The Jomsom Muktinath Trek is an exhilarating popular trek through the famous Nepalese regions Annapurna and Mustang. This trek follows a part of the beautiful Annapurna Circuit. The most obvious mark of this trail is trekking along the gorge polished by the Kali Gandaki River, which is in charge of transporting the Tibetan plateau waters towards India’s Ganges.
Your trek adventure starts with visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Monuments from Kathmandu and Pokhara. The itinerary starts in Nayapul, and advances into the Annapurna region with stops at Jomsom and Muktinath, a pilgrimage place for Buddhists and Hindus, and enters gradually in the Mustang region. For Hindu devotees, Muktinath is considered sacred and if one washes himself in these waters they will be saved after death. For the Buddhists it is the source of shaligrams – fossilized ammonites and the place of meditation of the great sage Guru Rinpoche.
During your journey you will enjoy the charming village of Ghorepani, the famous hot springs from Tatopani and admire the spectacular sunrise above the Himalayan peaks in Poon Hill.
While you hike towards the lower Mustang region, you will pass through the village of Kagbeni, a Tibetan style village that prides itself with a Buddhist monastery, lots of chortens and prayer wheels.
The maximum elevation of Jomsom Muktinath Trek is 3,802 m and is reached in Muktinath, where you will explore the historical temple, a pagoda style one erected in the honor of Lord Vishnu.
While on your way inside this region you will encounter quaint settlements, verdant forests, surprising waterfalls and arid areas. The multifarious scenery together with the mix of local cultures will offer you multiple insights into the rural life of these harsh mountain people. You will pass via lots of charming Thakali villages and observe the lifestyle of groups like Magars, Brahmins, Gurungs, Chhetris or Thakalis.
Jomsom Muktinath Trek is a relatively easy trek, with few challenges at high elevations, this trek can be done all year round and is suitable for tourists that want a slow paced hike in the mountains.
You will be welcomed by a Himalayan Steps representative at Tribhuvan International Airport – Kathmandu, outside the airport terminal and transferred to the hotel.
Note: Depending on your arrival hour, you will attend a pre-trip meeting, where you will be introduced to your trek tour guide/leader. Please ensure you bring your passport, your travel insurance policy and three passport size photos. Also, you will be invited to sign a non-liability disclaimer, the legally binding trip form and ask all the questions you judge necessary.
Accommodation in hotel. Meals not included.
After breakfast, your tour starts with a guided visit of Kathmandu and its surroundings. The most prominent monuments of the area, listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites are on the list: Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Bhaktapur Durbar Square. And the temple of Nyatapola, Bhairavnath temple, Batsala temple, Dattatreya temple, Pujari Muth, the Royal Quarter of Bhupatindra Malla, Palace of 55 windows.
Accommodation in hotel with breakfast.
Travelling day by bus following the banks of the Phewa Lake to arrive in Pokhara. The town is famous for marvelous vistas of enormous mountains Annapurna, Machapuchare, Dhaulagiri, Lamjung Himal, Manaslu.
Accommodation in hotel with breakfast.
After a short drive to reach Nayapul, your adventure in the Annapurna region starts with a relatively short and rather easy trek that passes through the banks of Modi Khola, the village of Birethanti, the banks of Bhurungdi Khola, Hille and ends in Tikhedhunga at an altitude of 1,570 m. This is the preview of your Annapurna trekking experience.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
The day starts with a steep climb to a Magar village called Ulleri, after that via rhododendrons and oak forests you head up towards Banthanti, after that follows Nangethanti to finally end up in Ghorepani.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Poon Hill ranks high among the best viewpoints in Nepal and admiring the sunrise from Poon Hill above the Himalayas it’s a not to be missed experience. The destination of the day is Tatopani, and you will arrive there passing through Chitre, Sikha, Ghara, Ghar Khola and following the Kaligandaki River to reach the hot springs arena.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
The deepest gorge in the world Kali Gandaki is on your visiting list for today. It is considered the deepest as it is nestled among two colossus Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. After that, your itinerary arrives to Dana, Rupse Chhahara, Kopchepani and finally to Ghasa.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
The trekking route follows the river, drives your steps to Larjung, Khobang village and finally arrives to the old Thakali village called Tukuche.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
The trekking trail of the day starts from Tukuche, continues along the valley to arrive in Jomsom the administrative capital of the omonim region, then reaches to Eklai Bhatti, Muktinath and finally to Kagbeni. This is a very interesting village with its mix of Tibetan cultures and charming hospitality.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
The day will start with a sharp ascension towards the Jhong Khola valley, before meeting the direct route to Muktinath, passing to the village of Jharkot and arriving in the end at Muktinath. Muktinath is a pilgrimage spot for Hindus and Buddhists alike. There are shrines, a buddhist gompa, the temple of Jwala Mai dedicated to Lord Vishnu and, of course, the ancient temple that hosts the natural gas stream responsible for the famous eternal flame of Muktinath.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
You will follow the same path to return to Jomsom via Ekle Bhatti.
