Plan my trek
Plan my trek
About 2,720 m
Mustang (ACAP)
Annapurna Circuit
20 min fly / 8 hr jeep
Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Yes / Yes
Jomsom is the administrative headquarters of Mustang district, a long, low town of stone and concrete buildings strung along both banks of the Kali Gandaki at roughly 2,720 m. Its Tibetan name, Dzongsam, is usually translated as “new fort”. It is not the prettiest place in the valley, but almost everyone who visits Lower or Upper Mustang passes through it, because it has the airstrip, the main jeep stand, banks, the district hospital and the widest choice of lodges.
Above the town the snow face of Nilgiri fills the eastern skyline, and Dhaulagiri and Tukuche Peak rise to the west. Jomsom sits in the rain shadow of these ranges, so the landscape is already high desert: grey gravel river flats, eroded cliffs, poplar and willow windbreaks, and fields that only grow because of carefully managed irrigation channels.
You will see Jomsom described as both, and both are right. Politically it is in Mustang district (Gharapjhong Rural Municipality), and on our site it sits under our Mustang guide because culturally and logistically it belongs with Marpha, Kagbeni, Muktinath and the road north to Lo Manthang. But it is also inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so you need the standard ACAP permit, and the Kali Gandaki valley forms the western half of the Annapurna Circuit. If you are planning a wider trip, our Annapurna Region hub covers the conservation area as a whole.
The valley around Jomsom is the homeland of the Thakali people, long-distance traders who once controlled the salt and grain trade between Tibet and the middle hills of Nepal. Their skill as innkeepers is why lodges in this valley have always been relatively comfortable, and why the Thakali set meal is now eaten across Nepal. Old villages such as Thini and Syang, on the slopes above the new town, show what the settlement looked like before the airstrip and the road arrived. Tibetan Buddhist and older Bon traditions sit alongside Hindu influence from the south.
For trekkers, Jomsom is a hinge. Those who walk the Annapurna Circuit anticlockwise cross the Thorong La, drop to Muktinath and usually finish here, flying or driving out to Pokhara. Those heading for Upper Mustang often spend a night here before moving to Kagbeni. Pilgrims bound for Muktinath, many of them from India, pass through in large numbers in spring and autumn.
Mornings are calm, clear and cold, the best time to see the mountains and to fly. By late morning a strong wind starts to funnel up the gorge from the south, picking up dust and making the main street a place to hurry along with a buff over your face. Evenings are quiet, with lodges serving dal bhat, Thakali sets and apple pie. Give Jomsom a night, or two if you are acclimatising, and use it as a base for walks to the villages around it.
Jomsom itself has a few small sights, but its real value is as a base. Most of the activities below are half-day or day trips, and all are best done in the morning before the wind rises. Entry fees at monasteries and museums are modest and paid in cash; amounts change, so carry small notes.
Cross the suspension bridge east of the river to reach Thini, one of the oldest settlements in the valley, with flat-roofed houses, a monastery and some of the best close views of Nilgiri. From Thini a short climb leads to Dhumba Lake, a small, sacred, blue-green lake ringed with prayer flags, with a monastery on the ridge above.
Time: three to four hours for the loop from Jomsom. Altitude gain: modest, roughly 100 to 200 m. Tip: this is the classic acclimatisation walk before Muktinath or Upper Mustang. Start soon after breakfast; there is no shade and the wind arrives by late morning.
Marpha, about 6 km south of Jomsom and slightly lower at around 2,670 m, is the most attractive village in Lower Mustang. Whitewashed houses line a flagstone street with a covered water channel, and a monastery looks down from the cliff above. Marpha is known across Nepal for its apples and for apple brandy, cider, dried apple and jam, and the orchards are a striking splash of green in the desert.
Time: about 20 minutes by jeep or two hours on foot along the old trail. Tip: visit in late August to October for the harvest, eat a Thakali set meal, and consider sleeping here rather than in Jomsom if you do not have an early flight.
Jomsom’s small museum introduces the culture, architecture, medicinal plants and Tibetan medicine traditions of Mustang, with displays on local dress and ritual objects. It is a useful hour if you are about to travel north and want some context for the monasteries and caves you will see later.
Time: about an hour. Tip: opening hours and the entry fee were not confirmed for 2026, so ask at your lodge before walking over. It is a good option for a windy afternoon when walking is unpleasant.
