Kagbeni, Nepal: Travel Guide to Mustang’s Ancient Village

Kagbeni Altitude

The altitude of Kagbeni is 2,804 meters (9,200 ft).

Location

Kagbeni is located in the Mustang District of Nepal, 160 km from Pokhara.

It is right at the edge of Upper and Lower Mustang, and when visiting Kagbeni, you can see the road which goes to Upper Mustang.

Best Time to Visit Kagbeni, Mustang

The best time to visit Kagbeni is in the Autumn or Spring, when the weather is the most pleasant (not too cold, nor too hot).

Additionally, the Mustang region lies in the rain shadow region of Nepal and typically received less rainfall during monsoon than other parts of Nepal.

While travelling to Mustang during monsoon can be challenging due to landslides and delayed flights, it is one of the places that is recommended to visit during monsoon.

I visited Lower Mustang in the month of June (start of monsoon), and indeed the weather was hot and sunny while it rained in other parts of Nepal.

Kagbeni Weather

They say that Kagbeni is the “windiest place in Nepal”, and after my trip, I can say that it must be true.

It is not just that it is windy, but it lies in a dry area and so there is also a lot of dust from the dirt roads and paths.

When I visited, I think the wind by itself would have been okay, but the wind blowing the dust in your face, mouth and hair was not so nice.

Kagbeni is in the Annapurna Conservation Area in Lower Mustang, and foreigners have to get the ACA permit to enter.

There are checkpoints in Ghasa and Jomsom where the buses and jeeps pass by, and you have to show your permit. The ACAP costs Rs. 3,000 (USD 22) and you can get it in Kathmandu, Pokhara or even online.

As Kagbeni is in Lower Mustang, it only requires the ACAP and you can visit without hiring a guide. From Kagbeni you can explore other places in Lower Mustang, such as Muktinath and Marpha.

However, if you want to go from Kagbeni to Upper Mustang, you have to plan it ahead. As for Upper Mustang, you need to get a Restricted Area Permit and go with a trekking guide.

What is Kagbeni Famous For?

Kagbeni is known as the “windiest place in Nepal” and is also referred to as the “gateway to Upper Mustang” as it lies right on the edge of Lower Mustang, and you can enter Upper Mustang from here.

Kagbeni is an ancient village and when you visit, you feel like you went back in time. While Kagbeni now has lots of newer hotels, it also has an “old village” part where you can see traditional mud-brick houses from medieval times.

It used to be an important village on the salt trade route between Tibet and India. You can still see the remains of fortified walls.

It is also an important pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists with ancient monasteries and puja (worship) ceremonies.

Kagbeni is on the bank of the Kali Gandaki River, and it is believed that the shaligrams found by the river is a form of the Hindu God, Vishnu.

Things to Do in Kagbeni Village, Nepal

Go on a Village Walk

The best thing to do is to walk around and explore the village! I genuinely found it to be very windy and dusty (like the wind blowing the dust in your face) but try to brave the wind and explore Kagbeni.

The most interesting part of the village is the “old village” where you can see old mud-brick houses, ruins of the Kagbeni Palace (Kag Khar), remaining fortress walls, and narrow alleys that are like tunnels.

I stayed in the more “modern” part of the village around Yac Donalds, but once I got to the other side of the village, past the Red House, I really loved the medieval architecture and the feeling of stepping into ancient times. If I visited again, I’d stay in a hotel in the old part of the village.

If weather is clear, you can also see the Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri mountains. The best bet is to see the mountains in the early morning, but still, the mountains feel a bit far, and you are mostly close to the hills.

Collect Shaligrams on the Riverbank

Kagbeni is an important religious site in Nepal for both Hindus and Buddhists.

It lies on the riverbank of the Kali Gandaki River and it is believed that the shaligrams found by the river is a form of Vishnu, a Hindu God.

Once you get to Kagbeni, just walk down to the riverside and you can find shaligrams right in the river, close to the shore. You don’t even have to go into the water, just go to the riverbank, and try to find some shaligrams in the river next to the shore.

I also tried to find some shaligrams and there were a lot of people who were collecting shaligrams by the river. You have to check a lot of stones in the river, but actually, there is a pretty big chance that you find shaligrams in a short amount of time!

Kag Chode Thupten Samphel Ling Monastery (Kagbeni Monastery)

The Kag Chode Thupten Samphel Ling Monastery (also called as Kagbeni Monastery or Red Monastery), is an ancient Buddhist monastery built in 1429.

The monastery has a distinctive red colour which stands out in Kagbeni. Next to the old monastery, there is now a newer building where Buddhist monks stay, so as you wander around, you can also see lots of monks walking by.

