Namaste from Nepal

Nepal is not just a destination; it is a living story of culture, wellness, and community. At Community Homestay Network (CHN), we believe tourism can do more than showcase landscapes. By placing communities at the heart of travel, CHN empowers local hosts, artisans, and leaders to shape experiences that honor their heritage, generate equitable benefits, and foster meaningful connections between travelers and the people they meet.

Our network spans over 41 community homestays and 10 artisan experiences, reaching around 2,000 community members, the majority of whom are women. CHN’s leadership in responsible, community tourism has been recognized globally with the ICRT Global Awards and as Gender Equality Champion of the Year, while our work has been featured in BBC, National Geographic Traveller, TIME, and The Guardian. Recently, Outside recognised CHN as one of the ‘Best Adventure Travel Companies.’

This familiarization journey is part of Community Connect, CHN's signature initiative dedicated to showcasing the power of locally-led tourism and amplifying voices of the community to a global audience. Since its launch in 2024, Community Connect has welcomed over 70 tourism stakeholders, consisting of travel operators, journalists, and content creators, to experience Nepal's diverse communities. Its latest edition, the Travel Agents Special Edition, is co-designed by CHN and Royal Mountain Travel (RMT) – our associate organisation with longstanding experience in Nepal’s tourism sector. This collaboration brings together CHN’s deep-rooted community network and impact-driven approach with RMT’s long-standing experience in designing and delivering community-centered journeys. Together, we ensure journeys that are thoughtfully designed, responsibly operated, and grounded in both purpose and professionalism.

Today's travelers seek more than landmarks. They seek connection, authenticity, and purpose. This itinerary invites you into one of the most remote and culturally intact corners of the Himalayan world, where ancient trade routes, living Bon traditions, and the walled medieval city of Lo Manthang tell the story of a people who have shaped their landscape as much as it has shaped them. We are proud to present:

"Upper Mustang: A Trans-Himalayan Community Experience"

A rare passage through Nepal's Trans-Himalayan frontier, guided by the communities who call this extraordinary land home.

About Upper Mustang

North of the Annapurna massif, Mustang sheds its greenery and becomes something altogether different: a high-altitude desert of wind-sculpted cliffs, ochre canyons, and ancient cave settlements carved into cliff faces thousands of years before anyone thought to record them. The Kali Gandaki gorge, the deepest in the world, cuts through Mustang on a scale that recalibrates your sense of proportion entirely. At 3,750 metres, Muktinath Temple stands as one of the most sacred sites in the Himalayas, revered equally by Hindus and Buddhists, and marks the threshold between Lower and Upper Mustang. Beyond it, Lo Manthang, the walled capital of the former Kingdom of Lo, has stood since 1380, its whitewashed walls enclosing monasteries, royal palaces, and a way of life that has maintained coherence across centuries. Until recently, reaching Upper Mustang demanded serious commitment: a mandatory ten-day trekking permit at USD 500 and a multi-day walk through one of the most demanding terrains in the Himalayas. From 2025, a daily permit rate of USD 50 and improved roads through the Kali Gandaki valley have made Mustang genuinely accessible for the first time. The landscape has not softened. The threshold to enter it has.

Trip Summary

This 12-day journey begins in Kathmandu with a grounding Boudha Kora and a welcome dinner, where we light lamps for a sound journey ahead. The next day, the route moves through the lush Annapurna foothills before gradually unfolding into one of the most dramatic landscapes on earth: wind-carved cliffs, vast ochre canyons, and centuries-old settlements that time has not so much forgotten as simply left alone.

Traveling by 4WD vehicles along the ancient trade route once connecting Nepal and Tibet, you will engage closely with local families in Narchyang, Kagbeni, Lubra, Hemjakot and more, explore the extraordinary Sky Caves of Chhoser, and walk the medieval streets of Lo Manthang – the walled capital of the former Kingdom of Lo. A night in Lubra brings you into one of the last active Bon settlements in Nepal, a tradition older than Buddhism in this region and still very much alive.

