Poon Hill Trek Itinerary

Depending on where you start, which direction you walk and how far the road takes you, the same trek is sold as three days or as ten. All of those versions visit the same viewpoint at 3,210 m. What changes is how much walking sits between you and it, whether you climb the Ulleri staircase or descend it, and whether the long road days from Kathmandu are inside your package or your own problem.

This page lays out every realistic version, day by day, with the walking hours and elevations that go with each — including the exact 6-day itinerary we currently run, which starts and finishes in Kathmandu.

Quick orientation:

Why there is no "correct" Poon Hill itinerary

Four variables decide how many days a Poon Hill trek takes. None of them are about fitness.

1. Where the package starts. A Pokhara-to-Pokhara trek and a Kathmandu-to-Kathmandu trek can contain identical walking and still be advertised as four days and six days. The Kathmandu version simply absorbs two road days: roughly 200 km and 7–8 hours each way along the Prithvi Highway. If you are already in Pokhara, those days do not exist for you. If you are landing in Kathmandu and want one company handling everything, they do.

2. How far the road goes. The classic Poon Hill trek began on foot at Birethanti or Nayapul. Jeep roads now reach Ghandruk, Hile and Ulleri, and operators use them differently. Every kilometre of road used is a kilometre of walking removed, which is exactly how a 5-day route becomes a 3-day route without anyone walking faster.

3. Which direction you walk. This matters more than most pages admit — see the next section.

4. Whether you add villages. Adding a night at Ghandruk, a detour to Khopra Danda, a continuation to Annapurna Base Camp or a link into the Mardi Himal ridge each adds days without changing the Poon Hill part at all.

Anyone telling you the Poon Hill trek "is" a 4-day trek or "is" a 5-day trek is describing their own product, not the trail.

These itineraries don’t suit you? No worries! You can customize your trek to match your schedule, pace, and preferences. Just message our trek advisor on WhatsApp and we’ll help you plan it.

The direction question: do you climb the stairs or descend them?

The Ghorepani–Ulleri–Ghandruk circuit can be walked in either direction, and the choice changes the trek more than one extra day does.

Clockwise (Ulleri first). You drive to Hile or Tikhedhunga, climb the famous stone staircase to Ulleri on day one, continue up to Ghorepani, take the sunrise, then descend gradually via Tadapani to Ghandruk. The hardest work is the first afternoon, on fresh legs, and every day afterwards feels easier. This is how our 4-day Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek runs.

Anticlockwise (Ghandruk first). You drive to Ghandruk, climb steadily through forest to Tadapani, work along the ridge to Ghorepani, take the sunrise, then come down the staircase towards Ulleri. The climbing is spread across three moderate days instead of concentrated in one hard afternoon — but the staircase is descended rather than climbed, which is easier on lungs and harder on knees. This is how our 6-day Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek runs.

Neither is better in the abstract. If you have a history of knee trouble or you dislike long descents on stone, the clockwise version puts the steps under you as a climb. If you would rather not face a 500-metre staircase two hours into your first trekking day, the anticlockwise version gets you fit before it hands you anything steep.

Ask which direction an operator uses before you compare their itinerary to anyone else's. Two "5-day Poon Hill treks" can be different treks. 

Poon Hill Trek itinerary: 6 days (Kathmandu to Kathmandu)

This is the current Places Nepal 6-day itinerary, from US$520 per person, with weekly Monday departures scheduled through the autumn season and marked guaranteed to run. Four trekking days sit inside a six-day trip; the first and last days are road transfers between Kathmandu and Pokhara.

The route in one line

Kathmandu → Pokhara → Ghandruk (1,940 m) → Tadapani (2,630 m) → Ghorepani (2,874 m) → Poon Hill (3,210 m) → Ulleri (2,050 m) → Pokhara → Kathmandu

Day 1 — Kathmandu to Pokhara

Pickup from your Kathmandu hotel is at 6:15 am. The bus follows the Prithvi Highway west along the Trishuli, and the drive is long: 200 km takes about seven hours, sometimes more when highway works or festival traffic intervene. There is no trekking today. What the day buys you is a start point 500 m lower than Kathmandu and two hours closer to the trailhead than any morning flight would leave you if it were cancelled.

Sit on the right-hand side for the gorge views. Arrival in Pokhara is early evening, which leaves time for a walk along Lakeside before an early night.

If the road day is the part of this itinerary you dislike, the 25-minute Kathmandu–Pokhara flight can be added at booking — or start from our 4-day Pokhara-to-Pokhara itinerary instead and arrange your own travel to Pokhara.

Day 2 — Jeep to Ghandruk, trek to Tadapani

A private jeep takes about 90 minutes to reach Ghandruk (1,940 m), one of the largest Gurung villages in the Annapurna region and the point where walking starts. Before you leave, the village itself is worth 30 minutes: stone lanes, slate roofs, and a small museum documenting Gurung and Gurkha history. On a clear morning Annapurna South and Hiunchuli sit directly above the terraces.

