Mustang is one of the most popular places in Nepal. Whenever discussing some of the top tourist destinations in Nepal, Mustang always comes to the top of the list. Mustang is well known for its beautiful roads, heartwarming environment, Tibetan culture, old historical houses and temples, mountains, and the beautiful climate. So, if you are a person who loves adventures, a nature-loving person, or a person who is searching for the best travel places, then Mustang is the place you must add to your travel list. Let's explore the top places of Mustang.

Tato Pani

Tatopani is a central attraction of the Mustang region, which is famous for its medicinal values. Not only Nepalese but foreigners also visit Tatopani to get relief from multiple health issues. People believe that the hot water of this place, which is natural and pure, acts like a natural antibiotic for multiple diseases. Also, as the water has large amounts of black salt and phosphorus, it acts like a natural antibiotic due to which the diseases are not transferable from one person to another while sharing the hot spring at the same time and at the same place. Mostly, the bikers and the trekkers enjoy soaking their legs in hot water after the long treks as it relieves their joint pains and provides relaxation.

Marpha: Famous for the Apple farm and Tibetan culture

Marpha is another must-visit place in Nepal, where you will be mesmerized by its beauty. This village is known as the apple capital of the nation, where you must try Marpha brandy, chips, and jams produced from local fruits.

The beautiful Marpha village is located at an altitude of 2650m in the Kali Gandaki valley of the lower Mustang Region. It is not only known for its beauty as nature, but it's becoming famous for its beautiful culture and heritage too. Although the streets of Marpha are narrow, its clean stone walking street of this village clearly shows the typicalness of the local Takali culture. The street itself is one of the most photogenic places in the Annapurna Region.

Jomsom

Jomsom is very famous among the places of Mustang. It is not only recognized as a beautiful place in Nepal, but there are some Nepalese songs as well, especially mentioning its beauty and lovely environment. Jomsom is a central point for trekking into the Upper Mustang. You will feel welcome by its amazing beauty and the lively atmosphere it contains. It is a perfect mix of natural beauty and local culture. Jomsom has a small airport too, which makes it one of the most accessible places in Mustang for visitors coming from Pokhara. It is famous for the Apple farms, especially the local apple products like Jam, cider, brandy, apple juices, and some local drinks. It also becomes a rest stop for most of the people to enjoy food and take a moment to explore nature.

Kagbeni

Kagbeni village is the best place to spend some nights, explore green fields and apple farming, enjoy local foods and drinks, and learn about Mustang's old history from its local people. If you are planning for a complete Mustang trip from lower Mustang to Upper Mustang, then Kagbeni can be the best stop for understanding more about Mustang and for planning properly. If you are tired of eating the same Dal Bhat in the mountains, then Kagbeni is the best place for you to try new Tibetan food and drinks made from the local fruits, mostly from apples. When you visit Kagbeni, take some extra time to visit the ancient Monastery, walk around the village to view the Tibetan-style houses, and enjoy the beautiful views of Upper Mustang before heading to Muktinath Temple.

Dhumba Lake

Dhumba Lake is situated at an altitude of 2830m in the Mustang district. It's also known as a heart-shaped lake in Mustang. This lake is amazing with its natural beauty and provides a peaceful view for visitors. It attracts both pilgrims and nature lovers with its pure, crystal clear water. The lake's beauty, which is a combination of spiritual significance and stunning scenery, makes it a must-visit place in Mustang. It is the best place for people who love quiet, peaceful, and relaxing places and want to take a break from their busy life schedule. If you love photography and want to create videos and vlogs, then Dhumba Lake will be a perfect place for capturing great views with the clear greenery lake and a reflection of mountains and scenery all around.

Muktinath Temple

Muktinath temple is located at the highest elevation of 3800m above sea level in Nepal. Muktinath Temple is a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists, and it's very popular with Indian tourists too. If you visit the Muktinath temple, then you shouldn't miss the 108 holy taps, holy ponds, the eternal flame, and the Buddhist monastery. People believe that taking a bath under these holy taps and holy ponds purifies their souls and washes away sins. Muktinath temple attracts people from all over the world by its beauty and peaceful environment. Whenever you are on a trip to Mustang, add one extra day to visit Muktinath Temple to complete your real Mustang trip.