The journey concludes with a descent through the Kali Gandaki valley into Hemjakot, where a community welcome awaits and a morning yoga session unfolds with Machhapuchhre filling the horizon. From here, a short drive brings you to Pokhara, basecamp to the world's greatest basecamps, for a free afternoon by the lake. The final leg back to Kathmandu closes with a sound healing session that does what the mountains began: quiets the noise, and lets the experience settle. You return home not just with photographs, but with a genuine sense of having been somewhere, and of having mattered to the people there.
(Detailed itinerary below)
Trip Highlights

Lo Manthang: Enter the walled capital of the former Kingdom of Lo, a living medieval city that has endured since 1380 and still carries the weight of that history in every stone.
Ancient Sky Caves of Chhoser: Discover some 10,000 man-made caves carved into the cliffs above the Kali Gandaki valley, yielding mummies, manuscripts, and artworks dating back 3,000 years.
Muktinath Temple: Visit this sacred site at 3,800 metres, revered equally by Hindus and Buddhists, set against the sweep of the upper Mustang plateau.
Tibetan Culinary Immersion: Sit down with your hosts in Kagbeni for a traditional momo-making session, a shared cultural moment as much as a cooking class.
Community Homestay Experience: Sleep, eat, and wake up inside the daily rhythms of families in Narchyang, Lubra, and Hemjakot, places most itineraries never reach.
Boudha Kora and Sound Healing: Begin with circumambulation at one of the world's great Buddhist stupas. Close with a yoga session at altitude as Machhapuchhre fills the skyline, and a deep sound healing session at Avata Wellness.

Why This Circuit Matters

Supporting Community Homestays: Nights in Narchyang, Lubra, and Hemjakot flow directly into household incomes and family run enterprises within the CHN network. Every meal cooked and every room offered is a direct economic transfer to a family in a remote community. When you sell this trip, the impact is traceable and real.

Sustaining Remote Heritage: Upper Mustang's monasteries, cave sites, and Bon traditions survive through active engagement, not passive preservation. Permit fees, community stays, and locally guided experiences contribute to an economy that makes continued cultural life possible in one of Nepal's most isolated regions.

Empowering Hosts as Storytellers: In Lubra, in Narchyang and, in Hemjakot, local people are not performing their culture for an audience. They are sharing it with guests. That distinction is what CHN's model is built on, and it is what your clients will feel the difference of.

Promoting Responsible Travel: Trained road captains, community homestays, and an itinerary built around local benefit ensure that revenue stays where it is generated. This is not a circuit designed to extract value from a remote landscape and redistribute it elsewhere.

Creating Lasting Dialogue: This journey is not simply cultural exposure. It is an opportunity to stand alongside some of the most remote and resilient communities in Nepal, and to return home with relationships, not just impressions. For your clients, that is the difference between a good holiday and a trip they will talk about for years.

Integrates Wellbeing by Design: In a world of relentless travel and crowded itineraries, this trip weaves moments of stillness and mindfulness to ground yourself in the place, the people, and the present moment.

Trip Name:              Upper Mustang: Trans-Himalayan Community Experience
Duration:             5th December, 2026 – 16th December, 2026
Route:                Kathmandu – Pokhara – Narchyang – Kagbeni – Lo Manthang – Jomsom–
Hemjakot – Pokhara – Kathmandu

Trip Overview

Day (Date)
Activity
Accomodation
Day 1 (5 Dec)
Arrival in Kathmandu
Hotel Traditional Comfort
Day 2 (6 Dec)
Kathmandu to Sarangkot
Sarangkot Mountain Lodge
Day 3 (7 Dec)
Sarangkot to Narchyang
Narchyang Community Homestay
Day 4 (8 Dec)
Narchyang to Kagbeni (via Muktinath)
Red House Lodge
Day 5 (9 Dec)
Kagbeni to Ghami
Hotel Royal Mustang, Ghami
Day 6 (10 Dec)
Ghami to Lo Manthang
Hotel Royal Mustang, Lo Manthang
Day 7 (11 Dec)
Lo Manthang Exploration
Hotel Royal Mustang, Lo Manthang
Day 8 (12 Dec)
Lo Manthang to Jomsom via Lubra
Om’s Home, Jomsom
Day 9 (13 Dec)
Jomsom to Hemjakot
Hemjakot Community Homestay
Day 10 (14 Dec)
Hemjakot to Pokhara
Hotel Barahi Pokhara
Day 11 (15 Dec)
Pokhara to Kathmandu
Hotel Traditional Comfort
Day 12 (16 Dec)
Final Departure
-