From Ghandruk the trail climbs steadily through oak and rhododendron forest for 10–11 km to Tadapani, a ridge-top cluster of lodges whose name means "far water". Expect 5–6 hours. The gradient is never severe, but this is your first trekking day and roughly 700 m of climbing on unfamiliar legs — go slower than feels necessary for the first hour. The forest is good birdwatching country, and Tadapani's dining rooms look straight at Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre.

Day 3 — Tadapani to Ghorepani

The best forest day on the trek, and the one people underestimate. Distance is around 12 km and walking time about six hours, but the profile is a sequence of climbs and drops over forested ridges via Banthanti and Deurali rather than one clean ascent. Net gain to Ghorepani is modest; cumulative gain is not.

In late March and April this stretch runs through rhododendron forest in full bloom — Nepal's national flower, red and pink across whole hillsides. Outside bloom season it is quiet, mossy and cool, which is its own reward on a warm afternoon.

Ghorepani (2,874 m) is the busiest, best-equipped village on the route: a wide choice of lodges, bakeries, paid hot showers, paid Wi-Fi. It exists almost entirely because of what stands above it. Eat early, lay out tomorrow's warm layers, and sleep early.

Day 4 — Poon Hill at sunrise, then down to Ulleri

Two efforts in one day, and the reason this is the itinerary's hardest.

You leave Ghorepani in the dark by headlamp, typically between 4:30 and 5:00 am depending on the month. The climb to Poon Hill is about 336 m of ascent and takes most people 45 minutes to an hour on stone steps. The summit has an open viewing platform and, in peak season, a lot of company.

After sunrise you descend to Ghorepani for a hot breakfast, then start the day's real trekking: a long, sustained drop through forest and terraced hillside towards Ulleri on stone-paved trail. Combined distance for the day is about 15 km and total walking 6–7 hours. This is the descent of the staircase section, and it is the single most knee-intensive stretch of the trek. Poles help more here than anywhere else on the route.

Day 5 — Ulleri to Pokhara

A short descent on foot to the road head, then a private vehicle for the roughly 45 km, 3–4 hour drive back to Pokhara. It is a deliberately light day: shower, laundry, a proper meal, an afternoon at Lakeside.

Day 6 — Pokhara to Kathmandu

The Prithvi Highway again, about eight hours eastbound, with hotel drop-off in Kathmandu. Trekkers short on time can swap this for the 25-minute flight; let us know at booking.

Trek the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek 6 days

Wake Up to the Himalayas – A Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek from Pokhara with Timeless Sunrise Views

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Ready-to-book version: our 6-day Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek covers this exact route with the Kathmandu–Pokhara transfers, three teahouse nights, two Pokhara hotel nights, a licensed English-speaking guide, and both required permits (ACAP and TIMS) arranged for you. A full cost breakdown, including what sits outside the package, is on our Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek cost page.

When do you reach Poon Hill for sunrise?

You reach Poon Hill on the morning after the night you sleep in Ghorepani — day 4 on our 6-day itinerary, day 3 on the 4-day version, day 2 on most compressed 3-day routes. The viewpoint is at 3,210 m, roughly 336 m above the village, and the climb takes 45–60 minutes.

The departure time is not fixed, and any page that gives you one exact time is guessing. Sunrise in the Annapurna foothills shifts by well over an hour across the year — earliest around late spring, latest in the depths of winter — and your guide sets the wake-up call against the actual sunrise time for your date, aiming to have you on the summit 20–30 minutes before first light. Add a little more margin in October and November, when several hundred trekkers can be on the platform and the best positions fill early.

What happens next is fixed: you come back down to Ghorepani, eat a real breakfast, and then walk the day's main stage. The sunrise is not the end of the day, and people who treat it that way find the afternoon harder than expected.

On visibility, honestly: no operator can promise you the view. Autumn gives the most reliable skies and spring is close behind, but a bank of cloud can arrive overnight in any month. Guides go up regardless — mountain weather clears fast, and partial views are common. If a clear sunrise matters enough to want two attempts, ask about building a second night in Ghorepani into a private departure.

Poon Hill Trek elevation profile

The trek's ceiling is low by Nepali standards, which is why acclimatisation days do not appear in any version of this itinerary. You sleep no higher than 2,874 m and touch 3,210 m for about an hour.

Where published figures disagree, and why. You will see Ulleri given as 1,960 m, 2,050 m and 2,070 m; Ghorepani as 2,850 m, 2,860 m and 2,874 m; Tikhedhunga as 1,540 m and 1,577 m. These villages sprawl across steep hillsides, so a reading taken at the lowest teahouse and one taken at the highest can differ by 50–100 m legitimately. Poon Hill itself is the exception: 3,210 m is universal, and any page giving a different number has made an error.