Accommodation in guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
In the morning you will take a short half hour flight to arrive in Pokhara. In the afternoon you are invited to a guided tour inside Pokhara Valley, you will visit the Fewa Lake, Gupteshwor cave, Devis Falls, the Tibetan Refugee Settlements and the museum.
Accommodation in hotel with breakfast.
Today is planned a city tour of Pokhara, you will visit among others the Bindhyabasini Temple and Seti River Gorges.
Accommodation in hotel with breakfast.
The returning route to Kathmandu will be covered by bus. In the evening you are invited to enjoy a traditional Nepalese farewell dinner together with a cultural show.
Accommodation in hotel with breakfast and farewell dinner.
Your tour in Nepal reached its end and today you will be transferred to the airport for your departure towards your next destination.
Accommodation in hotel with breakfast.
The information below has been created so that you can use this as a guide in understanding the necessary equipment, clothing, gear, medicines and miscellaneous items required for this trekking tour. This list is of a general nature and you may decide to add or remove some of these items, please make sure that you have enough clothing to maximize your comfortability whilst on the trek.
We will provide you with a porter and a duffel bag to support and carry your heavier belongings however we do recommend that you also bring your own daypack to carry your money, personal items and any important documents.
(Important: Our guide will already have a first aid kit which they bring with them however we also recommend that you bring some of these medicines with you in your daypack too.)
Helpful Tip: For the majority of these items, clothing and equipment we recommend that you buy most of these when you arrive in Kathmandu. That way it will be a lot cheaper for you, take a look at our Kathmandu trekking gear guide here: http://himalayansteps.com/buying-trekking-gear-in-kathmandu/
The Jomsom Muktinath trek is physically possible for anyone that is of an average fitness level, there is no previous experience required. We generally recommend however that you train for 2-3 months in advance of your departure date and some of the activities you can do is walking or hiking, running or even better running on a treadmill at incline. Alternatively swimming is a great choice too.
Typically you should be doing at least one or a combination of these activities for an hour each time and roughly 4 times a week in the lead up to your trek in Nepal.
Yes, one of our staff members will be waiting at the airport with a signboard ready to collect you once you arrive and from there we will transfer you by private vehicle to the hotel.
Yes, you can purchase a visa when you arrive at the Tribhuvan International airport in Kathmandu. There are two choices for tourist visa which are listed below:
– Multiple entry tourist visa for up to 30 days costing $40 USD.
– Multiple entry tourist visa for up to 90 days costing $100 USD.
You will need to bring with you a copy of your passport, travel insurance papers and 3 passport size photos which will be used for any trekking permits required to access the mountain areas.
In Kathmandu and Pokhara, you can expect to stay in a standard room at a 3 star hotel which will include breakfast.
Whilst you are trekking you will be staying in traditional teahouse accommodation which will have a bed and clean mattress as well as a cover for you to sleep in. We do however recommend that you bring your own sleeping bag which you can take with you from home or alternatively rent/buy one in Kathmandu before you go trekking. The teahouse will provide you with a selection of food and sometimes this will be eaten around a warm fire in a group setting.
Along the trail itself the teahouse lodges usually offer twin sharing bedrooms in a dormitory style room. Sometimes the teahouse lodge staff will make available a private room for you at no extra cost depending on whether or not the room is available.
In Kathmandu, if you would like to have your own room at the hotel this can be arranged and typically there is always availability. For this there is an additional single supplementary cost of $40USD per night.
Swapping the teahouse accommodation with Kathmandu instead is not possible, included in this package is two nights of hotel accommodation in Kathmandu.
In the unlikely event of a flight cancellation or alternatively if you arrive back to Kathmandu early due to sickness, bad weather conditions or personal reasons you will need an extra night in Kathmandu which can be available for a supplementary cost.