Trip Itinerary

Optional Pre-Trip Extension

Arrive early and make the most of Kathmandu before your journey begins. The two-day extension
covers:

Day (Date)
Activity
Accomodation
Day A (3 Dec)
Arrival in Kathmandu
Hotel Traditional Comfort
Day B (4 Dec)
Sightseeing of Patan Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, and Kirtipur

Evening meditation at Neydo Monastery
Neydo Hotel, Pharping

DAY 1 (5 Dec):         KATHMANDU
Activities of the day:        Transfer from airport
Group briefing
Boudha Kora and welcome dinner.
Elevation:            Kathmandu (1,355 metres)
Accommodation:         Hotel Traditional Comfort or similar

Namaste! Welcome to Nepal!

As you walk down the tunnel to the arrival lounge, look out for our airport representative waiting with your name on a placard. Traffic permitting, the drive to the hotel takes up to 30 minutes. Once settled, the group gathers for a briefing before heading out to Boudha for the Kora, the ritual circumambulation of one of the largest stupas in the world. Pilgrims, monks, and locals move together in the evening light, prayer wheels spinning, butter lamps flickering at the base of the great white dome. It is a quiet and grounding arrival into Nepal, a reminder that this country's spiritual life is not a backdrop but an ongoing practice happening right around you. Dinner follows at Shambhala Hotel.

As a travel agent, this opening evening gives you exactly what your clients will be talking about when they get home: arrival in one of Asia's great cities, immediately into something real, with none of the usual tourist-circuit distance between them and the place.

Hotel Traditional Comfort is a boutique heritage property that blends Nepalese traditional architecture with modern amenities. Committed to sustainability Travelife certified, it supports the local economy through the elimination of single-use plastics and the use of solar energy. Guests experience genuine Nepali hospitality while contributing to responsible tourism.

Boudhanath Stupa is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in the world and the largest stupa in Nepal. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has been a centre of Tibetan Buddhist culture in Kathmandu for centuries. The evening Kora, with the stupa lit against the darkening sky and incense moving through the crowd, is one of Kathmandu's most quietly powerful experiences.

DAY 2 (6 Dec):      KATHMANDU TO SARANGKOT
Activities of the day:         Scenic drive along the Trishuli River to Pokhara, onwards to Sarangkot
Accommodation:          Sarangkot Mountain Lodge

The day begins with a long drive, approximately 205 kilometres and six to seven hours, from Kathmandu along the Prithvi Highway. For the first stretch the road winds downhill before following the Trishuli River through forested gorges and villages of terraced rice fields. As you approach Pokhara, the Annapurna range comes into view, a wall of peaks that grows more commanding with every kilometre. You continue up to Sarangkot, a ridgeline above the city renowned for panoramic views of Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, and the full Annapurna massif. For your clients, this drive is the first signal that Nepal is not a small country, and that its scale rewards patience.

Sarangkot is a hilltop ridge sitting at 1,592 metres above Pokhara, renowned for some of the most expansive panoramic views in Nepal. On a clear December morning, the entire Annapurna massif, Dhaulagiri, and the distinctive spire of Machhapuchhre lay out across the horizon in a way that simply does not happen from the valley below. It is a quiet, unhurried place, and after the long drive from Kathmandu it is exactly the right altitude at which to spend a first night on the road west.

DAY 3 (7 Dec ):        POKHARA TO NARCHYANG
Activities of the day:          Drive via Beni along the Kali Gandaki River
        Optional stop at Tatopani natural hot springs
        Arrival and welcome at Narchyang Community Homestay
Elevation: Pokhara (822 metres), Narchyang (1,530 metres)
Accommodation:          Narchyang Community Homestay (Full Board)

From Pokhara the road follows the Kali Gandaki River through Beni, where the valley narrows and the landscape takes on a wilder character. The drive to Narchyang takes three to four hours on a mix of sealed and rough agricultural roads, with time for a stop at Tatopani, a village known for its natural hot springs and a gentle preview of the warmth you will find at your destination. Narchyang Community Homestay is a community enterprise of the Magar people set in the Annapurna foothills. Dinner is home-cooked, served around the family table, and made entirely from locally sourced ingredients. This is the rhythm the rest of the journey will follow, and for your clients it is often the night that recalibrates everything they thought they wanted from a holiday.

