Upper Mustang Motorcycle Tour

Duration12 Days
DestinationHimalaya
Difficulty Moderate
Max Altitude 5000
Activity Motorcycle Tour
Group Size Maximum 20
Accommodation Lodge and Hotel
Meals Full package
Transportation Motorcycle
Starts Kathmandu
Ends Kathmandu
Best Season All the year through

Talk to expert+977 98 41 26 57 86 (Sanga)

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Overview

Trip Highlights

Natural Landscapes and Views

Kali Gandaki Gorge: The deepest gorge in the world, carved between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri.
Red Cliffs of Dhakmar: Striking, towering red rock formations riddled with ancient caves.
High Mountain Passes: Cross challenging passes like Thorong La and Marang La, reaching over 4,000 meters.
Arid Desert Terrain: A stark, rain-shadow landscape that looks like a high-altitude sandbox.
Spiritual Geography: The entire terrain is treated as a sacred map. Giant stone entry gates (Kani), long Mani walls built from hand-carved prayer stones, and chortens painted in organic red, white, and blue pigments line every trail to ward off negative spirits.

Cultural and Historical Sites

Lo Manthang: The walled capital city founded in 1380.
The Royal Palace: The ancient four-story home of the former Mustang King.
Chhongup Cave: A massive five-story sky cave with over 40 distinct rooms.
Centuries-Old Monasteries: Jampa Lakhang and Thubchen Gompa house giant statues and ancient murals.
Ancient Caves: Chele Cave, Dakmar Cave, Chhoser Caves, Niphu Monasterial Cave, and Yara caves( Volture Kingdom)

The Adventure Riding Experience

Pure Off-Roading: Miles of dirt tracks, loose gravel, river crossings, and suspension bridges.
Chhuksang Gateway: The historic checkpoint town marking the official entry into Upper Mustang.
Muktinath Temple: A sacred pilgrimage site at 3,710 meters featuring 108 water taps

Upper Mustang Motorcycle Tour

A motorcycle tour from Kathmandu to Upper Mustang is one of the most spectacular trans-Himalayan world-class adventures, transitioning from lush green river valleys to the high-altitude, arid, Mars-like Tibetan plateau. As of late 2025/2026, the long-standing $500 flat fee for the Upper Mustang restricted permit has been replaced by a flexible $ 50-per-day permit system. Thus, making itineraries significantly more flexible on one's own time plan is possible or accessible for the Upper Mustang tour.

The total riding distance is approximately 955 kilometers round-trip, balancing well-paved Prithvi and Pasang Lhamu national highways with demanding, rocky, off-road riverbeds, and High Mountain passes in the arid section of Upper Mustang.

Trip Gallery

Itinerary

A road trip from Kathmandu to Sarangkot is approximately 200 Km, and one of the most popular scenic journeys in Nepal, taking you from the bustling capital to a premier Himalayan viewpoint. The drive follows the Trishuli River for a large portion of the trip, offering views of deep river valleys, terraced farms, and small highway towns. Current Road Conditions (2026): Significant portions of the Muglin-Pokhara road are being widened and upgraded. The total distance is approximately 200 km, and a typical driving time is 9 hours, though this may vary depending on traffic and road conditions.

Road: (Pasang Lhamu Highway) Paved and partly rough road (125 km)
Route: Riding through Baglung, Beni, Tatopani, and the world’s deepest gorge, Ghasa, and Lete

The road drive from Pokhara to Kalopani is a dramatic, 125-kilometer journey that takes you from lush, sub-tropical hills straight into the heart of the snow-capped Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges. It serves as the official threshold of the Kali Gandaki Corridor. The terrain changes rapidly; the road conditions are split cleanly into two radically different sections at the higher section.

Road: (Pasang Lhamu Highway) Mostly dirt and gravel tracks (57km)
Route: Marpha apple orchards, entering the lower Mustang gateway checkpoint

The drive from Kalopani to Chhuksang is a highly dynamic 57-kilometer journey that serves as the literal transition point between Lower and Upper Mustang. This segment of the Kali Gandaki River Corridor shifts rapidly from Alpine pine forests to the striking, wind-carved canyon walls of the high-altitude Tibetan plateau. Drive along the ancient villages like Larjung, Kobang, Tukuche, and Marpha apple garden village to Jomsom, and the windy Eklebhatti to Kagbeni will be the most scenic adventure drive with beautiful mountain views.

Lunch in Kagbeni and drive to the Muktinath holistic side. Visit the popular holy side and drive along the primitive Zong village to the Kaligandaki River bank to Tangbe village to Chhuksang (check post place), overnight in the lodge.

Road: Steep off-road cliffs (95 km)
Route: Vibrant red cliffs, thrilling landscape with panoramic views, high passes, and ancient mani walls

Drive after breakfast via Chele - Somar - Syangboche – Ghiling village – Passe Ghamila (4900 M)- Ghami Village – famous Dhakmar village – Tsarang village. The drive goes through the most dramatic places and villages, including the most scenic Dhakmar village and a pass with Sangrila views.

