Government Eases Access to Upper Mustang with New US$50-Per-Day Trekking Fee

The government has revised the trekking permit rules for Upper Mustang, ending the long-standing requirement for foreign visitors to pay a lump-sum US$500 for a mandatory 10-day stay. Under the new rule, foreigners will now be charged US$50 per day, allowing them to pay only for the number of days they actually spend in the region.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel announced the decision while sharing the latest Cabinet decisions. The change was made by amending Schedule 12 of the Immigration Rules, 2051.

Previously, foreign tourists visiting the restricted Upper Mustang area had to pay US$500 for 10 days, and an additional US$50 per day if they extended their stay beyond the initial period.

Local representatives have welcomed the revision. Lho Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality Chair Lopsang Chomphal Bisht said that although their demand was to remove Upper Mustang entirely from the list of restricted and controlled areas, the new provision has partially addressed local expectations. Lomanthang Rural Municipality Chair Tasi Narpu Gurung also termed the decision positive.

Upper Mustang, which falls under the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, remains classified as a restricted and controlled region. Due to the high trekking fee, most foreign visitors have chosen to return from Kagbeni or Muktinath instead of proceeding further north. Although nearly 150,000 foreign tourists visit Mustang annually, only three to four percent enter Upper Mustang. -- RSS