Overview
The Annapurna Base Camp and Poon Hill trek from Pokhara is a nine-day teahouse trek that pairs the famous Poon Hill sunrise with the Annapurna Sanctuary at 4,130 metres. From the lakeside city you drive up to Banthanti, climb to Ghorepani for a dawn over Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna massif, then cross through Tadapani and Chhomrong and up the Modi Khola valley to base camp, ringed by Annapurna I, Machhapuchhre and Hiunchuli. It is graded moderate to hard, walked on well-worn trails with comfortable lodges each night, and finishes with a soak in the Jhinu Danda hot springs before the drive back to Pokhara. Starting and ending in the lakeside city, it gathers two of the region's best walks into a single loop.
The itinerary
- Around 4 hours by road through hillside villages to Banthanti
- Trek up through rhododendron forest and stone stairs to Ghorepani (2,874 m)
- Evening free to explore the ridge-top village
- Pre-dawn climb to Poon Hill (3,210 m) for sunrise over Annapurna and Dhaulagiri
- Return to Ghorepani for breakfast
- Trek through forest and ridgelines to Tadapani (2,610 m)
- Descend through dense forest and traditional settlements
- Arrive Chhomrong (2,170 m), the gateway to the Sanctuary
- Views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre over the village
- Drop to the Chhomrong Khola, then climb through bamboo and rhododendron forest
- Quiet forest trail with the river below, into the Sanctuary region
- Overnight at Bamboo (2,310 m)
- Follow the valley through forest, waterfalls and past Hinku Cave
- Snow peaks and glacial landscapes come into view as you climb
- Overnight at Deurali (3,230 m)
- Ascend via Machhapuchhre Base Camp into the glacial basin
- Reach Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 m
- A 360-degree amphitheatre of Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre
- Sunrise over the Sanctuary from base camp
- Long descent through Machhapuchhre Base Camp, Deurali and the forest
- Overnight at Dovan or Bamboo
- Descend through forest and villages towards Jhinu Danda (1,780 m)
- Short walk to the natural hot springs beside the Modi Khola
- Relax in the warm riverside pools
- Scenic 3 to 4 hour drive back through terraced hills and villages
- The trek concludes on arrival beside Phewa Lake
What the price covers
Things to carry
- Layered clothing including a warm down jacket for base camp
- Broken-in trekking boots and warm socks
- A sleeping-bag liner, hat, gloves and a buff
- Sunglasses, sun hat, high-factor sunscreen and lip balm
- A refillable water bottle with purification, a daypack and a power bank
Good to know
Complete guide
This trek gathers two of the Annapurna region's best-loved walks into one loop: the sunrise ridge at Poon Hill and the glacial amphitheatre of Annapurna Base Camp. Starting from Pokhara, it climbs to Ghorepani first, then crosses to the Sanctuary trail and up to base camp before dropping to the Jhinu hot springs. Here is how the trek works and what to know.
What the Annapurna Base Camp and Poon Hill trek from Pokhara covers
The route runs Pokhara to Banthanti by road, up to Ghorepani for the Poon Hill sunrise, then through Tadapani and Chhomrong and up the Modi Khola valley to base camp at 4,130 metres, returning past the Jhinu Danda hot springs before the drive back to Pokhara. It is nine days of teahouse walking with only short transfers at either end. If you want the Sanctuary without the Poon Hill add-on, the shorter budget Annapurna Base Camp trek reaches the same amphitheatre with jeep support.
How hard it is and how the altitude feels
This is a moderate-to-hard trek, not a technical one, but the days are honest: long stone staircases, an early Poon Hill climb and a top night at 4,130 metres. The height gain is gradual enough that serious altitude sickness is uncommon, though you may feel the thinner air near base camp. Walk slowly, hydrate well, and treat any headache seriously. A few weeks of hill walking before you come makes the biggest difference to how much you enjoy it.
Permits, guides and teahouses
You need the Annapurna Conservation Area permit and a trekkers' information card, and since April 2023 a licensed guide is mandatory in the region; we arrange all of this. Nights are spent in teahouses, family-run lodges with simple twin rooms and a warm dining room, so you carry only a daypack. Bring a sleeping-bag liner, a power bank and small cash for charging, Wi-Fi and hot showers.
A gentler alternative
If the full loop feels like a lot, you can take just the sunrise half. The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek reaches the same famous viewpoint over Annapurna and Dhaulagiri in a fraction of the days, on shorter walking hours and lower altitude, and pairs naturally with a later return for the full Sanctuary.