Narchyang Community Homestay provides cozy, clean rooms with simple comforts and small home gardens that add a personal touch. Recently, with the initiation of Royal Mountain Travel, Community Homestay Network has been able to conduct several capacity building programs in Narchang, especially empowering the women of the community to be self-sustained and independent. With their new skill set, they have been hosting a record number of trekkers who come to Annapurna for the mountains but fall in love with it because of the people of Narchyang.

The houses are modest but comfortable. Bathrooms are typically located outside the house with a mix of squat and western-style toilets, and bucket showers with hot water can be arranged on request. Guests enjoy fresh, home-cooked meals prepared by the host family, creating a warm, welcoming environment perfect for unwinding in rural tranquility.

DAY 4 (8 Dec):     NARCHYANG TO KAGBENI VIA MUKTINATH
Activities of the day:      Drive through Marpha
        Lunch and village wander
        Visit Muktinath Temple

Elevation:         Muktinath (3,800 metres), Kagbeni (2,800 metres)
Accommodation:         Red House, Kagbeni

The day takes you through one of the most dramatic altitude gains of the journey. From Narchyang you drive through Marpha, a Thakali town famous for its apple orchards, whitewashed lanes, and the distinct cultural blend of the lower Mustang region. Stop here for lunch and a wander before continuing the climb to Muktinath – a sacred temple complex at 3,800 metres considered holy by both Hindus and Buddhists. Water flows through 108 stone waterspouts, pilgrims arrive from across the subcontinent, and the high plateau light makes everything feel stripped back and essential. You descend in the afternoon to Kagbeni, the gateway to Upper Mustang through the village of Jhong, where the evening is given to settling down into your hotel which is set in a 4 century old building.
Muktinath Temple sits at 3,800 metres at the head of the Kali Gandaki valley. Sacred to Vaishnavite Hindus as a site of Vishnu and to Buddhists as a manifestation of Chhukyi Gyalpo, it is one of the few pilgrimage sites in Nepal where both traditions converge at the same altar. The 108 waterspouts are believed to wash away sin; the eternal flame burning within the complex, fed by natural gas seeping through the earth, is considered a miracle in both faiths.

Kagbeni is a historic Tibetan-influenced village straddling the Kali Gandaki and marking the boundary of the Upper Mustang restricted zone. Its medieval lanes, chortens, and red-painted monastery give the feeling of having crossed into a different country, which in many historical senses is exactly what has happened.

The Red House is a historic lodge in Kagbeni, housed in a centuries-old Tibetan-style building. Known for its red-painted façade and traditional architecture, it serves as both a guesthouse and a cultural landmark. Inside, visitors find preserved chapels, old relics, and a warm atmosphere that reflects Kagbeni’s role as a gateway to Upper Mustang. Staying here offers a unique glimpse into local heritage alongside basic yet authentic hospitality.

DAY 5 (9 Dec):       KAGBENI TO GHAMI
Activities of the day:          Drive through Chhusang, Chele, and Syangboche into the heart of Upper             Mustang.
Elevation:         Ghami (3,520 metres)
Accommodation:          Hotel Royal Mustang, Ghami

Today the landscape changes decisively. The green terraces of the lower valleys give way to bare canyon walls, mani stone walls running along the roadside, chortens perched on every ridge, and a vast sky that feels closer than it should. The drive from Kagbeni to Ghami takes two to three hours, covering around 27 kilometres through some of the most visually arresting terrain in Nepal. It is an alien lunar landscape. Cave dwellings pock the cliff faces. Tibetan-style villages appear suddenly in folds of the hillside. Wind scours everything. There is very little else, and it is more than enough. Your clients will photograph every kilometre of this road, and every photograph will look like it was staged.

