Mustang Tiji Festival Trek is a journey to the upper Mustang – a forbidden Buddhist kingdom. This trek is an enhanced version of Upper Mustang Trek. Unlike Upper Mustang Trek, Mustang Tiji Festival Trek allows you to enjoy the Tiji Festival which is celebrated with much joy and excitement in the Upper Mustang region of Nepal. Tiji Festival is one of the important festivals celebrated by the people who follow the Tibetan Buddhist religion. Tiji festival is a delightful and vivid festival as described by fellow travellers. It’s indeed a wonderful experience to be a part of this beautiful festival.
Mustang region has been tempting a lot of fellow travellers these days. Owning's to its unique landscape, remoteness, extreme topographical condition, and cultural diversity, the place has been a matter of interest to many people around the globe. Lo Manthang is an ancient kingdom untouched by any kind of modernization to date. Mustang Tiji Festival Trek allows an opportunity to traverse into the exotic landscape of this place and explore traditional Tibetan villages with the vividness of the Tiji festival. This festival holds a history of more than five hundred years and is still celebrated with the same passion and enthusiasm. It is a three-day ritual conducted to chase the demons.
Hence, this festival is celebrated in the joy of victory of good over evil. People worship God for good crops and water. Various rituals are performed during the festival. The priests are dressed in traditional attire who chant prayers. Even the people are dressed in their colourful traditional attire. People perform traditional plays, the act of chasing the demons. People sing, dance and enjoy the festival with positive aura and happiness.
In 2022, the Tiji festival will be celebrated in May. 27th May has been is the starting date and 29th of may is the ending date of this festival. If you want to be a part of this journey, please secure an early booking. A special permit is required for this trek. The journey is a privilege to experience the unique aspects of people, life, tradition and natural goodness.if you are looking for the alternative trek then Upper Mustang Trek, Upper Mustang Jeep Tour, Upper Mustang Heli Trek and Lower Mustang Trek is best for the Mustang Region. World alpine Treks welcomes you for this wonderful festival season in Nepal. Be a part of this life journey.
The first day marks your arrival day in Kathmandu. Clear all the visa requirements and customs clearance, if any, at the arrival section of the airport. As you come out, you will find a representative from World Alpine Treks waiting for you holding a board with your name. You will then be transferred to your hotel at Kathmandu. The representative will shortly inform you about the plans ahead.
The second day is a day tour to warm up before your trekking journey. Kathmandu is a city enriched with artistic palaces, beautiful monuments, ancient temples, and other constructions of historical and cultural importance. No wonder the city has seven out of ten UNESCO listed world heritage sites. Today, you will be guided to the UNESCO listed heritage sites in Kathmandu. These heritages are perfect examples of rich history, fine culture, and architectural treasures of Nepal. At first, you will be taken to Kathmandu Durbar Square. The art, crafts, and carvings in the palaces, temples, and other monuments of the durbar square are excellent. After that, you will be escorted to Swayambhunath stupa (Monkey temple), Pashupatinath temple and Boudhanath stupa respectively. (Inclusive of breakfast)
In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel for a drive to the lakeside city of Pokhara. Today, we take a scenic drive along the Prithvi highway for around six to seven hours to Pokhara. We pass through some amazing landscapes throughout the journey. In the first half portion, we will be able to get some stunning views of the Trishuli river along with hills and villages. In the second half, the countryside landscape and the greenery will keep you engaged. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to a hotel in Pokhara. Check in to the hotel and rest for a while. In the evening, we can walk down lakeside and enjoy some fascinating views of lakes and mountains. Tonight, we stay at a hotel in Pokhara (inclusive of breakfast and lunch)
Early in the morning, you will be escorted to the Pokhara airport for an early flight to Jomsom. The flight to Jomsom is filling with magnificent mountain views. You will be rewarded with the astonishing views of Annapurna massif that rise above eight thousand meters. Jomsom is a beautiful town famous for the apple orchards, picturesque landscape, and hostile people. We begin our trek today from Jomsom. We follow the trail that opens up to a Kagbeni. Kagbeni is a beautiful village and the main gate to upper mustang. In the 14th century, it used to be a checkpoint of traders. Now, there is a checkpoint that records the trekkers traveling to Muktinath and Mustang region. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse in Kagbeni. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
