What are the Permits Required for Upper Mustang Trek?

by Puru ThapaliyaPosted in Mustang
Permit is Required for Upper Mustang

Permit Required for Upper Mustang Trek

What kind of permit required for Upper Mustang? upper Mustang also known as the Kingdom of Lo, which is located in the Mustang district of Gandaki Province, Nepal. This region was restricted until 1992, making it one of the most preserved areas in Nepal.

Upper Mustang is famous for the ancient Buddhist monasteries, caves, and castle-like houses which give the vibes of heaven. The majority of the people speak the traditional Tibetan language and follow Tibetan culture.

Foreigners have been allowed to upper Mustang since 1992 but they require a permit from the government of Nepal. 

Me and my wife decided to trek the Upper Mustang and luckily we chose  My Everest  Trip. We had a wonderful experience trekking in Upper Mustang. When we landed in TIA, we were welcomed by hari. He was very easy and responsive to work with us. He explained all the queries we had and gave a brief description of the tour. As we were watching his last mustang trek videos and reading blogs about Upper Mustang.   We had a lot of expectations about the place and the trekking agency we were working with them. We had a private 18-day tour with…
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Me and my wife decided to trek the Upper Mustang and luckily we chose  My Everest  Trip. We had a wonderful experience trekking in Upper Mustang. When we landed in TIA, we were welcomed by hari. He was very easy and responsive to work with us. He explained all the queries we had and gave a brief description of the tour. As we were watching his last mustang trek videos and reading blogs about Upper Mustang.   We had a lot of expectations about the place and the trekking agency we were working with them. We had a private 18-day tour with a whole trip package, a porter guide, and everything that we needed on a trip. And to be honest, we found everything beyond our expectations. The hills, mountains, and monasteries were all amazing, especially Lo Manthang is a great place to visit. Our guide was also equally supportive and friendly. The team made our trek more enjoyable. While writing this, it reminded me of the days we had on the trails. Thank You again for the wonderful experience. Best wishes to Christan and Lisa  We will definitely love to return and probably do the Everest base camp Trek or Dolpo next time.  

Christan and Lisa  

Germany

Christan and Lisa  

Germany

It has been my dream to visit mustang for the past few years, which is half of my life; when we were in Kathmandu, we met our trekking company (My Everest Trip) though, and we Book was lucky cause when we met puru manager of My Everest Trip, He is asking few questions for us, and we feel safer. We felt happier about how he worked through the rest of the trip while staying on schedule. He managed to get the flight to Jomsom, and we drove to kagbeni cause from Jomsom to kagebeni, there is traffic also. We started…
Read More
It has been my dream to visit mustang for the past few years, which is half of my life; when we were in Kathmandu, we met our trekking company (My Everest Trip) though, and we Book was lucky cause when we met puru manager of My Everest Trip, He is asking few questions for us, and we feel safer. We felt happier about how he worked through the rest of the trip while staying on schedule. He managed to get the flight to Jomsom, and we drove to kagbeni cause from Jomsom to kagebeni, there is traffic also. We started our trek with puru, the best guide ever, not the only manager; when he began briefing all the people looking for us and hearing about how he worked then, we felt more satisfied than we expected. Still, he also ensured we always had enough to eat and drink and cared for everything we needed support from him. We always got good and felt more comfortable in rooms, which was essential to me as a female traveller. We took a great route to Lo Manthang cause he knew very well which path was best. I got an old monastery and a good landscape with the mountain route; some people don’t know how to go this way, and one of the highlights of my trip was horseback riding in Lo Manthang. We have been to so many places in woman’s thang. There are so many friendly day trips. After this, we went back to Jomsom and took a flight back to Kathmandu; when we got back to Kathmandu, we decided next year we go to Dolpo, and we already told him we needed you to guide us on this trip also; we recommended to him and his company (My Everest Trip ) forever when we meet our friend and family who want to visit Nepal and make adventure trip.  

