Join the Outfitter Himalaya team on the Tiji festival Tour and departure for a smooth and safe journey to Lo Manthang, the last forbidden kingdom in Nepal. Our experienced guides will ensure your safety at all times, and we have emergency protocols in place for any unforeseen circumstances.
The Tiji Festival Tour is a unique blend of cultural immersion and adventure, offering an unparalleled experience in the Himalayas, Upper Mustang, Nepal. We are committed to environmental sustainability and our tour practices reflect this. Join us on this journey to experience the wonders of Upper Mustang while contributing to its preservation.
Tiji festival is a vibrant and culturally rich festival in the remote and mystical kingdom of Upper Mustang, Nepal. The local people celebrate the festival to mark the victory of good over evil, a story that holds immense cultural and religious significance. The festival is observed with great zeal and enthusiasm, making it a unique cultural immersion experience.
The festival lasts three days and features colorful dances, masked performances, and a grand display of traditional attire. The Tiji Festival tour is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to uniquely experience the Upper Mustang's wonders. While the Tiji festival is the main attraction, remember that you will be exploring for multiple days before and after the celebration.
With vibrant festivals, arid landscapes, and spectacular mountain views, the Tiji Festival Trip is an unforgettable journey for any traveler.
The Tiji festival Trip is an incredible way to experience the unique culture and spectacular landscapes of the Upper Mustang. Start from Pokhara with an overland Jeep Ride to Jomsom. You will travel through arid landscapes, rocky terrain, and deep gorges from here. The trail follows the Kali Gandaki River, known to be one of the deepest gorges in the world.
As you make your way through the rugged terrain of Upper Mustang, you will be treated to breathtaking views of the Himalayan range, including Annapurna (8,091 m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), and Nilgiri (7,061 m). The region is characterized by arid and barren landscapes that strikingly contrast the brown, desert-like hills and the snow-capped mountains.
The major highlight of this Trip is the Tiji festival. It is celebrated in the walled city of Lo Manthang, the former capital of the Mustang Kingdom. The town is a maze of narrow streets and mud-walled houses, with the magnificent palace of the King at its center. During the festival, the locals dress in their finest attire and perform ancient dances and rituals passed down through generations.
The festival is particularly famous for its masked dances, depicting good triumph over evil. Monks perform the dances in elaborate costumes and masks, and each dance represents a different story or legend.
The Tiji festival is a traditional Tibetan festival celebrated in the upper Mustang region of Nepal and parts of Tibet. It takes place annually and lasts for three days. During the festival, the region's people come together to celebrate the victory of good over evil. The festival is a vibrant and colorful event steeped in tradition and religious significance.
The Tiji festival commemorates the victory of Lord Buddha's incarnation, Dorje Jono, over a demon named Man Tam. The festival holds immense cultural and religious significance, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. Lord Dorje Jono defeated the demon and brought peace back to the world. The Tiji festival is celebrated to honor this victory and commemorate the triumph of good over evil.
The celebration of the Tiji festival involves a series of rituals and ceremonies that the local people perform. On the festival's first day, a purification ceremony is held to cleanse the community of evil spirits. The second day is the festival's primary day, which involves a series of dances and rituals the local community performs.
The dances are performed by masked dancers who represent the various characters from the story of Lord Dorje Jono's victory over Man Tam. The Tiji festival is a time of grand celebration and rejoicing for the locals. The streets are decorated with colorful flags and banners, and the people wear traditional clothing and masks.
There is much singing, dancing, and feasting. The Tiji festival is a time of great joy and happiness. It is a time for the community to celebrate the triumph of good over evil and honor Lord Dorje Jono's victory over the demon Man Tam.
The Tiji Festival Trip Package includes a guided visit to UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu on the second day of the Itinerary. You will visit the Monkey Temple, Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhnah Stupa, and Kathmandu Durbar Square. All these places are must-visits and present intricate Nepali art and architecture.
On the way from Pokhara to Lo Manthang, you will spend a night at Tatopani, 1,190 meters (3,904 ft). It is a small settlement with natural hot springs where tourists can relax for a small fee. These hot springs have healing properties that soothe muscles and benefit skin.
Kagbeni is 2,804 meters (9,199 ft) high. It is a beautiful village and gateway to Upper Mustang. The town is known for its well-preserved mud-brick houses, narrow alleys, and medieval fortress.
At 2,700 meters (8,856 ft), Jomsom is a central village in the Mustang region. It is located in the lower part of the Mustang and serves as the central economic hub.