Road: Rugged off-the-beaten countryside approximately 90 Km
Route: The oldest and most sacred Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Ghar Gumba, the lesser-visited Yara, Ghara, and Luri Gumba

Drive to the hidden Dhi village and visit for a while, cross the river, and drive through the apple garden section upwards to Yara village. The arid landscape with fantastic Vulture Kingdom cliff views may spellbind your tour. Yara village is one of the most scenic old Tibetan settlements. Drive 45 minutes upward to Ghara village (the last village) and visit around on foot, then drive 15 minutes away to Luri Gompa (The historic) Monastery. Then return to Tsarang for overnight

Road: Unpaved gravel and dirt track (32 km), follow a wide, high-altitude dirt-and-gravel track across the windswept Tibetan plateau
Route: Crossing the Lo La Pass (4900M0 and entering the walled medieval "Forbidden Kingdom" at 3,840m.

Driving along the beautiful arid landscape makes like roaming in the lunar section, which is mostly rugged, high-altitude terrain. Get to the Lo La pass, the gate to the Upper Mustang. Check into the hotel and go sightseeing on foot around the White City. Visit the upper Castle, Chhosser Cave, Ngiphu Cave, Tibet border (Koralla Pass) and surroundings, then return to Lomanthang for overnight

Road: Approximately 152 kilometers, Lo Manthang to Tatopani is a spectacular downhill journey that drops over 3,000 meters in elevation.
Route: The rugged Kaligandaki Corridor road, you will transition from the dry, Tibetan-style plateaus of Upper Mustang to the lush, green river gorges

Returning via Tsarang- Ghami- Shyangboche- Chuksang- Kagbeni- Jomsom- Marpha- Lete- Ghasa – Tatopani. Lo Manthang (the capital of Upper Mustang) and Tatopani (famous for its natural hot springs) are approximately 142–145 km. The road from Lo Manthang to Jomsom is mostly unpaved, dusty, and crosses high passes like the Lo La (3,950m). From Jomsom to Tatopani, the road descends through the world's deepest gorge (Kali Gandaki) and is often rocky and narrow

Road: Approximately 110 kilometers, mostly paved with sections of smooth blacktop, though occasionally broken by landslide-repair zones
Route: Follow the Kali Gandaki Corridor, connecting to the newly upgraded Beni-Baglung Highway and the Bhupi Sherchan Highway

The drive from Tatopani (Myagdi) to Pokhara is a scenic journey along the Kali Gandaki Corridor and the Baglung-Pokhara Highway that takes you from the foothills of the Annapurna range back to the lakeside city of Pokhara

Road: Approximately 200 Km, along the Prithvi highway
Route: Ongoing infrastructure overhauls and share a narrow two-lane road with hundreds of heavy cargo trucks and long-distance transports.

The drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu follows the Prithvi Highway, the main artery connecting central Nepal with the capital. The standard journey along the Prithvi Highway offers views of the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers.

Route Map

Cost Details

Per-Person Cost Scaling

Solo Rider (with mandatory guide): Highest Cost. You bear 100% of the guide's daily wage, their accommodation, and their bike rental/fuel. If you add a backup luggage jeep and a mechanic, a solo trip easily exceeds to $3,000

Small Group (2–4 Riders): Most Popular. The guide, mechanic, and support vehicle costs are split 2 to 4 ways. This brings the per-person package price down to a standard $1800

Large Group (6–10+ Riders): Best Value. Logistical overhead is distributed across a large pool. The cost drops significantly to $1,500 per person, even with a fully staffed support team.

Useful Info

1, Motorcycle Selection & Logistics

The terrain past Beni is notoriously punishing—featuring deep dust, river crossings, sand, and loose gravel.

The Right Bike: The Royal Enfield Himalayan 411/50 is the gold standard for this route due to its rugged suspension and high ground clearance. Royal Enfield 350 is also the best bike for the upper Mustang. Lightweight dual-sports like the Honda CRF 250L are also excellent options.
Support Vehicle: If you are booking through local outfitters like City Motorbike or Explore Himalaya, opt for a package that includes a backup 4x4 jeep. It carries your heavy luggage, spare parts, fuel blivits, and an on-board mechanic.

2, Essential Permits & 2026 Regulations

You cannot ride into Upper Mustang independently; the government strictly regulates access to these things.

Restricted Area Permit (RAP): $50 USD per person, per day. (Note: In March 2026, the mandatory 2-person group minimum was scrapped, meaning individual riders can now apply—but you must still hire a registered agency and a licensed guide to process it).
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP): 3,000 NPR (approx. $23–$25 USD).
Documents Needed: A valid International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside your standard driver’s license is legally required to ride a motorcycle in Nepal