Upper
Mustang Tiji Festival Trek is very famous all over the world and starts in late April
or early May. The Tiji festival is a famous Buddhist festival in Nepal that
celebrate to mark God's victory over evil. The festival date varies according
to their lunar calendar. Tiji festival 2021 is going to celebrate from 7th
May to 9th May (May 7th, 8th and 9th
2021). The story is told through a series of dances and prayers performed by
the monks of Lo Manthang Monastery.
Main Highlights
·adventure
trekking
·Buddhist
spiritual immersion
·Participate
in the Tiji Festival
·Upper
Mustang Tiji festival tour
·Incredible
amazing scenery like nowhere else
·Beautiful
Upper Mustang culture, tradition, and living experience
·walkthrough
the dry and arid surroundings of the Trans-Himalayan border
Itinerary Highlights
Upper
Mustang Tiji Festival Trek itinerary cannot be customized according to your
choice. Please write to us for the individual travel Itinerary. The price
varies depending on hotel category, transportation, private vehicle, and flight
service.
Day 01: Arrival at Kathmandu International
Airport.
Day 02: City tour around Kathmandu and
preparation for the trek.
Day 03: Drive to Pokhara from Kathmandu: 6
hours drive
Day 04: Flight to Jomsom and walk to
Kagbeni: Walking distance 3-4 hours
Day 05: Trek from Kagbeni to Chele: Walking
distance 5-6 hours
Day 06: Trek from Chele to Syanbochen:
walking distance 6-7 hours
Day 07: Trek from Syanbochen to Ghaymi:
Walking Distance 5-6 hours
Day
08: Ghaymi to Charang: Walking distance 4-5 hours
Day
09: Charang to
Lo-Mangthang: 5-6 hours, first day of the Tiji festival
Day 10: Explore Lo-Mangthang, it is the
second day of the festival
Day
11: Explore
Lo-Mangthang, the third day of the Tiji festival.
Day 12: Trek from Lo-Mangthang to Drakmar:
walking distance 6-7 hours
Day
13: Trek from Dhakmar to Ghiling: Walking distance 5-6 hours
Day
14: Trek from Ghiling to Chhuksang: Walking distance 5-6 hours
Day
15: Trek from Chhuksang to Jomsom: Walking distance 6-7 hours
Day 16: Return flight to
Pokhara
Day 17: Back to Kathmandu by deluxe tourist
bus.
Day 18: Transfer to the airport
Overview of Mustang Tiji Festival Trek
The Tiji
festival in the upper Mustang of Nepal is the most promising, and It is
celebrated in the Lo-Mangthang. Local legends hold that the great Buddhist guru
Padmasambhava came to Mustang and fought against the forces of evil that
claimed to destroy Buddhism. Mustangs have their different lifestyle, which is
quite surprising to many foreigners.
The most
important festival in the region is the Tiji Festival, influenced by Tibetan
Buddhism. The Tiji festival offers a three-day ritual known as the "demon
hunt." The festival is scheduled to coincide with the end of the dry
season. The exact date of the festival varies every year because Lamas
calculate the time of the celebration according to their lunar calendar.
The
three-day festival commemorates the triumph of the Buddhist deity Dorje Shonnu
over the demon that was devastating to the Kingdom. During the three-day
festival, the Lama monks put on various masks and perform a ritual dance that
is said to cast out demons. Therefore, the ritual dance of the monks is also
known as "The Hunt for Demons." The dance is accompanied by the music
of traditional drums, bells, and horns. In a more profound sense, the
celebration of the festival each year symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.
There is an
interesting story that took place during the reign of the 15th King of Mustang.
When the Kingdom suffered various problems, and the Queen could not have a
child either. Then a great Sakyapa teacher was invited from Tibet. Master
Sakyapa performed as the principal dancer at the Tiji Festival.
On the first
day, the monks perform a dance called "Tsa Chaam." It tells the story
of the birth of "Dorji Sonam," a Buddha reincarnated as a demon. This
demon harassed the Mustang kingdom and wreaked havoc on the country. You can
see the monks decreeing the harassment of this demon against the inhabitants of
Mustang.
The Monks
perform NgaCham on the second day. During the performance, Dorjee Sonam tries
to bring the demon back to the Kingdom of Buddha.
On the third
and last day of the festival, the "Rha Chham" dance takes place. Throughout
this ritual, Dorjee Sonam triumphs over the evil devil and banishes him from
Mustang.
Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport, you will be greeted by a representative from our office. After completing your personalized paperwork, collect your luggage; Find our office representative who will hold your name on board just outside the arrival gate. Then our representative will transfer you to the pre-reserved hotel. After check-in at the hotel, there will be a trip briefing session where you can meet your trekking guide and other team members. After that, you can rest, walk around the city. It’s all depends on your interests and your condition.