The Kali Gandaki Gorge is known as the deepest gorge in the world. The Kali Gandaki River carves it as it flows between the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain ranges, and you will travel through this gorge on the Tiji Festival Tour.
Shaligrams are found in the Kali Gandaki River. Shaligrams are believed to represent the various forms of Lord Vishnu. They come in different shapes and sizes. Smaller Shaligrams are kept in households for daily worship, and larger Shaligrams are enshrined in many temples.
Upper Mustang is home to several ancient Buddhist monasteries that have withstood the test of time. These monasteries are religious centers and warehouses of Tibetan Buddhist art and culture. Thubchen Gompa, Champa Lhakang, Namgyal Gompa, and Ghar Gompa are centuries-old monasteries you will explore on the Trip. Upper Mustang is also famous for its sky caves, which are ancient artificial caves carved into the cliffs of the Kali Gandaki Valley. They are believed to date back thousands of years and were used for meditation, habitation, and burial.
Situated at 3,800 meters (12,464 ft) in the lower Mustang region, Muktinath Temple is a sacred pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal. The temple complex houses a Vishnu temple and a Buddhist gompa, symbolizing the region's coexistence of Hinduism and Buddhism. Pilgrims believe that visiting Muktinath brings salvation and purifies the soul. The temple is famous for the 108 water spouts where pilgrims take a bath, will feel to cleanse them of sin.
Muktinath is also known for its natural gas fires, which have been burning continuously for centuries.
During your overland tour to Upper Mustang, you will encounter various lush apple orchards in the hills and valleys. Apple farming has been a traditional livelihood for the locals here. Apple cultivation has become a cultural practice, and the fruit is used in various forms, from fresh produce to local delicacies and even apple-based products like jams, wines, pies, and juices.
The Tiji Festival tour presents breathtaking arid landscapes like the Tibetan plateau. You will come across thorny bushes and low shrubs. The rugged landscape provides a habitat for wildlife, and lucky visitors might spot Himalayan blue sheep or other mountain fauna. Along the way, you can see Himalayan Mountains like Dhaulagiri (8,167 m/26,795 ft), Nilgiri (7,061 m/23,166 ft), and Annapurna (8,091 m/26,545 ft).
Here, we have offered a detailed program for the Tiji Festival Tour for 14 Days, and the Itinerary includes. The program is designed to allow you to experience the Himalayas and observe the festivals. However, if you want to make it shorter or longer, it is possible. So, let us know your date and time, and we can offer you a customized program.
Once you enter the airspace of Kathmandu, you will be greeted by the jaw-dropping setting of the Himalayas. After you land, complete the visa formalities and meet our team at the terminal gate. We will be waiting to welcome you.
They will drop you off at the hotel. You have the remaining day of leisure.
You have one full day in Kathmandu. We will explore some historical sites in the morning and prepare for the trek later. After breakfast, our tour guide will pick you up from your hotel lobby. You will visit some tourist sites like Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu Durbar Square, and Monkey Temple. The guide will explain the monuments and the local markets around them.
Later in the day, we'll gather in our office to discuss the trek. We will introduce you to the mountain guide who will care for you during the tour. We'll have a short briefing session and then pack the duffel bags. Then, you can go for last-minute shopping and fill them with all the essentials.
Today, we'll drive to Pokhara, the second-biggest city in Nepal. We'll take a tourist-standard bus for the commute. The ride will be comfortable and pleasant. Beautiful, lush green hills, waterfalls, and rivers will surround you.
Upon reaching Pokhara, the guide will drop you off at the hotel. You can then explore the surrounding area for the rest of the day. As we stay in the popular tourist area, we can explore the Lakeside Market and enjoy the gorgeous sunset at Phewa Lake.
Note: You can take a short flight to Pokhara instead of driving.
From today onwards, the Tiji Festival Tour officially begins as you will be driving to Tatopani. We use a well-maintained jeep for the tour. Leaving Pokhara, we follow an excellent road to Beni (95 km away). The ride is quite scenic and offers views of snow-capped mountains.
From Beni, it takes another 20 kilometers to drive to Tatopani. Tatopani is a natural hot spring area. For a few extra bucks, you can enjoy a hot spring. It will help you relax and relieve sore muscles from the long drive from Pokhara.
