Mustang Tiji Festival Trekking 2021
Tiji Festival Date 2021 is fixed so, Tiji Festival in Lomanthang stars from May 08 to May 10, 2021. Mustang Tiji Festival Trekking – Tiji, meaning “hope of the dharma prevailing in all worlds,” is the most important festival of Upper Mustang in western Nepal. Mustang Tiji Festival Trekking takes you through the barren deserts of Nepal to witness the colorful festival celebrated in Lo Manthang, the capital city of the former Kingdom of Lo. For culture and trekking enthusiasts, this trek is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds.
Starting from Kagbeni, the gateway to Upper Mustang, the trail goes through many traditional villages and interesting passes to reach some of the most fascinating monasteries of the region. The trail takes you to some amazing cave monasteries attached to cliffs above deep gorges to finally take you to the center of preserved Tibetan Buddhism, the walled city of Lo Manthang. Along with the colorful deserts, the city of Lo welcomes you with an equally colorful celebration of this festival.
Tiji Festival. The Loba, locals of Lo Manthang and around, celebrate Tiji by wearing traditional dresses and attending functions carried out by monks chanting prayers to drive away the demon who had wanted to destroy Mustang, hundreds of years ago. The people of Mustang have a high regard for the Tiji Festival, and they follow all the traditions of this festival even today by portraying themselves in the characters of gods and demons and by wearing the masks of these characters. There are rituals where demons are chased away to end the reign of evil shrouding Lo. After participating in three days of Tiji Festival, you trek through mysterious landscapes of the desert and visit the ancient Luri Gumba and the sacred temple of Muktinath before bringing the trek to an end. Trekking in Upper Mustang is observing its distinctive features which are not found in other parts of the world, and Tiji Festival makes the journey all the more impressive.
Glacier Family Treks and Expedition is a well-known travel agency in Nepal for our impeccable services. Our guides know their trails well and work tirelessly to give you an exclusive travel experience in Nepal. All the transportation, accommodation, and permits are taken care of by the company so that you can have a hassle-free travel in our beautiful country.
Day : 1
July 30-2021: Arrival in Kathmandu (1350m), transfer to hotel on B/B plan.
Welcome to Kathmandu. One of our team members will pick you up at the airport and will transfer you to your hotel. Overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu.
Day : 2
May 01-2021: Sightseeing in Kathmandu valley, O/N in hotel.
After breakfast, you will head onto a sightseeing tour around Kathmandu valley. The tour includes visiting prominent sites like Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, and Kathmandu Durbar Square. Listed under UNESCO’s world heritage sites, these places are proof of Kathmandu’s long and rich history and culture. Meanwhile, we will acquire the special permit to trek in the forbidden land of Upper Mustang. Overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu.
Day : 3
May 02-2021: Transfer to Pokhara by land or flight, (850m), O/N in hotel at Lake Side, Pokhara.
Today you leave Kathmandu to reach Pokhara, which you can travel to via bus or via flight. The 25 minutes long flight will take you over the hills and the Himalayas, whereas the 6 hours long drive you will take you along the hills with the views of the Himalayas. Upon arrival in Pokhara, you will be transferred to your hotel. You can rest and relax before heading out to stroll around the beautiful Phewa Lake accompanied by the peaks of Annapurna massif and Machhapuchhre (6997m). Overnight in Pokhara.
Day : 4
May 03-2021: Fly from Pokhara to Jomsom (2720m), 22 minutes of flight, Walk to Kagbeni (2800m), 4 hrs.
From Pokhara, you catch an early morning flight to Jomsom, which offers you stunning aerial views of the lush hills, deep gorges, and the magnificent Himalayas. Shortly after reaching Jomsom, you will begin your ascend alongside Kali Gandaki River to reach the village of Kagbeni, also known as the gateway to Upper Mustang. Enjoy a warm Thakali meal in Kagbeni, where you will be staying for the night.
Day : 5
May 04-2021: Trek to Chuksang/Tsaile (3100 m), 5-6 hrs.
