Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek – 9 Days

Flying into Kathmandu, you’ll have views over the valley, the Himalaya, and the terraced fields below. After completing customs, a representative will be waiting to greet you outside the airport and to guide you through the initial culture shock of Kathmandu’s narrow, winding streets to your hotel.

After you’ve settled in, go exploring in the city. The Kathmandu Durbar Square is an excellent site to start your trip because it is surrounded by tiny stores, historic temples, and neighborhood eateries. Swayambhunath, the white stupa standing above the

valley, is the ideal location to watch the sun set over the valley if you want to get some exercise.

The evening is a nice time to eat, and Thamel, a popular tourist destination, offers a wide selection of eateries serving both Western and regional Nepali cuisine.

You will be picked up by an English-speaking tour guide after breakfast at your hotel for a full-day tour of the Kathmandu Valley, stopping at three holy sites: Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Patan Durbar Square.

Although there is a lot packed into this day, it doesn’t overburden you with sights, helping you to make the most of your time in Kathmandu. Since this is a private trip just for you, you can spend as much time as you like at each temple, but most visitors choose to stay for an hour. You’ll make a visit at one of the neighborhood eateries we suggest for lunch.

Once you get back to your accommodation in Kathmandu in the late afternoon, meet your trekking guide and go through the specifics of your excursion for tomorrow.

Tour length: 7-8 hours (including transfers)

In the morning, a private car will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the domestic airport in Kathmandu, where you will take a quick flight to Pokhara. You’ll be met at the airport upon arrival in Pokhara and driven to Nayapul, where the journey starts!

Your first track will ascend through rice, maize, and millet farms that are rich in fertility. Continue on the Birethanti main trail past a small waterfall until you reach Sudami, where you will stop for lunch.

After this mid-afternoon rest, get back on your feet and continue to ascend slowly along the valley’s edge until you reach Tikhedhunga Teahouse, where you will spend the night.

Trekking time: 4-5 hours (5.7 miles / 9.2 km)

Get up early and have breakfast at your teahouse before you start your difficult ascent to Ulleri. The journey starts with a 3,767-step stone staircase that ascends the ridgeline and eventually takes you across arable fields. The remainder of the trail passes through a picturesque area with blossoming rhododendron blossoms and old oak woodlands once you’ve finished this part.

Uphill travel continues until you reach Nangethanti, where you will stop for lunch. The word “thanti” in Nepali means “rest house;” Remember that the trail may be covered in snow during the winter. Work off your meal and keep going up until you reach Ghorepani, a hamlet known for its breathtaking surroundings and a favorite among trekkers.

Trekking time: 6-7 hours (8 mi / 12.9 km)

The highlight of your journey is today!

Poon Hill’s sunrise

Your pre-dawn ascent to Poon Hill (10,500 feet/3,000 m) will take you around an hour if you start with an early morning wake-up call. This is a spiritual location that offers magnificent beauty, especially as the sun rises and shines a golden light on the adjacent snow-covered peaks like Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Fishtail, and SingaChuli, to mention a few. Take in the breathtaking vistas with your fellow hikers while sipping masala chai from the coffee shack.

You’ll then return downhill to Ghorepani for a hearty breakfast before continuing a full-day of trekking towards the small village of Tadapani. This trail works itself uphill and downhill through a range of landscapes and microclimates, so keep your camera (and warm layers) close.

Trekking time: 7-8 hours (8.3 miles / 13.4 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

Start your journey to Ghandruk, commonly known as the “Switzerland of Nepal,” after breakfast in Tadapani. Relax as you travel downhill along these modest slopes; this is a simpler route than the ones from earlier in the day.

In order to go to Ghandruk (6,400 feet/1,950 m), where you will stop for lunch, you must first travel to Bhise-Kharka. The Gurung people, one of Nepal’s ethnic groupings, live in this terraced hillside settlement. While admiring the distant peaks of Annapurna South, Himchhuli, and Fishtail, explore the maze of village steps connecting cafés, shops, and teahouses.

After lunch, you’ll have some free time to relax or learn about the traditional clothing and tools used by the Gurung people by visiting the Gurung Museum. On your own, take in the remaining afternoon.

Trekking time: 3-4 hours
Trekking distance: 6 miles (9.7 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

After breakfast in Ghandruk, you’ll make an easy trek downhill to Kimche, where a jeep will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel in Pokhara.

Trekking time: 1 hour (2.4 miles / 3.9 km)

You might have time to do some sightseeing, unwind, or visit one of Pokhara’s coffee shops after breakfast. You’ll be picked up from your hotel and driven to the domestic airport in time to board your aircraft back to Kathmandu, which departs around 1.5 hours later.

You will be driven to your hotel in Kathmandu where you can spend the remainder of the afternoon and evening at your own. Take a rickshaw, bicycle, or foot tour of Kathmandu’s streets to view anything you might have missed at the start of your stay or to look for souvenirs.

In the evening, choose from a selection of Nepali, French, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern dishes in Kathmandu.

It’s time to bid Nepal adieu. Take advantage of your last few hours in Kathmandu by eating breakfast in a café, taking one more stroll past the temples and down the winding lanes, and buying one last souvenir. To get you to the airport for your journey back home, a driver will be waiting for you at your hotel. It is ideal to arrive at the airport at least two hours before takeoff.