Ghorepani PoonHill Trek is an easy holiday hike in the Annapurna region. Ghorepani Poonhill Trek is very popular among travelers especially for the first-time trekkers who are looking for a few days to be close to nature and want to experience local culture in Nepal without involving in serious ascents. There is no risk at all of the high altitude sicknesses on this trek. Taking the steady pace through the beautiful Modi river valley, you gently climb up to Poon-hill, which lies at the foot of the Annapurna massif.
While trekking, you will enjoy each and every moment sighting at splendid Himalayan Mountain views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South(7219 m), Machhapuchhre( Fish Tail) (6997 m), Manaslu and other snow-clad mountains and experience culturally rich multi-ethnic villages along the route.
From Kathmandu, we drive to Pokhara following the Prithvi Highway and the next morning we further drive from Pokhara to Nayapul, the trek starting point. Leaving Nayapul you will walk along the Modi River passing through a forest of rhododendron and reach Tirkhedhunga village. The next day you climb for 2hrs uphill through Ulleri and Banthanti villages and reach the top of Nangethanti Hill. Then, you will descend from Nangethati to Ghorepani and stay overnight at the teahouse. Wake up at the break of dawn and hike to Poon Hill for a sunrise view over the Himalayan Mountains. . From Poon Hill, you walk down to the teahouse and have breakfast. Then, walk down to Ghandruk village. This is a very popular traditional village of Gurung ethnic groups of people where you can experience their age-old traditions and culture and interact with the local people. After spending one night at Ghandruk village you will retrace the route to Nayapul and catch the land transport. You will meet many fellow trekkers all along the way during the trek.
The best time to do Ghorepani PoonHill trek is Spring ( March-May ) and Autumn ( Oct.-Nov.). The blooming of Rhododendron starts in March. The trails can get slippery in monsoon or when the snow melts during early spring.
Ghorepani PoonHill Trek is an easy holiday hike in the Annapurna region. This trek is very popular among the travelers especially for the first-time trekkers who are looking for a few days to be close with nature and want to experience local culture in Nepal without involving in serious ascents. There is no risk at all of high altitude sickness on this trek. Taking the steady pace through the beautiful Modi river valley, you gently climb up to Poon-hill, which lies at the foot of the Annapurna massif.
Arrive at the (TIA) Tribhuwan International Airport where you will be welcomed by Trek Himalayan representative and transferred to your hotel if you have booked Airport Pickup facility at the time of booking your trip. Otherwise our representative will meet you at the hotel. The rest of the afternoon is free until evening when you’ll enjoy a welcome drinks with your guide and introduce each other. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Hotel Accommodation (Kathmandu)
Harati Manor Inn [or similar standard]
This is an example of the hotel we may use in Kathmandu city. Your actual hotel will be specified when your booking is confirmed. Please check your email or booking confirmation.
Today our representative will work on all necessary permits.
Our guide will come to pick you up at the hotel and board you on private vehicle that leaves to Pokhara. The scenery along the road is amazing and you will see the river, valleys, cascading rice terraces, and rocky gorges. Upon arrival in Pokhara, check in hotel. In the evening you may enjoy a leisure walk around the Lakeside. Overnight at hotel
A short drive of about 1.30 hours brings you to a trailhead at Nayapul, We commence our first day of the trek with a gradual ascent along the left bank of the Modi Khola. We then leave the river and follow a trail along the upper edge of terraced fields through Hille to Tikedungha. We will have lunch here. After lunch our journey begins. It gets little challenging as our trails heads for stiff ascending until we reach Ulleri.
Overnight at lodge
Leaving Tikhedunga, we begin our journey with a steep climb to Ulleri. Ulleri is a large Magar village at 2070 m. The trail ascends more gently through fine forests of oak & rhododendron towards Banthanti at 2250 m. lt continues uphill climb to Nangethanti at 2460 m and then after an hour of moderate trek you will reach Ghorepani. For proper acclimatization, you stay overnight at Ghorepani.