The trekking trail from Kagbeni goes uphill on the bank of Kali Gandaki River until reaching the day’s destination, Tsaile. Walking on the steep trail, you reach Tangbe and see the beautiful view of Nilgiri Peak (7061m). You then pass its whitewashed houses, agricultural fields, and apple orchards and make a gradual descend to reach Chhuksang. A final ascend from Chhuksang takes you to the village of Tsaile.
Day : 6
May 05-2021: Trek to Shengbochen (3800 m), 6-7 hrs.
Today’s trek is hard because you have to cross the passes, such as Taklam La (3624m) and Dajori La (3735), from where you can see the spectacular views of Tilicho Peak (7134m), Yakawa Kang (6482m), and Damodar Danda. From the pass, you descend, ascend, and again descend to reach Syangbochen. En route, you can visit the Chungsi Cave situated on a cliff above the gorge of Syangboche. Khola. Overnight in Syangbochen.
Day : 7
May 06-2021: Trek to Dhakmar Village (3450 m), 5-6 hrs.
The uphill trekking trail from Syangboche takes you to many traditional villages like Geling, Chhunggar, Jhaite, and Ghami via the Nyi La Pass (4010m) and Ghami La Pass (3765m). On the way to Ghami, you come across blue, grey and red cliffs, and from Ghami, you head to the old village of Dhakmar. Overnight in Dhakmar.
Day : 8
May 07-2021: Trek to Tsarang (3560 m), 5-6 hrs.
From Dhakmar, you will ascend steeply to reach the top of Mui La (4170m), which gives you amazing views of the snowy mountains as well as the rocky hills. You then descend from the pass and head to the ancient Ghar Gumba. The monastery is believed to hold the pure virtue of Lo Nying Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and houses the scriptures of Padmasambhava. After spending some time at Ghar Gumba, you will descend alongside Charang Khola to reach Tsarang, which also houses a 400 years old monastery. Overnight in Tsarang.
Day : 9
May 08-2021: Trek to Lo-Manthang village (3810 m), 4 hrs, First Day of Tiji Festival in Lo-Manthang.
The trekking trail takes you to canyon and river before changing into an uphill trail that takes you to the pass known as Lo La (3950m). From the top of this pass, you can see a nice view of Lo Manthang, as well as the superb view of the Mustang Himal range. A quick descend from the pass takes you to the walled city of Lo Manthang, where the first day of Tiji Festival is being celebrated. A three-story high Thangkha is hung by the wall of the monastery and the monks dressed in maroon and gold are seated beneath the Thangkha and chanting sacred scripts. A masked dance where the reincarnation of Buddha, Dorje Jono, repels the demon is performed amid the crowd.
Please, kindly be noted that the Tiji Festival starting time is normally at afternoon.
Day : 10
May 09-2021: Second day of Tiji Festival, O/N in Lo-Manthang, Tiji Festival starts at afternoon.
Today also the festival is as colorful as yesterday, and you also see the monks performing a dance. They do it to remove evil spirits from their village. The monastery premise is packed with the locals dressed in colorful traditional attire and eager to witness the mesmerizing dances by the monks. The former royals of Lo Manthang are also present on this day. You can also stroll around the picturesque land of Lo Manthang enjoying its colorful deserts, when free. Overnight in Lo Manthang.
Day : 11
May 10-2021: Tiji Festival last day event, O/N at Lo-Manthang.
Today is the last day of the amazing Tiji Festival. The festival comes to an end with a ceremonial destruction of the evil remains performed by the revered monks. It is believed that this ceremony ends the reign of evil from Mustang. Upon the completion of the ceremonies, you can visit the nearby monasteries to utilize your leisure time. Overnight in Lo Manthang.
Day : 12
May 11-2021: Trek to Yara Village (3900m) 6-7 hrs.
Bidding Lo Manthang a heartfelt goodbye, you ascend to Lo La (3950m) once again. You then trek downhill through impressive deserts to climb another pass, Dhi La (3950m). A steep descend from the pass takes you to Dhi, where you cross Mustang Khola on a bridge and then follow Puyung Khola upstream to reach Yara.
