Ghorepani Poonhill Trekking - 7 Days

Trekking in brief

Ghorepani Poonhill Trek of Nepal is one of the most popular and easiest treks in Annapurna region. Situated at an altitude of 3200m and just beneath the greatest Himalayan Range, the area is famous for fascinating traditional villages, ethnic communities, rhododendron forests and magnificent 360-degree views of more than 10 snow-capped mountains. It is the easiest and shortest trek that doesn’t require any experience in trekking. Poon Hill is possible to trek anytime of the year. The Ghorepani Poonhill Trek is for people who have limited time to stay in Nepal. They can do this beautiful panoramic trek in the Himalaya of Nepal.

How to go

Your trekking starts from Kathmandu from Day 1, heading toward Pokhara in the morning. Your guide will tell you everything you need to know about going trekking. During the season, the route is congested with hundreds of trekkers every day going to Poon Hill, the ultimate spot for this trip. The trek is suitable for everyone, those who are not familiar with trekking and those who are looking for a short and easy trek holiday in Nepal. Packing for the trek doesn’t have to be complicated. It is a simple trek of 5 days from Pokhara and everything is available on the way up. Trekkers have to take plenty of cash because there are no ATM machines available.

Itineraries in Short

1. Day 01 :Drive to Pokhara by tourist bus (6 hours), overnight at Pokhara hotel
2. Day 02 :Drive to Nayapul and then trek to Tikhedhunga (1577m)
3. Day 03 :Trek to Ghorepani (2750 m)
4. Day 04 :Climb to Poon Hill (3200m) for great views of the Himalayas then trek to Tadapani
5. Day 05 :Trek to Ghandruk (1940m) which is the historic ethnic village
6. Day 06 :Trek to Birethanti (1025m) and then drive back to Pokhara
7. Day 07 : Drive to Kathmandu, 6-7 Hours.

Trek Permits

There are 2 different permits required for the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek.

1. Annapurna Conservation Permit.
2. TIMS Trekker’s Permit.

Trek Level

The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek is categorized under ‘easy’ trek but get ready for serious walking up to 7 hours a day. You don’t need complicated trekking gears and a dozen layers of clothes. Some of the important things you must carry are 2 pair pants, 3-4 socks, waterproof jacket, hiking shoes, water bottle, toilet paper, sleeping bag, sunglasses, 2-3 underwear, light snacks, towel and basic first aid kit.

Food and Accommodation

Hotels and Restaurants are available in the area serving with Nepali cuisine, tea, coffee, and snacks. Foods are not expensive on the bottom of the trek but as you move up, the cost is likely to get high. The general rule of thumb is wherever you eat 2 meals at the tea house, you will likely to get accommodation almost free. You don’t have to bring all of your food, tent, and sleeping supplies while trek, they have what you need for the accommodation. The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek on the other hand is what’s called a “Tea House Trek.” Tea houses offer affordable accommodation, water refills, snacks, and meals. You will run into tea houses all along the trek so don’t worry about being stranded in the middle of nowhere on a cold mountain without a roof over your head for the night.

You basically hike from village to village, stay in decent but bare bones lodges, and have the awesome option of eating delicious freshly cooked food. During the peak trekking season, it is hard to get a room.

Communication

You have cellular communication all over the trekking places. Most hotels have internet service with a pay per use basis. Nepal cellular service like Ncell, Nepal Telecom, Smart, they provide you the internet data and it works wherever network coverage.

Fishtail Mountain is sacred for the Locals

Local people believe that Machhapuchhree also known as ‘Fishtail’ is a sacred mountain in Nepal and thus no one is allowed to climb it. Wilfrid Noyce and A D M Cox climbed close to the summit but didn’t set foot on the summit as they were told not to.

What to pack

The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek is categorized under ‘easy’ trek but get ready for walking up to 7 hours a day at some point. You don’t need complicated trekking gears and a dozen layers of clothes. Some of the important things you must carry are 2 pair pants, 3-4 socks, waterproof jacket, hiking shoes, water bottle, toilet paper, sleeping bag, sunglasses, 2-3 underwear, light snacks, towel and basic first aid kit. You will also need to bring a refillable water bottle as you will not be able to purchase water bottles on the mountain, instead, you will have to purchase filtered water in which they will refill your bottles at all of the tea houses along the way.

Be sure to pack some snacks for trekking Poon Hill. You will be able to purchase some on the mountain but they are not at the same price as in town.