Ideally and in most cases we will use the toilets provided at the various teahouse or lodge accommodation along the trail however in the event of an emergency, hikers are recommended to find a private and convenient place along the trail to go to the toilet.
The vast majority of the tea houses offer standard western style toilets with normal flushing capability. Occasionally in the areas of higher altitude there are squat toilets which are made with a ceramic base or a few wooden planks situated over a hole in the ground and these are always located outside.
At every teahouse accommodation along the trail, you can purchase toilet paper from them directly for a small fee. However we always recommend that you bring your own hand sanitizers and a towel if necessary.
The majority of teahouses or lodges along the trail will offer a selection of different food choices which primarily consist of vegetarian dishes. Some of these dishes on the menu include pasta, noodles, potatoes, tuna bakes, bread, soups, fresh vegetables and traditional dishes such as Daal Bhat (rice and lentils) or momos (dumplings).
If you have a sweet tooth, there are also a choice of different desserts such as apple pies or pancakes. Garlic is a popular ingredient used in the cooking which can actually have acclimatization benefits. Soft drinks and hot drinks like coffee, tea and hot chocolate are readily available as well as snacks like chocolate and crisps.
Yes absolutely, overall the food is generally very safe to eat and cooked to a decent standard following good health and safety measures. We recommend that you eat vegetarian dishes and try some of our local cuisines too!
Being vegetarian is absolutely fine because the teahouses and lodges primarily serve vegetarian meals on their menu. We generally recommend that you only eat vegetarian dishes and avoid any heavy or non-vegetarian dishes to prevent any situation of food poisoning especially in the higher altitude regions.
Bottled water is readily available to purchase at any of the teahouse or lodge accommodations along the trail. The prices to buy a bottle of water can vary between $2USD – $4USD and typically the higher the elevation that you are trekking to the prices are more expensive as well.
If you would like to drink normal water, make sure that you bring purification tablets and purify the water before drinking. It is possible to buy purification tablets in your hometown or alternatively in Kathmandu, Lukla or Namche Bazaar.
This can vary depending on your spending habits however in general if you are in Kathmandu you can expect to pay somewhere between $10USD – $15USD for a lunch and dinner.
During the trek itself, we recommend that you have between $15USD – $18USD per person per day if you would like to purchase water bottles, chocolates and snack as well as having hot showers.
As you go higher up the mountain, in general the cost associated for buying things is higher too because the items are supplied locally by helicopter, horse, mules and porters and as a result the prices are more expensive.
Yes, in the areas of lower elevation it is possible to have a hot shower at the teahouse or lodge accommodations.
In higher elevation areas typically warm water and a bucket will be provided. In general it will cost $2USD – $4USD for these facilities and its more expensive in the areas of high elevation.
We highly recommend that you exchange your currency whilst you are in Kathmandu into local Nepali Rupees and bring this cash with you before you go trekking around the mountains.
If you exchange your foreign currency whilst in the mountains this will be more expensive and could result in you receiving a lower exchange rate so therefore exchanging cash in Kathmandu and bringing this with you beforehand is advisable.
This depends on the type of travel you are embarking on, the transportation we provide can change. Sometimes domestic flights, various vehicles or even riding on a mule or yak is possible. We can assure you that each mode of transport we provide is carefully chosen by our team to enhance your experience making sure that you have a combination of comfort and efficiency whilst travelling.
For sightseeing and city tours and transfers we use private tourist vehicles. For larger group sizes we sometimes use minibuses or vans. The vehicles are typically air conditioned to help prevent feeling too hot.
In regards to domestic flights between Jomsom and Pokhara we mainly use one of the following most popular airlines: Sita Air, Tara Air and Simrik air.
Typically you fly between Jomsom and Pokhara with either a Twin Otter or Dornier style aircraft however on some occasions these services are cancelled due to bad weather conditions or technical difficulties. In this case, Himalayan Steps will organize a private vehicle by road.
Yes, you will need to book your own international flights between your hometown and Nepal. Himalayan Steps is a local tour operator and if the international flights were included, the cost for our tours would be substantially higher.
Your booking is only confirmed once you have purchased this trekking tour online with approximately a 30% deposit. The remaining balance can be paid once you arrive in Kathmandu to one of our staff members.
The remaining balance can be paid to us once you arrive in Kathmandu using USD currency in cash.
