Set at around 3,800 m in the Mustang region, Muktinath is one of the world’s most revered pilgrimage sites. Its name means “place of liberation” (Moksha), and it is sacred to Hindus, who honor it as a shrine of Lord Vishnu, and to Buddhists, who know it as Chumig Gyatsa, “the hundred waters.”

The temple complex is known for its 108 water spouts, where pilgrims bathe in icy spring water, and for a sacred eternal flame that burns beside a natural spring. Nearby, the Kaligandaki River is famous for Shaligram stones, ancient black fossils that Hindus regard as a natural symbol of Vishnu.

The journey is part of the appeal. The road follows the Kaligandaki Gorge, one of the deepest in the world, between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. It passes through Tatopani, Marpha and the arid, windswept landscape of Jomsom, giving a view of Nepal far from the green hills and lakes of Pokhara.