Ghorepani Poon Hill Trekking

If you are looking for a short trek, around Pokhara valley then Ghorepani Poon Hill Trekking may be just for you.

Not only famous for mountains and hills but also rich culture and tradition of Gurung people, this trek is a perfect blend for trekking in Nepal. It is a 4-5 days trek in the Annapurna region. Though, you can extend your itinerary depending upon the number of days you want to travel.

As this is one of the shortest treks from Kathmandu, the highest elevation you will reach is 3210m. The mesmerizing view of sunrise you get from Poon Hill is what motivates people to do this trek. Situated in the Annapurna region, the trial of this trek will also touch the Annapurna Conservation area where you could see rhododendron forest, wildlife. Additionally, you will get to view some of the highest mountains like Mt. Dhaulagiri range, Mt. Annapurna range, Lamjung Himal, Gangapurna, Tukuche Peak and Manaslu in this trail.

So, how to achieve this trek? Let’s talk about the cost incurred, routes that could be taken and difficulties you will encounter in more detail.

Highlights Of Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

• Nearest Trekking destination from Kathmandu and Pokhara.
• View of sunrise from the top of PoonHill.
• Get to experience the rich culture and tradition of Gurung and Magar people.
• The old museum situated in Ghandruk, which preserves the antique culture of the Gurung community.
• Stunning views of some of the highest mountains and rhododendron forest.

Poon Hill Trekking: The Route

Though there are various trekking routes to reach PoonHill, the route from Nayapul is the most common one among trekkers. In this route, the starting and finishing points are different. You will start your trek from Nayapul and end your trek at Ghandruk. You can reach Nayapul easily after 2 hours drive from Pokhara. Your trekking route from Nayapul to Ghandruk is as follow:

Day 01: Nayapul To Tikhedhunga (10 Km)

The first day of the trek is around 4-5 hours, where you can get the trailer about what to expect in the whole trek in terms of view. The first day of the trek is quite easy where you will slightly walk uphill along the gravel road. After a few hours of walk, the road starts turning into a trail and the ascent also gets steep. On your way, you will face 3 checkpoints who will just write down your name, country and check your permit cards. The rest of your way is amazing where you will walk across the Burundi river along the farming village and Mountain valleys. You will spend overnight at Tikhedhunga on a basic Teahouse.

Day 02: Tikhedhunga To Ghorepani (12 Km)

You will be trekking for 7-8 hours on your second day of the trek. The main highlight of today’s trek is a 3000 step climb from Tikhedhunga to Ulleri which will leave you feeling tiresome. After finishing the steep climb, you can take a rest and have lunch.

Leaving the crowded city behind, the way ahead will be full of hills, waterfalls, rivers, rhododendron forests, natural sounds, and fresh air. All the hours of the walk will be worth it when you get to enjoy the view, reaching Ghorepani.

Day 3: Ghorepani To Ghandruk (14 Km)

The third day starts with an early morning hike to PoonHill. The sunkissed mountains you get to witness from this hill are what this trip for. The view is so amazing, no wonder it is so popular. You will be spending around 45 mins up in the hill enjoying the view and clicking snaps. Then, you will walk down to Ghorepani to have breakfast and start the trek to Ghandruk.

The trail from Ghorepani to Ghandruk is downwards where you will be passing streams, small rivers, and beautiful forests. After 6-7 hours of walk, you will reach Ghandruk, a beautiful village in the Gurung community. Nature, the hospitality of people, culture, and tradition of this place makes you want to stay here forever. You can also visit the local museum where you can try the traditional dress of the Gurung Community. You will spend a night here in a teahouse enjoying the local dishes.

Day 4: Ghandruk To Pokhara (32.2 Km)

This will be the last day of your trek. After having breakfast you will do a hike of 1.5 hours to the bus park from the village. From there you can hire a jeep or local bus and shared jeep is also available to Pokhara. After a few hour’s drives, you will be reaching Pokhara. You can enjoy the nightlife of Pokhara visiting Lakeside and various places.

Ghorepani PoonHill Trek Cost

PoonHill Trek Cost around $400 to $700 depending upon the season you are traveling, the number of persons, trekkers, and your personal expenses. If you are traveling solo or without a guide, you need to handle all the expenses yourself also the cost will decrease. Though, your responsibilities may increase.

Trekking through travel agency also has its own perk. You need not need to worry about things and can only focus on trekking. They usually cover expenses of transportation, accommodation, trekking permit fees and many more. So, let’s discuss what is included and excluded in the cost.

