Getting from Kathmandu to Lo Manthang for the Tiji Festival 2027 (June 1–3) requires crossing roughly 300 kilometres of some of Nepal's most dramatic terrain. There is no direct route. The journey moves in stages: Kathmandu to Pokhara, Pokhara to Jomsom, and Jomsom north through the Kali Gandaki gorge and Mustang plateau to Lo Manthang. How long each stage takes depends on which travel mode you choose.
| Leg | By Air | By Road / Foot |
|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu → Pokhara | 25 min flight | ~6–7 hrs by bus or car |
| Pokhara → Jomsom | 35 min flight (morning only) | 7–8 hrs by jeep |
| Jomsom → Lo Manthang | 45 min by helicopter | 5–6 days trek / 2–3 days jeep |
The standard 18-day itinerary for the Group Trek and Private Trek uses the Pokhara–Jomsom flight and the full trekking route north. For the 2027 festival dates, trekkers should aim to arrive in Nepal by May 14–15 to give enough time for permits, the Pokhara transfer, and 6 days of trekking before reaching Lo Manthang on May 30 or 31.
Everything starts in Kathmandu. Your trekking agency processes your Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit (USD 500), ACAP, and TIMS card here – this takes 24–48 hours and requires your passport, photos, and visa details. Trekking kit can be rented or purchased in Thamel if you're missing anything from your packing list. See our full packing guide before you land.
Use Kathmandu time productively: visit Boudhanath Stupa (one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world, directly related to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition you'll encounter throughout Upper Mustang) and Pashupatinath Temple. A half-day visit to the Tibetan community at Bodhnath gives useful context for the culture you're heading into. Brief your guide on any health concerns, confirm the itinerary, and get an early night before the Pokhara transfer.
Flight (25 minutes) or tourist bus/private car (6–7 hours). The flight is faster and not expensive by international standards – worth it to save half a day and arrive in Pokhara fresh. Tourist buses are comfortable and the road through the Prithvi Highway passes through pleasant river valley scenery, but the journey is slow and the road is busy.
Pokhara is a lakeside city at 820 metres with a relaxed atmosphere and good accommodation. Spend one night here. If you haven't already sorted final gear, Pokhara's Lakeside area has decent trekking shops. The Pokhara–Jomsom flight only operates in the morning due to the notoriously strong afternoon winds in the Kali Gandaki gorge – confirm your flight is booked for 6–9am.
The Pokhara–Jomsom flight is one of the most scenic short hops in Asia. The Twin Otter or similar small aircraft climbs from 820m to 2,720m in 35 minutes, threading between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges with the Kali Gandaki valley below. On a clear morning the views of the 8,000-metre peaks are extraordinary. Flights can be delayed or cancelled by cloud, so build a buffer day into your schedule if the entire itinerary depends on this connection.
The jeep alternative (7–8 hours from Pokhara on a rough mountain road) is used primarily for the 4WD Overland Tour. It passes through Beni, Tatopani, Ghasa, and Marpha before reaching Jomsom, and the road through the lower gorge is dramatic – steep cliffs, suspension bridges, and river crossings. Slower but genuinely beautiful.
Jomsom (2,720m) is the last town before the Upper Mustang restricted area. From here the route turns north and the landscape changes immediately: the green hills give way to an arid, wind-scoured plateau. The walk from Jomsom to Kagbeni takes 2–3 hours and is mostly flat along the river bank.
Kagbeni (2,810m) is the permit checkpoint. Police inspect your RAP and all supporting permits before allowing you to continue north. Your guide manages this. Once through the checkpoint, you are officially in Upper Mustang. The village itself is a compelling place to stop – a tightly-packed cluster of mud-brick houses around a red-walled monastery, with prayer flags snapping in the constant wind off the plateau.
The trekking route from Kagbeni to Lo Manthang takes four to five days, passing through Chuksang (3,050m), Ghiling (3,570m), Drakmar (3,450m), and Tsarang (3,560m) before reaching Lo Manthang (3,840m). Each stage covers 12–22km of trail through a landscape that shifts constantly – narrow gorges widen into open plateaus, eroded red cliffs give way to ancient cave complexes, and traditional Tibetan villages appear around corners with working gompas and prayer wheel lanes.
Key highlights en route: the ancient Ghar Gompa (one of the oldest monasteries in Mustang), the Drakmar cave dwellings carved into red cliffs, the 400-metre mani wall at Ghami, and the fortress dzong at Tsarang with its 15th-century monastery. Our detailed day-by-day trekking route guide covers each stage with distances, elevations, and what to look for.
Aim to arrive in Lo Manthang on May 30 or 31 – one or two days before the festival begins. Use that time to visit Thubchen and Jhampa monasteries, walk the city walls, and acclimatize fully before the first day of Tiji. Read our Lo Manthang guide for everything to see in the ancient walled city.
Most itineraries return via a different route from the ascent: south through Tsarang, past Muktinath (a sacred Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage site at 3,760m), down to Jomsom, then flight back to Pokhara and onward to Kathmandu. The full 18-day itinerary covers both directions efficiently. See our 2027 planning guide for the full departure date schedule.
Planning the 2027 Tiji Festival Trek? We reply within 24 hours with availability, pricing, and a custom itinerary built around your dates.
Getaway Nepal Adventure (P.) Ltd
Thamel Kathmandu, Nepal
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