The Poon Hill Trek is one of the most popular treks in Nepal due to its short time frame. A common misconception is that it’s an easy trek, however, the Poon Hill trek is surprisingly difficult. Poon Hill is a small hilltop located above the popular village of Ghorepani inside of the Annapurna Conservation Area. It’s located at 3,200 m (10,500 ft), and on a clear day you can see the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Range. Here’s everything you need to know before setting off on your trip.
Poon Hill Trek Map
Note: This map should not be used for navigational purposes. It is just meant to give an idea of the route and may not be perfectly to scale. Download maps.me on your phone for an accurate offline map that is free to use.
Poon Hill Trek Overview
Trek Duration
The Poon Hill trek can be done in three to four days. While three days is entirely possible, it’s a rushed trek that won’t be very enjoyable. We did the four day route and still found it challenging for a number of reasons. Those who have the time and want a more enjoyable experience should aim for five days.
Poon Hill Difficulty Level
People often think of Poon Hill as an easy trek because it’s only three days long and because so many people do it, but that’s a misconception. The Poon Hill Trek is almost entirely uphill on a steep staircase for the first two days. We met another trekker who turned back on day two. He joked that he was on vacation, and this wasn’t at all relaxing. If you are nervous about the difficulty level, you can add a day to the itinerary to break up the hard parts. Those who are worried about the steep uphill climbs may want to consider hiring a porter to carry your bag as it will make it a lot easier.
Required Permits
This trek requires an ACAP entry permit which costs 3,000 rupees (about $26 USD). You can get this permit at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu or Pokhara. You will need your passport and two copies of your passport photo as well as cash.
Trek History
According to locals, the Poon Hill Trek started to become popular in the 70’s and 80’s. It passed through small existing villages which later expanded due to the need for accommodations.
Best Time to do the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
All the locals agree that the best time to do this trek is October or November followed by March or April when the rhododendrons are in bloom. This is not a good route to trek in monsoon (May-September) as the small streams become raging rivers, landslides happen along the trekking route, and there are leeches. You can do this trek in the winter however it will be cold at night as there is no heat in the teahouses.
Poon Hill Height
3,200 m (10,500 ft)
Poon Hill Trail Info
The Poon Hill trekking trail starts with a large stone staircase that is steep but manageable if you go slowly. In the areas that aren’t so steep, a wide dirt path runs through the forest. The path is well maintained as it’s one of the more popular trekking routes in Nepal.
Navigating the Poon Hill Trek
While the trail is extremely easy to navigate, I do recommend inexperienced trekkers to take a guide. If you are an experienced trekker and plan to go alone, you can download Maps.me which is a free offline map that shows trekking routes and your live location.
Packing List
I have an entire post for my packing list as it was too long to include in this post. You can check it out here… Poon Hill Packing List
Trip Cost
I also have an entire post dedicated to my budget and how much we spent on the trek. You can check it out here… Poon Hill Trekking Cost
Poon Hill Trek Itinerary Options
Poon Hill Trek 3 Days
A lot of trekking agencies recommend a really difficult three day route to Poon Hill. This itinerary requires taking a jeep past the first major town to save time. Because the jeep will be going off the major highway, it will be more expensive. I only recommend this itinerary for those on a major time crunch as the days are long and difficult. You’ll often leave early in the morning and arrive just before the sun sets. Most of the days are 7 hours of walking (mostly uphill) not including lunch or tea breaks.
Day 1 – Pokhara to Tikhedhungga by jeep. Then, walk to Ghorepani. (6 hours and 30 minutes walking time)
Check road conditions as there are sometimes landslides between Birethanti and Tikhedhungga and you may need to walk part of the way.
Day 2 – Sunrise hike to Poon Hill. Then, walk from Ghorepani to Ghandruk. (9 hours and 45 minutes walking time)
Day 3 – Ghandruk to Pokhara by Jeep.
Poon Hill Trek 4 Days
The four day trek is what we opted to do, and it’s the more popular choice since it gives you more time to enjoy the trek. The main difference between this and the three day trek is that you get to break up the first day.
Day 1 – Pokhara to Tikhedhungga by jeep. Then, walk to Banthanti. (3 hours and 30 minutes walking time straight uphill)
Check road conditions as there are sometimes landslides between Birethanti and Tikhedhungga and you may need to walk part of the way.
