Jomsom Trek

Tour description

One of Nepal's classics, this trek follows the sacred Kali Gandaki River to the entrance to the Upper Mustang Valley. Between towering peaks and across numerous bridges, the trail along the Kali Gandaki winds its way up through picturesque villages, where Thakali hospitality is at it's highest. The trek culminates in a visit to the Pilgrimage town of Muktinath, sitting at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, followed by a spectacular flight back down the valley to Pokhara.

You begin your tour in Kathmandu with a guided tour of this bustling city. You have the chance to see the famous Durbar Square and Royal Palace along with a visit to the hilltop Stupa at Swayumbunath. From Kathmandu you travel by road to Pokhara where your trek begins from nearby Phedi. Spending the nights in lodges rather than camping, you will get to spend time meeting and talking with other trekkers and guides in the evenings, as well as enjoying a little more comfort at the end of each day.

The first part of the trek takes you through the Annapurna foothills across several valleys, and through varied forests and terraced farmland. Upon reaching Ghorepani you will make an early morning assent of Poon Hill for a fantastic panorama of the Annapurna mountain range before descending to Tatopani and the Kali Gandaki valley, the deepest gorge in the world where the powerful river has cut through the Himalayan rock

Hot springs and a sub-tropical environment await you at Tatopani, a prosperous, expanding Thakali town. Heading upstream along the river, the trail passes between the massive peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna as you start to see various temples and Ghompas, which start appearing from Kalopani onwards. Further north, the route becomes drier, the landscape arid & windy, and the temperature drops as you travel through historically important Thakali trading towns. Arriving at the confluence of two rivers (and sitting at the entrance to the Upper Mustang Valley) you visit the mediaeval looking town of Kagbeni, now only a shell of it's once prosperous self.

The final treat is a further days trek to see the temple complex at Muktinath, which sits at the very edge of the arid Tibetan Plateau. At the end of your trek you make your way back to the sprawling administrative centre of Jomsom for a spectacular flight back to Pokhara.

We leave a day free in Pokhara for you to relax and explore, and to allow for any delays to the flight back from Jomsom, before you travel by road back to Kathmandu where you have a little free time to do some last minute shopping or a little more sightseeing around the city and surrounding valley.

You can join one of our small-group departures on this tour, do it privately with one of our trekking guides, or use it as the base for a tailor-made itinerary. Various extra options are available including the opportunity to extend the tour to try some white-water rafting, or visit the national parks of Chitwan or Bardia.

Note: All our prices include a trekking pack (sleeping bag, trekking poles, down jacket), and 3 meals per day on the trek.