The walk north to Kagbeni, about 10 km, follows the wide gravel bed of the Kali Gandaki, with options to use higher paths away from the jeep road. Kagbeni is a medieval-looking village of mud-brick lanes at the confluence of two rivers and the gateway to Upper Mustang. Our Kagbeni guide (linked below) covers what to do there.
Time: around three to four hours. Altitude gain: about 100 m. Tip: walk it in the morning; in the afternoon you are walking straight into the wind and dust. Shared jeeps run if you want to ride back.
Muktinath, at roughly 3,710 to 3,800 m depending on the source, is one of Nepal’s most important pilgrimage sites, holy to Hindus as a Vishnu shrine and to Buddhists for its association with Guru Rinpoche. The temple courtyard has 108 water spouts, and the Jwala Mai shrine shelters a small natural gas flame beside a spring. Lodges are in Ranipauwa, just below the temple.
Time: a full day by jeep (about 25 km, one to one and a half hours each way), or two days on foot via Kagbeni. Altitude gain: around 1,000 m. Tip: if you have just flown in from Pokhara, do not go up and sleep at Muktinath on your first day. A day trip returning to Jomsom is safer.
On the slopes just north of Jomsom, Syang is a compact old village with traditional houses, a small monastery and views down the valley. Combined with old Jomsom across the river, it shows how Thakali settlements were built close together around courtyards to shelter from the wind, with firewood stacked on the roofs as a sign of household wealth.
Time: one to two hours on foot. Tip: photograph architecture freely from the lanes, but ask before photographing people or entering a courtyard. Combine it with the walk to Kagbeni if you are heading north.
The Kali Gandaki riverbed is the source of shaligrams, black stones containing ammonite fossils that are revered by Hindus as forms of Vishnu. You may see pilgrims searching the gravel near Jomsom and Kagbeni, and stalls in Jomsom and Muktinath sell them.
Time: as long as you like. Tip: treat them as sacred objects rather than souvenirs. If you buy one, buy from an established shop, and ask your agency whether export restrictions apply; fossils and religious items can cause problems at customs.
Jomsom and Marpha are the heartland of Thakali cooking. A proper Thakali set includes rice or buckwheat dhido, black lentil dal, seasonal greens, pickles, ghee and often a meat curry, with refills. Also try buckwheat pancakes, Tibetan bread, thukpa noodle soup and, in season, dried yak or goat meat. Apple pie and apple crumble appear on almost every lodge menu.
Cost: roughly NPR 600 to 1,200 (about £3.50 to £7) for a set meal. Tip: local apple and apricot brandy is strong. Go easy at altitude, where alcohol worsens dehydration and can mask the early signs of altitude sickness.
Even if you are travelling by road, the short airstrip is worth a look in the early morning, when small Twin Otter and Dornier aircraft drop in between the mountains, unload in minutes and leave again before the wind picks up. The approach up the gorge between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna is one of the most dramatic in Nepal.
Time: half an hour, before about 10am. Tip: flights were suspended at the time of writing (see getting there), so this depends on services resuming. Respect airport security and do not fly drones near the airstrip.
Jomsom appears on most itineraries in western Nepal that touch Mustang. Because there is now a road all the way from Pokhara, trekkers tend to use it as a start or finish point rather than walking through it on a long trail, but the walks out of Jomsom are still among the most varied in the Annapurna Conservation Area. Since April 2023 Nepal has officially required foreign trekkers in protected areas to hire a licensed guide; enforcement for road travellers in Lower Mustang has varied, so ask your agency for the current position.
On the anticlockwise Annapurna Circuit, walkers cross the Thorong La (about 5,416 m) from Manang, descend to Muktinath and reach Jomsom one or two days later, usually around day 11 to 14 of the trek depending on the itinerary. Many finish here and fly or drive to Pokhara; others continue down the Kali Gandaki to Tatopani and Ghorepani.
In: Muktinath to Jomsom is about 20 to 25 km and five to six hours on foot via Kagbeni or Lubra, losing about 1,000 m. Role: a recovery stop after the pass, not an acclimatisation stop.
A short trek of three to six days that links Jomsom, Marpha, Kagbeni and Muktinath on foot, often using the quieter trails through Lubra (a small Bon village) or Jhong rather than the road. It is a good choice if you have done other treks and want desert scenery and Tibetan culture without a high pass.