Today, after having breakfast, you begin a guided city tour to several of Kathmandu's most historical and spiritual attractions. Some of these attractions are included on World Heritage sites: the historic Kathmandu Durbar Square, the sacred Pashupatinath Hindu temple, the famous Swoyambunath Stupa 'Monkey Temple' and the Buddhist shrine, which is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in Nepal.
Early in the morning around 7 am, you depart to Pokhara by deluxe tourist bus. Along the way, you will see more of the Nepalese countryside offering vegetation, rivers, villages, farms, and beautiful mountain landscapes. In the afternoon, you arrive at Pokhara. Pokhara provides a superb view of Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Machhapuchhare, Annapurna, and many other peaks. Pokhara is a city of lakes, and it has many beautiful lakes. You can explore the most accessible and attractive Fewa Lake in the afternoon, also enjoy boating. Explore, relax, and dine by the tranquil Fewa Lake. Night stay at hotel in Pokhara.
After an early breakfast, transfer to Pokhara Airport for the first flight to Jomsom, a super scenic 25-minute flight over the mountains with views of 8,000 meters high mountain like Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, taking you to Jomsom, the headquarters of Mustang. From Jomsom, continue walking on the gradual path in the Kali Gandaki river bed for about three hours and finally reach your destination at the village of Ekley-Bhatti. After a good rest here, an hour walk takes you to Kagbeni, which is located on the edge of two rivers. In Kagbeni, an important tributary, the Kak Khola, which comes from Muktinath to meet the Mustang Khola, and from there the river become bigger and it called Kali Gandaki River.
Your journey begins with a special permit check upstream and downstream of the Kaligandaki coast upstream. During the trip, you have a picturesque scenic spot to stop on the sandy and windy trails. This trail follows the rise and fall. First you arrive at the village of Tangbe with its narrow streets between whitewashed houses, apple trees, Buckwheat, barley and wheat. From there, you head towards Chhusang and crossing the head of the river towards huge red conglomerate block that fell from the cliff above, forming a tunnel through which the Kaligandaki follows. You head towards small ridges to reach the town of Chele.
Today you start your trip walking towards to Eklo Bhatti. Climb to Taklam La Pass from side to side plateaus and narrow sections overlooking Tilicho Peak, Damodar Danda, and Yakawa Kang. Later, descend a little to the town of Samar. Climb the path that passes above the village of Samar to the ridge, and then abruptly descend to a stream. You also pass through a cave known as the Ramchung Cave. A similar 3-hour walk takes you to Syanbochen.
After breakfast, you go up to Yamda La, passing some tea houses, chortens, and local villages, which resembles the Tibetan style of homes with open terrace. You will cross mountain passes and an alley of poplars and barley fields. The ascent to the Nyi pass would be a little longer. Night stay at the hotel.
Begin the trip after breakfast with a pleasant walk. After crossing Ghaymi Khola, the road climbs up to a plateau and passes a very long Mani wall, a sacred stone wall built by the followers of Buddhism. From the end of the wall, the road heads east towards the city of Charang with a labyrinth of fields, pastures and houses, which are surrounded by stone walls in the top of the Tsarang Chu canyon. There is also a big white dzong and a red Gumba.
Today it leads to Lo-Mangthang with a beautiful view of mount Nilgiri, Tilicho Lake, Annapurna I and peak Bhrikuti. The trail descends first into Charang Chu Gorge and then climbs steeply after crossing the river. Further on, the trail gently climbs up to the windy Lo Pass, 3,850 m high, from where you can see the beautiful Lo Mangthang valley. Going down to Lo-Mangthang, the views of the fortified city seem magnificent with its hills on the Tibetan border. Today is the first day of the Mustang Festival. You enjoy the ritual dance of the monks and other celebrations. Many masked dancers in sumptuous costumes will come to the plaza in front of the Royal Palace. Lamas and monks from the Nyingmapa community play music. Tibetan-looking mustangs come with their traditional clothing and jewelry. There, you can also see the horse racing and tug war.
Today is the second day of the Mustang tiji festival. There will be similar ritual processions as the first day. Besides seeing the festival, you would also like to explore the arteries of the town and the surroundings. Visit Namgyal Gompa and Tingkhar. Located on a hill, Namgyal Gompa serves as a famous local community monastery and also as a local court. After visiting Namgyal Gompa, continue to visit Tingkhar, the last central town northwest of Lo-Mangthang, and then return to the hotel. Or you may have another option to visit Tall Champa Lakhang's "House of God," Red Thugchen Gompa, Chyodi Gompa, and the Entrance Hall, which are the main attraction of this area. Next attraction is the four-story building known as the Raja Palace, as well as beautiful views of the nearby Himalayas.
