Ghorepani Poon Hill trek — Nepal's best short trek
Four to five days from Pokhara to a 3,210 m sunrise viewpoint looking straight at Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. Low enough that altitude sickness is unlikely, comfortable lodges the whole way, and the best introduction to Himalayan trekking there is — provided you are ready for the Ulleri staircase.
If you have five days, moderate fitness and no trekking experience, this is the trek. Poon Hill delivers a genuine high-Himalayan sunrise — Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m) and Machhapuchhre lined up across the sky — for a fraction of the time, cost and altitude risk of anything else in Nepal.
It is popular for exactly that reason, and in October you will share the summit at dawn with a hundred people. That is a fair price for what you get.
The route at a glance
A loop from road heads near Pokhara — commonly Nayapul, Birethanti or Ulleri — up to Ghorepani (2,874 m), the dawn climb to Poon Hill (3,210 m), and out via Tadapani and Ghandruk.
- Duration — 4–5 days, extendable to 6 with a night in Ghandruk.
- Highest point — Poon Hill, 3,210 m. Highest sleep — Ghorepani, 2,874 m.
- Start — 1.5–2 hours by road from Pokhara.
- Difficulty — easy to moderate. Steep, but low.
- Best seasons — October to April. It works in winter, unlike the high routes, and the rhododendrons in March and April are exceptional.
- Altitude risk — low. Below the threshold where acute mountain sickness is common.
The itinerary
Short enough to state in full.
- Day 1 — Drive from Pokhara to Nayapul or Birethanti, walk to Tikhedhunga (1,540 m) or push on to Ulleri.
- Day 2 — The Ulleri staircase: over 3,000 stone steps in a single climb, then forest to Ghorepani (2,874 m). The hardest day, and it is on day two.
- Day 3 — Up at 4.30 a.m. for the 45–60 minute climb to Poon Hill (3,210 m) for sunrise. Back for breakfast, then walk to Tadapani through rhododendron forest.
- Day 4 — Tadapani to Ghandruk (1,940 m), a large and genuinely beautiful Gurung village, then down to a road head and back to Pokhara.
- Optional day 5 — Stay a night in Ghandruk instead of rushing out. It is one of the best-preserved villages in the region and has a Gurung museum.
The Ulleri staircase, honestly
Over three thousand stone steps, climbing continuously, usually in the sun, on your second day of walking. It is the single feature of this trek people remember, and not fondly.
It is entirely doable — schoolchildren and porters carrying furniture go up it daily — but pace it. Short steps, steady rhythm, frequent short pauses rather than long collapses, and plenty of water. Trekking poles genuinely help, both up and on the descent later.
There is no way to avoid it on the classic loop, though some itineraries now start from a higher road head, which skips part of it at the cost of some walking.
Why Poon Hill specifically
The reason this modest hill has such a reputation is geometry. It sits in the gap between two eight-thousanders — Dhaulagiri to the west and Annapurna to the east — with the Kali Gandaki gorge, the deepest in the world, running between them.
At sunrise the light hits Dhaulagiri first and moves across the whole range, and because Poon Hill is far enough south, you see the mountains as a wall rather than from underneath. Very few accessible viewpoints in Nepal give you that.
Get there before the light. The walk up is in the dark, so bring a headtorch, and wear more than you think — it is well below freezing on that summit in winter dawns.
Permits and cost
The same permits as the rest of the Annapurna region, and the cheapest trek in this series to run.
- ACAP — Rs 3,000 for foreign nationals plus 13% VAT, around Rs 1,000 for SAARC nationals.
- TIMS card — around Rs 2,000.
- A licensed guide for foreign trekkers.
- Teahouse living — roughly Rs 2,500–3,500 a day, the lowest of any trek in this series because the altitude is low and supply lines are short.
- Both permits are issued at the Nepal Tourism Board / ACAP office in Pokhara.
Where to stay
Accommodation on this route is the most comfortable trekking accommodation in Nepal — it is low, close to the road, and competitive.
