Upper Mustang cost by nationality
Per person, 12 days, in rupees, from Kathmandu by the first way listed (bus to jomsom), teahouses and dal bhat, gear rented. Nepalis trek on their own; foreigners and SAARC nationals with the licensed guide the rules require, the cost split by a group of two.
Nepali
Rs 65,411
Rs 48,016–82,806
Rs 100 in permits; no TIMS, no restricted-area permit, no guide needed.
Work out mine →Indian / SAARC
Rs 1,74,446
₹1,08,927 · Rs 1,45,736–2,03,156
SAARC rate on rupee permits; the USD 500 restricted-area permit has no discount; a licensed guide is required.
Work out mine →Foreigner
USD 1,159
Rs 1,76,946 · Rs 1,47,736–2,06,156
Full rate on permits, plus USD 500; a licensed guide is required.
Work out mine →| Nepali | Indian / SAARC | Foreigner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permits | Rs 100 | Rs 77,360–78,360 | Rs 79,360–81,360 |
| Getting there and back | Rs 4,366–5,056 | Rs 4,366–5,056 | Rs 4,366–5,056 |
| Rooms and food | Rs 32,800–58,500 | Rs 32,800–58,500 | Rs 32,800–58,500 |
| Guide and porter | none | Rs 20,460–42,090 | Rs 20,460–42,090 |
| Gear rental and extras | Rs 10,750–19,150 | Rs 10,750–19,150 | Rs 10,750–19,150 |
| Total | Rs 48,016–82,806 | Rs 1,45,736–2,03,156₹91,000–1,26,854 | Rs 1,47,736–2,06,156USD 967–1,350 |
Upper Mustang permits
| Permit | Nepali | Indian / SAARC | Foreigner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted-area permit, Upper MustangDepartment of Immigration, through an agency. Your agency applies online (Nepali Port). | not needed | USD 500 | USD 500 |
| Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP)NTNC. Online or an NTNC counter. Double at a check-post. | Rs 100 | Rs 1,000 | Rs 3,000 |
| TIMS cardNepal Tourism Board, through a registered agency. Your trekking agency. NTB lists the route, but its 2023 guidelines, as reported, exempt restricted-area permit holders. | not needed | up to Rs 1,000 | up to Rs 2,000 |
Children under 10 enter parks and conservation areas free. A conservation-area permit bought at a check-post costs double.
Upper Mustang route and altitude
- 1Jomsomजोमसोम2,743 m
- 2Kagbeni2,804 m
- 3Chele3,070 m
- 4Syangboche3,800 m
- 5Ghami3,564 m
- 6Tsarang (Charang)चराङ3,570 m
- 7Lo Manthangलोमान्थाङ3,840 m
- 8Dhakmar3,806 m
- 9Ghiling (Geling)3,530 m
- 10Chhusangछुसाङ2,980 m
- 11Jomsomजोमसोम2,743 m
Highest point: Morang La, 4,280 m.
Guide rule and documents
A restricted area: foreigners, SAARC nationals included, need a restricted-area permit through a registered agency and a licensed guide. Nepali citizens need no permit.
Everyone
- Each permit, carried the whole way: check-posts ask for them, and a conservation-area permit bought at a check-post costs double.
- Travel insurance that covers helicopter rescue at your highest altitude. No rule found makes it compulsory for an ordinary trek, but a rescue charter costs about USD 4,000–5,000.
Nepali citizens
- Citizenship certificate or national ID card, to pay the Nepali rate (Rs 100 at park and conservation-area counters).
Indian and SAARC nationals
- Passport, to claim the SAARC rate. Indian citizens need no Nepal visa; by air they need a passport or a voter ID card (Aadhaar is not accepted).
- Other SAARC nationals: a Nepal visa (free for 30 days on the first visit of the year, except Afghanistan).
- A registered trekking agency and a licensed guide: they issue the TIMS card or restricted-area permit for you.
- For the restricted-area permit the agency submits your passport and visa, insurance documents for you and your guide and porters, and the itinerary on its letterhead (Department of Immigration).
- Two passport photos, in case a counter asks. No official page requires them for online permits; agencies still list them.
Foreigners
- Passport and Nepal visa (15 days USD 30, 30 days USD 50, 90 days USD 125).
- A registered trekking agency and a licensed guide: they issue the TIMS card or restricted-area permit for you.
- For the restricted-area permit the agency submits your passport and visa, insurance documents for you and your guide and porters, and the itinerary on its letterhead (Department of Immigration).
- Two passport photos, in case a counter asks. No official page requires them for online permits; agencies still list them.
Common questions
How much does the Upper Mustang trek cost for a Nepali?
About Rs 65,411 per person for 12 days (Rs 48,016–82,806), trekking without a guide and renting a sleeping bag, down jacket and poles. Permits are Rs 100; Nepali citizens need no restricted-area permit. The planner above changes it for your days, transport and group.
How much does the Upper Mustang trek cost for an Indian?
About Rs 1,74,446 (₹1,08,927) per person for 12 days, at the SAARC rate for permits (Rs 77,360–78,360, including the USD 500 restricted-area permit, which has no SAARC discount) and with the licensed guide the rules require.
How much does the Upper Mustang trek cost for a foreigner?
About USD 1,159 (Rs 1,76,946) per person for 12 days with a licensed guide, before Kathmandu hotels, insurance and any agency margin. Permits: Rs 79,360–81,360, including USD 500.
Do I need a guide for Upper Mustang?
Yes, for foreigners and SAARC nationals: it is a restricted area. A restricted area: foreigners, SAARC nationals included, need a restricted-area permit through a registered agency and a licensed guide. Nepali citizens need no permit.
Which permits do I need for Upper Mustang?
Restricted-area permit, Upper Mustang, Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP), TIMS card. Room and food prices for Upper Mustang are not published; the range is the general one for high villages.
Where the figures come from
Fees set by an authority are fixed; prices nobody publishes are ranges from the sources below, which the planner lets you overwrite. A fee the sources dispute counts in the high end only. All read 2026-10-30.
- Agency and trekker pages, 2025–26: teahouse rooms by region and altitude · agency or trekker page
- Trekker and agency pages, 2025–26: dal bhat and a day's food by route · agency or trekker page
- Ekantipur, 2 Sep 2024: Tara Air Pokhara–Jomsom fares by nationality · news
- Department of Immigration, trekking route and permit fee · official
- Kathmandu Post, 20 Nov 2025: guide mandatory in all trekking areas except Everest · news
- NTNC e-permit (ACAP, MCAP): tax included, double at check-posts · official
- Nepal Tourism Board, park entry fees · official
- Nepal Tourism Board, TIMS card · official
- TAAN wages from 17 Jul 2023 (Himalayan Times, 21 Jun 2023) · news
- TESA rental table 2025–26, via North Nepal Trek (30 Apr 2026) · agency or trekker page
- Department of Transport Management fares, 2 Jul 2026 · official