DAY 6 (10 Dec):     GHAMI TO LO MANTHANG
Activities of the day:          Drive via Tsarang and Ghar Gompa to Lo Manthang
        Visit Jampa Lhakhang and Thubchen Gompa
Elevation:        Lo Manthang (3,840 metres)
Accommodation:          Hotel Royal Mustang, Lo Manthang

Today you arrive at the destination the entire journey has been building toward. Lo Manthang has been the walled capital of the Kingdom of Lo since 1380, a city of whitewashed walls and narrow alleys perched on a high plateau with the Himalayan ranges stacked behind it. The drive passes through Tsarang, a village dominated by the ruins of a dzong fortress, and up to Ghar Gompa, one of the oldest and most important monasteries in Mustang. In Lo Manthang itself, the afternoon is given to the Jampa Lhakhang, the oldest monastery in the city built in the early 15th century and still housing ancient murals, and Thubchen Gompa with its great red assembly hall. The feeling of the place is not theatrical. It is simply old, and serious, and alive. Few destinations in the world justify the journey to reach them quite as completely as Lo Manthang does.

Lo Manthang was the capital of the Mustang Kingdom, a vassal state of Nepal with historic ties to Tibet, ruled by the Lo King until the monarchy was formally dissolved in 2008. Its walls enclose a dense cluster of houses, temples, and royal palace buildings that have changed remarkably little over six centuries. The city sits at 3,840 metres on the Tibetan plateau and until 1992 was entirely closed to foreign visitors.

Hotel Royal Mustang is a property built in traditional Tibetan style within the walled capital of the former Kingdom of Lo, owned and run by a member of the region's then royal family. Rooms are modest but comfortable, with heated mattresses for the cold desert nights and views across the Himalayas and the ancient city walls. The restaurant serves local Mustangi fare, and communal spaces carry a distinct Tibetan character, artwork and textiles throughout. Currently the most comfortable stay available in Lo Manthang, a rare comfort at this altitude and remoteness.

DAY 7 (11 Dec):         LO MANTHANG EXPLORATION
Activities of the day:         Sky Caves of Chhoser
        Namgyal Gompa
        Shija Jhong Cave
Elevation:         Lo Manthang (3,840 metres)
Accommodation:         Hotel Royal Mustang, Lo Manthang

A full day to move at the pace this landscape demands. The Sky Caves of Chhoser are the centrepiece: approximately 10,000 man-made caves cut into the cliffs above the Kali Gandaki, dating back 2,000 to 3,000 years. Archaeological excavations have uncovered mummies, manuscripts, painted ceilings, and everyday objects from multiple eras. Who carved them, and why they were eventually abandoned, remains only partially understood. The Shija Jhong cave adds another layer of the same ancient mystery. Namgyal Gompa provides a quieter counterpoint, a working monastery above the city with sweeping views of the plateau. For your clients, this is the day Lo Manthang stops being a name on a map and becomes a place they understand in their body.

Sky Caves of Chhoser A network of approximately 10,000 man-made caves cut into the cliffs above the Kali Gandaki, dating back 2,000 to 3,000 years and yielding mummies, manuscripts, and painted ceilings that archaeologists are still working to fully understand.

Namgyal Gompa A working monastery above Lo Manthang with an intimate, active quality: monks in residence, butter lamps burning, and sweeping views across the plateau toward the Tibetan border.

Shija Jhong Cave A large cave complex near Lo Manthang believed to have served as both dwelling and ritual site, with paintings and artifacts pointing to a history of over a thousand years of continuous use.

DAY 8 (12 Dec):     LO MANTHANG TO JOMSOM
Activities of the day:          Drive south through Upper Mustang
        Mo: Mo: Making with a Bon host family in Lubra.
Elevation:         Jomsom (2,700 metres)
Accommodation:         Om’s Home, Jomsom

The return journey follows the same route south, offering different light and a different perspective on the canyons and villages passed on the way up. The stop at Lubra is entirely new. Lubra is one of the last active Bon settlements in Nepal, a small village in a side valley of the Kali Gandaki where the pre-Buddhist Bon tradition has been practiced without interruption for over a thousand years. An afternoon with a Bon host family, making momo together and walking up to the old monastery, is a rare and unhurried window into a worldview that predates Himalayan Buddhism and continues quietly alongside it. No other operator brings you here in the context of a broader circuit like this one.

Lubra Community Stay is also one of the many communities that see visitors from Royal Mountain Travel and Community Homestay Network. In an effort to curb over-tourism in famous destinations around the Annapurna region, we believe that it is places like Lubra that carry a deeper meaning to your visit. Culturally rich and naturally beautiful, Lubra is right up there with other destinations if not better, surely a fresh name in your Annapurna itinerary.

