The Hidden Kingdom Drive, Upper Mustang Himalayan Expedition

Ten nights from Gorakhpur in India up the Kali Gandaki into Upper Mustang, driven in convoy in the guest’s own vehicle.

Upper Mustang is the destination and the permits are the obstacle: it was closed to outsiders entirely until 1992, remains a restricted area, and the paperwork is included here along with the Annapurna conservation permits.

Gorakhpur opens it with a briefing and dinner, then the Nepalese border and Chitwan National Park, with a jungle safari. Tatopani follows, then the climb up the Kali Gandaki to Muktinath at 3,800 metres, a pilgrimage site sacred to Hindus and Buddhists both, in a gorge that runs between two eight-thousand-metre peaks. Lo Manthang comes next, the walled former capital of a kingdom that governed itself until 2008, with a day there for the monasteries and the Chhoser sky caves, which are man-made chambers cut high into a cliff face. The return runs back down the gorge to Tatopani, then Pokhara with a free day.

The restricted area and conservation permits, the Chitwan safari, premium twin-share stays, the meals throughout and convoy support are all included; the vehicle is the guest’s own, with an SUV recommended. The price shown is per person sharing. October to April is the season, since the monsoon makes the gorge road unpredictable. Eleven days is remarkable value for a route that reaches one of the hardest places in the Himalaya to get a vehicle to. Altitude is a real consideration above Muktinath, and the road beyond it is rough enough that the SUV recommendation should be taken seriously.