Day 2 – Walk from Banthanti to Ghorepani. (3 hours walking time)
Day 3 – Sunrise hike to Poon Hill. Then, walk from Ghorepani to Ghandruk. (9 hours and 45 minutes walking time)
Day 4 – Explore Ghandruk. Ghandruk to Pokhara by Jeep. Option to walk part of the way back to Pokhara to save money.
Poon Hill Trek 5 Days – Easy Option
If you’ve never gone trekking before, are out of shape, or are not used to walking uphill constantly and are nervous about this trek, you can do a five day variation to make it easier. This itinerary breaks up the first day and the trek from Ghorepani to Ghandruk which is over 9 hours if you include the sunrise trek to Poon Hill. Plus, you’ll get to Ghandruk early enough on day four to explore the picturesque mountain village.
Day 1 – Pokhara to Tikhedhungga by jeep. Then, walk to Banthanti. (3 hours and 30 minutes walking time straight uphill)
Check road conditions as there are sometimes landslides between Birethanti and Tikhedhungga and you may need to walk part of the way.
Day 2 – Walk from Banthanti to Ghorepani. (3 hours walking time)
Day 3 – Sunrise hike to Poon Hill and walk from Ghorepani to Tadapani. (6 hours and 45 minutes walking time)
Day 4 – Walk from Tadapani to Ghandruk. (3 hours walking time)
Day 4 – Ghandruk to Pokhara by Jeep
Poon Hill Trek 5 Days – Including Dhampus
If you want to make this trek a little longer, you can add one day going to Dhampus. It’s a long walk, but Dhampus is another popular village with beautiful mountain views. This will mean that day three and four are both long days of walking. You can get a Jeep from Dhampus which will cut down on costs and driving time a little.
Day 1 – Pokhara to Tikhedhungga by jeep. Then, walk to Banthanti. (3 hours and 30 minutes walking time straight uphill)
Check road conditions as there are sometimes landslides between Birethanti and Tikhedhungga and you may need to walk part of the way.
Day 2 – Walk from Banthanti to Ghorepani. (3 hours walking time)
Day 3 – Sunrise hike to Poon Hill. Then, walk from Ghorepani to Ghandruk. (9 hours and 45 minutes walking time)
Day 4 – Walk from Ghandruk to Dhampus. (8 hours walking time)
Day 5 – Dhampus to Pokhara by Jeep
Poon Hill Trek – Detailed Itinerary Breakdown (4 day itinerary)
Day 1 – Pokhara to Tikhedhungga to Banthanti
Tikhedhungga Altitude: 1,540 m (5,052 ft)
Banthanti Altitude: 2,210 m (7,250 ft)
Daily Altitude Increase: 670 m (2,198 ft)
Oxygen Concentration: 78% compared to 100% at sea level
Driving Time: 2-3 hours depending on the road conditions and time of year. We went in monsoon and were unable to take the jeep all the way because of landslides. However, there are jeeps that run from Lamdawali up to Ulleri. You just need to walk part of the way to get to them.
Walking Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes from Tikhedhungga to the top of Ulleri. 1 hour from Ulleri to Banthanti. Total time of 3 hours 30 minutes (not including lunch or tea breaks).
Distance: 3 km (1.9 miles) walking distance
Difficulty Level: Very Difficult
Teahouse: Mountain View Lodge in Banthanti
The walk from Tikhedhungga to Banthanti is difficult as it goes almost straight uphill. If you are going in the warmer months, it can also be extremely hot as much of the trail is in the direct sunlight with little reprieve from trees. It’s important to have enough water with you and a good sunscreen. I’d also recommend some electrolytes to stay hydrated.
The good thing about this route is that there are tons of places to stop and rest along the way including many teahouses. The route is well maintained and the uphill sections are stairs made out of large rocks. The route up to Ulleri is the hardest, but it’s not as steep going to Banthanti.
Day 2 – Banthanti to Ghorepani
Banthanti Altitude: 2,210 m (7,250 ft)
Ghorepani Altitude: 2,880 m (9,448 ft)
Daily Altitude Increase: 670 m (2,198 ft)
Oxygen Concentration: 72% compared to 100% at sea level
Walking Time: 2 hours from Banthanti to Nangge Thanti. 1 hour from Nangge Thanti to Ghorepani. Total walking time of 3 hours (not including lunch or tea breaks).