Lubra is one of the last Bon villages in Nepal, home to a practicing monastery that has held the faith through centuries of Buddhist expansion across Mustang. Bon predates Tibetan Buddhism and diverges from it in ways the village still makes visible, including circumambulation in the opposite direction. It is a rare place where an ancient tradition survives not as a relic but as a living community practice.

Making momo together is a small ritual with its own logic: someone rolls the wrapper, someone measures the filling, someone pleats, and the rhythm settles into conversation rather than instruction. It is not a cooking demonstration staged for guests, it is simply how a family in Mustang gets dinner on the table, and being folded into that rhythm for an hour says more about daily life here than any monument tour could.

From Lubra, the drive continues down to Jomsom, arriving at Om's Home in time to settle in before dinner. The hotel has been run since 1976, when it opened with five rooms in traditional Mustang architectural style. It has since grown into a two dozen room heritage property on the banks of the Kali Gandaki, with Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri filling the view, and has hosted trekkers, pilgrims, and travellers of every stripe over five decades.

DAY 9 (13 Dec):     LUBRA TO HEMJAKOT
Activities of the day:          Morning tour and tasting at Nilgiri Distillery in Marpha, descend the Kali              Gandaki valley, traditional welcome with tikas and garlands in Hemjakot,             village walk
Elevation:         Hemjakot (1,200 metres)
Accommodation:         Hemjakot Community Homestay

The morning begins close by, just fifteen minutes from Jomsom in Marpha, Nepal's apple capital. Orchards climb the hillside here at altitude, and the Nilgiri Distillery turns that harvest into apple brandy and premium cider, produced with a level of care and hygiene that would surprise anyone expecting a village operation. The visit includes a walk through the distillery, breakfast, and a tasting of cider not available anywhere on the open market, poured alongside apple momo, a pairing unique to this stop. It is a quiet, unhurried start before the day's descent begins.

The landscape softens on the way down. Greenery returns. The wind eases. By the time you reach Hemjakot, the community is waiting: tikas on the forehead, garlands around the neck, and the white Bhangra cloth draped criss-cross across the chest in the Pokhreli tradition of welcome. Hemjakot sits just half an hour from Pokhara but feels genuinely removed from it, a multi-ethnic village on a ridge with panoramic views of the Annapurna range and the sharp peak of Machhapuchhre catching the afternoon light. The evening is for walking the village lanes, meeting the families who form part of the CHN network, and eating a meal cooked from what the land around the homestay provides.

Marpha's reputation for brandy runs deeper than any single distillery. Apple farming arrived here in the 1960s through one of Nepal's oldest horticulture research stations, and the dry mountain air, strong sun, and well-drained slopes turned out to be near perfect for it. What followed was a village-wide tradition of turning the harvest into cider, wine, jam, dried apple rings, and brandy, distilled straight from fermented apple mash rather than aged in wood, so it reaches the glass clear, potent, and unmistakably local. Almost every household and guesthouse in Marpha has some version of it, wrapped in newspaper and sent home with trekkers as a souvenir of the valley. The tasting at Nilgiri Distillery is a chance to try that tradition at its most refined, one working example of a craft the whole village has practiced for generations.

At Hemjakot Community Homestay, you'll stay in simple yet clean rooms with basic furnishings that reflect village charm. Bathrooms are usually outside the rooms, offering a mix of squat and western-style options, with bucket showers available and hot water on request. Guests are treated to home-cooked meals and spectacular mountain views, providing a comfortable, genuine community stay close to Pokhara.

DAY 10 (14 Dec):     HEMJAKOT TO POKHARA
Activities of the day:          Early morning yoga with views of Machhapuchhre, drive to Pokhara, free             afternoon at the lakeside.
Elevation:         Pokhara (822 metres)
Accommodation:         Hotel Barahi Pokhara

The morning begins before full light. Yoga on the Hemjakot ridge with Machhapuchhre and the full Annapurna massif in front of you is the kind of moment that needs no narration.

The drive to Pokhara is short, delivering you to the lakeside city in time for a free afternoon: a walk along Phewa Lake, a coffee, a bookshop, a chair in the sun or request for property visits. Whatever the pace of the last nine days suggests your clients need, Pokhara will provide it.

