from 4 reviews
12 Days
Moderate
15 people
___
The Lower Mustang trek – walking from Pokhara to Muktinath via Poon hill
The Jomsom trek as it is commonly known is also a part of the Annapurna Circuit Trek. It begins from Pokhara, goes over Poon hill, and passes through the Valley of Kali Gandaki River to the pilgrim site of Muktinath.
The natural beauty along the Pokhara – Jomsom – Muktinath trek is breathtaking. The scenery of the trail ranges from the forests of brilliant red rhododendrons to rocky cliffs and deserts of the Mustang region.
The Jomsom Muktinath trek trail follows part of the popular poon hill trek and descends down to Kali Gandaki River valley which used to be the trade route between India and China long ago. Kaligandaki river forms the most massive gorge in the world and on one side lies the Annapurna mountain range and on the other hand, lays the Dhaulagiri both over 8000 meter high. Between the two varieties, there are views of 8 of the 20 highest mountains in the world. The Kali Gandaki is a quarter of a mile wide river bed, and during the winters the river is practically dry, but during the summers and monsoons, the water level rises with rainwater and melting snow. You can find fossil rocks in the banks of Kali Gandaki River which is believed to be sacred for the Hindus and known as Saligrams – the incarnation of Lord Bishnu.
The culture among the trail is rich with the religious mixture of Hindus and Tibetan Buddhist followers.
The trail weaves through the Lower Mustang region of Nepal ending at the village of Kagbeni which is a Tibetan influenced village filled with prayer wheels, small stupas (chortens), and a Buddhist monastery. The Kaligandaki Jomsom – Muktinath trail was also the part of Silk road in the past.
The highest point on this trail is Muktinath at 3800 meters – a holy site of temples that have been sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus for centuries.
There is a motorable road now between Pokhara to Jomsom and Muktinath, so if you wish not to walk the whole trail it is possible to use a Jeep or Bus. The Muktinath Temple is a famous pilgrimage site for a large number of Hindu followers in India and every year lots of pilgrims from Nepal, India, and from around the world visit Muktinath Temple ( also known as Mukti Chetra – means land of salvation). Further from the small Town, Kagbeni is the famous Upper Mustang region known as a lost Tibetan kingdom which is famous for walking Holidays.
You will be welcomed by our representative on your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Later, you will be transferred to your hotel. Check into the hotel, freshen up, relax a bit or you can explore the vicinity until we meet in the evening for the trip briefing. The time for the briefing will be informed to you once you arrive at hotel. Stay overnight at hotel. Thamel Eco Resort or similar
After breakfast in the morning we go for the Kathmandu sightseeing tour. We are going to do the UNESCO CULTURAL HERITAGE TOUR today which includes: Swoyambhunath - The oldest Buddhist Stupa in Kathmandu Valley, a beautiful abode for lots of monkeys thus also known as Monkey Temple, is also a perfect vantage point to see Kathmandu valley. Pashupatinath- A holy pilgrimage for Hindus and Hindu Crematorium, watch as the Hindu dead bodies are cremated in the most unique way in the world; we come across men with ash rubbed body, matted locks and dreaded look which is typical look of a Hindu Holy Men known as Sadhus. Boudhanath- the biggest Buddhist temple in the world; a site for Tibetan Buddhism where we can visit monasteries, watch the Holy Monks busy in their chanting ritual going around the temple. Patan Durbar Square- A Medieval Royal Palace area which is also known as the city of fine arts, we can see the finest example of metal and stone carving back to 14th century and also the amazing Nepali Architecture. Stay in hotel.
Early morning breakfast and we check out the hotel to go to Pokhara. A 7 hours drive by tourist bus takes us to the amazingly beautiful city of Pokhara 200 km west of Kathmandu. The drive is very scenic which goes through the winding and stretching road along side the famous rafting river of Trishuli and later on Marsyangdi. The passing through some beautiful small Nepali towns will give you some glimpses of countryside of Nepal.
Take a short but scenic flight in the morning to a stunning town of Jomsom. A twenty minutes\' flight with a very close up view of Annapurna range takes you to the mountain town of Jomsom. Feel welcomed by the mountain air in Jomsom and start the trek of the day to Kagbeni along the bank of Kali Gandaki river. A five hours gentle walk takes you to this beautiful place in the middle of the mountains. Enjoy the view of the mountains.
Wake up early to a beautiful morning, take breakfast and start the walk of the day to Muktinath. Muktinath is a very important holy pilgrimage site for the Hindus and even for non Hindus the place has a special spiritual charm. An about six hours walk takes you to this enchanting place. . Stay at a tea house.
Wake up to another fresh and beautiful morning, feel refreshed with each inhale of the mountain air. Drive to Jomsom after breakfast and trek to Marpha. Experience and enjoy the mountain driving in Nepal for about one and half hours and trek gentle down hill for about two hours to Marpha, today\'s stopover.
Take another day experience of mountain driving in Nepal. Drive to Tatopani (Hot Water) after breakfast. Once you reach Tatopani, you can enjoy a bath natural hot spring pool and wash the tiredness away. Rest in a tea house
It\'s a long day today. It will take you about eight hours to reach a magnificently beautiful town of ghorepani. Once you reach there, enjoy the close up view of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain range. Stay in a tea house.
Early morning wake up to hike to a stunning view point of Poon hill for a breathtaking panoramic view of the mountains and an incredible sunrise. Walk back to the tea house and enjoy the breakfast. Map the trail down hill again to reach Nayapul from where you drive to Pokhara. It is a very long day considering the time you wake up at and the trek itself is long too, although it\'s all down hill and gentle trail. Once you check into hotel in Pokhara, find some relaxing time on your own.
Today is the day to explore Pokhara. We go for boating on the lake and visit a temple in the middle of the lake. We have free time to enjoy the natural beauty of Pokhara. You can go for relaxing massage, spa treatment. You can also go for adventure activities like Paragliding, ultralight flight, zip flyer etc in an extra cost. Stay in Pokhara
Drive back to Kathmandu today after breakfast. It takes about 7 hours to reach Kathmandu. You can choose to fly back with an extra cost (In that case, let us know in at least 3 days in advance). Later in the evening, we go for farewell Nepali dinner with cultural show in Kathmandu and can have discussion about the trip experience. Stay in hotel.
Today is the last day of the trip, so we will transfer you to airport for the final departure.
Thoughtful thoughts to your inbox
crsbrz
Good choice