Two points are worth separating carefully, because they are routinely confused:

• Poon Hill (3,210 m) is not Ghorepani (2,874 m). Ghorepani is the village you sleep in; Poon Hill is the viewpoint above it.
• There are two Banthantis. One sits between Ulleri and Ghorepani at around 2,210 m; another sits between Deurali and Tadapani. Itineraries that list "Banthanti" without saying which side of Ghorepani it falls on are a good sign the writer has not walked the route.

How many kilometres is the Poon Hill Trek?

Between roughly 35 km and 45 km of walking, depending on which version you book and where the road picks you up.

On our 6-day itinerary, the day distances are 10–11 km (Ghandruk–Tadapani), 12 km (Tadapani–Ghorepani) and 15 km (Poon Hill plus the descent to Ulleri), plus the final stretch down to the road head. Our 4-day Pokhara-to-Pokhara version totals roughly 35–40 km across the same villages in the opposite direction.

Websites disagree on this number for three legitimate reasons, and one bad one. The legitimate ones: different itineraries use different roadheads, so the walked portion differs; some totals include the Poon Hill out-and-back (about 5 km round trip) and some do not; and GPS traces on switchbacked stone trail routinely over- or under-read by 10%. The bad reason: a number copied from another operator's differently-shaped itinerary.

Treat any total under 30 km as a heavily jeep-assisted route, and anything over 50 km as including Ghandruk–Landruk, Khopra Danda or an ABC continuation.

How many hours do you walk each day?

Between five and seven hours on trekking days, with one shorter transfer day at each end.

On the 6-day itinerary: 5–6 hours (Ghandruk–Tadapani), about 6 hours (Tadapani–Ghorepani), and 6–7 hours on the Poon Hill day including the pre-dawn climb. On the 4-day itinerary: 4–5, 4–5, 6–7 and 3–4 hours.

Those are moving-and-resting averages for a group at guide pace, not a target. Real variance comes from photography stops (the single biggest factor — an hour of extra photos on the Tadapani–Ghorepani forest day is normal), lunch length, rain slowing stone steps to a careful crawl, and how much time the Ghandruk museum absorbs. Uphill sections take longer than the map suggests, and steep descents on stone take almost as long as the climbs.

Plan your day around arriving at the next village with daylight in hand, not around beating a time.

Which is the hardest day of the Poon Hill Trek?

On our 6-day itinerary, Day 4 — and this is where direction of travel changes the answer.

Walk the same circuit clockwise, as our 4-day itinerary does, and the hardest day moves to Day 1: the staircase climb to Ulleri, done in a single afternoon on legs that arrived from a plane two days earlier.

This is why "the Poon Hill trek is easy" is unhelpful as advice. It is easy in the sense that it carries no meaningful altitude risk, needs no technical skill and never leaves well-built trail. It is not easy in the sense of being effortless: four consecutive days of hill walking with a 500-metre staircase in one direction or the other is real exercise, and people who arrive completely untrained finish the stair day sore.

Trek the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

Nepal's biggest mountain view, in the shortest possible trek. One sunrise. The whole Annapurna skyline.

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How many stairs are there on the Poon Hill Trek?

Nobody actually knows, and every specific number you will read online is unsourced.

The Tikhedhunga–Ulleri staircase is the section in question. Published counts range from 2,500 to 3,767, with 3,000 and 3,300 by far the most repeated. Our own trip pages currently cite "well over 3,000" and "3,300". None of these counts trace back to a survey — they trace back to each other.

The number that is verifiable is the elevation: the staircase climbs from about 1,540 m at Tikhedhunga to 2,050 m at Ulleri, roughly 510 vertical metres, typically in 1.5 to 3 hours going up. That is a stair count in the low thousands by any reasonable stride estimate, which is why the common figures are in the right neighbourhood even if none of them is authoritative.

What matters practically:

• Going up, it is a cardiovascular problem. Pace deliberately, start early to avoid midday sun on an exposed section, and drink more than you think you need.
• Going down, it is a joint problem. Descending stone steps loads knees and quadriceps far harder than climbing them, and the soreness usually shows up the following day.
• Trekking poles are worth more on this one section than on the rest of the trek combined, particularly on the descent. They rent cheaply in Pokhara and Kathmandu.
• Wet stone is slick. In monsoon or after rain, the staircase is the slowest and most fall-prone part of the route in either direction.

Is the Poon Hill itinerary suitable for beginners?

Yes, more so than almost any other Himalayan trek — and for structural reasons rather than marketing ones.

• Duration. Four trekking days is short enough that fitness gaps do not compound the way they do over two weeks.
• Altitude. A 3,210 m ceiling and a 2,874 m maximum sleeping altitude sit below the range where acute mountain sickness becomes a genuine planning concern. No acclimatisation day is needed. Some people notice mild breathlessness above 2,800 m; that is normal and not a warning sign on its own.
• Trail quality. Stone-paved paths and forest trail throughout. No exposure, no scrambling, no technical ground, no high pass that can close.
• Infrastructure. Teahouses every few hours, the best-equipped village on the route sitting exactly where you need it, and mobile signal across most of the trail.
• Access. Roads reach Ghandruk, Hile and Ulleri, so a problem on day two is a jeep away from Pokhara, not a helicopter.

