Himalaya only · Saver trips from ₹7,500
Try "Spiti", "snow leopard", "Char Dham", "homestay", "Tiger's Nest"
Route · Nepal
Two very different ways into the Kali Gandaki: a 20-minute morning flight from Pokhara to Jomsom, or a long day by bus or jeep via Beni and the world's deepest gorge. About 160 km by road; Marpha is 6 km south of Jomsom.
Photo: Saddam19 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsEvery way to go
| How | Time | Cost, indicative 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Flight to Jomsom | 20 min, plus 20 min by road | ₹8,000–11,000 one way at foreigner fares |
| Bus or shared jeep | 7–9 h | ₹1,100–1,900 a seat |
| Private jeep | 6–8 h | ₹22,000–30,000 per vehicle one way |
Small planes fly Pokhara–Jomsom only in the early morning, before the strong afternoon wind in the Kali Gandaki. The view of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna on either side is extraordinary on a clear day. Delays and cancellations are common, so keep a buffer day. From Jomsom, a jeep or a 1.5-hour walk takes you to Marpha.
Buses and shared jeeps run from Pokhara via Beni, Tatopani and Ghasa to Jomsom, often with a change of vehicle at Beni. The road is rough beyond Beni, with river crossings and dust; it is slower after rain. Ask to be dropped at Marpha, which lies on the road before Jomsom.
A private 4x4 lets you stop at the Rupse waterfall, the Tatopani hot springs and the Thakali village of Tukuche. Ordinary cars struggle beyond Beni. Split it into two days with a night at Tatopani or Kalopani if you can.
At each end
Photo: Utsab Raj Giri · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
A lake town under the Fishtail and the Annapurnas
Photo: Saddam19 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Apple orchards, Thakali houses and the windy Kali Gandaki
Questions
It runs only in the early morning and is often delayed or cancelled when wind or cloud closes the valley. In autumn and spring most flights operate; in the monsoon cancellations are frequent. Keep a spare day and check current status before you travel.
Paved to Beni, then rough and dusty with river crossings and landslide zones up the Kali Gandaki. It is passable by bus and jeep most of the year but slow, 7–9 hours to Jomsom. In July and August it can close for a day or more.
Yes, Marpha is inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so you need the ACAP permit. If you go north of Kagbeni into Upper Mustang, you also need the restricted-area permit through an agency. Check current status before you travel.
Marpha is quieter and prettier, with whitewashed Thakali houses, apple orchards and a gompa above the village, and it is only 6 km from Jomsom airport. Jomsom has more lodges and the airport, useful for an early flight out.
More in Nepal
Plan with a local planner
We reply within one working day with a route, a sleeping-altitude profile and an itemised price in your tier. Change anything. Pay nothing until you are sure.