Typical days: Jomsom to Kagbeni (three to four hours), Kagbeni to Muktinath (four to five hours, about 1,000 m of ascent), Muktinath back to Jomsom via Lubra (five to six hours). Sleeping in Kagbeni on the way up helps acclimatisation.
Treks and jeep tours to Lo Manthang start from Jomsom, with the restricted area beginning just north of Kagbeni. Most itineraries spend the first night in Jomsom or Kagbeni after arriving from Pokhara, then enter the restricted zone the next morning.
Out: Jomsom to Kagbeni is about 10 km. Jomsom to Lo Manthang by jeep is roughly 90 to 100 km and six to ten hours. Role: the key first acclimatisation night before climbing to 3,500 m and above.
The old trade route south from Jomsom runs through Marpha, Tukuche, Larjung, Kalopani and Ghasa to the Tatopani hot springs, then climbs to Ghorepani and the Poon Hill viewpoint. The road follows the valley floor, but alternative trails on the opposite bank keep you off it for much of the way.
Out: Jomsom to Tatopani is about 60 km, three to four days on foot, losing well over 1,500 m of altitude. Expect a mix of green forest lower down and desert higher up.
| Walk | Distance (approx.) | Time on foot | Altitude change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jomsom to Marpha | 6 km | 1.5 to 2 hours | Down about 50 m |
| Jomsom to Kagbeni | 10 km | 3 to 4 hours | Up about 100 m |
| Jomsom to Thini and Dhumba Lake loop | 6 to 8 km | 3 to 4 hours | Up and down 100 to 200 m |
| Kagbeni to Muktinath | 10 to 12 km | 4 to 5 hours | Up about 1,000 m |
| Muktinath to Jomsom via Lubra | 20 to 25 km | 5 to 6 hours | Down about 1,000 m |
Distances and times are approximate and vary with route choice and wind. Altitudes in this valley differ between sources by up to 100 m.
Jomsom has the widest range of accommodation in Mustang, from simple family lodges to a handful of more comfortable hotels with heated rooms. Most places are clustered near the airstrip and along the main street; the area across the river in old Jomsom is quieter. Prices below are rough nightly room rates at the time of writing, and rise in October, during festivals and when Indian pilgrim traffic to Muktinath peaks. Lodges generally expect you to eat where you sleep.
Family-run lodges with simple twin rooms, often with an attached bathroom, a dining room with a stove, and a menu of dal bhat, noodles, Tibetan bread and apple pie. Hot showers are usually solar or gas, so they are best in the afternoon.
Price band: roughly NPR 1,000 to 3,000 (about £6 to £17) per room.
Larger hotels with en-suite rooms, more reliable hot water, better bedding and sometimes room heaters or electric blankets. These suit travellers on jeep tours and anyone wanting a comfortable night before or after Upper Mustang.
Price band: roughly NPR 4,000 to 10,000 (about £23 to £57) per room, sometimes including breakfast.
Jomsom has at least one long-established upmarket resort-style hotel on the edge of town, built in local stone with mountain views, and a few newer higher-end properties. These charge considerably more than mid-range options and are usually booked through agencies.
Price band: well above NPR 10,000 (about £57) per night; check current rates directly.
If you are not catching an early flight, Marpha, 20 minutes south, is a more atmospheric place to sleep, with lodges in traditional stone houses and orchard gardens. Kagbeni, 30 to 45 minutes north, is the better choice before Upper Mustang or Muktinath. Our Mustang hub compares lodging in each village.
All price bands are estimates based on recent reports and change frequently. Treat them as a guide, not a quote.
Every route to Jomsom runs through Pokhara. From Kathmandu, reach Pokhara by a 25 to 30 minute domestic flight or a six to eight hour tourist bus, then continue by air or road. Times and fares below are approximate and change often.
