The Hidden Kingdoms of Nepal

Note: Extra days in Kathmandu may be needed for Upper Mustang permits, requiring hard passport copies by 10 a.m. on office days (Sun-Thu, Fri mornings, all-day Sat, closed holidays). Overnight at Marriott International, Kathmandu.

Continue to Patan Durbar Square (arts city 5km south, over 1,000 carved monuments, temples, palace museum with courtyards like Sundari Chowk's royal bath, ongoing reconstruction) featuring a singing bowls session with their healing Tibetan/Nepalese vibrations.

In the afternoon, explore Kathmandu Durbar Square (UNESCO palace complex where kings were crowned, with temples, courtyards, Kumari goddess temple, Hanuman Dhoka entrance, earthquake-damaged but featuring Taleju Bhawani). End with a walking tour through Ason spice market to bustling Thamel for shopping. Overnight at Marriott International (B).

Expect some bumpy intervals from Kathmandu-Mugling highway expansion, but the magical lakeside serenity rewards the journey. Arrive around 3pm for check-in and leisure. Overnight at Temple Tree Resort & Spa (B).

Later, visit neighboring Tukuche, a historic Thakali trade village between Tibet and Nepal, known for its distinctive white stone houses embedding centuries of culture. Enjoy dinner at the lodge. Overnight at Thasang Village Lodge (B,L,D).

Savour a soulful Thakali lunch with apple pie. Trees thin out en route to Kagbeni, a medieval-looking village of mud-stone houses and fortress.

Explore the 14th-century Kag Chode Monastery, the community's spiritual heart for worship and meditation. Dinner at the lodge. Overnight at Red House Lodge or similar (B,L,D).

After visiting Chele's mud-stone architecture, climb passes like Taklam La (3624m), Dajori La (3735m), Bhena/Syangboche La (up to 3860m), and Nyi La (4010m) for Annapurna-Dhaulagiri vistas; pause at Ghemi's vast Mani wall and optional Dhakmar's buckwheat fields amid red cliffs (lunch local).

Arrive in Charang, Mustang's second-largest village (700 residents), at the luxurious Maya's Heritage Inn run by the last king's niece. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight at Maya's Heritage Inn or similar (B,L,D).

Tour the hilltop old royal palace ruins (superb views, open chapel/armory museum), 500-year-old local gompa with Medicine Buddha murals, and cliffside Ani Gompa convent. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight at Maya's Heritage Inn (B,L,D).

With Martian-like mountain desert, this hidden gem is ingeniously irrigated for terraced barley, wheat, buckwheat fields amid sheep, goats, and yaks, with friendly locals upholding timeless traditions. Wander on foot and photograph the unique blend of culture and stark beauty (lunch local).

Return for dinner. Overnight at Maya's Heritage Inn (B,L,D).

Meals at the hotel. Overnight at Mandala Hotel (B,L,D).

Take a farm track northwest to rarely visited villages like 30-minute-away Nyamdo, Namgyal's Gelup Victory Monastery, and Tingkar (lunch local). Dinner at hotel. Overnight at Mandala (B,L,D).

Tour the Monastic Museum behind Chode which was sadly earthquake-damaged but reopening soon with 2000+ year manuscripts, 3000-year Bonpo texts, and mammoth ivory.

Pass the exterior royal palace and traditional homes en route. Meals at hotel. Overnight at Mandala (B,L,D).

Reach Muktinath at 3710m, a top Hindu pilgrimage for Vishnu as Mukti Narayana (moksha site) and Buddhist Chumig Gyatsa ("Hundred Waters" with Avalokiteshvara).

Dinner/overnight at Lo Mustang Himalayan Resort (B,L,D).

Meals at hotel. Overnight at Kalopani Guest House (B,L,D).