Book Before April 1 and save $500
Book Before April 1 and save $500
For more than a thousand years, the region of Lo Manthang set against the north side of the Himalayas was one of the most important crossroads in Asia. Positioned at the end of the Mustang Valley, it was a vital destination for pilgrims, traders, monks, and warriors passing through the world’s largest mountain range to places like Lhasa, the Silk Road, and the many kingdoms of India. And then, it was lost to time and the outside world.
Known today as the Forbidden Kingdom of Lo Manthang, this tiny outpost of what was once Greater Tibet was sealed off from the rest of Asia for the better part of eight centuries. It existed in isolation like a living time capsule set in one of the most remote places on earth.
The first western traveler to visit the region didn’t arrive until 1964. In his eventual book, Mustang the Forbidden Kingdom, Michel Peissel speaks of how the 800 year old walled city of Lo Manthang looked just as it did in the 1400s. The next visitors, a handful of ambitious tourists, didn’t arrive until the 1990s. A civil war from 1996 to 2006 closed the region again with access not truly open until just 15 years ago.
Even today it is one of the most protected and far-flung places in the Himalayas. That, is what makes it such a special and otherworldly destination. We want to take you there. We want to take you back in time, more than half a dozen centuries to old Tibet.
BOOK NOW AND SAVE
Outside of Lo Manthang, time flies. This trip will be underway before you know it. Book your spot on this epic adventure before April 1st , 2026 and we’ll knock $500 off the trip fare. Don’t wait. These trips fill up quickly.
WE TURN DAYDREAMS INTO EPIC MEMORIES
THE ROUTE OVERVIEW
Like all of our expeditions, we begin in Kathmandu, the gateway to the Himalayas. After a day visiting the many ancient sites of the city with our award-winning cultural guide we hop a flight to Pokhara for the official start of our journey. Our route immediately takes us up into the lower reaches of the Himalayas where we spend two days ascending slowly to adjust to the 8,000 foot elevation. After our explorations of the world’s tallest mountains, we ride through the Himalayas and onto the Tibetan Plateau. It’s an arid and other worldly place. Once in the region of Lo Manthang we spend the next two days diving into the region’s most interesting attractions. After backtracking to Pokhara in the next three days, we end where we started, back in Kathmandu.
Time is a thief
It robs you of memories you never made
The Forbidden Kingdom of Lo Manthang
It was more than eight centuries ago when the city of Lo Manthang began building its palaces and fortifications. The walls that once defended against raiding bandits and marauding Mongols, used to be locked at dawn each night. Only in the last ten years the people of Lo Manthang started to leave the gates open. The people of Lo Manthang are by heritage, purely TIbetan. This is a place where legend and lore paint colorful stories about the many ancient villages, ruins, and monasteries dotted throughout nearby valleys. There is no place like it.
FOUR AMAZING EXPERIENCES IN ONE EXPEDITION
-
KATHMANDU
It’s the ancient gateway to the Himalayas and one of the most exotic cities in the world. It’s also the starting point of every Far Xplorer journey and we get to experience it through the eyes of our award-winning cultural guide and Kathmandu native.
-
LO MANTHANG
Very few visitors to Nepal get the chance to visit Upper Mustang and experience the rugged beauty of this high mountain environment. Lost to time for centuries, it is a vast and otherworldly place and in many ways a living museum.
-
POKHARA
At the tail end of our ride into the Mustang Valley, we get a chance to spend a full day relaxing in Nepal’s famous resort town of Pokhara. Also known as Nepal’s “Adventure City,” it’s an ideal place to end our expedition with other mini adventures.
-
GREAT HIMALAYAS
Our route takes us right between Dhaulagiri (26,975 ft), the 7th tallest summit in the world, and Annapurna (26,455 ft) the 10th tallest. The world’s biggest mountains will play backdrop to our travels for the final four days of our journey.
