Upper Mustang Tiji Festival Jeep Tour - 12 days

The Tiji Festival is the annual festival held in the Upper Mustang, particularly in the Lo-Manthang. This festival lasts three days, and people celebrate the gods’ victory over demons or good over evil. The main Tiji festival comes from the term Tiji or Tenchi, derived from a Buddhist word that means World Peace.

The Tiji festival is over 300 years old. It is based on the folklore of Dorje Jono and Padmasambhava Guru Rinpoche, the first monks in Tibetan Buddhism, and has been highly regarded throughout history. Dorje Jono, also known as Vajrakila, is a revered deity in Vajrayana Buddhism. He vanquished malevolent forces to bring about prosperity, following the guidance of Padmasambhava himself.

On the spacious occasion of the TIji festival, many monks from different monasteries, like Chhode, perform a special dance ritual called the Vajrakila ritual. This dance and the festival honor the sacrifices and legacy of both Padmasambhava and Dorje Jono. For a long time, this festival has been celebrated annually in March for three days straight. So be sure to visit Upper Mustang in March 2025 and enjoy the Tiji festival.

Upper Mustang Tour is one of Nepal’s best and most beautiful trekking spots. Few trekkers and tourists have explored the region since it lies in a restricted area of Nepal, so it is still raw and natural. The trek to the Upper Mustang trek is a rewarding adventure, but plenty of difficulties exist. So, if you don’t want to experience the roughness of the trek, then you can easily choose the popular jeep tour. There are a few other reasons to choose the Upper Mustang Jeep tour. So let’s get into it.

Experience Forbidden Kingdom

One primary reason to choose the Upper Mustang Tiji Tour is to experience the forbidden kingdom of Lo-Manthang. The place is extremely beautiful, which surely resonates with the culture of traditional Tibetian Buddhism. You can explore the ancient temples, monasteries, caves, and places for meditation.

Stunning scenery

Another reason for the Upper Mustang Jeep Tour is to experience some of the stunning views of the Annapurna region. There is a reason why Upper Mustang is considered among Nepal’s most beautiful trekking spots. The views of mountains like Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, glacial moraines, and the entire Mustang Valley are amazing to experience. You can also click on some majestic photos from this trek.

Offroad Adventure

Upper Mustang is also among Nepal’s best off-road and off-beaten remote treks. So, exploring the region in the jeep, which is comfortable in these off-beaten paths, and experiencing the adventure of the Himalayas. So whenever you want to experience something different from the regular treks, experience the Upper Mustang jeep tour.

Cultural Immersion

Another primary reason to experience the Upper Mustang Tiji Festival. Even from the start of this tour, you will meet different people following different cultures, like Gurung, Magars, and Tharus. When you reach Lo-Manthang and participate in the Tiji festival, you will taste the true culture of Buddhist people. Participating and meeting those people will give you a true cultural immersion experience.

For every trekking region in Nepal, visitors must issue the trekking permits. Different regions have different types of permits based on their location. For the Upper Mustang area, every trekker must issue two trekking permits. So, let’s discuss them below.

Annapurna Conservation Area Permit:

The Annapurna Conservation Area permit is also important for visitors visiting the Annapurna Sanctuary. They need the permit because the ACAP was established to ensure the conservation of the unique biodiversity and cultural heritage.

Where to Issue:

The visitors can issue the ACAP to the Nepal Tourism Board of Kathmandu or Pokhara, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) office in Pokhara, and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation in Kathmandu.

Cost:

• ACAP entry permit fee for SAARC nationals: 1,000 NPR (Approx. US $7.4)
• ACAP permit fee for foreigners: 3,000 NPR (Approx. US $24)
• ACAP permit fee for residents: 100 NPR

Restricted Area Permits

It would be best to have a restricted area permit to trek in a restricted area like the Upper Mustang trek. Upper Mustang used to be a limited area, but it was opened to visitors in 1992, making it one of the most preserved areas in the world. Tourism to the Upper Mustang is still controlled, and visitors need a special permit. To obtain the license, you must be in a group of at least two people. If you are traveling alone, we can help you get the permit by joining you with other travelers.

Where to issue: Anyone willing to enter the restricted area of Nepal must issue a restricted area permit from the Immigration of Nepal  through an authorized trekking company.

Cost: Mustang restricted area permits cost US$500 per person (for the first week), then US$50 per perday afterward.

Accommodation

You will stay in three-star hotels in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and a few guesthouses in Mustang while on the Tiji Festival Jeep Tour with Local Guide. Each hotel is designed for twin-sharing. A single supplement is available upon request at an extra charge. Although we will arrange linked bathrooms in each room, some teahouses only have shared sinks and toilets.

Also, remember that while single rooms are easy to arrange in Kathmandu and other lower-altitude areas, finding one at higher altitudes could be challenging. Hence, usually, you will get a room with a twin bed, which you have to share with other tourists unless you are a single female.

The accommodation is excellent up till Kagbeni. There are still regular teahouses with attached restrooms after Kagbeni. Nearly all tea shops offer convenient access to Wi-Fi.

Meals

Not many visitors know or are aware that Upper Mustang does have exceptional food services. During your trek, not only can you taste the delicious local delicacies, but you can also choose from Western dishes. Even small restaurants and teahouses provide menus from Indian, Thai, and Continental dishes. The options for local delicacies include Local Nepali or Thakali Dal Bhat, Vegetables, Ghundruk, and Dhindo. It would be best to choose from Western dishes like Pizzas, Burgers, Momos, Steaks, Soups, Spaghetti, Macaroni, and others.

