Mustang Trip Gets Easier with New Tourism Package from Pokhara

Tourism entrepreneurs have announced an affordable travel package connecting Pokhara with the famous pilgrimage site of Muktinath in Mustang, aiming to make visits to the Himalayan district easier and more affordable for travellers.

The Gandaki Province chapter of Nepal Tourist Transport Entrepreneurs Association said the package will come into operation from March 15, offering a two-day tour covering several religious and scenic destinations along the route from Pokhara to Muktinath.

The association has set the package price between Rs 2,999 and Rs 5,999 per person, depending on the type of vehicle used and the food and hotel services included.

President of the association, Durgadatta Dahal, said the initiative seeks to promote religious tourism in Gandaki Province while making travel to Mustang more convenient.

According to programme coordinator and former president of the association Baburam Pande, the package allows travellers to visit multiple destinations along the Pokhara–Muktinath corridor in a single journey at affordable rates.

“We have prepared a two-day travel package from Pokhara to Muktinath,” Pande said. “On the first day, tourists will travel from Pokhara to Jomsom while visiting Kusma Bazaar, Baglung Kalika Temple and Galeshwor Temple, and passing through Tatopani and Marpha village. On the second day, they will travel from Jomsom via Kagbeni to Muktinath and return to Pokhara.”

Tourism entrepreneurs said the initiative comes at a time when travel to Mustang has become easier due to the better condition of the Beni–Jomsom–Korala road, a national pride project. The improved road connectivity has encouraged more visitors—particularly Indian pilgrims—to travel by road to Muktinath instead of flying.

According to tourism stakeholders, Mustang receives around 150,000 foreign tourists annually, with nearly 70 percent being Indian pilgrims visiting the revered Muktinath temple.

Travel to the district was not always this convenient. In the past, transport syndicates operating on the Beni–Jomsom corridor often restricted entry of outside vehicles, forcing travellers to change vehicles at Ghasa, the entry point of Mustang, and board vehicles operated by local transport operators.  With reforms in the transport sector and improved road infrastructure, such restrictions have gradually eased, allowing smoother travel and encouraging more tourists to explore the Himalayan district.

Association adviser and former president Boberjung Gurung said the newly introduced package is expected to further facilitate domestic and foreign visitors.

“We believe this affordable package will make travel easier for tourists and help increase visitor arrivals in Mustang,” Gurung said.

The association has 124 member operators, which run tourist vehicles equipped with various facilities across the region. – With inputs from RSS