| Route | Option | Time | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokhara to Jomsom | Flight (Tara Air, Summit Air) when operating | About 20 minutes | Roughly US$120 to 140 one way for foreigners (about £90 to £105) |
| Pokhara to Jomsom | Local bus or shared jeep via Beni | 7 to 10 hours | Roughly NPR 1,500 to 3,000 per seat (about £9 to £17) |
| Pokhara to Jomsom | Private jeep (6 to 7 people) | 6 to 9 hours | Roughly US$250 to 400 per vehicle |
| Kathmandu to Jomsom | Direct overnight bus | 15 to 18 hours | Roughly US$20 |
| Jomsom to Kagbeni | Shared or private jeep | 30 to 45 minutes | A few hundred NPR per seat |
| Jomsom to Muktinath | Shared jeep or bus | 1 to 1.5 hours (about 25 km) | Roughly NPR 300 to 500 per seat; private jeep more |
The flight is one of the most spectacular in Nepal, threading up the Kali Gandaki gorge between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. The airstrip sits at about 2,740 m and the runway is very short. Flights only operate in the early morning, because the afternoon wind makes landings unsafe, and cancellations for wind and cloud are common even in good seasons.
Please read this before you book. Nepali media (Kantipur, 17 and 19 October 2026) reported that both Tara Air and Summit Air had suspended their regular Pokhara to Jomsom services in mid-October 2026. The reports gave no reason and no restart date. This follows earlier suspensions: around two months over the 2025 monsoon, and roughly three months over winter 2025 to 2026. Competition from the improved road has cut passenger numbers. At the time of writing we cannot say when scheduled flights will return, so plan to travel by road by default and treat the flight as a bonus if it is running. Your agency can check the latest position and whether charter flights are available.
Jomsom’s approach has a history of serious accidents, most recently the Tara Air crash in May 2022. No Nepali airline currently meets the standards for the UK Air Safety List, which the FCDO highlights. If you do fly, always build in a spare day for weather.
The road from Pokhara is paved to Beni (about 80 km), then follows the Kali Gandaki north through Tatopani, Ghasa, Kalopani, Tukuche and Marpha to Jomsom, about 160 km in total. It is part of the Beni to Jomsom to Korala highway, so you will find new tarmac, gravel stretches and rough sections under construction. In a good private jeep it is a long day; local buses are slower and more crowded. Many travellers break the journey at Tatopani or Kalopani.
Landslides are the main risk, especially in the monsoon. In August 2026 a landslide at Baiseri in Myagdi stopped traffic on the Beni to Jomsom road, and an excavator clearing it was buried. Blockages of hours or days are common between June and September. The FCDO advises against overcrowded buses and travel at night.
Shared jeeps and a few buses leave from the Jomsom stand for Marpha, Kagbeni, Muktinath and the road south, mostly in the morning; ask at your lodge for departure times. Private jeeps can be hired by the day. For Upper Mustang, transport is arranged by your agency.
Jomsom sits in the rain shadow, so it is drier than almost anywhere else on the Annapurna trails. Spring and autumn are best, but it is visitable all year with the right expectations. For the national picture, see our guide to the best season to travel in Nepal.
| Season | In Jomsom | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (March to May) | Warming days, clear mornings, cold nights early in the season | Good for Muktinath and Upper Mustang; Tiji festival in Lo Manthang in May. Wind is often strongest in spring. Busy with pilgrims. |
| Monsoon (June to August) | Mostly dry with occasional showers; mild | Fewer visitors and green fields, but the road south of Jomsom is prone to landslides and flights are often suspended. |
| Autumn (September to November) | Clear, stable and cool; the best mountain views | Peak season, especially October. Apple harvest in Marpha. Book lodges and jeeps early. Cold by November. |
| Winter (December to February) | Sunny days, very cold nights, fierce wind, occasional snow | Quiet and cheap, but Upper Mustang largely closes and flights have often been suspended. Bring serious warm gear. |
Whatever the season, Jomsom’s defining weather feature is the valley wind. As the sun heats the plains to the south, air is drawn up the Kali Gandaki gorge, and from late morning until evening a strong, dusty south wind blows through town most days. Plan walks and flights for the morning, carry a buff and sunglasses, and expect afternoons to be for reading, eating and visiting the museum.
Festival dates follow lunar calendars and shift each year; check with your agency for your travel dates.
Flying from Pokhara (about 820 m) to Jomsom (about 2,720 m) takes 20 minutes, so you arrive at altitude without any gradual adjustment. Mild headaches on the first evening are common. Take it easy, drink plenty of water, and avoid alcohol for the first night. Do not go straight up to sleep at Muktinath or Lo Manthang. Jomsom has the district hospital, but facilities are limited and serious cases need evacuation to Pokhara or Kathmandu.
