Gorakhpur Muktinath Dham

Highlights & Route

For yatris from eastern UP and Bihar, Gorakhpur is the handiest doorway to Nepal. The Sunauli border is about 100 km away, and Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa sits just across it, with short domestic hops to Pokhara. That geography lets us compress a Muktinath yatra into four days without a single long bus ride inside Nepal.

Muktinath, at roughly 3,700 m in the Mustang district behind the Annapurna range, is a rare shrine honoured by both Hindus and Buddhists. Vaishnavas count it among the 108 Divya Desams and the Sri Vaishnava tradition calls it Mukti Kshetra; pilgrims bathe under the 108 brass spouts and in the two kundas before darshan, and visit the Jwala Mai shrine where a natural gas flame burns beside a spring. We reach it by a 20-minute flight from Pokhara to Jomsom and a jeep ride up the Kali Gandaki valley.

The return is by air to Kathmandu, where an afternoon and evening are kept for Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Swayambhunath, and the last morning takes you back to Bhairahawa and across the border to Gorakhpur. Pokhara’s lakeside temples fill the first evening. Three flights and one border crossing in four days make this a brisk programme, so we recommend it to reasonably fit yatris who are short of leave.

Route

Gorakhpur → Sunauli border → Bhairahawa → Pokhara (flight) → Jomsom (flight) → Muktinath → Jomsom → Pokhara (flight) → Kathmandu (flight) → Bhairahawa (flight) → Sunauli → Gorakhpur

Good to know before you book

Price on request; it moves with Nepal domestic airfares, which are quoted in NPR for Indian nationals.
Jomsom flights operate only in the morning because of strong valley winds after about 10 am; cancellations for weather are common, especially in monsoon. Keep a buffer day if you can.
Muktinath is high. People with heart or serious lung conditions should take medical advice before booking.
Best months are March to May and late September to November. June to early September bring landslides and flight disruption on the Jomsom sector.
Carry passport or voter ID; Aadhaar works only for under-15s and over-65s.
Indian notes up to Rs 500 are now allowed in Nepal, within a Rs 25,000 limit.

Yatra Highlights

Muktinath darshan with the 108 water spouts and Jwala Mai
Fly-in, fly-out: no long mountain roads inside Nepal
Pashupatinath evening aarti in Kathmandu on the way home

Day 1 :

Gorakhpur to Pokhara via Sunauli

Early pickup at your arrival point (airport, railway station or hotel) at the agreed time in Gorakhpur and a drive of about 100 km to the Sunauli border, where we complete the simple immigration check for Indian citizens. A short transfer takes us to Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa for the flight to Pokhara (around 30 minutes). After check-in we visit Bindhyabasini temple on its hilltop, the Gupteshwar Mahadev cave and, by boat across Phewa Lake, the Tal Barahi island temple. Lakeside evening at leisure.

Overnight: Pokhara

Day 2 :

Jomsom and Muktinath

A dawn flight of about 20 minutes threads between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri to Jomsom (about 2,700 m). Shared jeeps carry us up the Kali Gandaki valley to Ranipauwa, about 25 km, from where the temple is a 15 to 20 minute walk or pony ride. Bathe under the 108 spouts if you wish, take darshan of Lord Muktinath, visit the Jwala Mai shrine and the Buddhist gompa, then return to Jomsom in the afternoon. Hot soup and an early night help with the altitude.

Overnight: Jomsom

Day 3 :

Jomsom to Kathmandu

Morning flight back to Pokhara and a connecting flight to Kathmandu (about 25 minutes). After lunch we visit Pashupatinath on the Bagmati, with time for darshan and the evening aarti, then Boudhanath stupa and Swayambhunath on its hill. A walk through Thamel market rounds off the evening for those with energy.

Overnight: Kathmandu

Day 4 :

Kathmandu to Gorakhpur

Breakfast, then a morning flight from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa (about 35 minutes). Our vehicle meets you at the airport, crosses Sunauli and drops you at your departure point (airport, railway station or hotel) at Gorakhpur airport or railway station in the afternoon.

Overnight: none (yatra ends)

Night	Place	Hotel (or similar)	Room type
1	Pokhara	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
2	Jomsom	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
3	Kathmandu	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis

Frequently Asked Questions

Expand all

Do Indians need a visa or passport for Nepal?

No visa is needed. Adults between 15 and 65 must carry either a valid passport or an Election Commission voter ID. Aadhaar is accepted only for children under 15 and seniors over 65, so please do not rely on it for other family members. Airlines check these documents at the time of boarding.

What happens if the Jomsom flight is cancelled?

Weather cancellations are a normal part of this route. We first try to rebook you on a later morning flight or the next day. If that fails, Muktinath can be reached from Pokhara by jeep in roughly 8 to 10 hours each way, but that needs two extra days and is charged separately. Airline refunds for the cancelled sector are passed on to you.

Is there a Divya Desam significance to Muktinath?

Yes. Sri Vaishnavas know it as Thiru Saligramam or Mukti Kshetra, one of the 108 Divya Desams and the only one outside India. The Kali Gandaki river bed below is the source of shaligram stones.

How much walking is involved?

Very little apart from the Muktinath approach: about 15 to 20 minutes uphill from the Ranipauwa jeep point, with some steps near the temple. Ponies are available for hire. City local darshan is by car with short walks.

Can I add Pokhara sightseeing or a Kathmandu day?

Yes. Many families add a night in Pokhara for Sarangkot sunrise or a night in Kathmandu for Patan and Bhaktapur. Tell us when you enquire and we will re-quote.

Which Indian currency notes can I carry into Nepal?

Rs 100, Rs 200 and Rs 500 notes are now permitted, up to Rs 25,000 per person, under the Nepal Rastra Bank notice of July 2026. Rs 2,000 notes are not accepted. Indian rupees are taken almost everywhere at 1.60 Nepali rupees to the Indian rupee, and you can also exchange small amounts for Nepali currency at the hotel.

Can we bathe under the 108 spouts at Muktinath on this yatra?

Yes, if you wish. On Day 2, after the dawn flight to Jomsom and the shared jeep to Ranipauwa, the temple is a 15 to 20 minute walk or pony ride away. There you can bathe under the 108 spouts and in the two kundas before darshan, then visit the Jwala Mai shrine. The water is icy and the temple stands at about 3,700 m, so keep the bath brief and carry a towel and dry warm clothes. Elderly yatris can simply sprinkle the water instead.

Yatra	Duration	Starts from	Price
Gorakhpur Muktinath Dham (this page)	4 days / 3 nights	Gorakhpur	On request
Hidden Tirthas of Nepal Yatra	9 days / 8 nights	Kathmandu	On request
Kathmandu and Pokhara Tour	5 days / 4 nights	Kathmandu	On request
Kathmandu Mandir Darshan – City Day	2 days / 1 nights	Kathmandu	On request
Kathmandu Valley Darshan Yatra	4 days / 3 nights	Kathmandu	On request
Mount Everest Flight ex-Kathmandu	Day visit	Kathmandu	On request
Mount Everest from Kathmandu by Heli	3 days / 2 nights	Kathmandu	On request
Muktinath & Pashupatinath Yatra	7 days / 6 nights	Kathmandu	On request

Highlights & Route

Route

Good to know before you book

Yatra Highlights

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Inclusions & Exclusions

Included

Not included

Hotels

Documents & Fitness

Documents to carry

Fitness and health

Cancellation Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

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