Day : 13
May 12-2021: Visit to Luri Gumba, O/N at Yara Village.
A short climb alongside Puyung River composed of picturesque desert hills and canyons takes you to the ancient Luri Gumba from Yara. Revered by the Buddhists, Luri Gumba is a small red painted monastery situated inside a cave on a barren cliff. While amazing Buddhist paintings adorn the interior of the monastery, the exterior remains surrounded by small Chortens. After the exploration of Luri Gumba, you retrace your way back to Yara for the overnight stay.
Day : 14
May 13-2021: Trek to Tangye Village (3320m), 6-7 hrs.
Today you descend through quite deserts leaving Yara behind to reach Tangge. Tangge is a beautiful village because of its location on terraced hills, and it is enriched with Chortens, Mani walls, and intricate architectural designs. This village is also an amazing host of various peaks of the Annapurna range and Nilgiri range.
Day : 15
May 14-2021: Trek to Chuksang Village (2980m), 7-8 hrs.
Once again, you make a gradual climb on solitary paths through the desert. There are no settlements en route, except for the temporary settlement of Pa. Long ascend on the ridges finally turns into a steep descend to cross a Mani wall leading to the village of Chuksang. In Chuksang, you meet the gorgeous Kali Gandaki River yet again. Overnight in Chuksang.
Day : 16
May 15-2021: Trek to Muktinath (3760m), via Gyu-La Pass (4077m), 7-8 hrs.
Today you will walk in a windy valley as you head to Muktinath. The trail first climbs steeply to reach Gyu La (4077m) and then descend gradually to take you to the sacred temple of Muktinath. Sacred to both the Hindus and Buddhists, Muktinath is known as the temple of salvation, where you can free yourself from your sins by taking a bath in the 108 water taps situated outside the temple. Overnight in Muktinath.
Day : 17
May 16-2021: Trek to Jomsom, 6 hrs, final day of the entire trekking.
The descending trekking trail from Muktinath takes you to Jharkot and its monastery and shows you the impressive view of the Kali Gandaki Valley. You then reach the Thakali village of Lupra, where you can visit an ancient Bonpo Monastery and take a short rest. From Lupra, you will descend to Kali Gandaki River and then follow the river downstream to reach the windiest place in Nepal, the town of Jomsom.
Day : 18
May 17-2021: Fly to Pokhara from Jomsom, transfer to hotel, free time, O/N in hotel.
In order to avoid strong winds, you take an early morning flight from Jomsom to Pokhara. The fight takes you through the gorge of Kali Gandaki River and gives you a bird’s eye view of the Kali Gandaki Valley before bringing you to the lake city. In Pokhara, you can spend the free time either resting of heading out to explore the amazing city of adventures. Overnight in Pokhara.
Day : 19
May 18-2021: Sightseeing activity in Pokhara, O/N in hotel.
Pokhara is a city famous for adventures. From paragliding to zip flying to bungee jump to mountain biking to boating, this city offers an endless to-do list. You can also go sightseeing around some of the major tourist areas of Pokhara. The sightseeing tour includes visiting Davis Falls, Mahendra Cave, World Peace Pagoda, Bat Cave, and so on. Boating on Phewa Lake is a something one should not miss at any cost while in Pokhara. Overnight in Pokhara.
Day : 20
May 19-2021: Fly to Kathmandu from Pokhara, Check in hotel, O/N in hotel.
Today you can go shopping to buy souvenirs for your friends and family as today is a free day for you to rest and relax. Thamel has tons of shops which sell Nepali handmade goods like bag, hat, and shawl that you might want to take back with you. You can also take a short tour of the Patan Durbar Square, where you can taste authentic Newar food. Overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu.
Day : 21
May 20-2021: Final departure from Kathmandu for your further destination.
We bid you farewell on today as we drop you at the airport three hours to your scheduled flight back home.
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