Jomsom Muktinath Trek

Itinerary Detail

Day 01: “Arrival in Kathmandu Airport & transfer to hotel”

Day 02: Travel to Pokhara by Tourist Bus/private Vehicle or Flight. Visit around the lake and tourist markets. Over night Hotel

Day 03: Drive to Naya Pul by private Vehicle (1 hour) to begin trek. Trek to Tikhedhunga( 1540m) for 4 hours” Over night

Day 04: Trek to Ghorepani

Leaving Tikhedunga, we begin our journey with steep climb to Ulleri. Ulleri is a large Magar village at 2070m. Then the trail continues to ascend more gently, through fine forests of oak & rhododendron towards Banthanti at 2250m. Then we make our trek towards Nangethanti at 2460m. After an hour walk brings you to Ghorepani at 2775m.

Day 05: Ghorepani to Tatopani

We begin the trek for hiking to Poon Hill. It takes an hour to climb from here to Poon Hill, offering you one of the best Himalayan viewpoints in Nepal from where spectacular Himalayan ranges with amazing sunrise view can be seen very closely.After observing the wonderful Himalayas views, we return to Ghorepani and we will have hot breakfast. After breakfast, we continue our journey to Tatopani. Tato means ‘hot’ and pani is ‘water’, a name earned courtesy of the hot springs by the river. Tatopani is one of the popular shorter trek spot out of Pokhara.

Day 06: Tatopani to Kalopani

Today, the trail continues up the Kali Gandaki gorge. This is considered to be the deepest in the world which is situated as it is between the two 8000m peaks of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. From there, trail rises gently up to Dana at 1400m, & on to Rupse Chhahara at 1550m, there you can see a stunning waterfall. As the trail crosses to the eastern bank of the river, you will reach Kopchepani, & then crosses back to the western side on a suspension bridge at 1935m. From here it is a short climb to Ghasa at 2080m. The trail continues to ascend & pass through Lete at 2470m, shortly before arriving at Kalopani at an elevation of 2560m, where we obtain superb views of the Nilgiri peaks to the east.

Day 07: Kalopani to Marpha

This day we start the trek by crossing to the eastern side of the river, but cross back again further up the trail before entering Larjung at 2560m. The trail continues on a short distance to the interesting village of Khobang with its narrow alleyways. Then will have our lunch at the ancient Thakali village of Tukuche at 2590m. After Tukuche, the trail continues up the Kali Gandaki. As we pass through the gorge, the terrain becomes much more barren & the breeze increases. We continue towards Marpha at 2665m passing a Tibetan refuge settlement & then a horticulture research station. Marpha is a large Thakali village with many excellent teahouses; however it still retains the typical architectural features of narrow alleyways, flat roofs, & whitewashed buildings. There we will visit a superb Nyingmapa Buddhist gompa.

Day 08: Marpha to Kagbeni

From Marpha, we climb along the side of the valley to Jomsom at 2713m. Jomsom is a large, bustling settlement, & it is the administrative centre of the region that contains the airport, army camp, & numerous hotels, shops, banks & government offices. On the way, we cross the river to the eastern bank, we then walk onwards to Eklai Bhatti at 2730m. From here we catch a direct route to Muktinath that ascends the hill behind the village, however we follow the trail along the river to Kagbeni at 2810m which is situated at the junction of the Jhong Khola & the Kali Gandaki, the northernmost village that can be visited without a permit to continue on to Mustang. This village fascinates rich Tibmetan cultures & their unique hospitality, influences us much.