Tips for planning your Mustang Trip:

Best Time to Visit:

Mustang is a place where all seasons are best to visit. But as per my understanding and experience, the best time is the Spring season (March to May) and the Autumn season (September to November). In these seasons, the temperatures are clear, gentle, and clear for travelling and trekking.

Sprint season is considered as best for the Upper Mustang trek, with favourable weather and the blooming flowers. Autumn is also best for Upper Mustang trekking, with clear skies and comfortable temperatures. During these seasons, the views of Mustang are clear, and it's great for photos and videos.

Not only about the climate and the views, but these seasons are full of festivals and cultural events too. You can get a chance to enjoy different cultural activities, huge celebrations of the Tiji Festival, and also take a moment to experience traditional Tibetan songs and amazing dance performances by monks. So, if you plan to visit Mustang, then visiting during these seasons will be the best choice to explore the natural beauty and the Mustang culture together.

Available Accommodation in Mustang:

Mustang is one of the top-visited tourist places in Nepal. As there is always a huge number of people visiting Mustang, there is a good range of accommodation options too. You can find guesthouses, lodges, resorts, basic hotels, tea houses, and some 5-star hotels as well if you make advanced bookings.

Guesthouses and Teahouses are the most affordable and common type of accommodation, which offer basic rooms and meals at a basic, comfortable price. As Mustang is a tourism area, people have maintained the accommodation well. You will get clean and comfortable rooms with basic facilities like a bed, a pillow, a blanket, hot water, and a clean toilet at a basic price too, where you can rest, have a good sleep, and have good food during your journey. Compared to Lower Mustang, accommodation in Upper Mustang is quite expensive because of the obvious reason that, in Upper Mustang, there is a low population, expensive transportation, and isolation.

Based on the Place you will be in, you will find different accommodations at different prices. In most popular places like Jomson, Marpha, and Muktinath, you will get a place as per your budget and preferences with different facilities, from basic facilities like a bed, shared bathroom to attached bathrooms, and hot showers with some extra fees. So, whether you have a low budget or, as per the place you stay, Mustang has all types of options that suit all types of travellers.

About My Last Trip to Mustang

Suggested place to stay

Trekkers Inn, Tatopani:

Last time, I stayed at the Trekkers Inn at Tatopani. I was amazed by the services they provided and the warm hospitality. Hotel Trekkers Inn is located at Tatopani, Beni, Nepal, and the famous Tatopani Hot Spring is just 200m away from this hotel. By foot, it will only take you a maximum of 2-3 minutes to reach Tatopani Hot Spring. This hotel is open 24 hours, so you can get services at any time. The staff of the hotel are very welcoming and I had a relaxing experience there. I went there in the evening and stayed till the next morning.

The hotel is clean, hygienic, with many facilities like clean beds, pillows, blankets, hot shower, bathroom, healthy breakfast, local and fresh veggies, as well as having a good internet connection. This hotel is near the Kali Gandaki river, with a peaceful sound you can listen to while sleeping, too. You can have a great view from the rooms and can view Tatopani Hot Spring directly from the balcony too. This hotel was opened 40 years ago, and I must say the hospitality of the hotel was amazing. The price of the hotel is fair for the services, and the best part of staying here is that you can visit Tatopani Hot Spring easily.

Hotel Grand Shambala, Muktinath:

At Muktinath, there are many best hotels to stay in, I stayed in Hotel Grand Shambala. This hotel is located at the center of the Muktinath Bazaar. It has Super Deluxe, Deluxe, twin beds, a family room, and a king-size bed too. The location of this hotel allows you to enjoy the beautiful nature, a calm environment, and experience the beauty of Muktinath closely. This hotel has Free parking, bar, horseback riding, currency exchange, free high-speed wifi, hot water bath/shower, etc as amenities.

The room is excellent, comfortable, and has necessary facilities like wifi, a towel, water, a hot shower, etc. The food was very tasty, and made by the local veggies, so it was healthy too. The staff were so hospitable and friendly. They had shared their working experience, history in Muktinath. The plus point to staying at this hotel is, the Muktinath Temple is quite nearby this hotel, and you don't have to walk a lot to reach the Temple entrance. By foot, it will only take you 4 -5 minutes to reach the entrance of the Muktinath temple, so if you have a limited time there, this hotel can be the best option for you to stay in.

You can visit this site for booking a room Hotel Grand Shambala.

Journey

I went to Mustang last May 2025, and here is my journey overview.