The honest caveats: the staircase is a real physical test in either direction, the daily walking is five to seven hours rather than a stroll, and the descents are hard on knees. If you can walk four to five hours on hilly ground with a light daypack, you are ready. A month of cardio two or three times a week plus one weekly stair or hill session turns "manageable" into "enjoyable" — particularly on the stair day.

Our Poon Hill trek guide for beginners goes further into preparation and what a first Himalayan trek actually feels like.

Poon Hill Trek in 3 days

3-day variation — not a Places Nepal itinerary.

A compressed Pokhara-to-Pokhara route, made possible entirely by jeep access. One common shape:

• Day 1: Drive Pokhara to Hile or Tikhedhunga (drive all the way to Ulleri), trek to Ghorepani. Long: 6–8 hours of walking, or 4–5 if the jeep goes to Ulleri.
• Day 2: Poon Hill at sunrise, breakfast in Ghorepani, then the full descent to the roadhead — or across to Tadapani if the return is via Ghandruk.
• Day 3: Descend to the road, drive back to Pokhara.

Who it suits: fit trekkers with a fixed three-day window, people slotting Poon Hill between other Nepal plans, and anyone content to see the trail rather than spend time in it.

Trade-offs to accept: a long day one, a single sunrise attempt with no weather margin, most of the descent compressed into one leg-punishing stage, no time in Ghandruk, and almost no slack if a vehicle is delayed or someone in the group is slower than expected. Trekkers who do the whole descent in one day routinely report several days of stiffness afterwards.

We do not run a 3-day version because we think the compression removes most of what makes this trek worth doing. If three days is all you have, tell us and we will build it as a private trip rather than pretend a shorter package is the same experience.

Poon Hill Trek in 4 days

This is our standard Poon Hill itinerary, and for most people it is the right length. It runs Pokhara to Pokhara, clockwise, with the staircase climbed rather than descended.

Who it suits: trekkers already in Pokhara, anyone who prefers climbing steps to descending them, and travellers building Poon Hill into a wider Nepal itinerary that already includes their own Kathmandu–Pokhara transport.

Trade-offs: getting yourself to Pokhara, plus any Pokhara hotel nights and meals, sits outside the package. Day 1 is front-loaded — the staircase arrives in the afternoon of your first day.

Full details, pricing and departure dates: Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek — 4 days.

Trek the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

Nepal's biggest mountain view, in the shortest possible trek. One sunrise. The whole Annapurna skyline.

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Poon Hill Trek in 5 days

5-day variation — we run this as a private departure rather than a fixed package.

The classic 5-day version is the 4-day route with the descent broken in two, usually by adding a night in Ghandruk:

• Day 1: Pokhara → roadhead → Ulleri
• Day 2: Ulleri → Ghorepani
• Day 3: Poon Hill sunrise → Tadapani
• Day 4: Tadapani → Ghandruk, night in the village
• Day 5: Ghandruk → Pokhara by jeep

Compared with the 4-day pace, this adds an afternoon and evening in the best cultural stop on the route instead of passing through it at lunchtime, and removes the one rushed transition. Compared with our 6-day itinerary, it contains a similar amount of walking but stays Pokhara-based — so it suits people who do not need Kathmandu transfers handled.

Some operators run a 5-day version that instead loops via Tatopani, which is a different trek with a different character. Check the village list, not just the day count.

If a 5-day shape fits your dates, ask us to price it as a private trip — we build these regularly.

Poon Hill Trek in 6 days

The 6-day itinerary is the version we run as a weekly fixed departure, and the one most first-time visitors to Nepal should look at first. The full day-by-day is above; what follows is why the length works.

It absorbs the road days. Kathmandu to Pokhara and back is roughly 14–15 hours of driving in total. In the 6-day package those hours are scheduled, transported and accounted for. Booked separately, they are the part of a Nepal trip that most often goes wrong.

Climbing is spread across three days instead of one. Ghandruk to Tadapani, Tadapani to Ghorepani, then the sunrise climb — each day's ascent is moderate, and you arrive at the hardest day already three days into walking rather than fresh off a plane.

There is a rest day built into the shape. Day 5 is deliberately light. After the long descent on day 4, an afternoon in Pokhara rather than another trekking stage is the difference between finishing the trek and enduring it.

More time in villages. The itinerary begins in Ghandruk with time to look around, rather than reaching it at the end of the last morning with a jeep waiting.

It suits mixed-fitness groups. With no day requiring a 500-metre climb in a single afternoon, families and groups with varied fitness stay together more comfortably.

What it does not do: add extra trekking. Six days and four days contain the same four walking days. If you want more time on the trail rather than smoother logistics, look at the 10-day Poon Hill and Mardi Himal combination instead.

