Muktinath Yatra Ex Kathmandu by Flight

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, where you are received, assisted with formalities and transferred to the hotel for check in. The afternoon is free to rest or explore. In the evening, visit Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati river, the most sacred Shiva complex in Nepal, for the evening aarti with its priests, oil lamps and riverside ceremony. Return to the hotel for dinner.

After breakfast, set off for Pokhara along the Prithvi Highway through river valleys and terraced hill farms. On the way, stop at Manakamana Temple, one of the most revered goddess shrines in Nepal, dedicated to the wish fulfilling Devi Manakamana. The temple is reached by a cable car ride of about 10 minutes each way over forested slopes above the Trishuli river, and cable car tickets are paid directly on site. Continue to Pokhara, arriving by evening, and check in to the hotel. The evening is free for a walk through the Lakeside market, with views of the Annapurna range on clear evenings.

Take the early morning flight from Pokhara to Jomsom, a short mountain flight through the Kali Gandaki gorge between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. On arrival in Jomsom, at 2,720 metres, leave the main luggage at the hotel and drive by jeep to Muktinath. From the drop point, walk uphill for 30 to 40 minutes to the temple complex at 3,800 metres. Pilgrims take the ritual bath beneath the 108 Muktidhara water spouts, fed by cold Himalayan springs, and then visit the main Vishnu temple and the Jwala Mai shrine, where a natural flame burns inside a water channel and which is revered by Hindus and Buddhist monks alike. The visit continues to the Kali Gandaki riverbed, known for Shaligram stones, fossil ammonites regarded as forms of Lord Vishnu. Drive back to Jomsom for the night.

Take the morning flight from Jomsom back to Pokhara, then check in and freshen up. In the afternoon, visit Bindavasini Temple, the hilltop temple of Goddess Bhagwati and one of the oldest shrines in Pokhara. Continue to David Falls, where the water drops into an underground gorge, and the nearby Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, which holds a natural Shiva lingam beside the underground channel of the falls. At the Seti River Gorge the river runs through deep, narrow channels below the city. End the day with a boat ride on Fewa Lake to Tal Barahi Temple on its island, with Machhapuchhre reflected in the water on clear evenings. The boat ride fee is paid directly.

After breakfast, drive back to Kathmandu along the Prithvi Highway through the Marsyangdi and Trishuli valleys, with lunch on the way. On arrival, check in to the hotel. The evening is free for shopping in the Thamel market, known for pashmina, singing bowls, thangkas, incense and Nepali souvenirs.

A full day of Kathmandu sightseeing by private AC vehicle. Begin at Boudhanath Stupa, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal, ringed by prayer wheels and butter lamp shrines. Continue to Swayambhunath Stupa, known as the Monkey Temple, on a hilltop overlooking the Kathmandu Valley. Visit Jal Narayan Temple at Budanilkantha, where a 5th century reclining Vishnu carved from a single black stone lies in a sacred pond. End at Kathmandu Durbar Square, the old royal plaza and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Kumari Ghar is home to the Kumari, a young girl worshipped as the living goddess, who appears at the window at certain times. Return to the hotel for dinner.

After breakfast, the morning is free for last minute shopping or a temple visit. Transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport in time for your departure flight, bringing the Muktinath Yatra to a close.