On the third day, the festival ends with the ceremonial destruction of the remains of evil, represented by long black yak hair and red torma cakes, which are transformed into dark red swirl. The remains of red demons are arranged on an old tiger skin; after that, they are attacked by bow and arrow, slings, and ancient weapons. The remains of the poor devil fall to the ground, each time in a wild gorge of old muzzles and a wave of cheering and smoke.
Upon returning from Lo-Manthan, you will take a different route than you did. Travel to Drakmar through Gyakar with Ghar Gompa for 1200 years with Guru Rinpoche as the first figure. The Gompa is also famous for its cave paintings. According to legend, whoever wishes to make a wish to Ghar Gompa, the dream is granted. Explore the area.
Today you return to Ghiling because your night trip after a long walk lasts 5 to 6 hours. After arrival and lunch, take advantage of the day to explore the area, but there will be dusty wind in the afternoon, so we suggest walking in the evening or early morning.
You return to Ghiling for the night stop after 5 hours of walking. You will have incredible landscapes during the trip with a view of the Himalayas. Enjoy your trip, and spend the night in the tea house.
Today, the walk will be long. It is better to walk early and walk towards Kagbeni. End of the top Mustang trails, and you join the regular Annapurna circuit route. After lunch in Kagbeni, direction Jomsom for the night. Or, if you can save an extra day, your guide will also take you to Muktinath.
DAfter breakfast early in the morning, you checked in at the airport to return to Pokhara with the spectacular 20-minute flight to Pokhara between the gorges of the two huge mountains Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. Upon arrival at Pokhara Airport, the guide will transfer you to the hotel by the lake. The rest of the time, explore the lakeside and spend the night at the hotel.
After breakfast, drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu. The trip will be 210 kilometers to Kathmandu. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, we will transfer to your hotel. There's nothing to do. You can spend the afternoon peacefully; you can do last-minute shopping in the Thamel area.
All kinds of drinks (alcoholic, cold, and hot beverages).
Excess baggage charges
Personal equipment.
Personal travel and medical insurance.
All kinds of personal expenses.
Tips for trekking staff, driver.
Any donation to the monastery.
Entrances fee to Mustang monastery.
Quick Inquiry
Fixed Departure
All our
published fixed departure dates are guaranteed. If the date does not suit your
travel plans, the cost and duration of the trip, please contact us for your
individual private trip, itinerary and price. Since we are a local travel and
trekking company based in Kathmandu, we try to find a small private group that
fits your travel needs. Let us know what kind of trip you are looking for and
our travel experts will help you plan your customized trip to your dream
destination. Thank you and Namaste!
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Mustang Tiji Festival Trek Accommodation
In the
village along the main hiking area, there is a tea house lodge to accommodate the
trekkers. Mustang Trekking has not been
for a long time as the
Annapurna or Everest region, so there are generally fewer standard lodges.
However, they are all comfortable and at least have functional bathrooms,
dining rooms, beds, and often showers and even Wi-Fi. Shelters can sometimes
fill up quickly in high season, so large groups often bring camping supplies
just in case. However, as the region gains popularity, more pavilions are being
built.
Trekking in
the remote Mustang region is also an opportunity to live a simple life far from
the pleasures of the world in the lap of the Himalayas. It is an experience in
itself to stay in tea houses that offer minimalist food like soup, noodles,
pasta, potatoes, vegetables, dal Bhat, fried rice, eggs, etc. and simple
accommodation. We will provide Three meals in one day. During this stay, you
can also observe the lifestyle and traditions of the inhabitants.
Mustang Tiji Festival Trek Route Map
Mustang Tiji Festival Trek Video
Essential Information
Climate and the best time to trek
Upper
Mustang is in the rain shadow area, so you can go to this region during the
monsoon season also because there is little or no precipitation. Some places in
this region are so heavenly with the blossoming Alpine monsoon flowers. The
average temperature of the area is around 10 degrees centigrade. However, it
can drop to -15 ° C in winter, making the trip almost impossible.
All major
festivals, cultural programs take place in summer in this region. Trekking in
summer, therefore, offers you an excellent opportunity to explore the culture
and way of life of the local population. If you can bear the cold, you can also
walk in other seasons.
Spring and
fall are the most popular times to visit Upper Mustang. In the spring, many
foreign visitors enjoy going to spring festivals in the region. At the same
time, fall is the most popular hiking season in all of Nepal because after the
monsoon, the weather is dry, and temperatures are very comfortable. Summer is a
lesser-known but ideal alternative time to visit Upper Mustang. Mountains
surround mustang area so block storms, the Mustang is said to be in a
"rain shadow" and is therefore dry most of the year.
Culture and festivals in the Mustang
region
Upper
Mustang is well known for its many monasteries, caves, and magnificent palaces.