Day 09: Kagbeni to Muktinath

We make a steep climb up the Jhong Khola valley leaving Kagbeni, we then join the direct trail to Muktinath just below Khingar at 3200m. From here trail continues high above the Jhong Khola to the imposing village of Jharkot at 3500m which is well worth exploring. We, therefore, take a break here for lunch before continuing on to Muktinath. As we leave Jharkot, the trail climbs up to our ultimate destination of Muktinath at 3800m. We initially visit Ranipauwa, there are many teahouses and shops. Our overnight stay will be here. Further 10 minutes’ walks up the hill, we will be rewarded with the actual religious site of Muktinath & this area is kept free of hotels and camping sites. Muktinath is a pilgrimage center for Buddhists and Hindus. There we can see Tibetan traders as well as sadhus from the far south of India. There are shrines in a grove of trees including a Buddhists gompa & the Vishnu temple of Jwalamai, The old temple nearby shelters a spring and natural gas jets that provide Muktinath’s famous eternal flame. It’s the earth-water – fire combination that accounts for Muktinath’s great religious significance.

Day 10: Trek back to Jomsom. Overnight at Hotel

Day 11: Jomsom flight to Pokhara, End of trek.

Jomsom Muktinath Trek

Cost Includes

– Annapurna conservation area permits,

– Trekking Map of Annapurna region

– Full Board Plan (breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation, tea or coffee) during trek,

– Join Nepali Cultural Program with dinner,

– Hotel in Kathmandu as your requirements,

– Hotel in Pokhara on BB plan,

– An experienced licensed holder Guide and required porters

– Food, drinks, salary, insurance, equipment, transportation, accommodation, and local tax for guide and porters,

– Transportation by bus, car or by flight,

– Medical kit box

– TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management Systems)

– Trekking Equipment’s

– All government tax

– All guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu and entry fees

– All necessary transportation while sightseeing

– Airport pick up and drop with an escort

Cost Excludes

– Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara,

– Your travel insurance,

– International flight and departure tax,

– Any expense of personal nature,

– Nepal entry visa fee,

– Any kinds of Bar bills,

– All the alcoholic and non-alcoholic Drinks,

– Rescue operation.

Jomsom Muktinath Trek

Essential Information

When trekking in Nepal Himalayas “Altitude related Problems” are the important factors to be considered because there is always a real danger of mild to serious problems related to altitude and it is important that trekkers understand that they will be affected to a greater or lesser extent when they ascend to altitudes over about 3000 meters. Altitude sickness, often known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and it means the effect of altitude on those who ascend too rapidly to elevation above 3000 meters. The victim can develop severe symptoms very rapidly if the mild effects are ignored.

We advise our clients to remember the following suggestion when you are on trekking in the high altitude areas above 3000 meters. The following are the basic symptoms of the altitude sickness and to avoid such sickness we recommend few important points.

1. Basic Symptoms:

Loss of appetite

Sleep disturbance

Difficult to pass urine

2. Medium Symptoms:

Headache which is bad

Irregular breathing

Nausea

Mild weakness

3. Serious Symptoms:

Slight swelling of hands and face

Cannot stand upright without swaying while eyes are closed

Can hear gurgling sound in the chest

Zero energy.

What to do about Altitude Sickness?

Altitude illness can be prevented by acclimatization; that is, by a graduate rate of ascent (not more than 400 – 500 meters), allowing sufficient rest at various intermediate altitudes. The dry air of the mountains tends to dehydrate you so an increased fluid intake is necessary. Try to drink at least four liters of water a day. On the trail you can drink hot garlic soup that will help you to some extent. When we reach to our destination it is better to make some hiking up to a bit higher point and come down to the camp or hotel. This is a really good way to get acclimatization. You may take Diamox 250mg tablets the night before flying / going to altitude. Sometimes the symptoms often disappear and the trek can be resumed.

If you feel obviously suffering from the serious symptoms of AMS then descent should not be delayed even if it means going down in dark. In such case, should an emergency situation arise, horse, or porter will be arranged; or we carry you and run to lower (descend) altitudes. There is communication facility at Namche Bazaar; Doctors at Khunde hospital in the Everest Area and HRA Clinics and in some trekking areas also have the Gamow Bag. The hospital or the clinic will take fees or charges for such services. We can arrange for immediate evacuation, by horse or helicopter, depending on the severity of the case.