Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek from Kathmandu or Pokhara

  • Last Updated on Feb 5, 2024

The Ghorepani Poon Hill Hike is an exciting trekking experience in the Annapurna region of Nepal. Also known as Annapurna Sunrise Trekking or Annapurna Panorama Trekking, it offers the opportunity to explore the major attractions of the area.

The trek can be completed in a minimum of 2 days from Pokhara to 3 days from Pokhara and 5 days from Kathmandu. It is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the Annapurna region in a short time, passing through ethnic villages, rhododendron forests, and encountering diverse flora and fauna.

The highlight of this journey is Poon Hill, also known as the Photographer's Paradise, which offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Himalayan ranges.

The sunrise from Poon Hill provides a magical sight of Annapurna South, Annapurna II, III, and IV, Dhaulagiri, Lamjung Himal, Gangapurna, and Manaslu ranges, among others.

Besides the stunning mountain views, the trek allows visitors to witness captivating landscapes, terraced slopes, warm villages, and beautiful paddy fields and experience the rich cultures and traditions of ethnic communities, particularly the Gurungs and Magars.

Ghorepani and Ghandruk are two of the largest Gurung settlements in the region, providing insight into the local way of life.

The Poon Hill Trek is an awe-inspiring trek that not only offers captivating natural beauty but also allows trekkers to immersethemselves in the cultural heritage of the Annapurna region.

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NTA Recommendations

Poon Hill Trek from Pokhara

The primary trekking starting point for this trek is Pokhara. Therefore, if you have a desire to explore Poon Hill, your trek should begin with a visit to Pokhara.

To cater to your specific preferences and time constraints, we have thoughtfully designed various itineraries for this trek from both Kathmandu as well as Pokhara.

These distinct itineraries accommodate different numbers of days, ensuring you get the best experience from this adventure.

2 Day Poon Hill Trek Itinerary Form Pokhara

Day

Route

Distance (Approx.)

Elevation Gain/Loss (Approx.)

1

Drive from Pokhara to Ulleri (Around 3 to 4 hour)

~52.8Km

-

Trek from Ulleri to Ghorepani

~12 km

+1150m / -500m

2

Early morning trek to Poon Hill from Ghorepani

~4 km

+400m / -400m

Trek down to Ulleri

~16 km

-1550m

Drive from Ulleri to Pokhara

52.8Km

-

On Day 1, you'll drive from Pokhara to Ulleri and then trek to Ghorepani. On Day 2, you'll have an early morning trek to Poon Hill from Ghorepani to witness the sunrise, then trek back to Ulleri, and finally drive back to Pokhara.

3 Day Poon Hill Trek Itinerary Form Pokhara

Day

Route

Distance (Approx.)

Elevation Gain/Loss (Approx.)

1

Drive from Pokhara to Nayapul

Trek from Nayapul to Tikhedhunga

~41 km Drive

~10 km

+600m / -50m

2

Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani

~12 km

+1570m / -340m

3

Early morning trek to Poon Hill

Trek down to Nayapul

Drive from Nayapul to Pokhara

~10 km

+340m / -880m

On Day 1, you'll drive from Pokhara to Nayapul and then trek to Tikhedhunga. On Day 2, you'll trek from Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani. On Day 3, you'll have an early morning trek to Poon Hill to witness the sunrise, then trek back to Nayapul, and finally drive back to Pokhara.

5-day Poon Hill Trek Itinerary Starting from Pokhara

Trekkers starting from Kathmandu would need to travel to Pokhara either by bus or flight before commencing the trek.

The standard itinerary from Pokhara allows trekkers to complete the trek in 5 days, providing a memorable experience of the Nepalese countryside and the breathtaking Himalayan scenery.

Day

Route

Distance (Approx.)

Elevation Gain/Loss (Approx.)

1

Pokhara to Nayapul to Tikhedhunga

~42 km

+1100m / -50m

2

Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani

~12 km

+1570m / -340m

3

Ghorepani to Poon Hill to Tadapani

~16 km

+570m / -720m

4

Tadapani to Ghandruk

~10 km

+230m / -1010m

5

Ghandruk to Nayapul to Pokhara

~14 km

+140m / -1160m

Please note that the distances and elevation gains and losses provided here are approximate and can vary slightly depending on the specific routes taken.

The trek offers beautiful views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges, and Poon Hill is renowned for its stunning sunrise view.

Poon Hill Trek from Kathmandu

If you want to trek Ghorepani Poon Hill either in 2 days, 3 days, or 5 days from Kathmandu, then you just need to add 1 or 2 extra days for Kathmandu to Pokhara transportation.

