Upper Mustang Permit Cost 2026: US$50 Per Day (≈US$523 for 10 Days) + ACAP

Upper Mustang — the former Kingdom of Lo, north of Kagbeni — is one of Nepal's most tightly protected trekking regions. Access is controlled by a special Restricted Area Permit, and the rules have stayed consistent for years. Beware older blog posts claiming the fee was scrapped or that solo trekking is now allowed — that is not correct. Here is the accurate 2026 picture.

Upper Mustang permit cost 2026

Two permits are required for Upper Mustang, and the restricted permit is priced in US dollars:

Permit	2026 cost (foreign national)	Notes
Restricted Area Permit (RAP)	US$50 per person per day	≈US$523 for a 10-day trek
ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area)	NPR 3,000 (≈ US$23)	required in addition to the RAP
Licensed guide	Mandatory	registered guide via a government-licensed agency

So a standard 10-day Upper Mustang trek runs roughly US$523 in core permits per person — US$500 of restricted permit at US$50 a day, plus about US$23 of ACAP.

What a shorter trek costs — and why this changed

Until late 2025 the restricted permit was a flat US$500 for the first ten days, whether you spent ten days up there or four. Nepal replaced that with a straight US$50 per person per day, and the difference only shows on shorter trips:

Days in the restricted zone	RAP	+ ACAP	Total permits
5 days	US$250	US$23	US$273
7 days	US$350	US$23	US$373
10 days	US$500	US$23	US$523
14 days	US$700	US$23	US$723

Under the old rule a five-day visit still cost US$500. It now costs US$250. If you were quoted a flat US$500 for a short Upper Mustang trip, that quote is using the old structure.

Which days actually count

This is where people overpay, so it is worth being precise. The permit counts only the days you spend north of Kagbeni, inside the restricted zone — not your whole trip.

A fourteen-day itinerary from Pokhara might include two days getting to Kagbeni and two days coming back, leaving ten days that need the restricted permit. You pay US$500, not US$700. When an agency quotes you, ask how many restricted days they have applied for and check it against your itinerary — an extra day or two of padding is easy to add and hard to spot.

Lead time and what the agency needs

The RAP is issued by the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu, not at a trailhead counter, and it is not same-day. Allow a couple of working days, more around festivals and public holidays.

Your agency will need your passport (the original, not a copy), passport photographs, and firm trek dates — the permit is issued for a fixed window, so if your start slips you may need it reissued. Send your details early rather than arriving in Kathmandu and starting the process then.

The two-trekker rule, in practice

The permit requires a minimum of two foreign trekkers plus a licensed guide, and this is enforced at the Kagbeni checkpoint rather than being a formality.

What that means if you are travelling alone: you cannot simply pay double. You need a second person on the permit. Most agencies, ourselves included, can pair you with another solo trekker on the same dates, or add you to an existing group. Ask early — this is much easier to solve two months out than two days out.

If your partner drops out after the permit is issued, tell your agency immediately. It is a fixable problem while you are still in Kathmandu and a trip-ending one at the checkpoint.

How to get your Upper Mustang permit

Book through a registered agency (such as Travel Himalaya Nepal). Provide your passport, passport photos and trek dates; the agency applies for the RAP at the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu and arranges your ACAP and guide. The RAP is issued for a fixed window, so confirm your start date. You collect or carry the permits and present them at the Kagbeni and Lo Manthang checkpoints.

Best time to trek Upper Mustang

Because Upper Mustang lies in the Himalayan rain shadow, it stays largely dry through the monsoon (June–August) and is trekkable in spring, summer and autumn — one of the few Nepal regions you can do in the wet season. Spring (with the Tiji festival) and autumn are the most popular.