Nepal
Lower Mustang & Shinta Mani
Jomsom, Marpha, Kagbeni and Muktinath from Shinta Mani Mustang, with Kathmandu and Pokhara — thirteen days
Behind the Annapurnas, beyond the reach of the monsoon, lies Nepal's high desert: whitewashed villages and apple orchards along the Kali Gandaki, the red monastery of Kagbeni at the gateway to the old kingdom, and the shrine of Muktinath, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike. For most of history it was a place you reached on foot, and slept rough.
Shinta Mani Mustang changed that. Designed by Bill Bensley above Jomsom and named among the world's best new hotels by National Geographic, Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler, it is the reason to go — five nights on its all-inclusive program, with Kathmandu, Tiger Mountain and The Pavilions Himalayas on either side.
In 2026 Robb Report ranked it first among the world's 50 Greatest Luxury Hotels, the MICHELIN Guide awarded it a MICHELIN Key, and Condé Nast Traveller readers honored it in their Readers' Choice Awards.
Photography courtesy of Shinta Mani Mustang; suite photograph by Elise Hassey
The Journey
Day 1
Arrive Kathmandu
Private welcome at Tribhuvan and transfer to Dwarika's Hotel, Kathmandu's living museum of Newari craftsmanship. Evening at leisure in its courtyards. Dwarika's.
Day 2
Kathmandu, curated
A slow morning among the temples of Patan with our historian guide; the afternoon at the great stupa of Boudhanath as the butter lamps are lit, and a private briefing for the journey ahead. In the evening, the first of your two signature dinners. Dwarika's.
Day 3
To Pokhara
Fly west beneath the mountains and up to Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge on its ridge above the valley — Annapurna, Machhapuchhre and Dhaulagiri across the sky. The afternoon is yours. Tiger Mountain.
Day 4
The Annapurna balcony
Dawn over the peaks from your veranda, a village walk through terraced farmland with the lodge's naturalists, and the afternoon by the pool — a day to slow down before the high desert. Tiger Mountain.
Day 5
Up the Kali Gandaki to Jomsom
The morning flight up the Kali Gandaki — by some measures the deepest gorge on earth — between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, to Jomsom at 2,700m. Shinta Mani Mustang's team meets you on the airstrip; the rest of the day is for arriving. Shinta Mani Mustang.
Days 6–8
Marpha, Kagbeni and Muktinath
Three days on the resort's private guided program, with its own guides and vehicles: the whitewashed lanes, monastery and apple orchards of Marpha; Kagbeni's red monastery and mud-brick alleys at the gateway to the old kingdom; and the shrine of Muktinath at about 3,800m, with its 108 water spouts and the flame that burns on water. Evenings at the resort, its Sowa Rigpa wellness center and its kitchens. The order of the days follows the program and the weather. Shinta Mani Mustang.
Day 9
Mustang at leisure
A day held for the valley as you like it — another excursion from the program, the SoRig pool beneath the snows, or simply the terrace and Nilgiri. Shinta Mani Mustang.
Day 10
Down the gorge to Pokhara
The morning flight back down the Kali Gandaki, and on to The Pavilions Himalayas — fourteen villas in a farm valley near Phewa Lake, each with its own terrace or garden facing the Annapurnas. The Pavilions.
Day 11
Phewa Lake
A slow morning at the villa; in the afternoon a private boat on Phewa to the island temple of Tal Barahi, with the Annapurnas reflected in the water. This day is also the journey's reserve: if weather holds the Jomsom flight, it is spent in Mustang instead, and your flight home is untouched. The Pavilions.
Day 12
Return to Kathmandu
Morning flight to the capital, an afternoon at leisure, and a farewell dinner at Krishnarpan. Dwarika's.
Day 13
Depart
Private transfer to your onward flight, with everything arranged.
Included, always
- Five nights at Shinta Mani Mustang on the resort's all-inclusive program — all meals and drinks, its private guided excursions in Lower Mustang with its own guides and vehicles, the SoRig wellness center, and Jomsom airport transfers
- Three nights at Dwarika's Hotel, two nights at Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge (full board, with guided walks) and two nights in a Grand villa at The Pavilions Himalayas (full board), or similar houses of equal standing
- Flights Kathmandu–Pokhara–Jomsom and return in economy class, all private transfers, and a dedicated guide and vehicle in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Breakfasts in Kathmandu plus two signature dinners, including Krishnarpan; a private boat on Phewa Lake; all touring, entrances and the Annapurna Conservation Area permit
Not included
- Staff gratuities — not included, and yours to give. We publish suggested amounts for your guide, driver and hotel staff in your pre-departure pack, so you are never left guessing, and we can add them to your final invoice if you would rather not carry cash. Shinta Mani Mustang's own staff gratuities are included in its program.
- A helicopter between Pokhara and Jomsom, one way or both — offered on request and priced per helicopter at the time of booking; International airfare — we will book your flights on request; Nepal visa; travel insurance (required, with trip-delay cover strongly recommended); alcoholic drinks outside Shinta Mani Mustang; personal expenses
The Details
- Price
- $15,950 per person, double occupancy · Single occupancy $6,650What your price includes: All 12 nights, the all-inclusive program at Shinta Mani Mustang, flights to Pokhara and Jomsom, private guides and vehicles, and permits.
- Duration
- 13 days / 12 nights, Kathmandu to Kathmandu
- Party
- Always private, always on your dates · Never a mixed group
- Seasons
- September to June · Shinta Mani Mustang closes in July and August · Clearest skies October–April
- Character
- Gentle · Day walks and drives only · Highest night 2,700m at Jomsom · Highest point about 3,800m, by vehicle
Booking terms, in brief. A journey is reserved with a signed booking confirmation and a 35% deposit, non-refundable upon our written booking confirmation; the balance is due 90 days before departure. Quoted prices are guaranteed for 14 days from proposal.
Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars; inclusions are exactly as this page states.
Cancellations, in writing, are subject to our published schedule: the deposit is retained to 91 days before departure; 50% at 90–61 days; 75% at 60–46 days; 100% at 45 days or fewer. One date change is free of our fees when requested more than 90 days out, for a departure within 12 months, subject to availability and cost differences.
If a named lodge or service becomes unavailable, we substitute equivalent category. Helicopter flights are weather-dependent; lost flights are rebooked within the journey at no charge, and if weather defeats every window we refund the helicopter component's published value.
Comprehensive travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover, and our signed Assumption of Risk & Release, are conditions of travel on Nepal journeys. Domestic flight disruption within Nepal is managed and re-booked by our Kathmandu operations at no charge; additional nights, meals or transfers it causes are at the guest's expense, typically covered by trip-delay insurance.
Complete terms, including our limitation of liability and Indiana governing law (contracting party: Curated Ascents LLC, d/b/a CuratedAscents, Carmel, Indiana), are at www.curatedascents.com/terms and accompany every proposal.
Flights to and from Jomsom operate in the morning only and depend on the weather. Day 11 is held in reserve so that a delayed flight down the gorge does not touch your journey home. Re-booking a disrupted flight is at our cost; additional nights, meals or transfers caused by weather are at the guest's expense at the property's prevailing rate, and are typically covered by trip-delay insurance (Booking Terms §9).