Ready-to-book: the 6-day Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek runs from US$520 per person, with Kathmandu–Pokhara–Kathmandu transport, three teahouse nights, two Pokhara hotel nights, a licensed guide, and ACAP and TIMS permits arranged for you. Weekly Monday departures through the autumn season are listed as guaranteed to run, so solo trekkers can join a group rather than pay a private-trip rate.

Trek the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek 6 days

Wake Up to the Himalayas – A Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek from Pokhara with Timeless Sunrise Views

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Poon Hill Trek in 7 days or longer

Nobody needs seven days for Poon Hill alone. What longer itineraries do is use Ghorepani as a gateway into something else. Four sensible extensions:

• Add a Ghandruk night to any version, for a genuine rest day and the best village on the route.
• Continue to Annapurna Base Camp. The Ghorepani route feeds directly into the ABC trail via Tadapani and Chhomrong — a natural continuation for trekkers wanting a sanctuary rather than a viewpoint. See our Annapurna Base Camp Trek.
• Add Khopra Danda, a quieter, higher ridge west of the standard route, for trekkers who want fewer people. See the Khopra Danda Trek.
• Link into the Mardi Himal ridge — the strongest option if you want a second, higher viewpoint without a second trip.

There is no 7-day Places Nepal Poon Hill package. If that is the window you have, we will build a private itinerary around one of the extensions above rather than pad the standard route.

Can you combine Poon Hill and Mardi Himal?

Yes, and the two routes join more naturally than most trekkers expect. Our Ghorepani Poon Hill and Mardi Himal Trek does exactly that over 10 days, from US$750 per person.

The link happens at Landruk. You walk the Poon Hill circuit first, descend from Tadapani through Ghandruk, cross the Modi Khola and climb to Landruk — then, instead of returning to Pokhara, turn up onto the Mardi Himal ridge through Forest Camp and Low Camp.

What changes when you add Mardi. The ceiling rises from 3,210 m to 4,500 m, which brings altitude into the planning for the first time. The ridge above Low Camp is exposed, above the treeline, and considerably more weather-dependent than anything on the Ghorepani side. Daily walking gets longer and the descent from Badal Danda to Sidhing is a 1,550 m drop in a single day. The trek is rated moderate rather than easy, and it is not the right first Himalayan trek for someone who has never done multi-day hill walking.

Who should take it. Trekkers with 10 days who want both the classic sunrise panorama and a genuine high-ridge experience; anyone who suspects four trekking days will leave them wanting more; and people who would otherwise be choosing between Poon Hill and Mardi Himal. Our Mardi Himal or Poon Hill comparison covers that choice in detail if you would rather pick one.

Which Poon Hill itinerary is best for you?

Poon Hill Trek itinerary options compared

⭐ Our primary recommendation for most trekkers arriving into Kathmandu.

Poon Hill vs Mardi Himal, in one paragraph

Mardi Himal is one to two days longer, climbs to 4,500 m against Poon Hill's 3,210 m, spends its best days above the treeline on an exposed ridge, and has thinner teahouse infrastructure. Poon Hill is lower, greener, more sociable, better supplied, and the better first trek. Mardi rewards trekkers who want altitude and quiet; Poon Hill rewards trekkers who want the widest possible mountain view for the least commitment. Full comparison: Mardi Himal or Poon Hill Trek.

Poon Hill vs Annapurna Base Camp, in one paragraph

Annapurna Base Camp is a 7–11 day commitment reaching roughly 4,130 m, and it takes you inside the Annapurna Sanctuary — surrounded by peaks rather than looking at them from a distance. It shares the lower trail with Poon Hill, which is why many ABC itineraries include Ghorepani. Poon Hill is four trekking days, one external panorama, and no altitude planning. Full comparison: Ghorepani Poon Hill vs Annapurna Base Camp.

Where do you sleep on the Poon Hill Trek?

On the 6-day itinerary: two nights in Pokhara at Majheri Resort or similar, and three nights in teahouses at Tadapani, Ghorepani and Ulleri.

Tadapani. A small ridge-top cluster of lodges. Twin rooms with shared bathrooms; simpler than the other stops, with mountain views from the dining room that make up for it.

Ghorepani. The best-equipped village on the route by a wide margin — a large choice of lodges, bakeries, and twin rooms with attached bathrooms in the lodges we use. It is also the busiest, and in October and November rooms run out for trekkers arriving without a booking.

Ulleri. A traditional Magar village with twin rooms and attached bathrooms in the lodges we use, and good Annapurna South views from the upper end of the village.

What to expect generally. Twin-sharing rooms, blankets provided, a dining room with a stove as the social centre of the evening. Hot showers, Wi-Fi and device charging are almost always available at these three villages but almost always cost extra — budget USD 2–5 per use. Facilities vary by lodge and by season: what is open and heated in October may be reduced in January. We book rooms ahead for every departure, which matters more here than on quieter routes.

Sleeping bags are not essential on this trek — lodge blankets plus a −5°C to −10°C comfort-rated bag is ample, and nothing on this route sleeps above 2,874 m.