If you want to cancel your reserved tour, we may refund your fee payable to us minus a $150 cancellation fee (5000 INR for Indian Nationals). Himalayan Steps will not accept refunds for flights if we already booked your flight. In some cases we may reschedule your trip at no cost or with some cost if you provide us with 7 days advance notice.
We will not give any refunds if you finish the trekking earlier or later, or cancel your tour for medical or personal reason while trekking.
The peak trekking seasons are usually between mid-September to the end of May each year. The monsoonal weather period starts to calm down from the beginning of September. Between September to December it consists of warm conditions during the day and cool climates in the evening.
The best times to go trekking in this region are February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. Between July to mid-September this is raining season across Nepal.
The weather and climate in Nepal can be unpredictable and ever changing.
Spring season is during March, April, May and June. Monsoon season is during July, August and mid-September. Autumn season is between the end of September and during October and November. Winter season is between December, January and February.
For a detailed understanding of the weather and climate in Nepal and the Everest region, take a look at our detailed guide here: http://himalayansteps.com/everest-base-camp-weather-climate/
Yes, safety and efficiency are of huge importance to us. All of our trekking guides are highly qualified and have received the necessary trekking guide and first aid training required and each of them have certificates they have gained through a series of accredited training courses.
Your allocated trekking guide will be available 24 hours a day for any of your health and safety requirements during your trek. They are first aid trained and have an understanding of how to use Oxymeter devices which help to monitor the oxygen levels during periods of high altitude.
Our guides carry with them local telephone sim cards that can be used for any updates or emergency organizational requirements. In the unlikely event that an emergency situation should arise, our trekking guides are in constant communication 24-7 with our Operations Manager and the staff in our office based in Kathmandu. We can organize horse and mules as well as helicopters if required during an emergency or if a client is sick on the mountain and require hospital assistance.
There is no requirement to provide documentation for immunization when entering Nepal however although it’s not essential we do recommend that you are immunized with diphtheria TB, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, *malaria, typhoid, polio and tetanus if possible. A dental check-up before you go to Nepal is advised along with understanding which blood group type you have. We have written an article about the required vaccinations, to understand more on this, take a look here: http://himalayansteps.com/vaccinations-for-nepal-what-you-need-to-know/
Should you have any known medical conditions, please notify your trekking guide and our Himalayan Steps staff members.
This is totally dependent on the overall level of sickness you are experiencing. Should you feel sick in a higher altitude location, you will need to rest afterwards in a lower altitude location and the recovery period can take anywhere between 3 days to a week to feel better.
Please make sure that you discuss any health concerns with your guide. If you are travelling as a solo individual then this can be organized however if you are in a group, the options are limited however sometimes you can catch up with the group at a later stage ,make sure you discuss this with your trekking guide at the time.
Some of the different villages that you will enter along the trail will have telephones that you can use for international phone calls.
Our trekking guides have their own local sim cards and mobile devices for communicating between them and our office in Kathmandu or in the event of emergencies.
However you could potentially use their mobile device to make international calls if required and then afterwards you can pay the guide for this depending on what the call costs are.
Yes, typically you can charge your camera or mobile device in any hotel in Kathmandu as well as the teahouse and lodge accommodation along any of the trekking trails.
The teahouse and lodges sometimes will charge a small fee for these charging services.
Make sure that you bring the necessary two/three pin adapters required for plugging these devices into the power sockets in Nepal.
The hotel in Kathmandu will provide you with a storage facility/room to hold any of your belongings that you would not like to take on the trek and there are no additional costs, it’s available for free.
This can be a challenging decision to make with regards to what it should cost, from our experience we have seen our clients tip the guides and porters with anything between $20USD to $1000USD.
Tipping is not required however a little thank you and something towards their hard efforts is hugely appreciated. We recommend that you spend around 10% of the total trek as extra cost towards tipping. This is usually split between the trekking guide, porters and local staff.
Yes absolutely! All of our fixed departures are guaranteed to go ahead and we never cancel any of these scheduled tours due to not having the required amount of people.
Should you want to organise a private individual tour that can be arranged with a small additional fee for some costs associated which you can request and discuss with us at the time of your booking.
Himalayan Steps takes pride in offering the very best trekking tours throughout the Himalayas to places such as Everest Base Camp, Annapurna, Gokyo Lakes in Nepal and Valley of Flowers in Ladakh region of India.