upper Mustang where we will spend the night.
  
  Biking: 2 hours,
  Elevation gain: + 300 m
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
• 05Ride to Jarkhot Wake up early and enjoy the dawn over the summits. Today we will travel following the route of the famous Annapurna Tour; we will go to the fortress village of Jharkot. This stage is relatively short, but the altitude is already felt.
  
  Biking: 2h30 (11km)
  Elevation gain: + 800 m
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
• 06Acclimatization in Jarkhot This rest day is very important for acclimatization. There are several possibilities for walks, on foot or by bicycle around Jarkhot. In the afternoon, you will visit the temples of Muktinath, a Hindu pilgrimage site, just 3 kilometers from Jarkhot.
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• 07Ride to Chele Today our journey enters in Upper Mustang. We pedal to Gyu La pass then descend to Chusang where we will have lunch and rest for a while. After lunch, we will follow the banks of the Kali River and cross the bridge, ascending to reach Chele. A beautiful village with great views of Mount Nilgiri and Kaligandaki Valley. In Chele we can visit some old buildings and a monastery.
  
  Biking: 5 h (30 km)
  Elevation gain: + 650 m / - 1200 m
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
  
• 08Ride to Shyangmochen You will ride on a beautiful balcony path or track to reach Samar, a beautiful village surrounded by poplar trees. The track overlooks the village all the way to Shyangmochen. Along the way, we will probably meet some trekkers, ponies and donkeys!
  
  Biking: 5 h (20 km)
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
• 09Ride to Tsarang To begin, we have a short climb to reach the first small pass before the other two.After the first pass we will be rewarded with beautiful views of Nilgiri, Annapurna and Mustang.We continue on a track then downhill, to the Gilling, then uphill again through some beautiful villages.After the pass the highest of the day (4000m) we will go downhill to Ghami. We will have lunch at a tea house with delicious Tibetan food .Then we will go around through some cultivated lands where yaks graze and pass a bridge along the Mani wall and an ancient Gumba.Then we approach the last pass followed by a descent that takes us to Tsarang where we can finally relax after this tiring day!
  
  Biking: 5 h (22 km)
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
  
• 10Ride to Lo Manthang Today we finally arrive at our destination of Lo-Manthang, the capital of the Kingdom of Mustang.It is a relatively easy day with only the Lo-La Pass (3810m) to cross.The views will be incredible with some 360-degree viewpoints where you can stop and take photos.We will follow the tracks used by jeeps and some trails taken by trekkers.After the pass, we will reach Lo-Manthang after about half an hour.Lunch at our lodge and the rest of the day will be at leisure.
  
  Biking: 4 h (30 km)
  Elevation gain: + 800m/-700m
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
• 11Lo Manthang Entire day dedicated to the visit of the city and its surroundings. The magnificent monasteries of Lo Manthang are fine examples of the Sakya-Pa sect and the alleys and squares invite you to visit them calmly.
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• 12Excursions around Lo Manthang Full day dedicated to excursions in the surroundings to be agreed on site with your guide. Excursions may include Garphu Village,Namdrul, Tingkar, Nyphu Gompa, Namgyal Gompa or Jhong Caves or other similar excursions. Why not hire horses to make this day just as fun?
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• 13Ride to Ghami Now it is time to leave Lo-Manthang and go back through some new routes. We will have to pass two passes over 4000 meters, leaving the Mustang valley behind. We will be able to see Ghar Gumba from the other direction and later in the evening explore Ghami village.
  
  Biking: 6 h (35 km)
  Elevation gain: + 900m/-1100m
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
• 14Ride to Samar Today, we go back over a large part of the outward route, only a short portion above Gedling is a little different. We have to once again cross Nyi La Pass, then Sangbochen La. The destination for the day is the small village of Samar.
  
  Biking: 6 h (35 km)
  Elevation gain: + 600m/-1000m
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
• 15Ride to Marpha We will start the day with a small climb to Da-Jorila Pass (3737 m), then downhill to Chele. We will go along the bank of the Kai Gandaki River to Chusang. After lunch, we will take the Kali Gandaki valley back to Kagbeni and then the trail used on the first day. From Jomsom, we will go a little further into the valley to spend the night in Marpha.
  
  Biking: 6 h (40 km)
  Elevation gain: + 150m/-850m
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
• 16Ride to Beni & drive to Pokhara After a delicious breakfast, we depart to a more subtropical region along the Kaligandaki River, downhill all the way, with lush scenery. We will arrive in Tatopani (meaning "hot spring" in Nepali) but which has, unfortunately suffered from the 2015 earthquake. We will stop here in Tatopani for lunch. Afterwards we will go along the river bank to Beni Bazaar where our vehicle will be waiting to take us back to Pokhara.
  
  Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• 17Visit of Pokhara Pokhara’s proximity to the Tibetan Plateau has made the city a place of refuge for numerous Tibetans who have come from the neighboring province. A district, located not far from the center, was built to accommodate them under the best conditions. Most of these people make a living from handicrafts such as weaving sheep wool carpet or carving religious objects. Another point of interest will be to visit one of the monasteries dedicated to Buddhist monks.
  
  Visit the Mountain Museum, which tells the history of the climbing of the main Himalayan peaks, from Everest to K2.
  
  At sunset, visit the Shanti Pagoda ( Stupa of Peace).The white stupa, of considerable size, was built by Buddhist monks. The temple is situated on the top of the hill that offers spectacular views of the Annapurna range, the city of Pokhara and Lake Phewa. Return to Pokhara and the rest of the day will be free.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 18Drive to Kathmandu We will return to Kathmandu by car and the rest of the day will be at leisure for final shopping.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 19Goodbye Transfer to the airport and end of our services.
  
  Meals: Breakfast