Annapurna Jomsom Trek - 14 Days

After your arrival at the airport in Kathmandu, you will see The Great Adventure Treks’ representatives. After you meet them at the airport, you will check in your hotel. You will also meet your guide of the trek. If there are any relevant information you want about the trek, you can ask your guide.

You will head out for a half day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu after having breakfast. Kathmandu, despite being moderm, has a prolific display of its ancient culture. The architecture of the various temples and houses dates back hundreds of years.

Pashupatinath Temple:

Pashupatinath Temple is the most popular Hindu temple in the world. Millions of Hindu devotees from Nepal and outside the country come to visit this temple each year. Pashupatinath temple is on the banks of Bagmati river. Maha Shivaratri is the most popular time to visit this temple as Hindu aspirants fill this temple this day. It is a two-storied temple that has various other temples surrounding it.

Boudhanath Stupa:

Boudhanath is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Kathmandu. Its construction dates back to the 5th century C.E. In 1979 A.D, UN declared it to be a World Heritage site. Hindus, Christians, and Buddhism alike come to the experience the wonderful vibe of Boudhanath stupa. Rotating the prayer wheels in the temple is one of the most popular activities here. Encircling this monastery on foot is another wonderful activity here.

Kathmandu and Patan Durbar Squares:

King of Kathmandu and Patan resided in Kathmandu Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square respectively in the past. These palaces reflect sumptuous architecte of Newari (an ethnic people of Nepal) artists and craftsmen.

Patan Durbar Square’s most popular temple is the Krishna Mandir while that of the Kathmandu Durbar Square is Hanuman Dhoka complex. The two Durbar Squares are also home to some of the most wonderful museums in the country.

Today, you will go to Pokhara (820 meters) on a 6-7 hours from Kathmandu. The bus ride takes you along the hills that surround the beautiful valleys like Pokhara and Kathmandu. Along the way, you will also encounter many small towns like Thankot amongst others. These towns are set alongside beautiful rivers like Trishuli and Marsyangdi.

No sooner you arrive in Pokhara, you will see a different vibe. This is due to the wonderful facilities for any traveler in Pokhara. Besides, this town buzzes with local and international tourists. Boating facilities here are also fantastic in lakes set in a wonderful backdrop of hills.

A 2-hour drive in the morning brings you to Nayapul(1070 meters). This drive starts after you have breakfast in your hotel. Nayapul, the starting point of your trek, also sees a lot of tourists. This is because of the fact that most of the treks in the Annapurna region begins at Nayapul.

Along the way, you will reach the small settlement of Birethanti. As you trek further, you will get to quaint villages and wonderful waterfalls. A trek of 3-4 hours will take you to your overnight stop at Tikhedhunga (1520 meters).

Today, you will embark upon a 5-6 hours trek to Ghorepani(2860 meters). You will also gain an altitude of around 1300 meters today. The morning trek today is also one of the most challenging throughout the entire trip. This is because you have to climb up numerous staircases before you reach Ulleri. All in all, you will walk up 3300 staircases before you get to the top of Ulleri. The trail from Ulleri to Ghorepani, however, is not really difficult. You might encounter some uphills and downhills. The trails however are not really steep.

Today, you will head out to 2 different destinations. The first of them is Poon Hill. Poon Hill is a wonderful destination that blesses you with some of the greatest panoramic views you can wish to see. The sunrise views from there are equally mesmerizing. You will trek hee early in the morning before the sun is up.

After you have tracked back down to Ghorepani for breakfast, you will head out to Tadapani. The first major settlement along the way is Birethanti. It will also be the spot where you will have lunch. Then, you will resume your trek. After trekking for around 4-5 hours from Ghorepani, you will reach Tadapani(2630 meters). All in all, today’s trek is 6-7 hours long. After such a long trekking journey, you will find the stay in Tadapani to be quite good as the backdrop of mountains will be a constant source of delight.

The trek from Tatopani to Ghasa (2010 meters) lasts about 5-6 hours long. Initially, the trek leads you along the deepest gorge in the world- the Kali Gandaki river gorge. You will cross Kali Gandaki river twice on suspension bridges. After that, the trail is gradual most of the way with few ups as you come to the Rupsi Chara (waterfall).

After passing Rupsi Chara, the path is spectacular as you walk along a cliff side. You will climb up a ridge and then descend down to the river at the bottom. After you cross Kali Gandaki river on a bridge, you will trek for half an hour before reaching Ghasa, where you will spend the night.