At 4.30 am start for the hour-long trek to Poon Hill (3195 m) rewards you with one of the finest dawn panoramas you are ever likely to see. After soaking in the wonderful views of the Himalaya we descend to Ghorepani for a hot breakfast. From Ghorepani, we descend to Ghandruk along ridges and through pine and rhododendron forests to Deurali (2960 m). After crossing the Kali Gandaki on a large suspension bridge we continuously descend to Tatopani for late lunch. After hearty lunch our trail goes all the way downhill to Ghandruk village .This is the most pleasant day of your trek.There are so many flowers everywhere you go – on the trail, in the villages, in every tea house – flaming red poinsettias, colorful bougainvilleas, hedges of bright orange marigolds, huge roses, chrysanthemums and you can so easily take so many beautiful photos with the flowers, the mountains, the blue sky, the clouds and of course the local people, old and young. Stay overnight at Ghandruk.
After overnight stay in Ghandruk village, we trek down all the way to Kimche (our ending trek point) about 1 hour walk and then board on our booked Jeep. We drive back to Pokhara via Birethanti. Nayapul about 3 hours. Stay overnight hotel in Pokhara
After breakfast we drive overland to Kathmandu. After arrival in Kathmandu, check into hotel. Rest day at leisure
Our representative will transfer you to the International Airport for your onward journey…
All visitors except the Indian nationals must hold passport and valid visa. Visa can be obtained at the Nepalese diplomatic missions and consulates abroad. Visa is also issued at the entry points. It can be extended at the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu. Children under 10 years need not pay any visa fee. People willing to get entry Visa at the airport or any of the land entry points are required to fill a visa form with passport photograph.
* Tourist visa can be extended for a maximum period of 150 days in a single visa year (January – December).
On arrival in Kathmandu, our staff will meet you at the airport and transfer you to our pre-booked hotel. There won’t be any activity on this day. We will host a pre-trip meeting at the hotel lobby on the 2nd day of your itinerary in the evening. It will be an opportunity for you to meet your trekking guide and introduce each other. The guide will brief you about the trek and check your gear to ensure the smooth running of your trekking trip.
All accommodations will be on a twin sharing basis during the trek in family-run tea-house (lodge), with a large sociable central dining area and a cozy chimney burning fire. We recommend you to use your own sleeping bag. A typical lodge in Annapurna region offers muesli, porridge, Pancakes, bread with jam or eggs, fried eggs on toast, tea/coffee in breakfast and in dinner Dal, Bhat, lentil soup and other cuisines.
Most lodges offer hot showers and in the ones that don’t a bucket of water. In Annapurna, we find many western toilets and in some places there are usually just the Asian squat type toilets.
Small groups provide a more intimate atmosphere allowing you to get to know your Sherpa guides better and to develop lifelong friendships. Therefore, the maximum group size for this trek is 16 people. The minimum is 2 people.
All our trek leaders and crew come from different parts of Nepal with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, but we all share our valuable experience, accept each other beliefs and work together to give our clients the best experience in Nepal. Whatever the ethical background they belong to, differ in sex or age all members of our team work together as a family that makes us what we are.
At 6.30 am your guide knocks on your door and greets with a cup of tea. Then it’s time to have breakfast, tight up your bag pack and head off for today’s trekking for the next three to four hours then stop for an hour at pleasant spot along the way for a well-prepared hot lunch. Afterward, walk another three hours or so, before you stop for the overnight. The evening can be spent reading or chatting with your fellow hikers or trekking crew about the trip of the day. Pack of games can be an asset to these nights; your trekking crew love teaching various Nepali card games and learning new Western games. Eventually, it’s time to bed for a well-deserved night.
The climate in the Annapurna region varies from subtropical to alpine. The southern slopes of the area has the highest rainfall rate in the country- 3000 mm per year, whereas the northern slopes lying in the rain shadow has the lowest rate – less than 300mm per year. The difference in the climatic conditions in this region is responsible for its varied flora and fauna.
