The Mustang Desert Run

Overview

Mustang Desert Run has become one of most sought after off-road adventure for motorbike enthusiasts. With its semi-arid topography and desert like landscape, its a perfect haven for adrenaline junkies. Pass through the deepest gorge in the world, Dana gorge, to the mind blowing architecture of Lo Manthang Palace and enjoy fascinating village life of Marpha, Jomsom and Kagbeni. 

It is a vast high valley, arid and dry, characterized by eroded canyons, colorful rock formations and has a barren, desert like appearance.

One of the most fascinating features of Mustang is literally thousands of cliff dwellings, some of which look completely inaccessible. Mustang was once a much greener land in theory way back 8-10,000 BC. The most when well known, intrepid explorers such as Professor David Snellgrove and the Italian scholar Guiseppi Tucci visited Mustang in the 1950's and it has largely been their tales of a Tibetan like arid region that has fuelled interest in the area.

Mustang is the extension of the Tibetan plateau has an average elevation of over 3,000m. Located to the north of the highest mountains Dhaulagiri and Annapurna and to the north of the main Himalayan range and geographically part of the Tibet highlands. Mustang is the old kingdom of Lo. Officially the capital of the Mustang district is Jomsom, but the natural and original Tibetan customs, which is situated north of Kagbeni and is known as Upper Mustang.

Itinerary

• Day 1

  Arrive at Kathmandu (1300m) and Transfer to Hotel

• Day 2

  Prepare for the Ride

• Day 3

  Depart for Pokhara

  Distance: 200kms

  Duration: 6 Hrs

• Day 4

  Pokhara to Jomsom

  Max Altitude: 2743m (Jomsom)

  Distance: 158 Kms

  Duration: 7 Hrs

• Day 5

  Jomsom to Lo Manthang

  Max Altitude: 4010 m / 13156 ft (Nyi La Pass)

  Distance: 59 Kms

  Duration: 6 Hrs

• Day 6

  Rest Day at Lo Manthang (Korala Border, Chosar Caves)

  This large village contains about 150 houses plus number of resident for the lamas, the houses are closely packed, and the palace and monasteries are in the bottom portion in this vertical part of the L shaped houses. Before strong trade with Tibet was disrupted, all of the salt and wool trade on the Kali Gandaki passed through Lo Manthang, and this brought a substantial amount of money to this great village town. The Mustang raja's palace stands an imposing 4 storey building in the centre of the city. It is the home of the present raja, Jigme Parbal Bista, and the Rani (queen), who is from the noble family of Shigatse on route Lhasa. You can opt to visit Chaser caves in the village of Lo Manthang which

  Max Altitude: 3840m

• Day 7

  Return back to Kagbeni

  Max Altitude: 2804m

  Distance: 42 kms

  Duration: 6 Hrs

• Day 8

  Ride to Pokhara via Marpha Village

  Distance: 163 kms

  Duration: 7 Hrs

• Day 9

  Pokhara to Kathmandu

  Distance: 200kms

  Duration: 6 Hrs

• Day 10

  International Departure

Photo/Videos