Dhaulagiri, 7th tallest mountain on earth at 26,695 feet tall
THIS IS YOUR YEAR TO RIDE THE HIMALAYAS
ADVENTURE RIDING ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD
The roads in this part of the Himalayas are the very definition of adventure. Smooth pavement quickly turns to rugged gravel. Side roads to places exotic often present exciting challenges as rocks and ruts slow our progress. Stream crossings and narrow singletrack take us to places beyond imagination. This is Himalayan adventure riding at its very best.
Questions?
Have questions about what to pack, how this all works, or what to expect of Nepal? Visit these pages to learn about our amazing experiences in the Himalayas.
THE SKY CAVES
In the early 1990s, a group of archeologists commenced the first excavations of the 10,000 caves carved into the cliffs of Lo Manthang. What they found forced a collective rethink of what was originally known of Himalayan history. Originally carved as burial chambers, the oldest caves contain artifacts dated to more than 4000 years ago. The contents of some caves came from as far away as what is now Sri Lanka, Persia, and northern Japan. We will spend a portion of our time exploring the Sky Caves.
THE LAST YAKS
It has been said that just two centuries ago, one could walk from one edge of Lo Manthang to the other on the backs of yaks. The very word, Mustang, means fertile plain. The valleys once filled with hundreds of yak-herding nomads are now - empty. Today only four yak-herding nomadic families remain. As they travel from one area to the next, these last nomads are hard to find, but we know where they go. On one day of our trip we will rise with the sun to meet with our friends high in the hills.
YOUR BIKE IS WAITING FOR YOU
4x4 Overland Option
Since our inception we have always offered options for non-riders to join the fun. With space for three travelers, our 4x4 vehicle option includes an English-speaking driver. Never far from the two-wheeled action, our truck travelers get the same experience as the rest of the team. It’s a fun way to share the thrill of backroad adventures in the Himalayas.
Itinerary
-
Most flights to Nepal arrive in the morning leaving ample time to rest or take in Kathmandu’s amazing sights.
-
We spend our first day resting from long flights and visiting the sites of Kathmandu with our award-winning cultural guide.
-
A sunrise start and a 30-minute flight to Pokhara gets us to our bikes for the first ride to our camp at the base of the Himalayas.
-
An exciting ride puts us in the Mustang Valley beneath the world’s biggest mountains.
-
We use this day to acclimatize and visit some of the small villages and roads in the valley. It’s a casual day of exploration.
-
Another day of short rides and fascinating explorations allows us to see the best of Lower Mustang with our hotel lodge right on the edge of Upper Mustang.
-
After a couple of nights at 8,000 feet, we’re ready to push on to the walled city of Lo Manthang. This is a beautiful ride in an other worldly place.
-
The ride down offers all-new views as we roll back into Lower Mustang to our camp below Dhaulagiri.
-
A short ride gets us to Pokhara by
-
Another short flight puts us in Kathmandu by mid afternoon where the journey started.
-
Since most flights depart Kathmandu in the evening, most people will have ample time to explore more of Kathmandu.
HOTEL & TEA HOUSE ACCOMMODATIONS
On this adventure we will maximize our comfort by staying in the region’s newest and most authentic hotels, mountain lodges, and tea houses. The more remote we travel, the more rustic the accommodations get adding to the rich flavor and culture of the high mountains.
Travelers wishing to have private rooms have that option for an additional $650.
FULLY SUPPORTED BY NEPAL’S MOST EXPERIENCED TEAM
With more than 100 years of experience in the Himalayas, there is no place this team cannot take you.
Live a life as big as
THE HIMALAYAS
How to book your adventure
Click on the button below to submit your booking information and to send in your $2,500 USD deposit.
Still have questions? Drop us a line and our expedition leader, Christophe Noel, will get in touch with you in a matter of hours. christophe@farxplorer.com
Ready to book your trip? Click the link below to complete your online booking form. We will confirm your spot within 24 hours and get you on the road to big adventure!