MuktinathTour

Detail Itinerary

Day 01Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350 m) and Transfer to the hotelAfter you get off the plane, you pass through the passage where the panels are hung on the wall those identify the country and you approach the custom clearance section. After the custom formalities, you arrive in the exit door of the airport. Our representative from Himkala Adventure will be waiting for your arrival and greets you heartily and transfers you to hotel at Thamel. Thamel is 5 km west from airport which is touristy place and you could recreate a lot with its old and new architectures, many different souvenirs shops, restaurants, narrow lanes, artistic wooden arts and crafts etc. Overnight at Kathmandu

Day 02Sightseeing of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kathmandu ValleyAfter breakfast, we begin our sightseeing, first we head towards Swoyambhu Stupa or people call it lovingly ‘The monkey Temple’, perched on hill 3 km west of Thamel. It is the great place to get your bearings, geographically and culturally. The hill commands a sweeping view of the Kathmandu Valley. It is a real eye opener. The monks and the visitors walking around Stupa , the monkeys running here and there, seems playful and the old stupa with Buddha eyes painted in all its four sides is the most profound expression of Buddhist symbolism in Nepal. Tantric Buddhists consider it the chief power point of the Kathmandu valley.After this, we come to teeming, touristy Kathmandu Durbar Square which is known by other names like Hanuman Dhoka, Basantapur. It has many Hindu temples, the Kumari – the living goddess Gaddhi Baithak, Nasal Chowk where the coronation would take place. The third place we visit is Boudhanath Stupa, which is about 6 km from Kathmandu, is one of the largest stupas in the world. It is generally acknowledged to be the most important Tibetan Buddhist monument outside Tibet. Tibetans simply call it Chorten Chempo or “Great Stupa”. This has been the Mecca of Tibetan exiles in Nepal. The fourth place for today’s sightseeing is Pashupatinath – the Shiva Temple, the temple of supreme Hindu God. It is Nepal’s holiest pilgrimage sites where we can see a time warp enclave of exotic temples, cremation ghats, ritual bathers and half naked sadhus. After the sightseeing of these four places, we return back to hotel in Thamel. Overnight at Kathmandu

Day 03Drive or fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara (827 m), 6-7 hrs. Overnight at hotelWe can reach to Pokhara either by flight or by road. If we fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara, it takes 30 minutes and this offers the exciting aerial view to the hills, village settlements, forest and the series of mountains from west to the east, especially from Dhaulagiri to Manaslu. Driving from Kathmandu to Pokhara is also fabulous because the Prithivi Highway is in well maintained condition, 200 km of scenic beauty through green terraced hills, typical villages and the farming, meandering Trishuli, Budhi Gandaki and Marshyangdi Rivers and the close up Annapurna Massifs’ view from the way near to Pokhara.Overnight at Pokhara

Day 04An hour drives to Nayapul (1,050 m) and trek to Tikhedhunga (1,575 m). Overnight at lodgePokhara is the city of Lakes. It is the adventurer’s paradise and the gateway of trekking to Annapurna. After breakfast, we drive an hour from Pokhara (827 m) to Nayapul (1,050 m). After this the trail descend to the Modi Khola, follows its east bank southward a short distance to a suspension bridge and crosses towards Birethanti (1,097 m).After passing two settlements Lamthali and Sudami, we gradually climb up the side of the valley to Hille (1,524 m). After this the next destination is Tikhedhunga. Overnight at Tikhedhunga

Day 05Trek from Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani (2,840 m). Overnight at lodgeThe trek from Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani is about 6 hours and full of fun through rhododendron and oak forest. First we reach to Ulleri (2,073 m) and after an hour from Ulleri, the trail goes up, crosses many streams, reaches to Banthanti(2,307 m). The trail finally reaches to Ghorepani (2,840 m) which is 3 hours walk from Ulleri. Overnight at Ghorepani

Day 06Hike from Ghorepani to Poon Hill (3,210 m) early morning & trek to Tatopani (1,190 m). O/N at lodgeWe get up early in the morning and set out for the hike to Poon hill where there is a view tower and 267 m higher than the pass on the ridge to the west. The 45 minutes’ walk to the top warm up our body and we can view an unobstructed sunrise and the splendid view of Himalayas. It is the best vantage point for the astounding view of Dhaulagiri and the Kali Gandaki gorge. After a while we return back to hotel and have breakfast. Then we descend through the forests with excellent mountain views to reach to Tatopani (Hot Spring). We enjoy the cool stillness of the forest as we descend steeply through Chitre, Shikha and Ghara all of which offers refreshment and a chance to rest our knees. After about 6000 ft. of descend we have our first sight of the Kali Gandaki River, which we cross to reach Tatopani. Overnight at Tatopani

Day 07Trek from Tatopani to Ghasa (2,110 m). Overnight at lodgeWe continue walking up the valley today, which becomes progressively steeper and narrow as the river becomes ‘younger’ when the river meets the Rupse Khola. There is a waterfall and the Geology changes. The river valley becomes “old again” the secret being that the river was here long before the Himalayas. There are lodges to stay at along the way at Ghasa. Overnight at Ghasa

