Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek (4-5 days walking)

We’ll be waiting to pick you up when you arrive at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport. You can either fly straight to Pokhara (if you arrive before 12:00) or check into your hotel in Thamel and spend some time in Kathmandu before your trek. If you need to pick up some equipment, you’ll find everything you need close to your hotel in Thamel or Pokhara. If you decide to spend some time in Kathmandu (or you arrive after 12:00), choose between taking an early flight (~25 minutes) to Pokhara the next morning, or the tourist bus (~7-8 hours), which will either add a day to your itinerary, or reduce your trek by one day.

We’ll take private transport to Nayapul and begin our trek. A short one hour leg stretch and we reach one of our favourite lunch stops in Birethanti. If you haven’t tried it yet, dal bhat is a must. Often vegetables here are freshly picked when you order! After lunch we trek for another two hours up to Tikhedhunga. Passing terraced farmlands, a stunning waterfall and of course you’ll see rural Nepali people going about their business. We stay overnight in Tikhedhunga.

We start our day with a steep 90 minute climb up more than 3,000 steps to Ulleri. From here, take the focus off your legs for a while and enjoy the amazing view of Annapurna South (7,219m/23,684ft) and Himchuli (6,441m/21,132ft). After another 90 minutes we reach our lunch stop in Banthati. Then we push on for about three hours to Ghorepani, taking a break half way at Nagathati. During the afternoon, we ascend through lush forests of rhododendrons. Trek in March and early April to see them in full bloom – an incredible sight! We stay overnight in Ghorepani. From here, enjoy incredible views of many high mountains including Dhaulagiri (8,167m/26,795ft) and Annapurna I (8,091m/26,545ft).

The moment you’ve been waiting for! We have an early start to climb about 45 minutes to Poon Hill before sunrise. Then pick your spot, get your camera ready and watch possibly the most impressive sunrise you’ve ever seen! Tick off ten mountains over 7,000m/23,000ft – Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri I, II, III, IV and V, Gurja Peak, Nilgiri, Annapurna South and Gangapurna. In awe, we return to Ghorepani for breakfast before continuing our trek. After an hour’s climb, we have a great vantage point on the other side. We then slowly descend to the far side of Banthati for lunch. Tadapani is our overnight stay and we arrive there after a steep descent, followed by a good climb through the forest.

Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all downhill from here! Ask any Nepali and they’ll tell you – what goes down in the Himalaya must go up! On day five we hike down to Chule and Kimrong Khola and then back up to Gurjung for lunch. We continue climbing for an hour and then descend once again to Chomrong, and finally reach Jhinu Danda where we spend the night. After a huge day you’ll be glad to soak in the relaxing hot springs before dinner!

We finish with an easy hike and meet a jeep to take us back to Pokhara in time for lunch. The rest of the day is yours to explore Pokhara or just relax with a drink and stunning mountain view. Boating on Phewa Tal (Fewa Lake) is a must and we think there’s no better time than at sunset. There are lots of other things to see and do in the adventure capital of Nepal, so consider staying a few extra days to soak up the vibe!

We travel back to Kathmandu and meet one last time for an end of trek celebration meal at a great local restaurant. Be sure to make some time for souvenir and gift shopping! In Thamel you’ll find amazing and beautiful things for an exceptional price.

We’ll organise your transfer to Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight home. However you may wish to stay a little longer in Kathmandu and explore some UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the stunning ancient city of Bhaktapur.