Martina Gehrmann

Germany

Martina Gehrmann

Germany

This trek offers everything that trekking is about. Challenging trails, sometimes rough weather conditions, spectacular views, and all the cultural treasures you meet along the route. We were a group of four accompanied by our guide Ratna and two porters. I am grateful for the way the agency handled this trek. I do not doubt that they hire only the best people. As first-time visitors to Nepal, all the staff was accommodating and ensured we had the best trek. We have been trekking on different continents over the last few years, but the people of Nepal are the friendliest we have ever…
Read More
This trek offers everything that trekking is about. Challenging trails, sometimes rough weather conditions, spectacular views, and all the cultural treasures you meet along the route. We were a group of four accompanied by our guide Ratna and two porters. I am grateful for the way the agency handled this trek. I do not doubt that they hire only the best people. As first-time visitors to Nepal, all the staff was accommodating and ensured we had the best trek. We have been trekking on different continents over the last few years, but the people of Nepal are the friendliest we have ever come across. We will most likely return and do another trek with y Everest Trip.

Uli Ernst

Germany

Uli Ernst

Germany

Permit required for the trek of Upper Mustang (kingdom of Lo)

Restricted area permit for upper Mustang

The Kingdom of Lo is restricted due to border security as it is near the Tibetan border. Also to control illegal activities and due to other various reasons we need a permit from the concerned authorities.

The upper Mustang permit covers the area of the Lo Manthang Rural Municipality, Lo-Gekar Damodar Kunda Rural Municipality, and Baragung Mukti Chetra Rural Municipality. We need to show [ermit at the entry point of chele.

Required documents

  • Passport with a validated Nepalese visa
  • Passport size photo 
  • Travel Insurance 
  • Filled in a form from the immigration department

  An Upper Mustang entry permit can be obtained from Kathmandu and Pokhara.

 Only registered agencies can apply for the permit. They will ensure that all the documents are ready for the application.

The cost of the restricted area permit is 500 USD per person for the first 10 days and 50 USD per person for each day thereafter.

Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Permit

The Annapurna conservation area project area is also the first conservation area and largest protected area in Nepal with an area of 7,629 sq. km. ACAP is the resident area for 10,000 people of different cultural backgrounds. Annapurna Conservation has great biodiversity and is a habitat to 1,226 species of flowering plants, 105 mammals, 518 birds, 40 reptiles, and 23 amphibians.

ACAP permit is required because the trekking trail for the upper Mustang will pass through this conservation area. A permit is required to record the number of people that visited the place and to protect the natural resources of the area from different activities.

Required documents

  • Passport 
  • 2 passport-size photo
  • Travel Insurance
  • Travel itinerary 
  • Estimated date to be on trail 

ACAP permit is issued by the Nepal Tourism Board Office in Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu, and the Nepal Tourism Board Service Center in Damside, Pokhara 

The cost for the upper Mustang ACAP can be classified into two categories. First of all, the cost of the permit for the citizens of SAARC nations is Nrs1000. Likewise, the cost for other nation citizens is Nrs3000. At last, the permit is free of cost for children below the age of 10.

NOTE: You need to have Nepalese currency for the payment. If you are with travel agencies then you shouldn’t worry that much because they will manage everything for you.

  • Filming or Documentary permits

Filming or documentary is only allowed after a special permit is issued by the Nepal Ministry of Information and Communication. The fees or costs depend upon the devices that you will use. So, the use of camera drones is allowed after you receive the permit.

Go to Link
Moderate 5.0 (177)

Upper Mustang Trek

US$1,850

16 Days in Nepal

Learn More

Go to Link
Moderate 5.0 (173)

Mustang Biking Tour

18 Days in Nepal

Learn More

Terms and conditions for Upper Mustang Trek Permit 

  1. A restricted area permit (RAP) and Annapurna conservation area project permit(ACAP) are needed to trek the upper Mustang region 
  2. The RAP and ACAP can only be obtained from a government-registered, licensed local trekking agency.
  3. The RAP and ACAP cannot be extended once you enter the region.
  4. Cost and fees are non-refundable.
  5. It is important to plan your travel itinerary 
  6. You need to carry all the required documents(citizenship, passport, etc.)
  7. The trekkers are responsible for following the Leave No Trace principle, and respecting the local culture, and tradition of the region.
  8. Violating the terms and conditions may result in fines and punishment as per the law.

In the end, getting a trekking permit is necessary to have a successful and safe journey to the route. So, travelers are recommended to give the right information to government bodies. We recommend you have travel insurance and carry documents with you as we need them at a checkpoint.

Conclusion

Upper Mustang is truly a beautiful and unimaginable place to travel with your family and friends, with proper guidance and mindset, you can have an unforgettable adventure of a lifetime in the Kingdom of LO also known as Upper Mustang. So don’t hold back with the procedure of trek permit. Start planning your trek with us.

Puru Founder of My Everest Trip

Puru Thapaliya