- Destination:Nepal
- Trip Grade:Easy
- Max Elevation:3,710m
- Total Duration:13
- Geography :Mountain/ Forest/ Village
- Religions:Hinduism/Buddhism
- Ethnic People:Gurung/ Thakali
- Transportation:Tourist Bus/Private Car/Flight
- Region:Annapurna
Muktinath Temple lies in the Muktinath Valley on the foothills of the Thorong La Pass. Considered to be sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, Muktinath Temple is a spot for pilgrimage for many from in and out of the country. The courtyard offers a serene ambiance with water spouts, colorful prayer flags wrapped all around and a glorious view of Dhaulagiri. Jomsom, on the other hand, is a town that serves as a hub for travelers bound to the Annapurna circuit. Jomsom Muktinath Trek takes you through some of the most remote and naturally beautiful places in the Annapurna Region.
Jomsom Muktinath Trek will begin at the capital city, Kathmandu where you will start off your journey by visiting certain cultural and historical landmarks such as Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Basantapur Durbar Square. You will travel on to the scenic city of Pokhara with the views of hills crowned with Annapurna and Machhapuchhre. Your trail will take you through hilly paths with lush forests and apple orchards. From the village of Ghorepani, you will have the capacity to witness mind-boggling perspectives of Annapurna and Nilgiri. Enjoy the natural hot springs in Tatopani and the Kali Gandaki River Valley which is considered to be the deepest gorge in the world.
Independent Trekking Guides Adventure brings you Jomsom Muktinath Trek that will take you through major villages and points of Annapurna region, including the Kali Gandaki River Valley and Muktinath Temple. An experienced guide with excellent navigational and communication skills will travel with you throughout your journey. Independent Trekking Guides Adventure has an experience in this field since many years and has planned this itinerary with efficiency so that you will cover maximum ground in the time you will be journeying so that you will deeply explore these parts of Nepal that will leave you wanting for more.
Outline Itinerary
- Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350m/4,428ft)
- Day 02: Kathmandu: sightseeing and trek preparation
- Day 03: Fly to Pokhara (823m/2,700ft) and trek to Tikhedhunga (1,552m/5,090ft): 30 minutes flight, 4-5 hours trek
- Day 04: Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani (2,750m/9,020ft): 6-7 hours
- Day 05: Ghorepani to Tatopani (1,190m/3,904ft): 5-6 hours
- Day 06: Tatopani to Ghasa (2,110m/6,922ft): 5-6 hours
- Day 07: Ghasa to Marpha (2,680m/8,792ft): 4-5hours
- Day 08: Marpha to Kagbeni (2,810/9,218ft): 4-5 hours
- Day 09: Kagbeni to Muktinath (3,710m/12,170ft): 5-6 hours
- Day 10: Muktinath to Jomsom (2,715m/8,910ft): 5-6 hours
- Day 11: Fly back to Pokhara: 15 minutes flight
- Day 12: Drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu
- Day 13: Final departure
Detail Itinerary
- Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350m/4,428ft)
You will arrive at the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu through Tribhuvan International Airport where our representatives will be present to welcome you and aid you to your hotel. Kathmandu is a busy city that lies in a valley with two other major cities- Bhaktapur and Lalitpur, thus, the skyline is entirely covered with hills which is a beautiful sight. Overnight in Kathmandu.
- Day 02: Kathmandu: sightseeing and trek preparation
You will spend a day to prepare yourself for your further trek that includes making sure that you have the necessary papers for traveling and all the basic equipment and necessities you may require.
In the meantime, you can visit several landmarks located in the capital city, including the ancient Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the great stupas of Boudhanath and Swayambhunath and the historical Basantapur Durbar Square. Overnight in Kathmandu.- Day 03: Fly to Pokhara (823m/2,700ft) and trek to Tikhedhunga (1,552m/5,090ft): 30 minutes flight, 4-5 hours trek
From Kathmandu, you will take a scenic flight towards the city of Pokhara. Enjoy a morning view of Machhapuchhre and Annapurna towering over the skyline of the city.
You will then take a trail of 4 to 5 hours, starting from Naya Pul to reach Tikhedhunga. You will pass through hilly paths that will take you across Bhurungdi River, waterfalls and beautiful lush, green mountains. Overnight in Tikhedhunga.- Day 04: Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani (2,750m/9,020ft): 6-7 hours
From Tikhedhunga, a trail of 6 to 7 hours will take you to Ghorepani. Your trail will mostly comprise of steep stair climbs with an excellent view of the surrounding hills which later morphs into dense forests. Ghorepani offers you beautiful views of Annapurna and Nilgiri. Overnight in Ghorepani.