Post Monsoon/autumn: Mid-September to November
This is the main trekking season in Nepal. While trekking in mountains weather will be sunny and mild with clear mountain views. Nights will be colder with temperatures dropping as low as to negative 8o C (7.6o F) at the highest altitudes.
Winter: December to end February
Even it is cooler conditions this is an ideal time to trek in Nepal. Skies are usually very clear especially in December and the mountain views are at their best. Nights will be very cold with temperatures down to negative 10o C (14oF) to negative 17o C (1.4oF) at the highest altitudes but days are pleasant and sunny. The trails are also much less busy at this time of year
Pre-monsoon/spring: March to May
Both day and night temperatures will be warmer in general but cloudiness will be occurred up in the afternoons. Seasonal flowers bloom in this season and this is one of the reasons people chose to trek in spring.
The southern subtropical lowlands are enriched with lush subtropical forests consisting of chirpine and alder and in the northern highlands temperate forests of oaks, rhododendron, fir, and blue pine. The wet regions yield a variety of bamboo species. The higher altitude further North give rise to forests of birch, blue pine and juniper trees, which are replaced by juniper and rhododendron in the far North. In the semi-desert rain shadow region, behind the Himalayas, bushes of caragana and juniper species are found.
This region is rich with several species of wildlife. There are around four hundred and seventy-four species of birds, and around a hundred species of mammals. The region serves as an excellent habitat for rare and endangered mammals like the snow leopard, musk deer, blue sheep, red panda and many of Nepal’s brilliantly plumaged pheasants
Annapurna (8091 m) Nilgiri(6940 m), Tilicho peak(7134 m) Dhulagiri (8167 m),Manaslu (8156 m), Lamjung Himal (6983 m),Machhapuchhare(6993 m), Tukuche peak (6920 m),
We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling for the safe keeping of your passport, air tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your valuable jewelry at home – you don’t need it while travelling. Many of hotels in Nepal have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage
Before joining a tour, we recommend you to take out a travel insurance which should cover cancellation, medical expenses, helicopter evacuation and emergency repatriation. Please send us the following details such as your full name, policy number and the insurance company’s 24 hour emergency contact number prior to departure. We also strongly recommend that your policy must cover personal liability, flight/trip cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects.
Though we hope for the best trip, you sometimes might be in need of rescue or evacuation in case of a serious sickness or a personal prolonged health issue. During such emergency you will be rescued by a helicopter. You are entirely liable for all the expenses incurred in evacuation services. We request you to make sure when you purchase insurance from your country that your policy must cover these expenses or you should remain prepared to pay or sign on Helicopter Evacuation Form before you get on the Helicopter.
If the main highway between Kathmandu, Pokhara or Beshisahar is blocked by a landslide or any natural calamity during the transfer, in such a situation the extra cost for food and accommodation has to be borne by the clients.
Altitude sickness, also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) which can turn if not treated upon recognizing the symptoms. AMS is the effect of altitude on those who ascend too rapidly to elevations of 3,000m or above. Early mountain sickness results in headache, loss of appetite and sleepiness. One can encounter such sickness no matter she/he looks physically young, strong and fit. Medicine itself can be on substitute unless patients suffering from such sickness are immediately rushed downhill.
Many trekking porters come from villages. They live hard and frugal lives and work to carry heavy loads using the traditional ‘doko’ (the bamboo latis basket supported from the forehead). Heights up to 3,500 m are part of everyday life and they resist wearing what they consider to be unnecessary personal equipment.
Above that altitude, Trek Himalayan urges them the use of kit suited to the varying levels of more extreme conditions. It’s an incredible job that they do and we really appreciate their working nature and try to reward accordingly.
Here are some recommended Equipment’s List for trekking in Everest region
Note: It is possible to buy or rent the above gear in Kathmandu
(Local guide and porter) Tipping is a tradition in tourism in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India. We highly suggest you to allow some tips at your own discretion.
The Himalayan Porters