- Ghorepani (2,874 m) — the biggest choice, with large lodges. Ask for a mountain-facing room; some have Dhaulagiri from the window.
- Tadapani (2,630 m) — smaller, quieter, with a superb Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre view at dawn.
- Ghandruk (1,940 m) — a large slate-roofed Gurung village with genuinely good lodges, a museum, and views that rival the trek's official viewpoints.
- Jhinu Danda — if you extend towards ABC, the hot springs are here.
Where to go next
Poon Hill is the natural first step in a sequence. If it went well and you want more:
Mardi Himal (5–6 days, up to about 4,500 m) is the obvious next trek — a high ridge walk above the same valley with far fewer people. Annapurna Base Camp (7–12 days, 4,130 m) is the natural third, and the Poon Hill loop is commonly bolted onto the front of it.
The whole Annapurna foothill region is designed for this progression, which is why Pokhara rather than Kathmandu is Nepal's trekking capital.
Key takeaways
- ✓4–5 days, maximum 3,210 m — the best short trek in Nepal and a genuinely low altitude risk.
- ✓Poon Hill sits between two eight-thousanders, which is why the sunrise is worth the 4.30 a.m. start.
- ✓The Ulleri staircase — over 3,000 stone steps — is the hard part, and it comes on day two.
- ✓Permits are ACAP plus TIMS from the Pokhara office; teahouse costs are the lowest of any Nepali trek.
- ✓It works from October to April, including winter, unlike the high routes.
Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek — FAQ
How difficult is the Poon Hill trek?+
Easy to moderate. The maximum altitude of 3,210 m is below where acute mountain sickness usually becomes a problem, and lodges are comfortable throughout. The hard part is the Ulleri staircase — over 3,000 stone steps in one climb, on the second day.
How many days is the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek?+
Four to five days from Pokhara, or six if you add a night in Ghandruk. It is also commonly attached to the front of the Annapurna Base Camp trek, adding about two days to that itinerary.
What can you see from Poon Hill?+
A wall of Himalaya at sunrise: Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) to the west, Annapurna I (8,091 m) and Annapurna South to the east, with Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) and Nilgiri in between. It sits in the gap between two eight-thousanders, which is why the panorama is unusually wide.
Do you get altitude sickness on the Poon Hill trek?+
It is unlikely. The maximum altitude is 3,210 m and you only touch it briefly at dawn, sleeping at 2,874 m. Mild symptoms are possible in susceptible people, but this is one of the few Nepali treks where altitude is not a planning constraint.
Can you do the Poon Hill trek in winter?+
Yes — it is one of the best winter treks in Nepal. It is cold at Ghorepani and there may be snow on the Poon Hill path, but the route stays open, the air is at its clearest, and the crowds are far smaller than in October.
Related guides
Sources & data note
Day-by-day structure, walking times, teahouse cost ranges and difficulty judgements are our own synthesis of the route dataset behind this site, park and tourism-board information and consistent trekker reporting. They are planning estimates for a reasonably fit walker in a normal season, not published figures, and your itinerary should be built with a licensed guide who knows current trail and lodge conditions. Permit fees are quoted as base fees before 13% VAT; confirm at the issuing counter. Guides are written from primary sources — Nepali government departments, operators, park authorities and standards bodies — and each guide lists the sources used for its own facts. Rules, fees and prices in Nepal change; treat figures as current at the review date shown on each guide and verify anything money- or visa-critical with the issuing authority before you rely on it.
- Nepal Tourism Board — official site (trekking and trekker information)Nepal Tourism Board ↗
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation — parks and entry feesDNPWC, Government of Nepal ↗
- Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN)TAAN ↗
- High-Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness — CDC Yellow BookUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ↗
- Himalayan Rescue Association Nepal — altitude aid posts and adviceHimalayan Rescue Association ↗
- Nepal trekking permits and fees (2026)Follow Alice ↗
- National Trust for Nature Conservation — Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP)NTNC ↗