What do you eat on the Poon Hill Trek?

Teahouse menus, cooked to order, and fuller than on higher routes because this trail stays below 3,000 m with steady mule and jeep supply.

Dal bhat is the reliable choice: rice, lentil soup, seasonal vegetables and pickle, with refills included nearly everywhere. Beyond that, expect momos, noodle soups, fried rice, chow mein, soups, and — in Ghorepani specifically — pizza, pasta and bakery items. Breakfasts run to porridge, muesli, eggs, Tibetan bread, chapati and pancakes, with milk tea, masala tea and hot chocolate all day.

Menus vary lodge to lodge and shrink slightly in winter. Vegetarian and vegan requirements are simple to manage on this route; tell us at booking and your guide briefs each kitchen ahead. On the trekking days of our 6-day itinerary, meals are included; meals in Pokhara are your own, apart from hotel breakfast.

Poon Hill Trek permits

Two documents, both arranged by us and included in the package price.

Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) — NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals, a flat single-entry fee regardless of trek length. SAARC nationals pay a reduced rate and children under 10 are exempt. This is the permit that is actually checked, at the ACAP counters along the route.

TIMS card (Trekkers' Information Management System) — NPR 2,000 for individual trekkers, NPR 1,000 when issued through a registered agency. Its enforcement on standard Annapurna trails has been inconsistent since 2023, and you will find flatly contradictory statements online about whether it still applies. We continue to issue it as standard, because carrying a document nobody asks for costs nothing and arriving at a checkpoint without one that is being enforced costs a day.

A licensed guide is mandatory. Since April 2023, foreign trekkers have not been permitted to trek anywhere in the Annapurna Conservation Area without a licensed guide arranged through a registered agency. This is national regulation, not company policy, and checkpoints verify the guide's licence alongside your permit. Independent unguided Poon Hill trekking is no longer an option regardless of experience.

After booking, we need a passport copy and your travel insurance details, and we handle the rest. For deeper permit background across the region, see our Annapurna Circuit trek permit guide.

Trek the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek 6 days

Wake Up to the Himalayas – A Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek from Pokhara with Timeless Sunrise Views

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How weather affects the itinerary

An itinerary is a plan, not a promise about conditions. What changes seasonally:

Autumn (late September–November). The most reliable sunrise views of the year and comfortable walking temperatures. Ghorepani nights fall to around 0 to −3°C and Poon Hill's pre-dawn summit runs −4 to −8°C. It is also the busiest window: lodges fill, and the viewing platform is crowded.

Spring (March–May). Equally strong, for a different reason — the rhododendron forests between Ulleri and Ghorepani bloom through late March and April. Nights are milder than autumn. Late-spring haze can soften long-range views by mid-morning, which makes the early summit timing more important, not less.

Winter (December–February). Genuinely trekkable, because there is no high pass to close. Ghorepani nights drop to −5 to −10°C and Poon Hill pre-dawn can hit −8 to −12°C with wind. The trail is at its quietest, snow on the summit is a real possibility, and some smaller lodges reduce services — we confirm availability before booking winter departures.

Monsoon (June to mid-September). Not recommended, and the reason is visibility rather than discomfort: the entire point of Poon Hill is the panorama, and monsoon skies rarely deliver it. Add leeches in the lower forest, slick stone steps, and possible landslide delays on the highway approach.

How this changes a plan in practice: cloud can cost you the sunrise in any season; rain slows stone-step sections significantly, adding an hour or more to descent days; and highway delays between Kathmandu and Pokhara are more likely after heavy rain, which matters most on a 6-day itinerary with road days at both ends. Build one buffer day into your Nepal trip if your flight home is tight.

What is the best time for the Poon Hill Trek?

Late September to November for the clearest mountain views, and March to April for the rhododendron bloom. Both are prime seasons; the choice between them is a preference between reliability and colour. December to February works if you accept the cold and the shorter services. June to mid-September is the one window we advise against.

What to pack for this itinerary

Specific to the shape of this trek rather than a general Himalaya list:

• Broken-in trekking boots with ankle support — the stone steps are the reason, in both directions.
• Trekking poles — collapsible, worth it for the staircase alone.
• A warm layer and hat for the summit — Poon Hill's pre-dawn is by far the coldest hour of the trek, in every season.
• A headlamp with fresh batteries — the sunrise climb is walked in the dark. This is not optional.
• Layers, not one heavy jacket — you will pass through 15°C of temperature range in a single day 4.
• Rain jacket or poncho year-round.
• Sun protection — SPF 30+, lip balm, sunglasses. The exposed staircase section catches full sun.
• A daypack with a rain cover, 30–40L if a porter carries your main bag.
• Personal medication and a blister kit — guides carry a basic first-aid kit; personal supplies are yours.
• Power bank, 10,000 mAh or more — charging costs USD 2–5 a time at teahouses.
• Cash in Nepalese rupees — Pokhara has the last reliable ATM. The trail is cash only.

