Choose Upper Mustang if
- you have time and want a longer journey
- you prefer to stay lower
- quiet trails matter to you
- this is your first trek in Nepal
- you want a remote valley few people see
Nepal treks compared
Upper Mustang vs Annapurna Circuit
Both are behind the Annapurnas, in the dry rain-shadow. Upper Mustang is a restricted area: a desert of red cliffs, cave dwellings and the old walled town of Lo Manthang, walkable even in the monsoon, with a permit by the day. The Annapurna Circuit crosses the Thorong La and passes many landscapes, from rice fields to high desert.
Written by Rujan Neupane, licensed trekking guide from the Kathmandu Valley
Side by side
From each trek's own page.
| Upper Mustang | Annapurna Circuit | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 13 | 11 |
| Highest point | 4,010 m, Nyi La | 5,416 m, Thorong La |
| Nights at 3,000 m or more | 8 | 6 |
| Grade | Moderate | Challenging |
| Best months | Sep–Oct, May–Jun | Oct–Nov, Apr |
| On the trail | Quiet | Busy in season |
| Getting there | With a flight | With a flight |
| Permits | Two permits are needed: the Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit and the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). Since December 2025 the Upper Mustang permit is charged per day, for each… | For the Annapurna Circuit walk: Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP), arranged through my registered partner agency. |
| Guide fee | $455 for the walk | $385 for the walk |
The guide fee is one fee for 1 to 5 people. Permits, lodges, food and transport are paid at cost: what a trek really costs.
The difference, in short
- Upper Mustang takes 13 days, 2 more than Annapurna Circuit.
- Annapurna Circuit goes higher: 5,416 m against 4,010 m, so it needs more rest days and warmer nights.
- Upper Mustang is the quieter trail.
- Upper Mustang is in a restricted area: a special permit, paid in US dollars, through a registered agency.
Which one for you?
Choose Annapurna Circuit if
- you have fewer days
- you want to go high and are ready for the altitude
Not sure which trek suits you? Tell me your dates and what you hope for, and I will say honestly.