- Day 05: Ghorepani to Tatopani (1,190m/3,904ft): 5-6 hours
You will take a trail from Ghorepani to reach Tatopani in 5 to 6 hours. You will descend and pass through several villages like Ghar Khola Village.
Tatopani can be directly translated to ‘Hot Water’, due to the hot water springs located around the place. You can enjoy bathing in the hot water springs at an altitude of 1190m. Overnight in Tatopani.- Day 06: Tatopani to Ghasa (2,110m/6,922ft): 5-6 hours
You will trek towards Ghasa from Tatopani. Ghasa is a village that lures bird watching enthusiasts. The trail will take you alongside Kali Gandaki River. Kali Gandaki lies in the deepest gorge of the world which you will be able to witness along with views of Annapurna range and Dhaulagiri. Overnight in Ghasa.
- Day 07: Ghasa to Marpha (2,680m/8,792ft): 4-5hours
From Ghasa, you will take a trail towards Marpha. On your way, you will pass through a beautiful apple orchard which is considered to be a specialty of the region. Marpha is populated by the Thakali community of Nepal and the village in itself is distinct due to its Tibetan styled houses with whitewashed walls. Overnight in Marpha.
- Day 08: Marpha to Kagbeni (2,810/9,218ft): 4-5 hours
From Marpha, you will trek onwards for 4 to 5 hours to reach Kagbeni. You will cross the Kali Gandaki River Valley which provides a great view of the surrounding great hills. The barren hills serve as a scenic backdrop for the village of Kagbeni. Overnight in Kagbeni.
- Day 09: Kagbeni to Muktinath (3,710m/12,170ft): 5-6 hours
From Kagbeni, you will reach Muktinath through a trail for 5 to 6 hours. Muktinath houses Muktinath Temple which is a sacred site to both Hindus and Buddhists. Thus, the courtyard of Muktinath is covered in colorful prayer flags. Muktinath is located in the foothills of Thorong La pass. Overnight in Muktinath.
- Day 10: Muktinath to Jomsom (2,715m/8,910ft): 5-6 hours
From Muktinath, you will trek back towards the town of Jomsom. Located at an altitude of 2715m, Jomsom is the hub for travelers traveling through this region. This town is inhabited mainly by the Thakali community of Nepal whose cuisine is considered to be the finest in all of Nepal. Overnight in Jomsom.
- Day 11: Fly back to Pokhara: 15 minutes flight
You will take a short flight back to Pokhara from Jomsom. From the flight, you will see beautiful views of the Annapurna ranges and surrounding hills. Overnight in Pokhara.
- Day 12: Drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu
From Pokhara, you will drive back to the capital city, Kathmandu. The route will take you through roads that snake alongside rivers and hills. Overnight in Kathmandu.
- Day 13: Final departure
Your trek has come to an end. Our representatives will aid you in your departure from Tribhuvan International Airport. We hope to see you joining us again for future endeavors as well.
Our trip to Nepal such a memorable one
I am part of a group of 4 girls who coordinated with Jagat for our 'mini' version of the Annapurna Circuit in early September 2017. We wanted to do the circuit badly but did not have enough time. Jagat and his team came up with a customized itinerary for us to start the trek from Jagat and end at Jomsom which we then flew to Pokhara to take a bus back to Kathmandu. The whole itinerary was very flexible and day to day arrangements can be altered by just communicating with our guide, Gopi. He will come up with the best plan to accommodate our wants and needs.
From the moment we landed at the airport in Kathmandu to the moment we flew out of Nepal, everything was extremely well taken care of by Jagat and his team. Our guide, Gopi and porters, Raju and Tej (whom we call Dada) were like family to us during the entire trek. They were always checking on us to see if we have enough to eat, enough drinking water or can we cope with the trek. They even offered to carry our day packs when they saw us struggling. In fact, I think at most times, if not all, our interests were placed above theirs. They will go all the way out just to help you if there is anything you need at all on the trek.
I don't think we'll be able to find another more patient, caring, trustworthy and detailed team of guides and porters. It was our pleasure to be able to trek with them. They had made our trip to Nepal such a memorable one that all of us didn't want the trip to end. Thank you for the great hospitality. I really look forward to visiting and trekking in Nepal again.
I would readily recommend Jagat and his team to anyone planning to trek in Nepal.
Love from Malaysia,
WanLing
This was my third trip to Nepal and most enjoyable.
