Overview
The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek from Kathmandu is a six-day teahouse trek that pairs the capital's transfers with one of Nepal's best short walks, built around a sunrise from Poon Hill at 3,210 metres. After the drive to lakeside Pokhara you head up to Banthanti and climb through rhododendron forest to Ghorepani, rise before dawn for the famous panorama of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, then trek on through Tadapani to the traditional Gurung village of Ghandruk. It is graded easy to moderate, walked on well-made trails with comfortable lodges each night, and stays at gentle altitudes, which makes it one of the best first Himalayan treks. This from-Kathmandu version includes the road transfers both ways, so it suits travellers basing themselves in the capital.
The itinerary
- Scenic drive from Kathmandu along winding highways past rivers and hills
- Glimpses of terraced farming and rural village life
- Check in near Lakeside in Pokhara (822 m) and relax by Phewa Lake
- Drive from Pokhara to Banthanti through scenic hill roads
- Trek through lush rhododendron forest and small settlements
- Overnight at Ghorepani (2,874 m), poised for the sunrise hike
- Pre-dawn hike to Poon Hill (3,210 m) for sunrise over Annapurna and Dhaulagiri
- Return for breakfast, then trek through forest and ridgelines
- Overnight at Tadapani with peaceful surroundings and mountain views
- Descend through forest trails and stone pathways to Ghandruk
- Explore the traditional Gurung village and its heritage
- Overnight at Ghandruk (2,012 m) with close mountain views
- Peaceful morning in Ghandruk with views of the surrounding peaks
- Drive back to Pokhara (822 m) after breakfast
- Evening free around Lakeside
- Return drive to Kathmandu along the scenic highway
- Drop at your accommodation on arrival (1,400 m)
- The trek concludes in Kathmandu
What the price covers
Things to carry
- Layered clothing with a warm fleece or light down jacket for the Poon Hill dawn
- Broken-in trekking boots or sturdy shoes 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
Ghorepani Poon Hill is the short trek most people start with: a few days of rhododendron forest, Gurung villages and one unforgettable sunrise, all at modest altitude. Doing it from Kathmandu means the Pokhara transfers are built in, so you can start and finish where you land. Here is how the trek works and what to know.
What the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek from Kathmandu covers
The route runs Kathmandu to Pokhara by road, up to Banthanti and Ghorepani, over the dawn viewpoint of Poon Hill at 3,210 metres, and on through Tadapani to the Gurung village of Ghandruk before the drive home. The two ends are travel days; the heart of the trip is three days of easy teahouse walking. If you want to combine it with a longer walk, the same trails feed straight into the wider Annapurna network, and a fit trekker often follows it later with the budget Annapurna Base Camp trek for the higher Sanctuary.
How hard it is and how the altitude feels
This is an easy to moderate trek, not a technical one. The walking days are short, but there are long stone staircases up to Ghorepani and Poon Hill, so a little training helps. At 3,210 metres the top is high enough to catch a superb sunrise yet low enough that altitude sickness is very unlikely, which is a big part of why it suits first-timers and families. Walk at a comfortable pace, drink plenty of water, and enjoy the views.
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.
Where to go next
If Poon Hill leaves you wanting more of the same country, the region has plenty to build towards. A natural next step keeps the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek as your introduction and adds the higher Annapurna Sanctuary on a later visit, so you can grow into the bigger treks at your own pace after this gentle first taste of the Himalaya.