Jomsom is inside the Annapurna Conservation Area. You need the ACAP permit, NPR 3,000 (about £17) for non-SAARC foreigners, bought in advance in Kathmandu or Pokhara; buying it at a checkpoint costs more. Permits are checked at the ACAP and police checkpoints in Jomsom and again at Kagbeni. Upper Mustang requires an additional restricted area permit (US$50 per person per day) arranged through a registered agency, with a licensed guide.
Jomsom has banks and at least one ATM, the most reliable in Mustang, but machines can run out of cash or go offline and foreign card acceptance is not guaranteed. Bring enough Nepali rupees from Pokhara or Kathmandu for your whole time in Mustang, in small notes, and treat the Jomsom ATM as a back-up. There are no reliable ATMs in Upper Mustang.
Both Nepal Telecom and Ncell work in Jomsom, with 4G in town. Buy a SIM in Kathmandu or Pokhara with your passport. Most lodges have wi-fi. Coverage becomes patchy north of Kagbeni, so download offline maps before leaving Jomsom.
The air is very dry and the sun intense. Use purification tablets or a filter rather than buying plastic bottles, and drink more than you think you need. Bring high-factor sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses and a buff or mask for the afternoon dust. A windproof jacket is essential year-round.
Jomsom is generally calm and safe. Nationally, Nepal saw deadly protests in Kathmandu in September 2025, and the FCDO notes that demonstrations and strikes can still disrupt transport. Major floods in August 2026 hit other parts of the country, and the FCDO warns that affected areas may remain unstable. In Mustang the main risks are roads, landslides, weather and altitude. Check the latest FCDO advice before travel, read our trekking safety tips, and make sure your travel insurance covers trekking altitude and helicopter evacuation.
Walk clockwise around chortens and mani walls, remove shoes and hats in monasteries, and ask before photographing people or rituals. Dress modestly, especially if you are heading to Muktinath. A small donation at a monastery is appreciated. Our guide to culture in Nepal has more background.
Water and firewood are scarce here. Keep showers short, carry your rubbish out, and buy local apples, dried fruit and crafts directly from producers. Do not buy antiques or religious objects of uncertain origin. Choose agencies that pay and insure their guides and porters properly.
Ready to plan? Get Lost Forever can arrange permits, licensed guides, jeeps and lodges for Jomsom, Muktinath and Upper Mustang, and work around the current flight situation. Tell us your dates on our plan your trip page, or send a booking inquiry.
At the time of writing (late October 2026), Nepali media report that Tara Air and Summit Air suspended regular Pokhara to Jomsom flights in mid-October 2026, with no reason or restart date given. Plan to travel by road and ask your agency for the latest before booking.
Take a local bus, shared jeep or private jeep via Beni and the Kali Gandaki valley. It is roughly 160 km and takes seven to ten hours by public transport, or six to nine hours by private jeep, with landslide delays possible in the monsoon.
Jomsom is at roughly 2,720 m; sources give anything from about 2,700 to 2,743 m, and the airstrip is at about 2,740 m. Most people feel the altitude a little on arrival, especially after flying.
Both. Jomsom is the headquarters of Mustang district, and it lies inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so you need an ACAP permit. It is part of Lower Mustang, which does not need the restricted area permit.
As the sun heats the land to the south, air is drawn up the deep Kali Gandaki gorge. From late morning a strong south wind blows through Jomsom most days, which is why flights only operate early and why walks are best started early.
Only the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, NPR 3,000 (about £17) for most foreigners. If you continue north of Kagbeni into Upper Mustang you also need a restricted area permit at US$50 per person per day, arranged through an agency with a licensed guide.
Yes, Jomsom has banks and ATMs, the most reliable in Mustang, but they can run out of cash or go offline. Bring enough Nepali rupees from Pokhara or Kathmandu and use the ATM only as a back-up.
About 25 km by road, one to one and a half hours by jeep. On foot it is a two-day walk via Kagbeni, gaining around 1,000 m, which is the better option for acclimatisation.
One night is enough to see the town, but two nights let you acclimatise with a walk to Thini and Dhumba Lake or Marpha before going higher. Add a spare day for flight or road delays.
Yes. Jomsom is in the rain shadow and stays mostly dry, but the road from Pokhara is prone to landslides from June to September and flights are often suspended, so allow extra time.
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