The Himalayan Hiking Destination Nobody is Talking About... Yet!

Hello! Ricki-Jane here…

If you’re anything like us, (and we’ll bet our best hiking boots you are) then you love a challenging mountainous destination served with a side of mystery.

Maybe you’re eyeing off Nepal’s Annapurna Base Camp as the next jewel in your trekking crown – but why stop there? When, a few steps further towards the Tibetan border, you could claim a Forbidden Kingdom!

Does that sound mysterious enough for you? Well come hiker woman, turn the prayer wheels clockwise and read on…

*Tibetan prayer wheels have been around since the 4th century. Ornately decorated, they contain tightly wound strips of paper inscribed with Buddhist mantras.*

Deep in the north of Nepal behind the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges is where you’ll find the high-desert plateau region known as Upper Mustang – a place most of the world hadn’t even heard of until its borders opened in 1992.

Upper Mustang remained an independent kingdom until it was annexed by Nepal at the end of the 18th century. The remote village of Yara is a short hike from the 2,500 year-old cave monastery, Luri Gompa.

Fewer than 4,000 foreign visitors left footprints here last year, and not without a Restricted Access Permit (RAP). Compare that to the 250,000 or so people that visited Uluru in 2025 and the view is crystal clear – Upper Mustang is anything but mainstream. Which is exactly why you’ll love it.

With strong cultural ties to Tibet and Nepal, you wouldn’t presume Upper Mustang to be anything less than a deeply spiritual place.

*It’s estimated there are over 10,000 sky caves in Upper Mustang, with Chungsi Cave being one of the most impressive – Guru Rinpoche meditated here in the 8th century.*

But don’t come here expecting to ‘find yourself’ – that’s not what this is about.

You will, however, lose a few things along the way.

Like crowds of tourists.

They’ll be the first thing to disappear when you wave goodbye to them in Kathmandu.

Unlike other places in the world battling tourist over-crowding, tourism in the Kingdom of Mustang (also known as the ‘Kingdom of Lo’), is managed carefully and sustainably. Entry permits, although pricey, help to preserve the Lobas time-weathered way-of-life and keep the mass tourism genie and its negative impacts safely sealed inside its bottle.

What you’ll find here instead, is a preserve of true Tibetan and Nepalese culture. No crowds. No queues. Just the real deal.

*Both Buddhism and Hinduism belief systems are followed in Upper Mustang, a region that is often described as a ‘living museum’.*

Can you imagine, at this moment in these modern times, that a place like this could even still exist?

It does.

And all sense of time will be the next thing you’ll lose as modern infrastructure and technology become but a tiny blip in your binoculars. Give those lenses a wipe and what comes into focus will be some of the wildest, untamed landscapes you could ever imagine.

Places with the kind of names that will make you feel like you’ve trekked straight into the pages of a Tin-Tin adventure, which honestly, they kind of are.

*The Kali Gandaki Gorge was an important trade route between India and Tibet. And the views aren’t bad either!*

Kali Gandaki Gorge – at 5,571m it’s the world’s deepest gorge and where sacred black stone fossils called shaligrams representing Lord Vishnu are known to be found.

*Dhakmar, where the otherworldly landscapes are stained with myth and mystery!*

Or… Dhakmar. Here, centuries old sky-caves lie hidden between the cracks and crevices of the blood-red rock face, coloured by the death of a demon – according to local legend.

*You’ll feel like you’ve wandered into the pages of a ‘Tin-Tin’ adventure as you explore the walled city of Lo Manthang.*

And… Lo Manthang – aka, ‘The Forbidden City’. Listen carefully as you stroll the tangle of streets with its preserved mud-brick buildings in the walled former capital. You might just hear the echoed cries of centuries-old salt route traders harmonising with the footsteps of royalty.

Now, would this trip even be worth chanting about if it didn’t include the chance to connect with local women? Hardly!

You’ve heard the term ‘secret women’s business’… well, you’ll get to know all about Newari women’s business early on in Kirtipur when you spend time with them, chatting about their traditions and beliefs over a home-cooked meal in a local homestay. You just wait until you hear about Newari marriage customs. Let’s just say three times is the norm… and one of those is to a fruit!

But once your brain has got a grip on that lunchtime revelation, tell your hands to get a firm grip on your hiking poles, because you won’t just be ascending to almost 4,200m with every bend of your knees on this challenging 148-kilometre trek.

*Humble and welcoming, you’ll love staying in the teahouses of Upper Mustang and experiencing true, Lobas hospitality.*

You’ll be climbing deeper into Mustangi culture in the high-altitude teahouses you’ll stay in along the way. Life in these parts is as serenely uncomplicated as Nepalese hospitality is legendary!

You know your favourite comfy woollen thermals you take on every trek?

Well, not even they can compete with the warmth you’ll experience from your hosts in this remote part of the world. Acclimatising to their gentle ways and kindness will happen quickly, (with the help of a cup of Marpha apple brandy or two) and the only star rating you’ll be concerned with, will be reviewing the trillions twinkling above you as you drift off to a well-earned sleep!

*You don’t need to be a yogi to admire the ceiling murals of Luri Gompa, but you’ll be grateful for doing a few neck and shoulder rolls beforehand!*

As you inch higher into the far-from-everything landscapes, passing chortens and exhaling ‘Oh, wow’s!’ whilst staring upwards at the deities and auspicious symbols in the 8th century ceiling murals of Luri Gompa, you’ll realise you somehow feel… lighter.

*At 4,077m above sea level, Gyu La Pass offers stunning views of the Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri ranges. It may just offer you new perspectives on what’s important to you too!*

Day 15, when you’re staring at the no-wide-angle-needed views from the summit at Gyu La Pass is when the penny will drop. Here, at the height of your adventure is when you’ll realise the other burdensome things you’ve lost along the way.

That cloud of uncertainty that fogged up your thoughts about joining a women’s group adventure…

Gone.

Replaced by the cracking new friendships you never should have been afraid to make.

That tight knot of doubt you carried in your shoulders when you left home, that had you questioning if you were fit enough to smash this Level 5 adventure…

Vanished.

Your pre-trip training and come-hell-or-high-water attitude took care of that.

The relentless in-your-face Western-world consumerism that was weighing you down…

M.I.A. Forever.

Cured by the gratitude you’ll feel from spending time in the uncomplicated lives of the peaceful Lobas people and the wildly beautiful landscapes of their Forbidden Kingdom!

Want to learn more about this trip from two of the women that helped design it, from their own personal experiences?

Then check out this Campfire Chat – Spotlight on Nepal with our BM, Pippa where she chats with our two female Nepalese team members, Sajiya and Samita. We think you’ll love what they had to share about this adventure and you’ll learn their answers to a few questions asked by some of our guests already book on this trip, as well as a few from other curious women in our community who are thinking about joining too.

Enjoy!