For example, if you want to do a 5-day trek from Kathmandu, you have to choose a 3-day itinerary from Pokhara. Similarly, if you want to go with the standard itinerary of the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek of 5 days from Pokhara but you are in Kathmandu, you just need to travel back and forth for 1 or 2 days.

7-day Poon Hill Trek Itinerary Starting from Kathmandu

Day

Route

Distance (Approx.)

Elevation Gain/Loss (Approx.)

1

Kathmandu to Pokhara (by bus or flight)

-

-

2

Pokhara to Nayapul to Tikhedhunga

~42 km

+1100m / -50m

3

Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani

~12 km

+1570m / -340m

4

Ghorepani to Poon Hill to Tadapani

~16 km

+570m / -720m

5

Tadapani to Ghandruk

~10 km

+230m / -1010m

6

Ghandruk to Nayapul to Pokhara (by bus or flight)

~14 km

+140m / -1160m

7

Pokhara to Kathmandu (by bus or flight)

-

-

The trekking starts in Pokhara on Day 2 and ends in Ghandruk on Day 6. On Day 1 and Day 7, the itinerary includes travel from Kathmandu to Pokhara and vice versa.

The trek allows for a continuous trekking experience, covering the scenic Poon Hill and exploring the beautiful villages along the rhododendron forest route.Bottom of Form

Additional Useful Informations

Poon Hill Location

Ghorepani is a village that lies in Myagdi District in the Dhaulagiri Zone of northern-central Nepal. It lies 17 km from the district capital of Beni, at an elevation of 2874m (9429 ft). The world-famous Poon Hill lies in the Ghara VDC of Myagdi district at an elevation of 3210 m (10531 ft).

Poon Hill Trek Route

This trek begins in Nayapul. Everyone can gain access to Nayapul after taking one hour of the ride from Pokhara. Pokhara can be reached either through a 25-minute flight from the domestic airport in Kathmandu or by following the Prithvi Highway via vehicles for 5 hours. Leaving Nayapul, our journey follows the dirt trail through Birethati to Tikhedhunga settlement, where you will cross Ghorepani and reach Poonhill. Poonhill offers panoramic views of several snow-capped mountains and peaks.

Difficulties and Challenges

The trekking difficulty is graded as moderate because of its steep terrain, unbeatable landscapes, high elevation, and basic facilities. This trail demands a moderately fit person with great highland passion. Moreover, trekkers must be fairly active, follow a healthy lifestyle, and train regularly at least 3 months prior to the trail to build up stamina and endurance capacity for their successful expedition.

Gears Need for Poon Hill

The Ghorepani Poon hill trekking is not many days of trekking as it is known as a short trek, but most of the time autumn and winter have always cooling weather, so you need to warm up your body with enough jacket, fleece, a few pairs of t-shirts, a couple of trekking pants, warm enough gloves, hiking shoes and socks, headlights, sun cream, sunglasses, a sun hat, a sleeping bag, a water bottle and a comfort backpack in a well-prepared manner for your successful trip over there.

Poon Hill Trek Duration

This trek is very flexible and can be done in 2 days, 3 days, 5days and more as per your demand and flexibility. If you have less time and you have wished to trek in the Annapurna Region or explore the region, then this journey is the best way to explore this region within 3 days.

Weather in Poon Hill

Poon Hill weather is usually unpredictable, as it will be pretty cloudy in the spring season and the temperature ranges from 20 ˚C to 30 ˚C. The temperature lies between 20 ˚C and 30 ˚C in the summer season. There are four seasons in Poon Hill. Here, the winter season lasts from December to February, the spring season exists from March to May, June to August is time for the summer season, and the autumn season continues from September to November. October to November and March to April are the best seasons to explore Poon Hill, as the weather remains pretty good in these months and you can enjoy every part of Poon Hill closely.

Ghorepani Poon Hill Itineraries

Itinerary of Poon Hill trek is very flexible, so we can design the itinerary as per our flexibility and wishes. We can start this trek from two locations: one in Kathmandu and another in Pokhara. If you are in Pokhara, you can start your Trek from there, Nepal Trek Adventures offers all Annapurna Region from both Kathmandu and Pokhara

Bijay Chaurasia

Bijay Chaurasia

Bijay Chaurasia is a travel photographer who was born and raised in Rajbiraj. Since he was a little child, he has pursued his passion for photography, and he is now continuing his successful journey with a pocket full of passion and determination. Despite his intense passion for photography, he also excels in other areas such as UI/UX design, content creation, media marketing, and so on. He has been actively participating in Wikimedia Commons as a Photographer and Editor in Maithili Wikimedia. He is a versatile individual with various qualities. He has worked for the company since 2015 and is currently a senior manager who has been developing and executing IT rules and best practice guidelines for the business.

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