Jomsom Muktinath Trek

At an altitude of 3,600 meters (base) at the bottom of the Thorong La mountain pass in the Mustang region, Muktinath is a largely revered sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists.

Hindus call the point Mukti Kshetra, which means the” place of deliverance”, and it’s one of the most ancient tabernacles of the God Vishnu and the Vaishnava tradition in Nepal. The sanctum is considered one of the eight sacred places known as Svayam Vyakta Ksetras (the other seven being Srirangam, Srimushnam, Tirupati, Naimisharanya, Totadri, Pushkar, and Badrinath), as well as one of the 108 Divya Desams, or holy places of deification of Lord Vishnu. Also, it’s one of the 51 Shakti Pitha goddess spots.

The tabernacle is small and contains a golden statue of Vishnu as Shri Mukti Narayana. In addition to Mukti Narayana, the tabernacle has citation images of Bhoodevi( the Earth-goddess form of Lakshmi), the goddesses Saraswati and Janaki( Sita), Garuda( the mount of Vishnu), Lava-Kusa ( the sons of Rama and Sita), and the Sapta Rishis( Seven Pundits created by Lord Brahma). There’s an old Buddhist monk present in the tabernacle, and Buddhist nuns conduct a ceremony of deification. And from here, we will also go to Ghorepani Poonhill, part of the Annapurna Region.

In addition to the Jomsom Muktinath trekking Itinerary mentioned earlier, there are several alternative routes to reach Muktinath. They are all explained here.

Kathmandu to Muktinath bus 

A public bus to Muktinath directly leaves Kathmandu each day. You can book these buses online or buy tickets from the Kathmandu bus park. If you don’t find a direct bus, you can take an early morning drive to Pokhara and then catch another bus from Pokhara during the day. It takes approximately 16 hours to reach Kathmandu by bus from Muktinath/ Jomsom. If the bus to Muktinath only takes you to Jomsom, you can get a jeep from Jomsom to Muktinath.

The cost of the bus from Pokhara to Jomsom is NRP 1,500, and the direct route to Muktinath is NRP 2,000. 

Pokhara to Muktinath bus

2 to 3 public buses (often deluxe) leave from Pokhara for Jomsom daily. Some buses leave the bus park in the morning, and some depart from Pokhara during the daytime. You can book the tickets from a travel agency at the lakeside or the ticket counter in Prithivi Chowk. However, there is no bus to Upper Mustang, and you must hire a jeep. 

Jomsom to Muktinath trek

According to MyEverestTrip’s Jomsom Muktinath Trek Itinerary, our journey begins with a flight to Jomsom. From Jomsom, we shall first trek to Kagbeni and then reach Muktinath on the 4th day. From Muktinath, we walk back to Marpha, Ghasa, and Tatopani, exploring many other beautiful destinations along the way.

Our Jomsom to Muktinath trek Itinerary is 14 days long, starting from Jomsom. We walk to Muktinath and then visit many other places on our journey downward. The total trek distance is approximately 100 km, with daily walks of over 10 km.

In this Jomsom Muktinath tour package, we shall only hike upwards from Jomsom to Muktinath, and then most of the trail leads us downward. And since it’s a downward trek, the Jomsom Muktinath trek is relatively easy. It requires no prior experience from the previous tour and a moderate level of physical fitness. Jomsom Muktinath Trek is one of the easiest treks in Nepal.  

Altitude difficulty: The highest altitude of the Muktinath Trek is 3710 meters above sea level. Because base camp treks in Nepal take you above 5,000 meters, the size of this trek is relatively tiny. Even then, it is best to look out for the symptoms of altitude sickness, such as body pain, headache, and shortness of breath. If such symptoms appear, ensure you stop climbing to a higher altitude and drink plenty of water. If the symptoms worsen, we may need to adjust to a lower height. 

Jomsom to Muktinath Trek distance 

The Jomsom to Muktinath trek distance is approximately 22 kilometers. It takes us about 9 hours to cover this distance. We plan to walk about 10 km on the first day and stay at Kagbeni. Then, we shall walk to Muktinath the next morning. 

There are two kinds of trek permits for the Muktinath Jomsom trek. Upon entering Nepal, you will need to obtain a tourist visa. After that, you will need two permits: a TIMS card and an Annapurna Conservation Area permit.

TIMS cards can be issued only from Kathmandu and Pokhara, while Annapurna Conservation Area entry permits can also be obtained on the trekking trail. The TIMS card costs about $20, while the Annapurna Conservation Area pass costs $30. The amount you pay for the TIMS card is to track the activities of tourists within Nepal. At the same time, the Annapurna Conservation Area aims to utilize the funds for conserving Nepal’s rare wild flora and fauna. 

Being one of the low-altitude treks in Nepal, with a perfect connection to the road and air network, Muktinath is accessible throughout the year. The only time the public vehicle cannot reach Muktinath is during the peak winter of January and early February. During these months, we may need to trek from a lower altitude to reach Muktinath. Even during winter, the year-round plane to Jomsom is functional, and you can easily trek up to Muktinath. However, the cold temperature at Muktinath can be an issue.  

If your mission is to enjoy the incredible mountain views during your visit to Nepal, then autumn might be the best time for the Jomsom Muktinath trek. However, this is the most crowded month, making it hard to find solitude.

That is why travellers prefer trekking in Spring, i.e., March to May, when the overall region is colourful with flowers and wildlife. Ghorepani Poonhill is also magical during this time of year. Moreover, Mustang is one of those places in Nepal where we can trek in the summer/monsoon. Since Muktinath lies in a semi-arid region, it rarely receives heavy rainfall, making the trek possible in June and July.