TrekkingEasy, Moderate

Ghorepani Poonhill Annapurna Trek itinerary cost 2024/2025

Based on 5 Reviews
US$ 675 $750

Navigate Outdoor offers short trekking options for those who have a very short time and want to see the best mountain views from the lower elevation and closer to Pokhara. Nowadays this trek is getting very popular among Nepalese youth, school kids, and families. Our guide provides the best experiences work hard to make your mountain holiday much more enjoyable and interesting.

This Annapurna trekking traverses a variety of terrain, from lowland villages and terraces to highland plateaus with outstanding mountain views. From the world-famous Poon Hill viewpoint, we will see Annapurna I, II, III Himal Chuli, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, and the beautiful fishtail mountain. The Annapurna range features two mountains over 8000m.

Trekking in Nepal especially in the Annapurna Ghorepani Poon Hill trek doesn’t require prior experiences. Trekking trails/routes are straight forward either start from Phedi or Nayapul. This trek probably the best option for a short vacation and want to see a mountain close-up. We organize this trekking for people who wants to get life-time experiences with no stress. You can trek the whole year round up to Ghorepani poon hill that’s shorter options and for the Sanctuary suitable time is Feb – June & Sept mid  – December end.

This trekking route is suitable for family, school kids, and senior age people who want to see the best views of the Annapurna & Dhaulagiri Mountain range. Two hours’ drive from Pokhara lakeside to Nayapu and one and half hour drive back to Pokhara. In a short period of time and budget, you will discover the most beautiful Himalayan range in Nepal.

If you have more than a week’s time you can easily extend your trekking to Annapurna Base Camp.

 

  • Destination:Annapurna Region, Nepal
  • Trip Grade:Easy, Moderate
  • Max Elevation:3200m
  • Total Duration:3-6days
  • Best Time:Feb - June, Sept - Dec ,
  • Best option for short trip:5 star

Outline Itinerary

  • Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu transfer to the Hotel.
  • Day 2: Fly to Pokhara 25minute and transfer to the hotel.  
  • Day 3: Drive to Nayapul 2hours and trek to Uller 5-6 hours altitude 1960m.
  • Day 4: Trek Uller to Ghorepani 6 hour altitude 2860m.
  • Day 5: Trek to Poon Hill, and trek to Tadapani altitude 2660m
  • Day 6: Trek Tadapani to Ghandruk.
  • Day 7: Trek Ghandruk to Nayapul and drive to Pokhara.
  • Day 8: Rest and enjoy in the Pokhara.
  • Day 9: Drive or flight o Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel.
  • Day 10:Transfer to the International Airport.

