Jomsom and Muktinath, walking up the deepest gorge on earth
Eight days from apple orchards into Tibetan high desert, ending at a temple sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike. It's also one of the few treks that works in the monsoon.
By the Lakeshore team · 7 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
The Kali Gandaki runs between Dhaulagiri at 8,167 m and Annapurna I at 8,091 m, which stand about thirty-eight kilometres apart. Measured from the peaks on either side, that makes it the deepest gorge on the planet, and the trail goes straight up the middle of it.
In a couple of days you climb from green, subtropical valley into dry, wind-scoured country that looks like the Tibetan plateau. It's one of the fastest changes of landscape anywhere in Nepal. At the top is Muktinath, at about 3,760 m, a temple complex sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists and a major pilgrimage site.
Because it sits in the Annapurna rain shadow, we run it even when the rest of Nepal is under monsoon cloud.
From orchards to desert
You start in farmland and forest around Beni or Tatopani, among hot springs and banana and orange trees, beside a river the colour of milky tea. Within two days the trees thin out and the valley widens, and the colour drains from the hills until it's mostly ochre, grey and white.
Marpha is the turning point. It's a whitewashed Thakali village of narrow flagstone lanes and flat roofs, known all over Nepal for its apples, which end up as brandy, pie and dried slices. It's the last green, comfortable stop, and the food there is the best on the trek.
Above Marpha you're properly on the plateau. You pass Jomsom, then Kagbeni with its ruined fort, where the way into Upper Mustang begins, and then climb to Muktinath. You eat Thakali food the whole way, and we rate it the finest regional cooking in Nepal, which is reason enough to come.
Muktinath
The temple sits at about 3,760 m and matters enormously to two religions. For Hindus it's Mukti Kshetra, a place of liberation and one of the 108 Divya Desams. Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa and link it to Padmasambhava.
Behind the main temple, 108 water spouts fed by glacial melt run in an arc, and pilgrims bathe under all of them in turn, in water that is close to freezing. There's also a small flame fed by natural gas seeping out of the rock, burning right beside water, and that pairing of fire and water is what made the site sacred in the first place. Most of the people around you came up by jeep or on a motorbike and have no interest in your trek. Keep that in mind. You're a visitor at somebody else's pilgrimage.
The road, and how we route around it
A road now runs up the Kali Gandaki to Muktinath, and jeeps use it. That's the weak point of this trek, and it's why some people write it off.
The fix is in the routing. For much of the way there are older trails and side paths on the opposite bank, and a good itinerary keeps you on them. Ask any operator, us included, how many days you'll spend on the jeep track. The answer separates a well-planned trip from a lazy one.
You can also shorten it by flying or driving one leg and walking the other. Plenty of people walk up and fly out from Jomsom, twenty minutes through the gorge when the weather allows, and our trek includes that flight back to Pokhara.
Why we run it in the monsoon
From about Marpha upward you're in the rain shadow, so July and August up here are dry and warm while Pokhara is under water. If your holiday has to fall in the northern summer, this and Upper Mustang are the two treks we'll recommend without any ifs.
The catch is getting there. Monsoon landslides hit the lower approach and the roads in from Pokhara, and the flights are unreliable, so build in spare days.
Summer is also the busiest pilgrimage season, so Muktinath itself will be full of people. Whether that spoils it or makes the trip depends on what you came for.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
How hard is it?
Moderate. It's eight days with a high point of about 3,760 m, no passes and no technical ground. The wind and the sun tire people out more than the climbing does.
Can I do it as part of the Annapurna Circuit?
It's the second half of the Circuit. On the Circuit you arrive at Muktinath over Thorong La and walk down. Done on its own, you walk up instead, which makes a gentler trip with the same scenery.
Is the Jomsom flight reliable?
It depends on the weather and cancels often, usually because of wind. Treat it as a bonus, keep a spare day before any international flight, and note that extra hotel nights from a delay aren't included.
Do I need a special permit?
No, just the standard Annapurna Conservation Area permit, and we arrange that. Only Upper Mustang, north of Kagbeni, needs the expensive restricted-area permit.
Is the food really that good?
Thakali dal bhat is the best version of Nepal's national dish, and this valley is where it comes from. Add Marpha's apple pie and brandy and you won't eat better on any trek in the country.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates and how much walking you've done, and we'll tell you whether Jomsom Muktinath Trek is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830