From Ghasa, two hours of good walk leads along the western bank of the Kali-Gandaki river as you cross the Lete Khola (stream) river by a wooden bridge. From there, you will pass through the village of Lete. A short uphill hike from Lete takes you to another gorgeous village of Kalalpani. Kalapani offers a magnificent view of the Dhaulagiri and its icefall, Nilgiri and Annapurna I.

After having Lunch in Kalapani, you will resume your trek. The trek is gradual most of the way before you reach Kali-Gandaki River Valley. You will come across two paths here. One of them is for the dry winter season while the other one is for the rainy season. The path for the rainy season is a long one and takes you along a suspension bridge to Larjung village, which lies at the bank of the Kaligandaki river valley.

An hour’s walk from Larjung village takes you to Tukuche village. Tucuche is a picturesque village that is just beneath the great peak of Tukuche and the towering Mt.Dhaulagiri. From Tukuche, two hours of a nice walk will lead to another charming village at Marpha (2670 meters) for the overnight stop. The trek from Ghasa to Marpha is 5-6 hours long. Marpha is a gem of a village with whitewashed houses, paved streets and numerous well-kept lodges. Marpha is extremely famous for its local apple products like cider, brandy, and juice.

The trek from Marpha is well defined. However, there are two routes depending upon the season. One of them is by the river bed. The other one is the main high route. The trail by the river bed is 20 minutes shorter than the main route. Your guide will instruct you which route is the better one. After a gentle hike along one of these routes, you will reach Jomsom. You will have your lunch here.

Jomsom is the largest village town, as well as the administrative, headquarter of Mustang. Its fantastic airstrip and its religious significance attract a lot of tourists here. From Jomsom, the trail leads to the plains of Kaligandaki river. A pleasant walk with a few uphills and downhills leads you to Ekali Bhatti. “Ekale Bhatti” literally translates as a “lonely teahouse”. It is a small settlement with 3-4 teahouses.

From here the path splits into two ways- the higher one leads to Muktinath while the other one leads to upper Mustang and Tibet via Kagbeni. You will take the route to Kagbeni, where you will reach in an hour’s time. The trek to Kagbeni (2810 meters) from Marpha os 4-5 hours long.

You will need to hike slowly to Muktinath, which lies at an altitude of 3,750 meters. Muktinath is also highest spot on this trek. Initially, the route leads us along the busy road from Kagbeni. The road widens as you walk further before reaching Jharkot. This is an old village that looks almost ancient as it remains quite isolated from modern civilization. From Jharkot, the trail climbs gradually for another hour and a half to the holy place of Muktinath (3800 meters). The total length of today’s trek is 5-6 hours long.

Muktinath lies between the popular trek to Manang via the high pass of Thorong la and the trail to upper Mustang region. During Hindu or Buddhist festivals, the temple sees a large number of devout followers of these faiths. The temple’s location is quite sumptuous with superb views of Mt.Dhaulagiri, Tukuche peak, Tilicho, and Nilgiri. You can also view these peaks from your campsite.

Muktinath temple is the ultimate destination for Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. The temple is home to waterspouts where fresh water pours out channeled from the streams above the temple. After spending time at Muktinath temple, you will embark upon the trek to Jomsom. As you trek, you can enjoy the magnificent views of Mt. Dhaulagiri.

We move ahead among meadows, cross streams and hills over to Kagbeni. You will have your lunch here. Kagbeni is a village that has many memorial stupas and a small monastery. After a lunch break at Kagbeni, you will trek to Jomsom(2720 meters). The trail to Jomsom from Kagbeni cuts through windy areas on the Kali Gandaki Valley. The trekking trail from Muktinath to Jomsom is 4-5 hours long.

You will fly to Pokhara from Jomsom. The flight offers some spectacular views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. This 15-minute long flight takes you over the deepest gorge in the world. The warmer climate in Pokhara will definitely make us feel better.

Some of the most beautiful lakes in Pokhara are Phewa Lake, Begnas Lake, and Rupa Lake. Boating in these lakes is a popular activity. You can also go to explore like Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, Bat Cave, and Mahendra Cave. If you are tired after the trek and don’t have the mood for any further exploration, you can also relax in your hotel.

You will get back to Kathmandu today. You will take a comfortable tourist bus that will bring you to Kathmandu in 6-7 hours. You will enjoy the same scenery on your way to Kathmandu which you enjoyed on your way to Pokhara. After arrival, you can head out for shopping for Nepali artifacts as a souvenir for things back home.

We will transfer you to the international airport for your flight back home. Our representatives from The Great Adventure Treks will drop you off at the airport approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight. Make sure that you have your confirmed air ticket with you along with other necessary travel documents. We could also arrange another tour for you in Nepal if you want to.