Distance: 6.6km (4.1 miles)
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Teahouse: Nice View Lodge
Most people walk from Tikhedhungga to Ghorepani in one day, but it’s not at all enjoyable. By splitting it up, you can have an easy second day. Most of day two is a nice trail going through beautiful woods. You have protection from the sun and get to enjoy passing streams and listening to nature. This was my favorite part of the walk. It is longer in distance but the uphills are not so steep and you can take your time walking it.
You’ll likely get to Ghorepani before lunch and have most of the day there to hang out. Ghorepani is a fairly modern village with a lot of amenities like hot water, bookstores, small shops, and bakeries. You can take a hot shower, hang out and read a book while drinking a cappuccino. It’s not a bad place to spend a little extra time.
Day 3 – Ghorepani to Poon Hill to Ghandruk
Ghorepani Altitude: 2,880 m (9,448 ft)
Poon Hill Altitude: 3,193 m (10,475 ft)
Ghandruk Altitude: 2,012 m (6,601 ft)
Daily Altitude Increase: 313 m (1,029 ft) up to Poon Hill
Oxygen Concentration: 69% compared to 100% at sea level
Walking Time: 1 hour up to Poon Hill. 40 minutes down to Ghorepani. 5 hours from Ghorepani to Tadapani. 2 hours and 45 minutes from Tadapani to Ghandruk. Total walking time 9 hours 30 minutes (not including breakfast, lunch, tea breaks, or time to take photos at Poon Hill)
Distance: 11.25 km (7 miles)
Difficulty Level: Very Difficult
Hotel: Danda Gaun Hotel
Day three is a long and difficult day. Typically, when trekking in Nepal, you go to viewpoints before the sun rises to ensure a better view as that is when the sky is the clearest. This means leaving your teahouse around 4:30 am to climb to Poon Hill. The route is completely uphill on a stone path. You’ll get there around 5:30 am and have a half hour for photos and to see the sunrise (check the sunrise time with locals as it varies throughout the year). The entry fee to Poon Hill is 100 rupees and there is a tea stand at the top, so bring cash with you.
After the sunrise, it takes about 30-40 minutes to come back down to Ghorepani where you can have breakfast. Make sure to order it the night before so that it’s ready when you arrive. You should be back to Ghorepani by 6:45a m. After you eat breakfast and pack, you should leave for Ghandruk no later than 8:00 am so that you can be in Tadapani at 1:00pm for lunch. If you are really tired when you arrive, you can opt to spend a night in Tadapani.
When you leave Ghorepani, there’s a slight uphill climb to start which offers nice views on a clear day. After you reach the small village of Deurali, you’ll walk along a small river with beautiful waterfalls along the way. We went during monsoon and had to walk a little slow because parts of it are a steep downhill on slippery rocks. The route is absolutely gorgeous though and is my favorite part of this trek.
After the small village of Ban Thanti (a different Ban Thanti than the one you slept in), you’ll go through the jungle with a lot of up and down hills. Some of the route is steep making it more difficult. From there you’ll arrive in Tadapani where you should eat lunch before moving on.
After Tadapani, it’s a small trail through the jungle with a moderate slope which isn’t too difficult. This lasts over an hour until you reach a stone trail that wraps around the outside of the hills. From here you can see Ghandruk in the distance and it’s about an hour walk to “Old Ghandruk”. Overall, this day is difficult because it is so long. We arrived at Ghandruk around 5:00pm and were completely exhausted.
Day 4 – Ghandruk to Pokhara by jeep
Driving Time: 2-3 hours depending on the road. It took us a little longer to get back to Pokhara because there had been a landslide that took out part of the road. They were literally rebuilding it, and we had to park and wait for 45 minutes. We went in monsoon (not recommended), so this likely won’t be an issue other times of the year.
Since you don’t have to walk anywhere, I’d highly recommend spending a little time in the morning walking around Ghandruk. This village is super cute and full of character. There are even two museums in the town which focus on the village’s history and on Gurung people who are native to the area.
Poon Hill Trek Village Guides
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Michelle Della Giovanna
Writer at Full Time Explorer
I’m just your average New Yorker who quit her job in the fashion industry to explore the world. Come find out what it’s like to trade in five-inch heels for squat toilets.
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