Started my journey from Pokhara

I had planned this trip with my friends, and we had planned to go by bike. Early in the morning, we started our journey from Pokhara. The weather was clear and perfect, the road was good, and as we had done pretty much research on the weather for those days, we had a smooth and perfect start to our journey.

Rupse Waterfall

On our journey from Pokhara, the first stop we made was at the beautiful Rupse waterfall. The Rupse waterfall is huge and was mindblowing with the fresh air coming from the mountain and the amazing sound of the water crashing down from the rocks. We stopped there for an hour, took some photos and drone shots, and had a fantastic start to our journey.

Tatopani

We continued our journey and reached the Tatopani area by evening. We stayed at the hotel "Travellers Inn", which is very near the famous Tatopani hot water spring. As we had a long ride, we went to the natural hot spring, took a bath, and soaked our tired bodies in the hot water. I must say, it felt like going to a spa and getting a free massage. It felt amazing, and our body was relaxing. Before going to sleep, we had some good food and some walks around the Tatopani area.

Ride to Jomsom

The next day, we had our breakfast, packed the bags, and continued our ride to Jomsom. We directly stopped at Jomsom, tried some local foods, explored the famous apple farms, had some drinks, and some local foods made by apples themselves, like jams and chips. After the healthy meal and some rest, we continued to the next stop.

Marpha

From Jomsom, we continued our journey and stopped directly at Marpha, the heart of the lower Mustang. Marpha is a charming village with beautiful and unique, structured roads. The houses are pretty and have a similar structure and design. As content creators, we also rented a traditional Tibetan dress, walked into the street freely, clicked some photos and videos, and then visited many local shops. We got to know the tradition of the Marpha from the local villagers and had planned for our next destination there.

Kagbeni

After spending some hours in Marpha, we headed to Kagbeni. We stopped our bike there, had some rest, and tried the amazing food at Kagbeni. We had a walk around the Kagbeni bazaar, and had a wonderful view of the ancient-style houses and streets. We tried the local drinks and had thakali set there, which was made by the locals themselves, with a traditional cooking style. We had a wonderful break at Kagbeni, and then we continued our journey.

Muktinath

By evening, we reached Muktinath Bazaar and checked into a hotel called "Hotel Grand Shambala, Muktinath". We went to a room, had a hot bath, had dinner then had a night walk around Muktinath Bazaar. The cold air and the freshness of the mountain made our time relaxing after the long ride. We had a good talk with the people of Muktinath Bazaar, they shared their time in Muktinath, and they guided us to explore the Muktinath Temple area.

Morning Visit to Muktinath Temple

Early the next morning, we took a 4 to 5-minute walk, then reached the entrance of the Muktinath temple. After climbing the set of stairs and having a long walk, we reached the top of the Muktinath temple area. We worshipped at the Muktinath temple, took a bath under the popular 108 water taps, dipped in the holy ponds, and performed the Hindu rituals accordingly. After completing Hindu rituals, we had a walk around the 35-foot-tall Buddha statue, which is erected near the Muktinath Temple in Mustang. We stayed around 30 minutes there, and had a close view of Muktinath bazaar. The spiritual environment of the Muktinath temple area is peaceful and makes our minds calm and positive.

Dhumba Lake

After exploring Muktinath, we started our return journey. On the way, we stopped at Jomsom, took a turn, and went exploring Dhumba Lake. We reached there, parked our bikes, and had a walk near the Dhumba lake. It was a peaceful area surrounded by mountains and a monastery nearby. The Dhumba lake was all greenery, had pure and clean water, and we were amazed by the view there. We spent some time there, enjoyed the views and nature, and captured some photos and videos.

Back to Pokhara

After spending some beautiful and memorable time at Dhumba Lake, we headed back to Pokhara, ending our trip there.

Conclusion of the journey:

We had a short journey from Pokhara to Muktinath, exploring many places within the limited time available, but it was a happy and unforgettable experience for us. From riding the bikes through the stunning landscape to tasting different local foods, wearing traditional dresses, and exploring many peaceful villages, every moment was amazing. From getting a spiritual touch to the adventure of Muktinath, to getting perfect calm vibes at Marpha, Jomsom, and Dhumba lake, we ended our trip perfectly. Mustang's natural beauty truly makes it a must-visit place in Nepal for anyone who loves nature, travelling, and adventure.