Ghorepani-Poon Hill Trek

Drive 200 km to Pokhara and it takes about 6-7 hours from Kathmandu by tourist bus. It is an exciting and romantic drive that we can enjoy beautiful scenic view of terraced rice field, eye catching landscape, Trisuli and Marsyangdi Rivers and spectacular panoramic view of Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, Lamjung Himal and most of Annapurna Himalayan Range are seen. The tourist coach stops for breakfast at 09:00 am and at around 12:00 for lunch on the way to Pokhara.

Shuttle from your hotel in Pokhara and drive one and half hours to Birethanti the starting point of our trek. We cross the bridge over Modi Khola near ACAP check post and follow the Burundi Khola and then slowly ascend through unseal dirt road to Hille, then short ascend to Tikhedunga and we cross 2 suspension bridges over Burundi Khola and steep hill to Ulleri which can be very demanding for beginner hikers. We have our first view of Annapurna south from Ulleri. Overnight stay at Lodge.

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2850 meters

A short steep ascend walking in stone steps to Upper Ulleri. We then continue through Asia’s biggest rhododendron forests. The journey to Ghorepani is more or less as long as the trek on the first day. It depends on how fast you can walk. However, contrary to the Ulleri trail, it's much steeper and basically no part of it is completely flat. On the second day of the extraordinarily beautiful trek to Poon Hill, we leave cozy village of Ulleri at sunrise and headed uphill towards another village - Ghorepani. Ghorepani is located at an elevation of 2,850 meters and it differs from other towns with the distinctive blue roofs and houses. It is also a gateway to the most important point of the trek - Poon Hill (around 3200 meters above sea level) which offers a spectacular, 360-degree view of the Annapurna range in the Himalayas. Especially stunning in March/April when all the wild rhododendrons blossom and cover the mountainous valleys in bright red colors. You should reach Ghorepani and take some rest at the guest house there before another strenuous sunrise hike to Poon Hill will await you the next morning at dawn. You'll notice the difference in the climate as well as the flora around you as you climb higher. The forest will become denser and more humid, with beautiful flowers everywhere and you'll see more and more rhododendrons. The rhododendrons make the entire area a magical place. Sometimes it seems impossible that it's all wild - it resembles more of an exotic garden rather than an ordinary forest. The color of flowers is bright red, it makes you feel like you're in a fairy tale or in the Avatar film - you must experience it yourself to see how amazing it is. The photos and words are not able to depict the uniqueness and tranquility of this spectacular region.

3250 meters

An early climb to the summit of Poon Hill (3200 m) to watch the sun rise across a magnificent Himalayan panorama. After breakfast, we follow a long ridge through rhododendron forests to Deurali. We then walk through impressive river gorges with the chance to see Langur monkeys in the trees. Our destination is Tadapani

1940 meters

We walk along a shaded forest trail, followed by terraced fields of maize and potatoes to Ghandruk. From here we have fantastic views of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhare. It is a major settlement of the Gurung, an ethnic group of Nepal. It is a very famous Gurung village with terraces and offers excellent mountain views. After arriving, it is possible to take a short walk to explore the village, visiting a cultural museum and monastery if time allows. Soon then I walk down to Kimche and drive back to Pokhara. We arrive in Pokhara late in the afternoon.