DAY 11 (15 Dec):     POKHARA TO KATHMANDU
Activities of the day:          Afternoon flight to Kathmandu
        Sound healing session at Avata Wellness
        Farewell dinner at Nourish by Avata.
Elevation:         Kathmandu (1,355 metres)
Accommodation:         Hotel Traditional Comfort

An afternoon flight returns you to Kathmandu in under half an hour, an almost disorienting compression of the distance covered over the past ten days. The evening is given to a sound healing session at Avata Wellness Center: gongs, singing bowls, vibration working at the levels of body, mind, and something harder to name. It is an ancient Himalayan practice and an apt way to integrate a journey this layered. Farewell dinner follows at Nourish, Avata's plant-based restaurant. The closing session is also an opportunity for open conversation with the CHN and RMT team: what worked, what your clients would love, and how we can build something together.

Avata Wellness Center is a sanctuary for balance and renewal, offering yoga, meditation, sound healing, spa therapies, and nature walks in a serene Kathmandu setting. At its heart is Nourish by Avata, a vegan and vegetarian restaurant serving creative plant-based cuisine in a calm and inviting atmosphere.

DAY 12 (16 Dec): FINAL DEPARTURE
Activities of the day: Departure transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport.

After breakfast, transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport.
Thank you for traveling with us through one of the most remote and extraordinary corridors of the Himalayan world. We hope this journey has given you everything you need to bring it to your clients with confidence: the landscape, the communities, the cultural depth, and the operational assurance that CHN and RMT deliver on the ground. We look forward to building this partnership with you.

Optional Post-Trip Extension (16 – 17 Dec)

A mirror of the pre-trip extension, run in reverse for those who want to close the journey with two more days in the Kathmandu Valley:

Day (Date)
Activity
Accomodation
Day A (16 Dec)
Sightseeing of Swayambhunath and Kirtipur

Evening meditation at Neydo Monastery, Pharping
Neydo Hotel, Pharping
Day B (17 Dec)
Sightseeing of Patan Durbar Square
Hotel Traditional Comfort

Any other additions or customizations, whether an extra night, a specific excursion, or a tailored activity, can be accommodated with advance notice. Just let us know.
Why you need to sell this trip

Best of Both Worlds: Hotels & Homestays
Combine the comfort of carefully selected heritage properties in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Lo Manthang with nights/experiences in authentic community homestays in Narchyang, Lubra, and Hemjakot. Your clients enjoy reliable standards where they need them, and genuine local connection where it matters most. Neither element compromises the other.

Iconic Landmarks & Hidden Gems
Upper Mustang sits in the rain shadow of the Annapurnas, which means clear December skies, dry air, and mountain views that the monsoon months simply cannot offer. For clients who want drama without crowds, this is the product.

Measurable Community Impact
Every element of this itinerary is designed in partnership with Community Homestay Network to channel tourism revenue directly into remote economies. You will be able to tell your clients, specifically and truthfully, where their money went: which family hosted them, which women-led enterprise cooked their dinner, which community guide walked them through a cave system that most of the world does not know exists. That specificity sells.

Turnkey B2B Support & Local Expertise
From pre-departure briefings and high-resolution marketing assets to on-site agent liaisons and 24/7 ground assistance, CHN and RMT handle every operational detail. Your job is to sell the experience. Ours is to deliver it, without exception.

Stand Out and Upsell with Purpose
Position your agency as a leader in responsible, experiential travel by offering clients access to places and communities they genuinely cannot reach any other way. Upper Mustang is not a destination you stumble upon. It is one you earn. And your clients will know that from the moment they arrive.

Why CHN Stands Out?

Grassroots Access
As the only operator with formal partnerships in place across hundreds of tourism communities in Nepal, we unlock genuine entry points that your clients simply cannot find elsewhere. This is not voluntourism lite. It is a deep dive into locally owned and operated experiences, and the difference is felt immediately.

Championing Women in Every Role
CHN is leading the shift against the stereotype of tourism as a male-only profession in Nepal. We employ women at every level: from women road captains navigating high-altitude passes to expert women tour leaders who bring local insight and empathy to every interaction

Travelife Certified for Sustainability
We hold Travelife certification, demonstrating our commitment to environmental stewardship, fair labor practices, and community wellbeing. When you sell CHN, you sell with the confidence that every step of the journey meets rigorous global standards.