Cost Included In The Package

Transportation

If you are traveling through an agency, all of your transportation fees like travel to hotel, Pokhara and trailhead cost will be handled by them. You will be picked up at the airport by their representative and all the plans will be explained to you. You just need to prepare yourself for the trek.

Whereas, trekking yourself will cost you around US$ 10-80 for transportation fee-only depending upon what you choose.

Accommodation

The proper accommodation while traveling will let you enjoy your journey more peacefully and comfortably. As all the costs will be handled by the agency, neither you need to worry about pre-booking nor about the bargaining.

The cost of accommodation is usually around $10-$30 per day in Kathmandu and Pokhara depending upon the place you choose. Whereas on the trekking route, the accommodation cost is around $5 to $20 depending upon the facilities provided by the teahouse.

Trekking Permits For Ghorepani PoonHill Trek

You need two permits for doing this trek, ACAP permit, and TIMS card while both cost $20 each. Travel Agency will cover this cost as it will only cost $10 for them for each foreigner.

Though, you can collect this permit at Nepal Tourism Board, Kathmandu, if you are trekking independently.

Licenced Tour Guides

Guide costs will also be initially paid by the agency before the trek.

Being a foreigner and unfamiliar with the local language, you may be unable to communicate properly. Having PoonHill Trek Map along with you may help but be completely reliable to that only may lead you to a difficult situation.

Hiring a guide will cost around US$25-40 per day.

Service Cost

Different taxes are imposed by the government to trekkers which are handled by the agency. Also, they might charge you extra fees for their service.

Cost Excluded In The Package

Personal Expenses:

All the extra expenses during the trek like recharge card cost, power socket cost, and extra foodstuff should be handled by yourself.

So, don’t forget to carry enough cash along with you. Also, ATMs are also not available in the trekking route.

Trekking Equipment

You need to bring your trekking equipment to the trek. Equipment can be easily bought or rented at Thamel, Kathmandu. They cost around US$2-4 while you need to pay extra cash as a deposit.

You can decide what equipment you will need depending upon the season you are trekking.

Tips To Guide And Porters

Guides and Porters will be available throughout the trek at your service. With the various talks for several days, they can be your friends for a lifetime. So, if you are happy with their companionship, you can tip them accordingly to your wish. 

Ghorepani PoonHill Trek Weather

One of the reasons to do PoonHill trek is also the weather. Being a low altitude trek, it is not much difficult and also the weather is neither too cold nor too hot. Though, PoonHill Weather is quite unpredictable at times due to the western wind.

This region also receives heavy rainfall during monsoon season as it is also known as Cherrapunji of Nepal. So always check weather updates that are easily available on various mediums. Everyday climate forecast is done on different sites.

During Winter, the temperature may go below 0-degree celsius. However, with proper preparation, this won’t be a matter of stress. Whereas in summer, the temperature will be at the mid-20s making you feasible to do the trek in shirts.

Though Spring (March-May) and Autumn (September-November) are regarded as the best seasons to do the trek as climates are favorable.

Lastly, You can do the trek in any season as every season has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Ghorepani PoonHill Trek Difficulties

Being a moderate trek, Ghorepani PoonHill Trek is not counted as one of the most difficult treks in Nepal. As PoonHill Trek height is only 3193m, anyone with basic fitness can do the trek. Though, some of the difficulties you need to overcome while trekking is as follows:

• Altitude sickness can be a major problem as the height is above 3000m. So, remember to take proper rest between the trek and medicines along with you.
• As the weather is unpredictable, always be cautious and watch weather updates before the trek.
• Flights to Pokhara often get canceled due to bad weather which might affect your schedule.
• Carry enough cash for personal expenses and emergency as there will be no ATMs and banks available on your way.
• Though the trail is easy and crowded during peak seasons, always carry PoonHill map along with you, you may need it.
• Being a foreigner, you may face language problems. So carrying a language translator or installing it on your mobile will be of great help.
• Facilities will be very basic in teahouses, you will encounter during the trek. Also, during the winter season, tea houses at high altitudes may remain closed.
• During peak season, tea houses and lodges remain packed. So, better book it from Kathmandu before starting the trek.

Conclusion:

Poon Hill Trek is a perfect trekking destination where you can get a glimpse of everything Nepal has to offer. Scenes of sun-kissed mountains from PoonHill, rhododendron forest, waterfalls, rivers, streams and traditions and cultures of the Gurung community are some of the major attractions of Ghorepani PoonHill Trek.

Being one of the famous destinations for trekking in Nepal, you can spend your holiday in the Annapurna region and take lifetime memory with you.