Down jackets, sleeping bags and poles all rent cheaply in Pokhara and Kathmandu. Ask us a month ahead if you want help sourcing gear.

Transport: which parts you drive and which you walk

Comparing itineraries is impossible without separating these two, because the road is what shortens the trek.

On the 6-day itinerary: Kathmandu–Pokhara by deluxe tourist bus (200 km, ~7 hours) on day 1; Pokhara–Ghandruk by private jeep (~1.5 hours) on day 2; Ulleri–Pokhara by private jeep (~45 km, 3–4 hours) on day 5; Pokhara–Kathmandu by tourist bus (~8 hours) on day 6. Everything between Ghandruk and Ulleri is walked. A 25-minute flight can replace the final road day.

On the 4-day itinerary: Pokhara–Hile by private vehicle (1.5–2 hours) on day 1, and Ghandruk–Pokhara (2–2.5 hours) on day 4. Getting to Pokhara is arranged separately.

This is why a 3-day and a 6-day Poon Hill trek can contain a similar amount of walking. Before comparing two operators' day counts, ask where their vehicle drops you and where it picks you up. It is the single most useful question you can ask about a Poon Hill itinerary, and the one least often answered on a booking page.

Trek the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek 6 days

Wake Up to the Himalayas – A Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek from Pokhara with Timeless Sunrise Views

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Poon Hill Trek route map

The 6-day trip page currently carries an elevation chart image. There is no interactive route map on the site yet — we recommend building one showing the Ghandruk → Tadapani → Ghorepani → Poon Hill → Ulleri sequence with teahouse stops, ACAP checkposts and the roadheads at Ghandruk, Hile and Ulleri marked, since the roadhead positions are the detail that makes the different itinerary lengths make sense.

If you want a marked-up map with teahouse stops, permit checkposts and alternate route options before your departure, contact our team and we will send one. 

Other ways to trek Poon Hill with Places Nepal

Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek — 4 days — Pokhara to Pokhara, clockwise, from US$390 per person. The right choice if you are already in Pokhara, prefer to climb the staircase rather than descend it, or are fitting the trek around other plans in the Annapurna region.

Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek — 6 days — Kathmandu to Kathmandu, anticlockwise, from US$520 per person, with weekly guaranteed departures. The right choice for first-time trekkers, solo travellers wanting group pricing, and anyone who would rather not organise their own Kathmandu–Pokhara transport.

Ghorepani Poon Hill and Mardi Himal Trek — 10 days — from US$750 per person. The right choice if four trekking days will not be enough and you want a 4,500 m ridge experience alongside the classic sunrise.

Ghorepani Poon Hill Yoga Trek and Luxury Pokhara Poon Hill Wellness Trek — the same trail at a slower pace, with structured yoga sessions or upgraded accommodation.

If none of these fit your dates or your pace, tell us the window you have and we will build a private departure around it. We run group departures on this route weekly through the trekking season and custom trips year-round.

These itineraries don’t suit you? No worries! You can customize your trek to match your schedule, pace, and preferences. Just message our trek advisor on WhatsApp and we’ll help you plan it.

Poon Hill Trek itinerary FAQs

What is the best Poon Hill Trek itinerary? For most people arriving in Nepal via Kathmandu, the 6-day Kathmandu-to-Kathmandu itinerary. It contains the same four trekking days as shorter versions but spreads the climbing across three moderate days, includes both road transfers, and builds in a light day after the hardest one. Trekkers already in Pokhara are usually better served by the 4-day version.

How many days do you need for Poon Hill? Four trekking days is the natural length of the classic circuit. Total trip length depends on where you start: four days from Pokhara, six from Kathmandu.

Is Poon Hill a 3-day trek? It can be. Three-day versions rely on jeep access to Ulleri or Hile and compress the descent into one long stage. They work for fit trekkers with fixed dates, but they leave no weather margin for the sunrise and no time in Ghandruk.

Can you do Poon Hill in 4 days? Yes — this is our standard itinerary and the most common length sold in Pokhara. Hile to Ulleri, Ulleri to Ghorepani, Poon Hill and Tadapani, then Tadapani to Ghandruk and out by road.

Is 5 days enough for Poon Hill? More than enough. A fifth day is usually spent as an extra night in Ghandruk, which turns the last morning from a transit stage into a proper village stop.

Is the 6-day Poon Hill Trek better? Better for logistics and pacing, not for trail time. It contains the same four walking days as the 4-day trek; the extra two days are the Kathmandu–Pokhara transfers. If your priority is more trekking rather than smoother travel, add Mardi Himal instead.

What is the 6-day Poon Hill itinerary? Day 1 Kathmandu to Pokhara by road; Day 2 jeep to Ghandruk and trek to Tadapani; Day 3 Tadapani to Ghorepani; Day 4 Poon Hill at sunrise then descend to Ulleri; Day 5 Ulleri to Pokhara; Day 6 Pokhara to Kathmandu.