Pan Himalayan Expertise
With decades of on-the-ground experience across Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Tibet, our regional knowledge is unmatched. That means smoother permits, richer cultural context, and seamless overland connections if your clients want to extend beyond Nepal.

Pioneering EV Travel
We are among the first operators in Nepal to introduce electric vehicles for tourism, reducing our carbon footprint while creating employment opportunities for women road captains trained to operate them. This sets a new benchmark for responsible, inclusive, and sustainable travel in the region.

Additional Information

Meals

While staying at hotels in Nepal, guests can expect a wide variety of meals ranging from traditional Nepali dishes to popular international cuisines such as Indian, Chinese, and Continental. Most hotels offer buffet breakfasts and à la carte options for lunch and dinner, prepared by professional chefs with a focus on comfort and flavour. Depending upon the lunch place of the day, especially while you are on an excursion, the guide may suggest you some delicacies.

At community homestays, meals are a warm and authentic part of the cultural experience. Guests are served freshly prepared home-cooked meals made with locally sourced ingredients. Typical dishes include dal bhat (lentils and rice), seasonal vegetables, pickles, and sometimes local specialities of the destination. Meals are often shared with the host family, offering a deeper connection to local customs and everyday life.

Transportation

In order to meet the safety standards, we have been working to make sure that the vehicles used during the tours are of high quality. We have a fleet of our own vehicles and we continuously make sure that the vehicles are in good condition. All safety requirements such as first aid box, fire extinguishers, and seat belts are available in every vehicle of ours. We annually give First Aid Training to our drivers too. First Aid Training is provided by Red Cross Society of Bhaktapur, which is a branch of Nepal Red Cross Society. Our drivers are well trained to make sure that your journey is safe and smooth.

Guide and Support Staff

Our tour guides are all well trained and well-educated. They all have gained their professional license from the Government of Nepal to tour in Nepal. In addition to their professional license, we train them to provide magical, unique and unforgettable experiences to clients whether it is during their sightseeing tours in historical sites or hikes through the beautiful landscapes.

Money Exchange

As currency exchange rates in Asia fluctuate often we ask that you refer to the following website for daily exchange rates: www.xe.com. There are many ATM machines that accept both Visa and MasterCard but these are limited to major cities. Major credit cards are accepted in most shops but they may charge a 2-4% transaction fee.

Tipping

It is customary in Asia to tip service providers such as waiters, at approximately 10%, depending on the service. Tipping is expected, though not compulsory, and shows an expression of satisfaction with the people who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels.

Recommendations for tipping drivers and local guides would range from $4-$7 USD per person per day depending on the quality and length of the service. Also at the end of each trip if you felt your Community Homestay guide did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference; however, as a guideline $7-10 USD per day, can be used.

Health

There are no specific health requirements for entry into Nepal. However, you should consult your doctor for up-to-date information regarding vaccinations and medications for any reasonably foreseeable illnesses whilst traveling in Nepal. Be aware that some drugs, including anti-malarial, have side effects at altitude. Please discuss this carefully with your doctor.

Visas

Please note it is your responsibility to arrange visas before you travel. Below are the visa requirements at the time of printing.

All foreign nationals (except Indians) require a visa to enter Nepal. Visas are obtainable from embassies abroad or on arrival at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan airport. If getting the visa at the airport be prepared for long queues.

You will also need to provide one passport photo and the following fees in US dollars’ cash only:
multiple entry visa valid for 15 days: US $30
multiple Entry Visa for 30 days: US $50, or
multiple entry visa valid for 90 days: US $125.

Weather Information

Nepal has a generally temperate climate, but varying altitudes lead to distinct variations. The monsoon sweeps up from India each summer, making mid-June to mid-September humid and wet.

Winter (December-February): Winter is cold and you will need to be prepared, but the air is very clear providing the best mountain views.

Spring (March-May): Days are increasingly warm; mist and clouds are not uncommon.

Summer (June-August): The monsoon season. It will rain every day, although not all day.

Autumn (September-November): The most pleasant season, in which days are warm but not hot and skies are clear.

Thank you for taking the time!
Peace.

Upper Mustang Overland Tour: 12-Day Trans-Himalayan Community Experience