Day 08Trek from Ghasa to Tukche (2,590 m). Overnight at lodgeAfter breakfast, we make our way to Tukche. From Ghasa, the trail is very beautiful with forests and spectacular views of the peaks. The vegetation begins to change from subtropical trees and shrubs to alpine species such as pine and birch. From the top of a ridge, we descend to a stream before ascending once more through the forest. After passing through Kaiku, we descend to a side valley and scramble across a large landslide before crossing the Lete Khola. The trail then climbs up through the spread-out village of Lete and continues across a wide plain through pine groves to Kalopani. With awesome mountain views in the background, the path follows the riverbank for some distance before dividing into two trails. The trail on the east bank climbs over a forested ridge before dropping back down to the river and crossing the wide gravel bars of the riverbed. A series of temporary bridges cross the river itself, although it is sometimes necessary to wade across small sections. The west bank trail climbs to Sukung before descending through forests to the riverbank, from where it is a short walk to the village of Larjung. We continue to follow the wide valley of the Kali Gandaki, passing through Khobang and Tukuche. Overnight at Tukche

Day 09Trek from Tukche to Kagbeni (2,810 m). Overnight at lodgeTukuche is a delightful village where narrow alleyways and houses built around enclosed courtyards attempt to provide some shelter from the winds which howl through the gorge. The wind generally picks up after about midday, but will at least be blowing at our backs as we head up to Jomsom. After passing through stone-walled orchards, a stone gate marks the entrance to Marpha. White walled houses line both sides of the narrow paved street, under which flows a cleverly made drainage system. Marpha makes a good lunch stop and the courtyards of the many lodges make ideal resting and refreshment places. The local apple brandy is well-known! As the trail continues towards Jomsom, the landscape becomes increasingly arid and impressive with its mixture of browns, yellows and grey, contrasting with the white snowcaps of Tilicho and Nilgiri. By afternoon, the stiff winds begin to blow, hastening our way to Jomsom. We continue up the vast gravel riverbed of the Kali Gandaki, passing mule trains travelling down from Tibet. The medieval village of Kagbeni lies right on the border of Mustang and there is time to explore the intriguing alleys and courtyards of this timeless place. All around is the strange rocky landscape that is typical of mysterious Mustang and quite alien to the lushness of Pokhara and Tatopani just a few days ago. Overnight at Kagbeni

Day 10Trek from Kagbeni to Muktinath (3,710 m). Overnight at lodgeAfter breakfast, we head up the wide riverbed about an hour and we’ll come to a lodge for refreshment before deciding on the high path of Muktinath or low path of Kagbeni. Both are interesting and meet halfway up the hill. As we turn east away from the Kali Gandaki River, there are views to Muktinath and the Thorung Pass in the distance. Jharkot is much more real than the trekking village of Muktinath and it is possible to stay here and visit the temple the next morning without your heavy pack. Muktinath Temple is a point of Pilgrimage for Buddhist and Hindus where flame, water and air meet. Overnight stay at Lodge

Day 11Muktinath – Day for Rest and exploration around. Overnight at lodgeMuktinath is the great Hindu-Buddhist pilgrimage center. Hindu named it Muktichhetra, meaning “place of salvation”. This is originally the Vishnu temple. Buddhists worship this as the Buddha,is the 8th incarnation of Vishnu. There are 108 water spouts. The ammonite fossil “Shaligrama” is also worshipped as the form of Vishnu. There is Jwala Mai temple where natural flame can be seen. We can walk around to explore this area. Overnight at Muktinath

Day 12Trek from Muktinath to Jomsom (2,715 m). Overnight at lodgeIt's an easy return trip to Jomsom today and the view down the stony plains of the Kali Gandaki to the vast white-topped wall of the Nilgiris, is simply stunning. We will spend the last night of the trek in Jomsom and take the opportunity to have a farewell party with the crew who we came to know so well over the last 10 days. Overnight stay at Jomsom

Day 13Fly from Jomsom to Pokhara (827 m). Overnight at hotelWe take an early morning flight from Jomsom to Pokhara - a fantastic way to round off the trek, flying right along the Kali Gandaki Gorge between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. We will be transferred to hotel and take rest before lunch Then we can begin our Half day sightseeing around Pokhara Valley. There are number of places to visit like Bindawasini Temple, Seti River Gorge, Davi’s falls, Gupteshwor Cave, and Tibetan Refugees Camp. We drive back to Lake Side and go for boating. We visit Tal Barahi Temple in the middle of the Lake. Overnight at Pokhara

Day 14Drive or fly back to Kathmandu, Overnight stay in hotelIt is 200 km from Pokhara to Kathmandu and takes about 6-7 hours. The drive is unforgettable through villages, terraced fields and the forested hills above the road. More than that, on the way back to Kathmandu, we follow the river and streams, cross many bridges and junctions. After arrival, we go to hotel to check in and in the evening, we will have dinner together with typical Nepalese Cultural Show. Overnight at Kathmandu

Day 15Transfer to the International AirportYour trip to the Muktinath Tour ends today. We depart you to airport 3 hours before your scheduled flight. If you would like to buy dainty gifts for your family, relatives and friends, we could help you guiding into the bustling local market of Kathmandu. Finally, we escort you to the airport and leave you on the gate of departure. Wishing you safe and happy journey, we say bye and Namaste!!!