BestSeller
Kathmandu-Besisahar-Tilicho4,919 m
12D / 11N5.0(0)
Tilicho Lake Trekking
Tilicho Lake
- Land only
- Teahouse
- Breakfast, Lunch &
From, per person
$7000
$60/day
Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
Four nights, a 3,210 m sunrise, and the stone steps to Ulleri
- Pokhara · Nayapul · Ulleri · Ghorepani · Poon Hill · Ghandruk
- 5 days, 4 nights
- Relaxed pace · Easy
- 4.6(412 reviews)
Overview
In short
Poon Hill is the trek most first-timers in Nepal do, and it earns its reputation for one reason: from a 3,210 m grassy hilltop you see Dhaulagiri at 8,167 m, Annapurna South, Nilgiri, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre across a single 180-degree sweep, and you get there without ever sleeping above 2,874 m. The hard part is not the altitude — it is the staircase. The climb from Tikhedhunga to Ulleri is roughly 3,300 stone steps gaining 550 m, and it takes most people two to three hours of unbroken effort. Everything after that is comparatively kind. Rhododendron forest covers the Ghorepani ridge and blooms red, pink and white through March and April, which is why spring departures cost more and fill first. Older walkers and families with children over eight do this trek regularly and successfully.
Trek specification
Easy- Grade
- Easy
- Maximum altitude
- 3,210 m
- Distance on foot
- 42 km
- Walking per day
- 4–5 hours
- Nights on trail
- Teahouse lodges at Ulleri, Ghorepani and Tadapani — twin rooms, several with en-suite bathrooms and hot showers at Ghorepani, heated dining rooms throughout
- Best seasons
- October to early December for the clearest Dhaulagiri views, and March to April for rhododendron bloom. January is cold but walkable at this altitude; June to August brings leeches and cloud.
Permits arranged for you
Poon Hill, 3,210 m is the high point of this route. Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP), NPR 3,000 (about USD 22), TIMS card, NPR 2,000 (about USD 15). We file these on your behalf; the cost is inside your package price unless the exclusions say otherwise.
The altitude profile
Where you sleep each night, day one to day 5. This is the chart worth reading before the itinerary — it is what determines whether you enjoy the trek.
What you will actually do
- Poon Hill at 3,210 m for sunrise on Dhaulagiri, 8,167 m
- The Ulleri staircase — about 3,300 stone steps, honestly the crux of the trek
- Rhododendron forest on the Ghorepani ridge, in full bloom March and April
- Ghandruk, a slate-roofed Gurung village facing Annapurna South
- No night above 2,874 m, so no acclimatisation days needed
- Group-saver pricing from four trekkers, with a shared guide
Day by day
5 days planned in full. Drive times and walking hours are stated so you can judge the pace before you book.
Day 1
Arrive Pokhara and collect permits
PokharaArrive at Pokhara, 822 m, by the 25-minute flight from Kathmandu or the tourist coach. Transfer to a Lakeside hotel, then meet your guide for a gear check and to collect the ACAP permit and TIMS card. If you are short of anything, the Lakeside shops rent boots, poles and sleeping bags by the day at fair prices.Phewa Lake ·Lakeside
- Meals included
- No meals included
- Overnight
- 3-star hotel, Pokhara Lakeside
- Transfer
- Airport or bus park to hotel, 20 minutes
Day 2
Drive to Nayapul, climb the steps to Ulleri
UlleriA 90-minute drive to Nayapul, then an easy riverside hour through Birethanti and Sudame to Tikhedhunga at 1,540 m for lunch. The afternoon is the reason people remember this trek: roughly 3,300 stone steps climbing 550 m to Ulleri at 2,070 m. Two to three hours, no shade in the middle section, and no shortcut.Birethanti ·Tikhedhunga ·Ulleri stone staircase
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Teahouse, Ulleri
- Transfer
- Pokhara to Nayapul, 1.5 hours
Day 3
Ulleri to Ghorepani through rhododendron forest
GhorepaniFour to five hours and 800 m of gain, on a far gentler gradient than yesterday. The trail climbs through oak and rhododendron past Banthanti and Nangethanti, with waterfalls at two crossings and langur monkeys in the canopy. Ghorepani sits on a ridge at 2,874 m; the blue-painted upper village has the better lodges and the Dhaulagiri view.Banthanti ·Nangethanti ·Ghorepani ridge
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Teahouse, Ghorepani
Day 4
