Jomsom Muktinath Trek (Trek in / Fly out)

After early morning breakfast, you will be picked up from the hotel and taken to the tourist bus station. Drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara (914m.) takes about seven hours. The drive will take most of our morning time, leaving much of the afternoon to get a warm glimpse of Pokhara Valley and its beauty. If you choose to fly, you can reach Pokhara in 25 minutes. There are several flights from morning to afternoon available from Kathmandu to Pokhara.

Pokhara is the tourist's paradise with full of natural as well as cultural heritage sites such as lakes, caves, Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples along with the magnificent views of Lamjung Himal, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and many other mountain peaks. Stay overnight at hotel in Pokhara.

After breakfast, you will drive from Pokhara (915 m.) to Phedi (1130 m.). From Phedi you begin your trek to Pothana (1900m), which is a small Gurung village surrounded by pine and rhododendron forests. You can see close up views of Lamjung and Annapurna Hima. The trail ascends all the way to Pothana through forests till you reach the village called Dhampus. It is a Gurung village which  magnificent views of Annapurna ranges, Lamjung Himal and Manaslu. Stay overnight at lodge.

First part of your trek from Pothana to Deurali gradually ascends. From Deurali the trail descends to Bheri Kharka. From then on, the path is flat till Landruk. The trail from Landruk is a steep descend till Modi Khola. Now the trail ascends all the way up to Ghandruk village. Ghandruk is a big Gurung village from where you can enjoy the mountain view of Annapurna ranges and Fishtail (Machapuchhre). Stay overnight at lodge.

The trek begins through beautiful rhododendron forest enjoying chirping birds. The stream runs down its clear and pure water as you climb up. You will come across the place named Bherikharka with some tea shops and lodges for a rest. It takes another 2 and half hours to reach Tadapani mainly passing through dense forest. Stay overnight at lodge. 

Trek from Tadapani to Ghorepani (2853m.) takes about five hours. 

Today’s trek starts with a short descent till a small stream and then uphill through the Rhododendron forest. You come across a place name Banthahiti with the facility of tea houses and lodges. From here, the trail ascends through the forests up to Gurung Hill. Now the trail descends till Ghorepani. Stay overnight at lodge. 

Early morning hike up to Poon Hill (3232m.) takes about one hour. Poon Hill is a popular viewpoint to see sunrise/sunset and majestic views of Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m.), Tukuche Peak (6920m.), Nilgiri (6940m.), Varaha Shikhar (7847m.), Mt. Annapurna I (8091m.), Annapurna South (7219m.), Annapurna III (7855m.), Machhapuchhare (6993m.), Annapurna IV (7525m.), Annapurna II (7937m.), and Lamjung Himal (6931m.). After spending sometime in Poon Hill, hike back to Ghorepani for breakfast and then continue trekking towards Tatopani. After descending through the rhododendron forest, fine vistas open up as you approach Chitre, with the Dhaulagiri Range straight ahead. The path then leads through terraced fields to Sikha, a Magar village clustered on a ridge. You continue to descend, gradually at first and then more steeply to cross the Ghar Khola. After a short climb you then cross the Kali Gandaki on a large suspension bridge and from here it is only a short distance upstream to Tatopani. Tatopani takes its name from the hot springs near the river below the village. At Tatopani you can enjoy a Natural Hot Springs sauna. Stay overnight at lodge.

The followed route ascends gently up the Kali Gandaki Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world, towards the village of Dana, which is surrounded by orange groves. From autumn to winter, baskets of these oranges are offered for sale to passing travelers. Just beyond the small hamlet of Rupse, a thundering waterfall cascades down beside the trail. From here, the trail enters the steepest and narrowest section of the gorge, but the layered stone path is well-constructed and wide. When the rock cliffs end, you descend to the river before making the short climb back up to Ghasa. This is the first Thakali village you come across and the houses here are all built in the flat-roofed Tibetan style. Stay overnight at lodge.

The trek ascends crossing the wide valley of Kali Gandaki for about six to seven hours. Throughout the trek you enjoy hiking below the mighty Rhododendron trees and many ethnic villages with a sparse population of Gurungs, Thakalis and a few Tibetans. On the way to Marpha you trek along the banks of Kali Gandaki through apple orchards which you can eat for free if it happens to be the fruit season. Marpha is a big village enriched with a Buddhist Monastery in between the village which has its own cultural importance. Stay overnight at lodge.

You continue to follow the wide valley of the Kali Gandaki, passing through Khobang and Tukuche. Tukuche is a delightful village where narrow alleyways and houses are built around enclosed courtyards which attempt to provide some shelter from the winds which howl through the gorge. The wind generally picks up about midday, but will at least be blowing at your back as you head up to Jomsom. After passing through stone-walled orchards, a stone gate marks the entrance to Marpha. White walled houses line both sides of the narrow paved street, under which flows a cleverly made drainage system. Marpha makes a good lunch stop and the courtyards of the many lodges make ideal resting and refreshment places. The local apple brandy is especially well-known! As the trail continues towards Jomsom, the landscape becomes increasingly arid and impressive with its mixture of brown, yellow and grey landscapes, contrasting with the white snow caps of Tilicho and Nilgiri. By afternoon, the stiff winds begin to blow, hastening your way to Jomsom. Stay over night in Jomsom where the howling winds gently take you to a well earned sleep. Stay overnight at lodge.

The trail steeply ascends for a couple of hundred meters. While walking you can enjoy a beautiful deserted landscape, caves, old Tibetan style villages, apple gardens, yak and sheep herds and the peaceful and happy local folks. You can view Thorong La valley straight up to Muktinath. You can also enjoy a delicious lunch at Jharkot and visit a Monastery believed to be built in the 15th century. You then head towards Muktinath following a steeply ascending path for half an hour. You stay overnight at Muktinath village. From here you hike to Rani Pauwa (3700m.), an important pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists. Here you come across natural flaming which really exhilarates you. At this point, you can see splendid views of Dhaulagiri (8165m), Nilgiri (7061m.) and others. Next you hike for fifteen minutes to reach Muktinath Temple, where you can enjoy a holy bath of 108 Taps. The people of Kagbeni, Jharkot and Muktinath are close to the life style, culture, religion and ideas of the Tibetan people. Stay overnight at lodge.

Today you continue down for an early two hours and then walk along a flat path until you reach Jomsom. Between the walk lies Eklebhatti village where you find tea houses and lodges. Stay overnight at lodge.

The flights are available during the morning time. A strong breeze blows during and after and frequent changes in the weather prevent flights from landing and taking off in the afternoon. During the flights in the morning, the skies look very clear which allows you to enjoy splendid views of different mountain peaks. Stay overnight at hotel in Pokhara.

After breakfast early morning, drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu that takes about seven hours. While driving from Pokhara to Kathmandu, you pass through Damauli, Dumre, Muglin and finally Kurintar where Nepal's first Cable car is operated to reach to Manakamana Temple. En route, you will enjoy the mountain views, green sceneries, rice terrace fields, vegetable fields and people being engaged in their daily life activities. Leaving Kurintar you head towards Thankot via Naubise. Thankot is the entry point to Kathmandu. If you choose to fly back to Kathmandu, it takes about 25 minutes. There are several flights from Kathmand to Pokhara from morning to afternoon.