I recently had the great pleasure of climbing Island Peak in the Khumbu, Nepal. Jagat Lama was a passionate and dependable resource for trekking and mountaineering in Nepal. He was on the spot as far as preparation for the trip. This was my third trip to Nepal and most enjoyable. Hiring a light and independent team allowed for a cost-effective, flexible and efficient way to climb in Nepal. His assistance was with me from the airport arrival through to departure. He took care of my every need and allowed me to focus on my goal of the summit of Island Peak. My climbing guide, his brother Lal, was competent, caring and successful. I left Nepal with new friendships. I readily endorse his services and would encourage anybody to go with the Independent Trekking Guides. They are honest, caring and willing to make your holiday the most memorable you have ever had. Please, don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about my experiences in Nepal.
It was my dream trip come true. 2010
I am 66 years old and have done a lot of hiking in the USA as well as climbing Mt. Fuji, Orizaba and Iztaacchuatl volcanoes in Mexico. We have hiked to the bottom and back of the Grand Canyon at least 25 times on most of the various trails to the bottom. For me, the crowning trek was to hike in the Himalayan range. We contacted Jagat Lama in Kathmandu, Nepal and signed up for our adventure to hike for two weeks with porters and guides. Our group of friends included three men and three women aged from 60 to 75. I'm sure this would be a daunting task for Jagat and his guides.
We all hiked from Lukla to Namche which was Bill's goal (he's the 75-year-old). One of the guides stayed with Bill, and we continued with the two outstanding guides, Chet and Chandra. These two guides did everything for us; got all of our bags from the porters and put in our rooms, took our menu selections to the cooks, and discussed the plans for the following day. The guides made allowances for some who were having some altitude adjustment issues and gave positive feedback to everyone. They were very patient with all of us and really tried hard to ensure we stayed healthy and happy. I can honestly say that these were two of the best guides weÃve ever had. On our hikes, the guides had to work around some of us who liked to take pictures but needed to do some additional acclimation at higher altitude. As a result three of us were able to hike all the way to Mt. Everest base camp. It was like a moonscape. We met the Korean team that was going to climb Everest as soon as the weather looked better. The base camp is awesome with tents all over the place with prayer flags, and ice towers and rocks everywhere.At 5:00 am we were going to climb Kalapathar (5545m.) When we went out it was snowing and foggy. The weather in the valley is usually clear in the morning, foggy in the afternoon, and big clouds in the later afternoon. Chandra said we should start for Kalapathar as he felt it would clear up - and sure enough, the snow stopped and the sun came out. We made it to the summit in snow and ice.
From this mountain, we took fantastic views of Mt. Everest and Lhotse. We saw an avalanche and heard the cracking sounds coming from the Khumbu glacier. The valley we hiked was very interesting. It surpassed my expectations. I had no idea how many memorials there would be erected for the Everest climbers. It's a sight to see. There were many stupas and monasteries. There are many rock faces that have a Buddha painted or adorned with prayer flags and the rows of prayer wheels to spin. The landscape goes from lush vegetation to flower trees, to pine trees and then the tree line to tundra and almost a moonscape. The children were fun to play with and photograph. As we headed down the valley to Lukla, my wife became sick and we saw that she couldn't hike all the way down. Our great guides arranged for a horse for her to ride so we wouldn't miss our plane. At Lukla, I took my wife to a new, wonderful hospital where she was treated and given medicine. When we reached Kathmandu, there was a strike by the Maoist Communist Party that closed all of the businesses. Jagat again came to our rescue by getting a van and getting us to the airport. He, Chet and Chandra babysat us to make sure we got through the security hassle and on to the right plane. I can't imagine anyone doing anything more or better that Jagat, Chet, and Chandra could have done to make this a wonderful experience that exceeded our expectations. I recommend his services to you if you're planning to go anywhere in Nepal or Tibet. It was my dream trip come true.
Dreams of trekking in the Himalaya.May 2010
In April/May 2010 I was part of a group of nine individuals who used Jagat Lama to coordinate our trek to Kala Pattar and Everest Base Camp. From taking care of obtaining our TIMS cards on the first day all the way through to seeing us off to the airport in Kathmandu when our trip was finished, Jagat took care of everything. Trust me when I say that there are a lot of details that need tending to in between the two above events. Jagat and his crew exceeded all expectations and made our trip stress free. This fact allows one to concentrate of the arduous task of getting to Base Camp while trusting Jagat and his crew to care of the daily details such as obtaining food and shelter. I highly recommend that you do as I did and have Jagat and his crew work with you to meet your Nepali dreams of trekking in the Himalaya.