On this day, drive to Kagbeni. Enjoy views of lush hills and mountains. Drive past small villages and towns. You will come across gorges, waterfalls, lovely apple orchards, and stone houses on the way. The views of mountains like Dhaulagiri and Annapurna are first striking during the drive.
Drive past Dana, Ghasa, Lete, Kalopani, Kobang, Tukuche, Marpha, and Jomsom villages.
From Kagbeni, drive to Ghiling via Chhusang, Chele, and Samar settlements. In Samar villages, visit Chhuyer Chorten and Samar Gompa and witness breathtaking views of Annapurna and Nilgiri. The view of Tilicho and Damodar Danda from Ramchung Cave is phenomenal. The ride continues to Yamada La pass (3,850 m) and descends to Ghiling.
It is a lovely village surrounded by barley, buckwheat, wheat, and potato fields. Leave Ghiling and drive to Ghami. Here, you will explore the old winter palace of Lo Kingdom and Shad Drup Darkeling Gompa.
This Gompa is related to the Sakyapa sect of Buddhism founded by Sonama Lodo in 1414 AD. The ride continues from here, crossing a bridge over Ghmai Khola and taking one hour to reach Dhakmar.
Dhakmar is another beautiful village. Further, drive to Charang village, the second largest town in Mustang. Visit a 16th-century monastery built by Bsum Grub Dorje. Later in the day, visit Ghar Gompa, an ancient monastery built in the 8th century by a Tibetan magician- Guru Padmasambhava, related to the Nyingma sect of Buddhism.
Continue the drive to Lo Manthang, the last forbidden kingdom of Nepal. Enjoy the arid landscapes with canyons, red cliffs, and barren terrain. The road crosses the Lo La pass. You will see traditional mud-brick houses, the palace, monasteries, and narrow alleys here.
Later in the day, you may visit Chhoser to explore sky caves and surrounding monasteries.
We will spend the next three days in Lo Manthang, observing the Tiji festival and participating with the locals. Today is the first day of the festival. It starts with unrolling a three-storied Thanka painted with Padma Sambhava or Guru Rimpoche images.
The locals dance and do rituals. You can see the villagers in their traditional attire. Women wore antique jewelry. The cultural atmosphere will ultimately differ from what you may have experienced before.
As the rituals unfold, you will mask dance that portrays the mythical stories of the Tiji festival. At the dance's end, Lord Buddha's incarnation, Dorje Jono, kills the demon and relives the plague, bringing peace to the region.
On the second day of the Tiji festival, we will see the traditional dance of Tibetan Lamas. This dance aims to chase away hunger and evil spirits from the region. Lamas wear different outfits with masks and 12-foot horns. Other native animals, such as yaks, pigeons, buttercakes, dogs, and others, make the festival vibrant.
oday is the last day of the Tiji festival. We will hike to Namgyal Gompa, which is situated at the hilltop. It is an ancient monastery of great importance to the locals. The monastery has been serving as the court for the local community.
Later in the evening, we will return to the village to join the festivities. On this day, the evil remains of the demons are destroyed. The demons attacked the old tiger skin with bows and arrows, old guns, and catapults.
We have a long ride from Lo Manthang to Jomsom today so that we will begin the day early. On the way, we will stop at one of Nepal's most significant pilgrim sites, Muktinath, and drive along the deepest gorge in the world: Kali Gandaki Gorge.
You will mostly follow dirt roads and drive downhill, enjoying majestic mountain panoramas throughout the ride. Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri mountain views make the ride superb, even though it is bumpy.
Enjoy your time in beautiful Jomsom village, and remember to explore it while you are here.
From Jomsom, you will take a long ride to Pokhara. The route descends following uneven cliff sides and small villages and towns. Along the way, you will witness breathtaking mountain views and diverse scenery. The landscape soon changes to lush hills, waterfalls, and terraces.
The drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu is pleasant and comfortable. Upon reaching Kathmandu, we will drop you at the hotel. For the rest of the day, relax and unpack. Go window shopping in Thamel and explore local markets. We'll meet you in the late evening for a farewell dinner.
Note: You can take a short flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu instead of driving.
We hope you have a great time traveling with us. If you have any feedback, please do not hesitate to share it with us.
Our team will drop you off at Tribhuvan International Airport before your flight departs. They will bid you our last goodbye!
You can skip the long drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara by upgrading 35-minute flight at US $120.00
You can skip the long drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu by upgrading 35-minute flight at US $120.00
Are the dates offered unsuitable, or do you want to take a private trip? Check availability for your date.
