Most people picture Mustang as a trek. It can be, but the jeep road from Beni to Muktinath now carries as many pilgrims and photographers as walkers, and it's one of the best drives we run.
Day one: Pokhara to Jomsom
You leave Lakeside around seven. Tarmac ends at Beni, and from there the road follows the Kali Gandaki through the deepest gorge on earth. Expect eight to ten hours with lunch at Tatopani. The last stretch past Ghasa is where the landscape opens into high desert.
Day two: Jomsom to Muktinath and back
It's an hour and a half up to the temple through Kagbeni. Go early: the wind picks up hard after eleven and blows sand down the valley. Most of our guests spend the afternoon in Marpha before the drive back down.
What to bring
A buff or mask for the dust, layers for the temperature swing, and cash. Card machines are rare above Beni.