Ghorepani Poon Hill Trekking

For those who have limited time or do not have intensity to do high mountain treks in Nepal but want to get to the mountains and experience the unique Nepalese culture and witness mountain peaks, there is no better option than Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek.

The Ghorepani Poon Hill takes you through the quaint villages, thick jungles and over rivers, and many up stairs till you reach the highest point on the trek to 3210 m.

We recently hiked the Poon Hill, and we’re now sharing our experience and knowledge on tours and cost, and hopefully some good trekking advice (including how to do it responsibly!) with you in this guide.

We will try to cover everything from deciding which season to trek in, how fit you need to be, about trekking permits, what to pack and what the teahouses are really like. Here’s everything you need to know about Ghorepani Poon Hill Trekking.

Why Trek to Ghorepani Poon Hill?

If you’ve only got a brief time in Nepal but want to ascertain the famous Himalayan Range and knowledge Nepal mountain culture, the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek (sometimes referred to as the Annapurna Panorama Trek too) is strictly what you’re trying to find .

You’ll undergo quaint villages and therefore the unique local cultures of the Gurung and Magar communities; up many, many stairs, through jungles and over rivers; before ultimately ending up at altitude (3,200m) together with your head amongst the tallest mountains within the world.

The views from Poon Hill are a number of the simplest we’ve ever experienced - uninterrupted, panoramic views of a number of the most important and most photogenic Himalayan mountains, including Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Machhapuchhare, Annapurna II and Lamjung. It also happens to be the spot where the 2 folks got engaged - so we will definitely vouch for a way epic an area it is!

It’s super accessible from Pokhara because the official start line is simply 1.5 hours drive from the lakeside town and at 3-4 days long it really is that the perfect thanks to ease yourself into trekking in Nepal without committing to 16+ days on a trail (like the Annapurna Circuit!).

When is the best time to Go for Poon Hill Trek?

The best trekking season for Poon Hill is between September - November and March - May.

It's still possible to hike in December and January but expect the route be full of snow that winter conditions will bring an icy adventure while May is that the start of the monsoon season and rain fall can occur during the trek

To see the famous Rhododendrons fully bloom, you’ll got to do the hike in April, and that we feel this is often the simplest time to trek Poon Hill, because the views are stunning, and weather is comfortable too.

We trekked Ghorepani Poon Hill during May and Guess what the weather had been hot through the morning and early afternoon but at the evening the weather would drop down and take our warmth away.

Trekking Permits for Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

You need to have both a Trekking Information Managements System (TIMS) permit, and an Annapurna park Permit ( also called as the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit).

If you're with an organized tour group, the cost of permits are incorporated into your trekking package cost and therefore the whole process are managed by your guide.

The Cost of ACAP Permit is NPR 3,000 per person (USD 30), while the cost of TIMS Permit is NPR 2,000 per person (USD 20). You will got to carry these permits with you through out the trial as they’ll be checked at various checkpoints along the way.

You can get Trekking permits either at the Nepal Tourism office based in Kathmandu, or the Pokhara tourist office. Don't forget to carry these permits.

Note: Bring 4 passport size photos with you for Trekking permits.

How Difficult is Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek?

Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek is considered as an easy trial. It relatively starts at lower point and ends at lower altitude too. The maximum altitude through out the trek is 3210 m, which is low compared to other treks in Nepal.

That said, A moderate level of fitness is ok. You got to be ready to manage being on your feet for 4-6 hours each day for a couple of days during a row, and confirm you’re fine with stairs and steep hills. On the subject of stairs though: be prepared to steer up and down lots and much and much of the small buggers!

There are over 3,500 stairs from Tikhedunga to Ghorepani, all different heights and shapes, which bring a painful day hiking up, and a good more knee-crunching day once you need to tackle them on the descent.

How is the accommodation in Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek?

The accommodations are normal and quite simple in Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek. The teahouses speckled along the hiking trails aren’t the classy but they're charming small things made up of stone and wood and a comfortable place to relax at the end.

Generally, rooms are twin share, with quite enough space to opened up and bathrooms are normally common .

Most have separate shower and toilet facilities — although our teahouse in Ghorepani had an ensuite replete with hot showers! — and there’ll even be a communal area that doubles as a dining hall with either a hearth or boiler to cozy up next to of a night .

It is also pretty customary to eat your evening meal at an equivalent teahouse you’re staying at, and they’ll generally ask you to order your food as you sign up .

In terms of charge, teahouses usually charge very less for the space but they expect you to have a regular dinner and breakfast on their teahouse.

Food on the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

We basically lived off veggie Thukpa (noodle soup) during our trek as it’s one among our favourite Nepalese/Tibetan dishes, but you’ll find an excellent mixture of Nepali and Continental food along the trail.

Better yet, the food is organic and grown within the hills surrounding the local communities, so it’s beautifully fresh and precisely the quite nourishment you would like for your trek.

Honestly, we haven’t had a nasty meal within the mountains, and there are days we dream about sitting outside on a crisp sunny day and enjoying a gorgeous Nepali feast.

You’ll find prices will increase as you gain altitude. As I remember, we paid around NPR 500 for Dal Baht, NPR 300 for a bowl of Thukpa, NPR 200 for soups and prices may vary according to tea houses.

Poon Hill Trek Itinerary

We started our Journey from Kathmandu and Flight to Pokhara. The Trek started from Ulleri.

Day 01: Pokhara to Ulleri drive 2 hours and hike 3 hours.

Journey will start after breakfast by having private car, jeep or bus direct to Hile. Then we start trek to Ulleri only for 3 hours by walk flat to Tikhedhunga and steeply up till Ulleri. Ulleri a tiny village from where can see Annapurna South and Himhuli

Max. Altitude: 2020m

Accommodation: Tea House

Food: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Place: Ulleri.

Day 02 : Trek from Ulleri to Ghorepani about 6 hour.

After having breakfast in Ulleri we head stone paved steeply up way to Banthati then gradually pass through oak and rhododendron forest (blooms in March, April) reach Ghorepani.

Max. Altitude: 2860m

Accommodation: Tea House

Food: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Place: Ghorepani

Day 03 : Trek from Ghorepani to Ghandruk about 7 hours.

Early morning start today as you hike one hour up to Poon Hill (3,210m). This hill is famous for its sunrise views of the Annapurna range. The glowing mountains are superb for photographers. After about one hour we will walk back down to the lodge at Ghorepani. After breakfast we will start the trek to Ghorepani. A steep uphill walk to the village of Deurali, will offer more spectacular views of the mountains. After taking in the views, we pass through more rhododendron forest on our way down to the river. Crossing the bridge we head up to the village of Tadapani then all the way two hours down to Ghandruk to rest for the evening.

Max. Altitude: 1940m

Accommodation: Tea House

Food: Breakfast, Lunch and DInner

Place: Ghandruk

Day 04 : Trek from Ghandruk to Kimche 1 hour and drive Back to Pokhara 3 hours.

We begin our walk from Ghandruk to Kimche just 1 hour walk then take a jeep to Pokhara. The drive will take 3 hours. Upon arrival in Pokhara we will have an opportunity to visit some more places around the lake city until the evening. A post trekking massage is always a great way to relax.

Max. Altitude: 815m

Accommodation: Hotel

Food: Breakfast

Place: Pokhara