Poon Hill sunrise, then over to Tadapani
TadapaniLeave at 4.45am for the 45-minute climb to Poon Hill at 3,210 m and watch the light hit Dhaulagiri, then Annapurna South, then Machhapuchhre. Back for breakfast, then five hours east along the Deurali ridge at 3,090 m and down through moss forest to Tadapani at 2,630 m. The ridge section is the best walking of the trek.Poon Hill ·Deurali ridge
- Meals included
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Teahouse, Tadapani
Day 5
Down to Ghandruk and drive back to Pokhara
PokharaTwo and a half hours descending through rhododendron to Ghandruk at 1,940 m, with time to walk the slate lanes and the Gurung museum before lunch. A jeep takes you the two and a half hours back to Pokhara on a rough road. Most people are at a Lakeside table with a cold drink by late afternoon.Ghandruk village ·Gurung Museum
- Meals included
- Breakfast
- Transfer
- Ghandruk to Pokhara by jeep, 2.5 hours
What the price covers — and what it does not
Included
- 4 nights' accommodation — 1 night 3-star Pokhara, 3 nights teahouse lodges
- All meals on trek plus breakfast in Pokhara (4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners)
- Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, NPR 3,000 (about USD 22)
- TIMS card, NPR 2,000 (about USD 15)
- Licensed English-speaking trekking guide for 4 days
- One porter shared between two trekkers, 24 kg combined limit
- Private vehicle Pokhara to Nayapul and jeep Ghandruk to Pokhara
- Pokhara airport or bus park transfers
- Guide and porter wages, insurance, meals and lodging
- Trekking poles and a duffel bag on loan
Not included
- Travel to Pokhara from Kathmandu — about USD 125 by air, USD 12 by tourist coach
- International flights and the Nepal visa fee
- Travel insurance including emergency evacuation cover
- Hot showers and device charging in teahouses, USD 2–4 per use
- Bottled or boiled drinking water, about USD 1–2 a litre on trail
- Lunches and dinners in Pokhara
- Tips for guide and porter, about USD 8–12 per trekker per day
- Personal expenses, laundry, alcohol and wi-fi cards
Upcoming departures
Open group, maximum 14 — group-saver rate from 4 trekkers. Seat counts are live at the last catalogue update; we confirm availability in writing before taking any payment.
- Sat12SEPT2026
Departs Pokhara
Available14 left
$580Hold a seat - Sat10OCT2026
Departs Pokhara
Filling fast6 left
$660Hold a seat - Sat07NOV2026
Departs Pokhara
Available9 left
$640Hold a seat - Sat16JAN2027
Departs Pokhara
Available14 left
$580Hold a seat - Sat20MAR2027
Departs Pokhara
Last few seats3 left
$690Hold a seat - Sat17APR2027
Departs Pokhara
Filling fast8 left
$690Hold a seat
Questions about this trip
How hard are the steps to Ulleri, really?
It is about 3,300 stone steps gaining 550 m, and it takes most people two to three hours with rests. There is no way round it and no easier alternative on this route. Nobody enjoys it. If you can climb 40 flights of stairs at home without stopping more than twice, you will get up it — slowly is fine.
Is Poon Hill suitable for travellers over 60?
Yes, and we run it regularly for walkers in their sixties and seventies. The maximum sleeping altitude is 2,874 m, daily walking is four to five hours, and an extra porter or a personal assistant guide can be added for about USD 25 a day. The Ulleri staircase is the only section that needs a genuinely slow pace.
When do the rhododendrons actually flower?
Mid-March to the end of April on the Ghorepani ridge, with the lower forest around Banthanti colouring first and the higher slopes about two weeks behind. In a warm year the peak shifts into the second half of March. May still has scattered blooms but the haze reduces the Dhaulagiri view considerably.
Can I add days to this trek?
The natural extension is to continue from Tadapani to Chhomrong and Jhinu Danda for the hot springs, which adds two days and about USD 190. A longer option links Poon Hill into the full Annapurna Base Camp route for a 12-day trip. Both are easier to arrange at booking than mid-trek.
What travellers said
Poon Hill was the right call
I wanted Annapurna Base Camp; Sujata talked me down to Poon Hill because I only had five days. She was right. Nobody in travel talks you out of the more expensive product, so that stuck with me.
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