Jomsom Trek is a great way to absorb stunning mountain views and spend time in quaint and remote villages in the Annapurna region. The Jomsom trek takes you to an ancient kingdom of Mustang where lifestyles of locals have not changed since centuries. Visit the shrine of Muktinath and mesmerize by the barren landscape of Mustang. To top it all, you will be presented with majestic vistas of Mt. Annapurna and Mt. Dhaulagiri ranges. Not to mention the deepest gorge in the world that falls between these two giant massifs.
After an early morning breakfast, drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara (914m.) takes about seven hours. Enjoy scenic views of mountains, hills, villages, and rivers along the highway.
Pokhara is a tourist's paradise featuring lakes, caves, Buddhist monasteries, and Hindu temples along with magnificent views of Lamjung Himal, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, etc. Stay overnight at hotel in Pokhara.
After an early morning breakfast, drive from Pokhara (915 m.) to Ulleri (2070m.) takes approximately 3 hours. Then trek from Ulleri to Ghorepani (2675 m.) passing through dense forests of oak and rhododendron. Stay overnight at lodge.
Early morning hike up to Poon Hill (3232 m.) takes about one hour. Poon Hill is a popular viewpoint to see sunrise/sunset and majestic views of the tallest Himalayan peaks. After spending some time on Poon Hill, hike back to Ghorepani for breakfast and then continue trekking towards Tatopani (1189m), which takes about four and a half hours.
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 snowcaps 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 the trail mostly descends all the way to Jomsom. This is an easy and pleasant trek. Jomsom is a popular town based on the bank of Kali Gandaki River and is the starting point of Upper Mustang trek. Stay overnight at lodge.
Early morning flight from Jomsom to Pokhara (914m.) takes about 25 minutes. The flight is a scenic one with panoramic views of Himalayan peaks, especially Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri etc. as well as Kaligandaki River. The flight to/from Jomsom occurs only in the morning because of high wind in afternoon time. In case of cancellation of flights due to bad weather, you can alternatively choose to drive from Jomsom to Pokhara takes about 7 hrs. Stay overnight at hotel in Pokhara
After breakfast early morning, drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu that takes about six hours. During the highway journey, you will enjoy the mountain views, green sceneries, rice terrace fields, vegetable fields and people being engaged in their daily life activities. If you choose to fly back to Kathmandu, it takes about 25 minutes. There are several flights from Kathmandu to Pokhara from morning to afternoon.
Below is a list of equipment and clothing required for trekking. The necessity of these items depends on the type, altitude, timing and destination of trekking. Appropriate trekking gears are not only required for the comfort/pleasure of your trek but also to improve safety factor. Please have a look over these items in order to fully prepare and thoroughly enjoy the trekking.
General Items:
Daypack, Rucksack, Sleeping bag, Duffel bag, Walking Poles, walking boots, sandals, Toiletries (Soaps, Toilet papers, Sanitizers, toothpaste, tooth brush, etc.)
Clothing Items:
Thermal underwear, Down jacket, Shorts, Trekking trousers, Towels, Woolen gloves, Gaiters, Fleece jacket or Pullover, Wind/water proof jacket, Raincoat, Warm socks, buff
Sun-worn Items:
Sun hat, Sunglasses, Snow goggles, Sunscreen, Lip balm
Gadgets:
Headlamp, Flash light, Binoculars, Cameras (chargers and batteries),
Liquid/Snacks:
Water bottle/bladder, Water purification Iodine tablets, Energy bars and snacks
Medical Essentials:
First Aid Kit
Optional:
Altimeter, Compass, Binoculars, Books/magazines, GPS, Pocket knife, Candles (for lodges), Notebook with pencil/pen, etc
Additional items for camping trek:
Tent, Stove and fuel, Utensils for cooking, eating and drinking, sleeping mattresses
Note: We can also provide sleeping bag, down jacket, duffel bag, walking poles, and First Aid Kit in case if you don’t have one. These items are inclusive of total package price.
Xiaoda Yan
Thanks to our excellent guide (Shiva) & porter ( Krishna) for presenting us such a wonderful Jomsom trek in past 10 days. Even it was monsoon & rains sometimes. We have a good memory about the scenic view along the trek.
Reinhard Wolfang Traub
Many thanks for a wonderful trek in Mustang and beyond to Nava and our guide Ramesh and the most helpful Gopal, our porter. This was a challenging and enjoyable experience.
Gerd Heino Hochapfel
Being the first time – Nepal I really enjoyed this beautiful trek - the Annapurna area. It was challenging teaching and fulfilled a life dream.
Simon, Chen Chen Moynihan
Our trek with environmental trek was just perfect, clock work, well arranged and managed.Our 5 years old and 7 years old kids absolutely loved ach and everyday of the Jomsom trek. Our guide Surya was great and with the two porters; Ram and Godess nothing was too much trouble for them. They were great with the kids too. The scenery and excitement of each day was awesome, can not wait to do
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