Muktinath

Muktinath (meaning “Place of Liberation”) is a sacred site holy to both Buddhists and Hindus, set dramatically at 3,710 metres at the foot of the Thorong La pass in the Upper Mustang region. For Tibetan Buddhists, Muktinath is one of 24 Chakra Pithas — sacred tantric sites — associated with Vajrayogini. The Jwala Mai temple contains a flame fed by natural gas that burns from water, earth, and air simultaneously, considered miraculous and sacred. The 108 water spouts of the Muktidhara, fed by glacial springs, are used for ritual bathing. The surrounding Mustang landscape — an ancient kingdom that maintained a Tibetan cultural enclave largely untouched by modernisation — is extraordinarily beautiful.

Fly Kathmandu to Jomsom (mountain airstrip), then trek or jeep 18 km to Muktinath. Or trek the Annapurna Circuit.

spring:5-20°C:best|summer:10-20°C:best|autumn:0-18°C:ok|winter:-15-5°C:avoid