Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

Your trip starts the moment you land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. If you haven’t arranged a visa before your trip, you can get one at the Visa-on-Arrival counter in the arrivals hall. Once you collect your bags from the belt, you’ll find telecom stalls right outside the terminal where you can buy a local SIM card with data for about NPR 500 to 1,000. This gives you an easy way to stay connected during your time in Nepal.

A representative will be waiting outside the terminal gate with a sign showing your name and will transfer you to the hotel. Once you check into your hotel, take some time to rest and wash off the tiredness from your flight. Later in the day, you can walk around the market to pick up anything you still need for the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek. In the evening, you will meet your trekking guide, and this is when you’ll review trail conditions, check the weather forecast, and confirm your permits before setting off for Pokhara the next day.

Your journey to Pokhara starts early with a tourist bus ride on the Prithvi Highway. The drive covers about 200km and takes around 7 to 9 hours to complete because the road enters mountain areas where highway construction work is still underway. Along the way, you’ll follow the Trishuli River and later the Marsyangdi River as the bus passes small roadside towns. On a clear day, you can catch some views of Ganesh Himal and the Annapurna range as the road climbs the hills.

The bus makes a few stops on the route in the morning and a longer lunch stop at a roadside restaurant known for fresh Dal Bhat and simple continental meals. It’s a good chance to stretch your legs and admire the surrounding hills before continuing on to Pokhara.

Please note that recent flooding in Nepal has damaged sections of road across the country, so we closely monitor road conditions before every departure and will guide you to a flight to Pokhara instead if the highway is not fully clear.

Today you leave the city behind and take your first steps on the Annapurna trail. After an early breakfast, you’ll leave your Pokhara hotel around 7:00 to 7:30 AM and drive toward Nayapul on the Pokhara-Baglung Highway. Once you reach Nayapul, you’ll hand your main bag to your porter and walk about 15 to 20 minutes to Birethanti. Your guide will stop here at the checkpoint to register your ACAP permit before you continue on the trail.

From Birethanti, the trail follows a dirt road beside the Bhurungdi Khola river. You’ll cross a few suspension bridges and walk past small farming villages like Sudame and Hile before arriving at the stone way to Tikhedhunga. Once you check in, you can take off your boots and enjoy a hot shower for a small fee. Get some good rest tonight because tomorrow brings the steepest climb of the entire trek.

Right after crossing a suspension bridge outside Tikhedhunga, you meet the famous Ulleri staircase. This part has more than 3,000 stone steps built straight into the mountainside. The stairs stay in good condition but can turn slippery when wet, so watch your footing along the way. Once you reach the top, the trail opens up to Ulleri (2,080m), a large Magar village famous for Annapurna South and Hiunchuli mountain views. Beyond Ulleri, the trail is a bit easier, and the small settlement of Banthanti makes a natural lunch stop where you can rest and enjoy a plate of dal bhat.

After lunch, the trail enters a forest of rhododendron trees. If you’re trekking in spring between March and April, this whole forest turns bright red and pink with blooming flowers. Nangethanti appears as a small group of teahouses in a forest, and it’s a good spot to pause for a hot cup of ginger tea. From here, the trail continues until you pass through the entry gate into Ghorepani (2,860m). This village will be your base for tonight and your launch point for the sunrise hike to Poon Hill tomorrow morning.

Your alarm rings around 4:30 AM, and you step out into the cold mountain air dressed in warm layers with a headlamp, gloves, and a down jacket. The trail to Poon Hill is a stone staircase that climbs for about 45 to 60 minutes from Upper Ghorepani. Halfway up, you’ll pass a small ticket booth where you pay a local entry fee before continuing to the top. As dawn breaks, the sky shifts into purple and pink as the first light reaches the snow peaks, turning Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhre, and Nilgiri golden in color.

After sunrise, you hike back down to Ghorepani and have a full breakfast before heading to Tadapani. The trail starts with a climb up the Deurali ridge, and this place gives you a side view of Annapurna South that is equal to the scene from Poon Hill. From Deurali, the path drops into a forest of pine, hemlock, and rhododendron before you stop for lunch at a Banthanti village. The walk ends at Tadapani, known as a junction for routes to Annapurna Base Camp, Khopra Ridge, and Ghandruk.

Wake up early to catch a beautiful sunrise right from Tadapani over Machhapuchhre and Annapurna South. After breakfast, you’ll set off around 8:00 AM, and the trail drops into a forest of oak, maple, and rhododendron trees. You’ll cross small mountain streams, and if you look up into the canopy you might spot a troop of Gray Langur monkeys. Terraced fields of millet, wheat, rice, and small stone houses with slate roofs start to appear as you enter Gurung territory of Bhaisi Kharka before continuing on.

Around midday you’ll enter a large stone welcome gate and enter the upper part of Ghandruk (1,940m) village, which is built almost entirely from local stone and slate. Since today’s walk is shorter than most days, you’ll arrive in time for lunch with a full afternoon left to explore. Visit the Gurung Cultural Museum to see old farming tools, traditional clothing, and historical artifacts from the region. You can even try on traditional Gurung attire for a photo with Annapurna South in the background behind the village.

After a final breakfast with Machhapuchhre in view, you’ll leave Ghandruk around 8:00 AM. Following about 1 to 1.5 hours of descent, you’ll reach Kimche village. Some trekkers choose to end their walk here and take a local jeep straight to Pokhara to save their knees from the remaining stairs. If you continue on foot, you’ll follow the road and old stone steps before arriving back in Birethanti, where your guide checks you out at the ACAP registration post.

From Birethanti it’s a flat 15-minute walk to Nayapul, where your trek officially ends. From there, a jeep or local taxi will take you back to Pokhara. You’ll arrive by mid to late afternoon, with plenty of time to check into your hotel and celebrate the evening. Find a spot by Phewa Lake, watch the boats sailing on the water, and take a moment to enjoy what you accomplished on the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek.

Today you’ll leave the lakeside behind and head back to Kathmandu by tourist bus. The bus departs around 7:00 AM from the Tourist Bus Park in Pokhara, so plan to leave your hotel by 6:15 AM to reach the station in time for boarding and luggage loading. The drive retraces the Prithvi Highway, and you’ll get one more look at the Marsyangdi and Trishuli rivers, which are famous for white river rafting in Nepal. The bus stops a couple of times on the route for a short tea break in the morning and a longer lunch stop at a highway restaurant.

You’ll drop into the Kathmandu Valley and arrive at Shorakhutte Bus Station sometime between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM. From here it’s just a short walk into central Thamel. Once you’re back at your hotel, you can take one last walk through Thamel and join the farewell dinner in the evening before your trip wraps up tomorrow.

Your Ghorepani Poon Hill trek comes to an end today as you prepare for your flight home. Before you check out of your hotel, pack your souvenir as a nice keepsake from the trip and make sure any liquids or trekking poles are placed in your checked bag. Most Kathmandu hotels have a checkout time of 12:00 PM, and if your flight is later in the evening, the hotel will store your luggage for free so you can spend a few more hours exploring the city.

When it’s time to head to Tribhuvan International Airport, plan to arrive at least 3 hours before your scheduled departure. The drive from Thamel takes about 30 to 45 minutes, but traffic can build up quickly during peak hours in the morning and evening. It’s a good idea to leave a bit of extra time for the drive just in case. Have a safe flight home, and Tashi Delek on completing your Ghorepani Poon Hill trek!