Short escapes · Annapurna
Poon Hill sunrise escape
- 5 daysDuration
- 3,210 mHighest point
- Easy–moderateDifficulty
- ★ 4.8147 reviews
The best sunrise in Nepal for the least effort — five days from Pokhara, through rhododendron forest and Gurung villages.
Poon Hill is the trek people do when they have a week in Nepal and want one genuinely great morning. At 3,210 m you stand on an open ridge with Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre and Nilgiri arranged in front of you as the light arrives.
The rest of it is unhurried: stone-paved trails through Magar and Gurung villages, forest that turns crimson with rhododendron in March and April, and lodges with hot showers and decent kitchens.
- Sunrise from Poon Hill at 3,210 m, the classic Annapurna panorama
- Ghorepani's rhododendron forest, at its best in March and April
- Ghandruk, a large Gurung village with a museum and a view
- A short enough trip to bolt onto any Nepal itinerary
The essentials
- Duration
- 5 days
- Highest point
- 3,210 m
- Group size
- Max 12
- Style
- Short trek
- Starts and ends
- Pokhara to Pokhara
- Best season
- Feb–May · Sep–Dec
- Accommodation
- 4 nights in lodges
- Meals
- All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on trek
- Transport
- Private vehicle to Nayapul and back from Ghandruk
- Permits
- Annapurna Conservation Area permit + TIMS card
The shape of the journey
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
When to walk it
The longest season in Nepal. October and November are flawless; February to April adds rhododendron forest in flower.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Prime
- Shoulder
- Closed
Day by day
5 days, as they are actually walked. Your guide may reorder a day for weather — that is the point of having one.
-
1
Pokhara to Tikhedhunga
A two-hour drive to Nayapul, then a gentle riverside walk with the first terraces of the trip.
- 1,540 m
- 9 km
- 4 hr
- Tikhedhunga lodge
- All meals
-
2
Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani
The 3,300 stone steps up to Ulleri, then forest all afternoon to a ridge-top village at 2,860 m.
- 2,860 m
- 12 km
- 6 hr
- Ghorepani lodge
- All meals
-
3
Poon Hill, then Tadapani
A 4:30 am start for sunrise at 3,210 m, breakfast back in Ghorepani, then a forest traverse east.
- 2,630 m
- 13 km
- 6 hr
- Tadapani lodge
- All meals
-
4
Tadapani to Ghandruk
Down through old rhododendron forest into the largest Gurung village in the region, with Annapurna South above it.
- 1,940 m
- 8 km
- 4 hr
- Ghandruk lodge
- All meals
-
5
Ghandruk to Pokhara
A short descent to the road head, then the drive back to the lake by early afternoon.
- 820 m
- 6 km
- 3 hr walk, 2 hr drive
- Breakfast, lunch
Is this trip for you?
Four to six hours a day with a great many stone steps. Nothing technical and no altitude concerns, but the staircases on day two are relentless.
What is included
Included
- Licensed NMA guide and porter support (one porter per two travellers)
- Private vehicle transfers from and to Pokhara
- Four nights of lodge accommodation
- All meals on trek plus tea and coffee
- ACAP permit and TIMS card
- Guide and porter insurance, wages and equipment
Not included
- International flights and Nepal visa
- Travel insurance
- Accommodation in Pokhara before and after
- Hot showers, charging and wifi in lodges
- Drinks and tips
What to bring
- Sleeping bag rated to 0 °C, or use lodge blankets
- Walking shoes or light boots
- Trekking poles — the steps punish knees
- Warm layer and a light waterproof
- Headtorch for the Poon Hill start
- 25 litre daypack
- Water treatment
Demo photography, from the region rather than this departure. Every image is CC0 or public domain.
Departures
20% deposit confirms your place. Balance due 45 days before departure.
| Dates | Availability | Price | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Sep – 12 Sep 2026 | Places open | $590 | |
| 6 Oct – 10 Oct 2026 | Few places left · 4 left | $590 | |
| 3 Nov – 7 Nov 2026 | Places open | $590 | |
| 16 Mar – 20 Mar 2027 | Places open | $590 | |
| 6 Apr – 10 Apr 2027 | Places open | $590 |
Your guide
Guide profiles are fictional. The photographs beside them show the terrain each guide works in — they do not depict the people described.
What travellers said
★ 4.8 from 147 fictional demo reviews.
-
★★★★★
Worth the 4:30 alarm
Cold, dark, an hour of climbing, and then the light hit Dhaulagiri and nobody said anything for a while.
-
★★★★★
Rhododendron in full colour
Mid-March and the forest above Ulleri was scarlet. The steps are as bad as everyone says.
-
★★★★★
Perfect first trek
Five days, no altitude worries, hot showers most nights, and one of the great mountain views. Ideal introduction.
Things to know
How bad are the steps to Ulleri?
Roughly 3,300 of them in about two hours. They are the hardest part of the trek by a distance, and trekking poles make a real difference on the way back down.
Will I actually see the mountains?
In October to December, almost always. February to April is clearer in the mornings and hazier by afternoon. We hold a spare pre-dawn attempt if the first morning is clouded in.
Is it crowded?
It is the busiest short trek in Nepal. Our departures leave Ghorepani for the summit at 4:30 rather than 5, which puts you on the ridge ahead of most of the traffic.
Can children do this trek?
From about ten upwards, comfortably. It is the trek we recommend most for families, and porters can carry more than the usual load if needed.
You might also consider
Close relatives.
Same region or same spirit, different commitment.
Not quite right?
We will build it around you.
Different dates, a shorter version, a family pace or a route that is not on this site. Private departures start at the same price as scheduled ones.