Detail Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu transfer to the Hotel.
Travel to Nepal takes several days depending on where you travel from; Arrived in Kathmandu average elevation of 1380 meter /4554 feet where Navigate Outdoor’s guide/staff meets you and transfer to the hotel close to great food from all over the world, beautiful handicraft/shopping, and a number of temples and markets are nearby. Navigate’s will come to brief you about your trekking; if you have questions regard trekking please be ready and be clear at the pre-departure meeting.
Day 2: Fly to Pokhara 25minute and transfer to the hotel.  
 The most beautiful and short flight in the Himalayan range; when you are in flight you will able to see the most beautiful Ganesh Himal, Manasalu, Lamjung, and Annapurna Himalayan range, your flight land at the Pokhara just a few Km southeast of Pokhara valley. You have half a day in the lakeside (the most popular touristic area in Nepal) you can sit next to the lakeside and take a view of Annapurna and the fishtails mountain range.
Day 3: Drive to Nayapul 2hours and trek to Uller 5-6 hours altitude 1960m.
Your guide will be ready with the vehicle just outside of your hotel, make sure you packed your personal stuff for the trekking and baggage you want to leave behind in your hotel; we recommend packing your bag the night before. If you are not a morning person and don’t want to have your breakfast ask them to pack your breakfast the night before. We’ll drive 2 hours to Nayapul where start your trek, In the first one hour you will be walking on the jeep off-road; still, you’ll see the old trekking route and houses next to the Modi Khola. We stop at Birethanti have lunch and continue our trek to Uller. We cross the beautiful Hile and Tikhedhunga and climb the stone-covered trail to Ulleri and stay overnight at the teahouse.
Day 4: Trek Uller to Ghorepani 6 hour altitude 2860m.
Our guide will arrange all the necessary services food, accommodation, and brief for the day. Today we trek to Ghorepani via Banthanti (Thanti means where you rest and take snacks/tea), the switchbacks and stone-covered trails continue until Banthanti with beautiful stone slate roofing and traditional Gurung and Magar houses. We shared the trail with locals and other visitors we will encounter many trekkers going up and coming down from the Ghorepani. After Banthanti the trails switch to dense forest mixed with Rhododendrons, bamboo trees. Reach at the ridge Ghorepani now you are at the height of 2860m from sea level the giants Annapurna South, Himchuli, Fishtail, and Dhaulagiri lines on the northwest, North and Northeast. You enjoy your sunset views and the mountain teahouse at Ghorepani.
Day 5: Trek to Poon Hill, and trek to Tadapani altitude 2660m
The most popular views point Poonhill; we get up very early at least 2hours before the sunrise and walk to the Poonhill and wait for the magnificent absolutely beautiful sunrise and the color of the horizon lower valley and the giant Himalayan Dhaulagiri, Fishtail, Annapurna, Nilgiri, and its range, cold you must be equipped, and ready for the most amazing moment at the views tower. After sunrise view and the great time we walk back to the teahouse have breakfast and start trek to Tadapani. One of the longest days with wilderness, mixed forest beautiful day of our trekking. The trails switchback, ups and down to Banthati, and climb a few hundred meters before reaching Tadapani. We spent a night at Tadapani; our guide will make arrangements for the lunch break, snacks break, and whole day plan please talk to your guide if you need any care or services.
Day 6: Trek Tadapani to Ghandruk.
The trek is really beautiful slowly descent to the Coming Danda, we stop for a lunch. Komrong Danda comes just a few kilometers before Ghandruk. Ghandruk is getting most popular among Nepalese youth they come to spent overnight and enjoy the views of Annapurna, fishtail, and the whole range. After refresh we visit Gurung’s museum where we can see their culture and outfit, you can try out their outfit and learn about their culture during the visit.
Day 7: Trek Ghandruk to Nayapul and drive to Pokhara.
After breakfast, we continue our trekking descending all the way to Saule, which is on and off the jeep trail. These days many trekkers take a jeep to Pokhara instead hike down all the way to Nayapul. Because of the jeep trails many small teahouses and restaurant they lost their business and those becoming ghost house. Navigate Outdoor encourage our clients to trek rather take a jeep to Nayapul and support local small business. On the trail local sell handicrafts souvenir that’s really beautiful and support them. Our small contribution drinking tea/ coffee and buying crafts keep that beautiful houses and village alive. We have lunch at the Saule drive to Pokhara and transfer to the hotel.
Day 8: Rest and enjoy in the Pokhara.
Pokhara lakeside is one of my favorite town especially lakeside is really beautiful the shadow of Annapurna and Fishtail and peace Stupa on the ridge makes this town really special. If you are fancy for the whitewater rafting we can arrange half day rafting on the Seti river or there are many other outdoor activities you can do while you are in Pokhara paragliding, Zip-line, and bungee jumping.
Day 9: Drive or flight o Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel.
Depending on your departure schedule we arrange your flight tickets either morning or the afternoon and we can easily reschedule your departure from beautiful Pohara to Kathmandu. Traveling back to Kathmandu there are many options as your interest flight or private / tourist bus (6-7hrs). we’ll pick up and transfer to the hotel in Kathmandu.
Day 10:Transfer to the International Airport.
Our company representative will drop you at the International airport in Kathmandu; it would be great to leave 3 hours before departure.

Cost Includes

  • 2/ 2 night in Kathmandu & Pokhara guesthouse.
  • Ground transportation, airport pick up.
  • Tourist bus to from Kathmandu.
  • Food & Accommodation during trekking.
  • Experienced English speaking guide and porter.
  • ACAP (Annapurna Area conservation Permit) permit fee.
  • TIMS (tourism Information management system) fees.

Cost Excludes

  • Personal health insurance.
  • Alcohol and other stuff.
  • Food in Kathmandu and Pokhara (lunch, Dinner & Breakfast).
  • International flight tickets.
  • Personal expenses and guide and porter tip.
  • Emergency evacuation fee/charges.
  • Water purification tabs/solution, extra money for snacks and soft drinks and any bottle beverages.

Cost and Dates

Trip Start Date Trip End Date Price Availability Book
22nd December, 2021 31st December, 2021 US$625.00 PP Available Book Now
7th February, 2022 16th February, 2022 US$625 Available Book Now
7th March, 2022 16th March, 2022 US$625 Available Book Now

Please be ready and keep in mind that adventure in the Himalayan Mountains requires an open & emphatic mind. During your trek you are lacking some of the basic need like attached bath, hot shower and electricity. Due to weather conditions, health issues, and other general issues of the group members or sudden natural disaster like landslide, snow storms, and other natural aspect we may to change your route. We try our best to follow our original plan when you booked your expedition, but your safety is our primary concern. In case the trip need reroute of your trek is necessary, our group leader/ guide make final call or decision. Essential Gear

  • Camera, water bottle, extra money, sunscreen, sunglasses, sunhat, hiking loose fitting shorts/ synthetic T-shirt etc.
  • Hiking boots, sports shoe, 3 to 4 pairs woolen socks, 1 pairs gloves, warm hat,
  • Day backpack 35ltr  to 50ltr , and a duffel bag for your clothing.
  • Warm layers, down or synthetic jackets, fleece, hiking pants, Thermals.
Create your dream trips together customize your holiday particular interest or wishes. Please do not hesitate to contact us for details and additional information about the area. We will provide a comprehensive gear list on booking.

