How to reach Muktinath

Muktinath Yatra - How to reach Muktinath from India

There are two modes to reach Muktinath from India- By Air or By road

By AIR

Step 1: Reach Kathmandu
There are flights to Kathmandu from Delhi or if you're travelling from South India, there is a direct flight of just under 3 hours from Bangalore to Kathmandu. Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and are plains and have moderate temperatures.

Step 2: Getting to Pokhara
From Kathmandu, we need to get to Pokhara which is at about 300kms distance is a 20 minute flight costing about 4000 INR. Pokhara is a beautiful city and a hill station.

Step 3: Reaching Jomsom
Jomsom is a small town in the valley in the Annapurna mountain range between the Macchapucchre and Dhaulagiri mountains. It is at a height of 2700m above sea level and can see heavy winds and low temperatures. This town has minimal facilities and is a crucial stop for the yatra ahead.

Step 4: Drive to Muktinath [Shared Jeep or full hire]
Muktinath is about 25kms drive along the Kali Gandaki river and is a further 1000m climb upward from Jomsom to 3710m. It is mostly off roads and takes about 1.5 to 2hours depending on stoppages for photography! May and October are the only season times, while temperatures in May hover around 10 deg C, it can get down to near zero or sub zero temperatures in late October.

By Road

If you reach Kathmandu by flight, then Pokhara is a 6 hour drive on muddy roads. From Pokhara to Jomsom is a bumpy gruelling 8-9hrs drive through rough terrain for about 150kms. This is definitely not recommended for the elderly however gritty! 

From Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, it takes about 2 -3 hrs to the border at Sunauli/Bhairahawa and from there on  6-8 hrs bus ride to Pokhara. If you are travelling from Chennai you can take the Raptisagar express, which however takes 40hrs to reach Gorakhpur. 

You would need to carry proof of identity and Indian citizenship - which is either the Voter ID or the Passport. Indian currency notes of 10, 20, 50 upto the 100 rupees is normally accepted throughout Nepal, you mostly get change in Nepali rupee which is 1.6 times INR 
i.e. 100 INR = 160 NPR

Check out some beautiful pictures from in and around Muktinath in the following video link: https://youtu.be/PMuAi40Ha4o

Do leave your thoughts, questions or comments below

- Sriram Kannan