Hike to Tiri Village

Tiri is a tiny, ancient village about 2 km from Kagbeni. It takes around 1 hour to hike from Kageni to Tiri, and the route starts from crossing the suspension bridge form Kagbeni to the other side of the village.

I would say Tiri is a nice place to visit as a day hike if you have one full day in Kagbeni. If you only have half a day, or just making a quick stop on the way to Muktinath, then it is not feasible to go to Tiri.

Not many foreigners make it to Tiri so if you want to explore a remote village in Lower Mustang, then visiting Tiri is definitely worth it. You can also find old mud-brick houses here and apple farms.

Food and Hotels in Kagbeni

Hotels

There are lots of hotels in Kagbeni and you can book a room on the spot after arrival – no need to pre-book.

The hotel rooms cost around Rs. 500-2,000 (USD 4-15), depending on the quality of the hotel, and whether it has an attached bathroom or not.

There is some room for negotiation, sometimes you can get the rooms for free if you have your meals at the hotel, but you may have to ask around a couple of hotels.

Food

As for food, they have the usual Nepali and international dishes you can find on trekking routes in Nepal.

Some prices are: dal bhat for Rs. 700 (USD 5), boiled eggs Rs. 360 (USD 2.50), mixed fried rice Rs. 730 (USD 5), momo Rs. 600 (USD 4).

Kagbeni is famous for the Yac Donalds which is a hotel and a restaurant. They have the best burgers in town, and apparently they also have a sauna!

Kagbeni is around 10 km from Jomsom and the two places are connected by buses and taxis. The road is well-built between Jomsom and Kagbeni and it only takes 15 minutes by taxi, and around 25 minutes by bus.

The buses from Jomsom to Kagbeni leave early morning at 6 am, so if you get to Jomsom in late afternoon after 4 pm, you won’t find a bus going to Kagbeni.

In this case, you can either stay in Jomsom for a night, or take a taxi from Jomsom to Kagbeni. The bus ticket costs Rs. 150 (USD 1).

The taxi costs Rs. 800 (USD 6) from Jomsom to Kagbeni. I took the taxi, and tried to negotiate the price, unsuccessfully.

The road from Jomsom to Kagbeni is built in concrete so I didn’t find it appealing to walk this section. It is much better to take a taxi or bus to Kagbeni and then spend more time there exploring the area.

Kagbeni to Muktinath

Muktinath is 13 km from Kagbeni and you can either walk there or take a bus/taxi.

There is a trail north of the Jhong River which is an alternative if you prefer to hike rather then taking the bus.

I originally planned to hike this route, however, it was extremely hot and I had a stomach bug, so I changed plans and took the bus. Otherwise, I heard that this trail is pretty unique.

There is a bus around 6:30 that goes from Kagbeni to Muktinath. It is the same bus that leaves Jomsom at 6 am, and then gets to Kagbeni between 6:15-6:30 am.

Make sure to be on the main road around 6:15 am, as when the bus gets to Kagbeni, it does not stop to wait for passengers. You are either there to hail the bus, or if not, the bus will just pass by and not even stop.

I asked around and apparently there is also a bus around 8 am, and one or two more buses later in the day until around 1 pm. If you want to take a bus later in the day, make sure to confirm the schedule at your hotel or the Jomsom bus ticket counter. I can only say for sure about the bus at 6:15 am.

As the road is well-built between Kagbeni and Muktinath, it only takes around 30 minutes by bus.

I found it pretty surprising that there is a concrete road all the way up to 3,800 meters (12, 460 ft), but a lot of Nepali go up to Muktinath to visit the Muktinath Temple, so I guess it was developed due to the demand.

If you are taking the bus up to Muktinath, watch out for symptoms of altitude sickness as it is quite a big gain in altitude to go from 2,800 meters to 3,800 meters in Muktinath.

I would say, if your purpose of visiting Muktinath just to see the temple, then it is better to make it a short trip, and go back down after visiting the Muktinath Temple.

How to get to Kagbeni?

You can get to Kagbeni by taking a bus, shared jeep or private jeep from Pokhara. The buses and shared jeeps only go from Pokhara to Jomsom, and then in Jomsom you have to change to another bus or taxi to take you to Kagbeni.

The bus from Pokhara to Jomsom takes around 7 hours and costs Rs. 1,200 (USD 9), and then the bus ticket from Jomsom to Kagbeni costs Rs. 150 (USD 1).

The taxis from Jomsom to Kagbeni, it costs Rs. 800 (USD 6) and takes only around 15 minutes drive.

In which district is Kagbeni located?

Kagbeni is located in the Mustang district of Nepal.