After breakfast in the guesthouse, we follow a trail that goes through the eastern bank of the Kaligandaki River. We traverse through several ridges on the way to Tangbe village. It is a beautiful village with narrow alleys and traditional whitewashed houses. We walk through the fields of buckwheat, barley, wheat, etc. as we pass the village. The view of Nilgiri Himal from the village is stunning. Leaving Tangbe, we pass the village of Chhusang and climb up a huge rock. We ascend to come out of the Kaligandaki valley and further climb up steep to Chele. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse in Chele. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Following the trail to upper mustang, we leave the village of Chele and climb up towards Samar village. As we move ahead, we can notice a change in the atmosphere. As we move up, we traverse into a dry, arid, and treeless area. We climb up steep to a rock cairn, enjoying some wonderful views of the Mustang region. A long descend from the cairn leads us to Samar village. From the village, we climb up to a ridge enjoying the majestic views of Nilgiri Himal. Further, we descend and continue towards a valley. We follow a route that goes up to another ridge and descends to Shyangmochen. We keep our walk until we reach the village of Gelling. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse in Gelling. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Leaving Geling, we climb up to the pass of NYI and descend to the cliffs. We cross a steel bridge over the Tangmar chu river and continue our walk until we come across a long mani wall in the Mustang. We ascend to a pass at an elevation of 3600 meters and make a long descend to the Charang village. In the town, we can visit an old five-story dzong and a red gompa. The collection of statues, thankas, and paintings in these dzongs and gompas are fascinating. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse in Charang. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
From Charang, the trail ascends steeply to Lo Gekar. In Lo Gekar, there is an old gompa whose existence is older than the Samye Gompa in Tibet. We visit this old gompa and continue our journey up towards the upper Mustang. Today, we take a trail to Lo Manthang along a well-defined path with some minor climb on the way. Lo Manthang is marked by a long wall at the entrance. From the entrance, we take a short descent down and cross a small stream on the way. We further climb up to the plateau to Lo Manthang. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse in Lo Manthang. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Early in the morning, after breakfast, we walk to a place in the village where the Tiji festival is conducted. It is a wonderful sight to observe the delightful dances, dramas, plays, and acts. We can see the monks chanting the holy prayers. Horse racing, giant tug of war, people dressed in the traditional attire are some of the attractions of the day. The whole environment is so vivid and pleasing. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse in Lo Manthang. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
We enjoy another day being a part of the delightful Tiji festival. We can see some unique cultural dances today. People are dressed in their traditional attire. The monks/ Tibetan Lamas dressed in their red robe. An exciting thing is done today. Lamas, with their prayers, chase away the demons, and people celebrate with the rejoicing moment of chasing away the demons. It is a tradition that is being performed for ages. After finishing the traditional ritual, we book a horse and explore the alleys and courtyards of the Lo Manthang. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse in Lo Manthang. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Today, we spend our day exploring the village of Lo Manthang. After breakfast, we walk up to a hilltop to visit Namgyal Gompa. It is an important monastery in the village that serves as a local court. After visiting the gompa, we head towards Tingkar. It is the last village that lies northwest to Lo Manthang. The village has nearby about 40 houses. The villages resemble that of the Tibetan villages. Even we can notice the dominance of Tibetan Buddhist religion and culture in this place. In the evening, we come back to Lo Manthang to be a part of the Tiji festival. Tonight, we return to our guesthouse in Lo Manthang. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Leaving Lo Manthang, we take a trail that ascends steadily to Chogo La. As we climb up, we can enjoy some stunning views of the entire Lo Manthang. The Chogo La at an elevation of 4210 meters is the highest point of this trek. From the pass, we descend to the Charang river and cross a bridge over the river. We further climb up to Lo Gekar and head towards Ghar Gompa. It is a small old monastery on the way. We then climb up a ridge and cross a valley to alpine meadows. The trail further drops down along an eroded path to Dhakmar. Tonight, we return to our guesthouse in Dhakmar (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
From Drakmar, we follow a trail that drops down and passes some stone walls and fields along the village. We climb up a ridge and again descend to the lower part of Ghami and then to Jaite. We again descend to Chhung Kah via Jaite. Finally, we start walking to Tama Gaon and continue our descend until we reach Shyangmochen. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Syangmochen. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
After all the long day walks down, we follow a stream that flows down to Chhusang. There is an alternative route to Chhusang via Samar village. You can take that route if interested. You will be able to visit a Ranchung cave if you choose that route. However, you will have to walk more for around half an hour if you opt for that route.
Today, we leave Chhusang and descend to Jomsom. Tonight, enjoy your time in Jomsom with the warm hospitality of the local people. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Today, we take an early flight to Pokhara. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel. Enjoy your time at the hotel in Pokhara. In the evening, you can walk to the lakeside and enjoy the serenity of the environment. (Inclusive of breakfast)
Concluding our trip, we drive back via the same route along the Prithvi Highway to Kathmandu. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kathmandu. Tonight, we stay at a hotel in Kathmandu. (Inclusive of breakfast and lunch)
Before a few hours of your scheduled flight, you will be transferred to the international terminal of Tribhuwan International airport. (Inclusive of Breakfast)