Do I need a licensed guide?

Yes on the major Nepal trails. We walk with a licensed local guide; the booking is with a government-registered Pokhara agency.

Can beginners do Ghorepani Poon Hill?

Fit first-timers manage this with honest pacing. Altitude is the limiter, not technical climbing. We build rest into the itinerary instead of racing the viewpoint.

When is the best time?

October–May. We will not pretend monsoon weeks are clear weeks. Write your dates; a manager in Pokhara will say if the trail matches the weather.

Does this start from Pokhara?

Briefing, permits and kit-check are in Lakeside. Annapurna trails leave from the lake. Everest and Langtang connect through Kathmandu or overland — we still own the plan.

Ghorepani Poon Hill | 4 Days from Pokhara | Upper Path Treks And Tours

Who this is for

Sunrise over Dhaulagiri, rhododendron forest, and a steep holiday of stairs. Typically four to five days.

Poon Hill is the rest-week trek from Pokhara: steep, short, and honest about stairs. You walk through rhododendron to Ghorepani, climb Poon Hill (3,210 m) before dawn, and come down through Ghandruk. Typical length is four to five days; we hold five so the sunrise morning is not stacked on a long jeep day.

Included

— Licensed guide
— ACAP & TIMS permits
— Tea-house lodging
— Breakfast, lunch, dinner on trek
— Pokhara airport or hotel pickup

Not included

— International flights
— Nepal visa
— Travel insurance
— Personal snacks & drinks
— Tips

Itinerary

Pokhara to Ulleri or Tikhedhunga

Jeep to Nayapul, then the first stone stairs.

To Ghorepani

Rhododendron and a long stair day into the lodge village.

Poon Hill sunrise, to Tadapani

Pre-dawn climb to 3,210 m, then forest to Tadapani.

Tadapani to Ghandruk

Ridge and a descent into stone Gurung lanes.

Ghandruk to Pokhara

Final trail to the road and a late lunch by the lake.

Difficulty and altitude

Ghorepani Poon Hill is a Moderate walk of 4 days, with a high point around 3210 m. We pace for acclimatisation, not a brochure summit morning.

Best time to go

Typical season: October–May. October–November and March–April are the classic Himalayan windows. We close or reroute when cloud and rain make the view a fiction.

Permits and what is included

Annapurna routes include ACAP and usually TIMS, processed in Pokhara. Restricted valleys (Mustang, Manaslu, Tsum, Nar Phu) add a RAP filed through immigration. The quote lists permit days; there is no surprise at the checkpoint.

Permit notes from Lakeside · Best treks in Nepal

How the trip starts from Pokhara

You sleep in Pokhara the night before a jeep or tourist bus. We confirm the trailhead, tea-house nights, and who meets you. No guest account — a manager replies on WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber or email.

Altitude

The path

Questions before you book

Yes on the major Nepal trails. We walk with a licensed local guide; the booking is with a government-registered Pokhara agency.

Ghorepani Poon Hill