During your Upper Mustang Tiji festival trek or tour, you will get three-course breakfasts, lunch, and dinner. Here are some of the menus you will find during these meals.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the first option for meals you take early in the morning. These are important to refuel the energy you need for the trek ahead. The menu for breakfast includes Eggs, cornflakes, Chapati, Tibetan Bread, Hash Browns, Pancakes, etc.

Lunch

After several hours of trek, you will stop in the teahouse for your second meal. The menus for lunch are Nepali Dal Bhat, Vegetable curry, Pizzas, Burgers, Momos, Steaks, etc.

Dinner

The last meal of the day is dinner. You want to replenish your energy but not be too full, which makes it difficult to fall asleep. The menus for dinner are yak, steaks, soups, burgers, pizzas, steaks, sandwiches, pizza, rice with curry, Ramen soups, spring rolls, potatoes, etc.

Travel insurance is not mandatory for any trek in Nepal, but it is essential. The case of issuing travel insurance becomes even more crucial when trekking or touring the extreme region of Upper Mustang. Most travel insurance for this Jeep tour must cover medical emergencies, helicopter rescue, trip cancellation, flight cancellation, luggage loss or damage, theft, personal liability, etc.

You must also remember what kind of incident your Travel Insurance won’t cover. Some of the cases might include pre-existing medical conditions, risky activities, damage of property due to negligence, personal liability due to negligence, a medical emergency due to drug abuse, etc.

Hence, it would be best to issue travel insurance to be financially safe and secure during your Upper Mustang Jeep Tour. You must submit a copy of your travel insurance and other documents to the authorized trekking agency before leaving.

Upper Mustang Tiji festival jeep tour ranges from easy to moderate level trek. For beginners, this tour might still cause some challenges; however, for veteran trekkers or those who have experience, the difficulty level might be significantly lower. Here are some factors that increase this tour’s difficulty level.

High Altitude

Despite being the jeep tour, the altitude is the primary challenge that increases difficulty. The highest elevation that tourists get on this tour is 3840m. Some travelers above the altitude of 3000m can experience altitude sickness. Hence, it is essential to be wary of high altitude, acclimatize properly, and keep yourself hydrated to make your travel more fun and less challenging.

Road conditions

Unlike trekking, on this tour, the visitors won’t have to walk a long distance as they will travel from place to place in a jeep every day. However, traveling on bumpy roads daily can take a toll on the body and raise back problems, especially if they previously had one.

Dynamic Weather

The weather of Upper Mustang, especially in the high altitude, is dynamic and constantly changing. Since the region lies in the rain shadow area, it might not get rainfall, and snow and winds are expected. Sometimes, they block the tour’s path, leaving the travelers isolated. This situation can cause a massive challenge for the person, especially if they don’t have prior experience.

The Upper Mustang trek takes you to an altitude above 3500m, so the chance of altitude sickness is still possible. Although the jeep tour is not as strenuous as trekking and the chance of suffering from the illness is comparatively low, there is still some chance for travelers to get acute mountain sickness. Hence, even if the chance of altitude sickness is low, it is always wise to be careful and follow necessary measures of remedy so that you either prevent the illness or cure it even after getting affected by it. The symptoms of altitude sickness are headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, joint ache,s etc.

Here are some of the ways to remedy altitude sickness.

Proper Acclimatization

Proper acclimatization is one of the most effective ways to prevent altitude sickness during the Upper Mustang trek. Even during the jeep tour, you have to ascend slowly to give yourself a chance to properly acclimate to the altitude’s weather, climate, and oxygen level.

Hydration and Diet

Altitude sickness is also possible if your body is weak and doesn’t have energy. Furthermore, dehydration is also a major cause of mountain sickness. So make sure you eat healthy and hygenic foods and drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.

Listen to your body

During the high-altitude tour, you have to listen to your body. Negligence of fatigue and health issues can cause major damage as it invites symptoms of altitude sickness. If you feel unwell or are aware of symptoms, communicate with your guide and team. If the issue becomes serious, the altitude should be lower without hesitation.

Pack Medication

Despite following proper caution and acclimatizing, the chance of altitude sickness is minimized. There is still the chance of altitude sickness, so you must pack medicine like Diamox and first aid kits. For some people, the symptoms of altitude sickness can be much worse, so if the condition gets bad, take the medicine and lower the altitude immediately.

Upper Mustang Jeep Tour is one of the best Himalayan adventures in the Upper Mustang area. The experience of this adventure can be thrilling and challenging, but it is still ideal to be prepared for it. Here are some ways to prepare for the Upper Mustang Tiji Festival.

1. Research the best month or season to visit Upper Mustang to experience the Tiji festival. Tiji festival is only celebrated in March.
2. Ensure you have carried all the documents and learn how many permits you need for your tour.
3. Remember that you must travel with at least two travelers and hire one authorized guide since the location is restricted.
4. If you are not confident about the tour and want to make it less challenging, you can hire porters as they can help with your luggage and also help in camping.
5. Pack all the necessary clothing, gear, and equipment for the high-altitude trek. However, make sure you are not taking any unnecessary items.
6. Ensure you have met your Jeep crew and your vehicle is new with all the parts in top condition.
7. Issue Travel insurance and send it to your trekking agency.
8. Ensure you carry the necessary cash, especially for the remote location tour.
9. Even before your tour, raise your physical fitness level so you don’t always feel tired.
10. Get involved in exercises that strengthen your core and breathing before your trekking schedule.