Lo Mangthang has two of the most famous monasteries, Thubchen and Jampa, which
was built in the 15th century. Luri Gompa, another famous monastery in the
region, is believed to be even older. Luri Gompa is a troglodyte monastery, a
unique attraction in the Upper Mustang. It is estimated that there are more
than 10,000 caves in the upper Mustang region; some of them should be more than
2,000 years old. Many caves have been used and are still used today, as
meditation chambers or small monasteries. Others have historically served as
storage spaces, military lookouts, and war shelters. However, others are
complete mysteries, and archaeologists come to Upper Mustang to investigate the
caves and try to discover their purpose and their ancient inhabitants. Many
caves are somehow dug hundreds of feet off the ground in loose, brittle rocks,
and the mystery is what continues to bring National Geographic archaeological
missions to the region.
One of the
largest festivals held in the region is the Tiji Festival, which takes place in
the spring, often in early May. The festival is celebrated on the occasion of
the victory of incarnations of Lord Buddha over a demon. It takes place for a
few days with dances and various religious rituals in the center of Lo
Manthang. It is very popular with tourists for its colorful shows, dances, and
elaborate costumes. Yarthum is another famous festival in the region, held in
August / September at the end of summer. Also known as the horse festival, the
yarthum takes place over approximately three days with various horse sporting
events, parties, and dances. Lo Manthang yarthum is the most famous in the
region, but in recent years other villages have started to organize their
Yarthum festivals, namely Ghami.
Trekking guide (s) and staff
arrangements
The most
important thing that makes your Mustang trip successful, enjoyable, and
memorable is the qualified, experienced, courteous, and helpful guide and crew
members capable of spending your days in the mountains with no hassle. The best
and most professional leaders will lead your walk. Our entire trekking leaders
are carefully selected based on their appropriate experience, leadership
skills, and personal skills. To support local communities, we only employ local
staff who have adequate knowledge of the region's culture (s), flora, fauna,
geography, and history.
Travel insurance
Travel
insurance for any itinerary of our company is a condition for the holiday
reservation. At a minimum, you must have emergency medical and repatriation
insurance, which should include the cost of the mountain rescue. Please
carefully review the general conditions of your insurers; In particular, you
should ensure that the following are covered: 1) Activity (i.e., hiking,
trekking, or mountaineering) 2) Maximum altitude reached during the trek 3)
Evacuation of the helicopter in an emergency. You should understand that you
will be responsible for all expenses incurred in evacuation and repatriation
procedures, and that is your responsibility to pay all costs incurred in the
event of an evacuation or medical treatment. You must be fully aware of the
implications of organizing your travel insurance and understand the limitations
and exclusions of your policy. Please note that in certain circumstances, our
company guide can initiate helicopter rescue procedures in medical emergencies
without first contacting your insurance company for approval.
Physical condition and experience
requirements
Upper
Mustang Trek falls into the Moderate Plus classification. You must walk on the terrain
in high altitude regions, and the trail can be difficult and steep in places. You
have to walk 5-6 hours a day on barren rocky terrain. Some days you may even
have to walk 8 to 9 hours. Trekking at Elevation is more physically difficult
than walking at low elevations; however, if you are in excellent health with
average fitness, a positive attitude, self-confidence, and strong
determination, you can complete the trip. So you have to be physically and
mentally capable of doing this hike. Exercising and running regularly for a few
months before the trip is a good idea, as it will improve your strength and
stability. Previous hiking experience is preferred, but technical skill is not
necessary. You should consult your doctor before booking this trip.
Suggested preparation
Cardiovascular exercises such as running, cycling, jogging, push-ups for
approximately 4 to 5 days a week for three months before your trip will be beneficial.
You should also participate in the development of core strength and
muscular endurance in bodybuilding.
Walking on the hills in different weather conditions will be proper
preparation for this trip.
If
you have access, kayaking and swimming can be a very beneficial way to develop
the strength and endurance necessary for this journey.
The dates for the Mustang Tiji Festival 2021already announced and will be celebrated May 9-11, 2021. This festival is held to drive away demonic spirits, bring prosperity and good fortune to the kingdom. The date changes every year.
Mustang Tiji Festival Trek Reviews
Total Reviews: 1
2020-08-23
by Royce Senneville, France
Unforgettable Journey of Life Time - Mustang Tiji Festival Trek Review
In 2018 I
went on a trip with my family to the Tiji Festival. We were a total of seven
people from France in our group and we booked this cultural walk with Nepal
Tour & Trekking Service P. Ltd. Mr. Kishor from the agency welcomed us at
the airport with a big smile and took us to a selected hotel in Thamel. Our
trekking guide was helpful, knowledgeable and friendly during our trip. The
Tiji Festival experience was fantastic. It was not difficult for us our guide
always went the extra miles to ensure everyone in our group had a pleasant
trip. A professional, organized and very reliable team - many thanks to all the
staff who made this first trekking trip an unforgettable experience. Highly
recommended and goodbye with another trekking tour
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