Where does the Poon Hill Trek start? It depends on the direction. Our 6-day itinerary starts walking at Ghandruk (1,940 m); our 4-day itinerary starts at Hile. Historically the trek began on foot at Nayapul or Birethanti, before jeep roads reached the higher villages.

Where does the Poon Hill Trek end? The 6-day itinerary finishes walking at Ulleri and drives to Pokhara; the 4-day finishes at Ghandruk. Both loop back to Pokhara by road.

How many hours do you walk each day? Five to seven hours on trekking days. The Poon Hill day is longest at 6–7 hours including the pre-dawn climb; transfer days involve little or no walking.

How many kilometres is the Poon Hill Trek? Roughly 35–45 km of walking depending on the version and where vehicles collect you. Published totals vary because operators use different roadheads and count the Poon Hill out-and-back differently.

What is the hardest day? On the 6-day itinerary, day 4 — the pre-dawn climb followed by a long stone-step descent. On the 4-day itinerary, day 1 — the staircase climb to Ulleri. Direction of travel decides the answer.

When do you reach Poon Hill for sunrise? On the morning after your night in Ghorepani. Departure is usually 4:30–5:00 am, the climb takes 45–60 minutes, and your guide sets the exact time against the sunrise for your date.

How high is Poon Hill? 3,210 m (10,531 ft). It is the highest point of the trek; the highest place you sleep is Ghorepani at 2,874 m.

How many stairs are there on Poon Hill? No authoritative count exists. Published figures for the Tikhedhunga–Ulleri staircase range from 2,500 to 3,767, with 3,000–3,300 most commonly repeated. The verifiable figure is the ascent: about 510 vertical metres.

Is Poon Hill suitable for beginners? Yes. Short duration, low altitude, well-built trails and dense teahouse infrastructure make it one of the best first Himalayan treks available. It still involves four days of hill walking and a substantial staircase, so it is not effortless.

Is Poon Hill harder than Mardi Himal? No. Mardi Himal climbs to 4,500 m, spends its best days above the treeline, and takes longer. Poon Hill tops out at 3,210 m with no serious altitude consideration.

Can you combine Poon Hill and Mardi Himal? Yes — the routes link at Landruk, and our 10-day combined trek walks the Poon Hill circuit first, then climbs the Mardi ridge to base camp at 4,500 m.

What is the best itinerary for families? The 6-day version, or a 5-day private trip with a Ghandruk night. Shorter walking days, village time and a rest day matter more to family groups than total distance.

What is the best itinerary for solo trekkers? The 6-day fixed departure. Weekly departures listed as guaranteed to run mean a solo trekker joins at group pricing rather than paying a solo private rate — and a licensed guide is mandatory in this region anyway.

What should I pack? Broken-in boots, layers, a rain jacket, a warm layer and headlamp for the summit climb, trekking poles, sun protection, personal medication, a power bank and cash in rupees. Full list above.

Where do you sleep? Teahouses at Tadapani, Ghorepani and Ulleri on the 6-day itinerary, plus two hotel nights in Pokhara. Twin-sharing rooms throughout; Ghorepani has the best facilities on the route.

What food is available? Standard teahouse menus. Dal bhat with refills is the staple, alongside momos, noodles, fried rice, soups and — in Ghorepani — bakery items and pizza. Vegetarian and vegan requirements are straightforward here.

What permits are required? ACAP (NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals) and a TIMS card (NPR 2,000 individually, NPR 1,000 through an agency). Both are included and arranged in our packages.

Do I need a guide? Yes. A licensed guide arranged through a registered agency has been mandatory throughout the Annapurna Conservation Area since April 2023. Independent unguided trekking is not permitted here.

Is Poon Hill crowded? At sunrise in October, November, March and April, yes — the platform can hold several hundred people. The trails between Ghorepani, Ulleri and Ghandruk are similarly busy. Early March, late November and winter are noticeably quieter.

What is the best season? Late September to November for view reliability; March and April for the rhododendron bloom. Both are strong.

Can you trek Poon Hill in winter? Yes. There is no high pass to close, so the route stays open. Expect Ghorepani nights around −5 to −10°C, Poon Hill pre-dawn colder still, far fewer people, and reduced service at some smaller lodges.

Can you trek Poon Hill during monsoon? It is possible but we advise against it. Cloud cover defeats the purpose of the viewpoint, the stone steps become slippery, leeches are active in the lower forest, and highway landslides can disrupt the road approach.

How much does the Poon Hill Trek cost? Our 4-day trek starts from US$390 per person and the 6-day from US$520, with lower rates for larger groups. Full breakdown, including what falls outside the package: Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek cost.

Ready to walk it?
If the 6-day shape fits your dates, the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek 6 Days page has current departure dates, group pricing and the full inclusion list. If you are already in Pokhara, start with the 4-day version. If neither shape works, send us your dates and we will build a private itinerary around them.