    Landing in Nepal’s only International airport Kathmandu walk two minutes to immigration get ready for your online  visa application, having Passport, Passport size picture, change US Dollar saves your time in visa processing in the immigration. A long flight journey arriving in Nepal, keeping low expectations some delay in the baggage handling and a long line make your journey a little bit curious  want to get out of the crowd, and have a good rest in the hotel. While you walking outside of immigration, baggage claim don’t forget to buy (Nepal Telecom & Ncell) prepaid Sim card  takes a few minutes to sign approve, it makes your tour & travel vacation easier and stress free. Kathmandu valley is very small mountain valley surrounded by mountains, have interesting history, culture, diverse human culture in small area. Prepaid taxi makes your life easier no need to deal with taxi driver at the arrival, provide your information where you staying how many people are sharing transport they’ll easily accommodate your interest.       Booking Luxurious Hotel, Budge Hotels, and guesthouses you can book online or ask your agency they will book and simply add in your tour budget. Popular tourist destination is Thamel, you can get all the above accommodation options, world’s test, and fun evening walk, check local handicraft shops, small local restaurant and Nepalese cuisine. Kathmandu is worth to spend 2-3 days historic sites tour vacation would gives you glimpse of Nepalese culture, tradition and diversify of people. Bhaktapur is smallest district in Nepal with many beautiful historic places in the planet, Bhaktapur Durbar Square area, Changu Narayan, Nagarkot mountain view point short hike to Changu Narayan Temple. Staying overnight at Bhaktapur Durbar Square area great way to see night life of local people peace and Boddhanath Temple, Soyambhunath temple, Baantapur Durbar Square, Patna Durbar Square, and Pashupatinath temple all of them are UNESCO heritage sites, you can easily spent day or two even more time to check and take piture and learn Nepali culture and tradition with local guide at the sites. You can easily arrange tour guide from your hotel, and travel agency, worth to have a licensed tour leader with agency cost around $35 - $50 per day.       After your few days tour vacation, day hiking in Kathmandu valley your journey makes a lot easier to travel other part of Nepal. Your budget and time available there are many different adventure activities can do around Kathmandu, hiking Shivpuri National Forest a minute away from your hotel, climber can easily spent a few days climb limestone natural, bolted rock climbing, and indoor climbing in Thamel Kathmandu. For rafter, water adventure lover you can easily do day whitewater rafting two hours away from Kathmandu and enjoy the Himalayan Rivers and local outfit. There are many options in the close by extreme adventure, luxurious overnight stay in the resort, cultural tour and journey in Kathmandu. Nepal’s is most popular destination for trekking, mountain climbing along with whitewater expedition, cultural city tour and world heritage sightseeing. Have a great tour vacation and adventure journey in Nepal. Chura Mani Aryal www.navigateoutdoor.com

Sam & Jenn Nicholson Montana USA

Mani; Clearly you are chosen & Choose across the globe to make a lasting impact on our children. Your strength, calmness, guidance/wisdom, and patience are so evident. We will forever be grateful for the effort + Impact that you have made on our son. Thank you from our bottom of our hearts for this. It’s unbelievable. Peace & love to you forever. Sam & Jenn Nicholson Montana USA 2018.

Journeying a river: Jai Karnali, January 2020

How did river Ganga come to be?

Mythology says that there was a noble King who requested that Ganga descend from heaven to bless humanity and quench the thirst of the land and its people.
Pleased to shower the world with blessings, Ganga rushed down with such gusto that people feared that all that came in the way would be washed away. The God Shiva came to the rescue and stopped the momentum of the water with his long thick long hair. Because of this, Ganga flowed smoothly and satiated the thirst of all beings and showered blessings on the land with each drop of precious water.
Ecologists interpret this myth as a metaphor- Shiva’s thick long hair is synonymous with dense jungles that help check the floods and stop the land from washing away as the river accelerates down the slopes from the melting glaciers.

Rafting down the river Karnali in Western Nepal last month, it felt as if the myth was true! In our group of 11 people were some seasoned sailors, kayakers, river guides, and rafting experts, but a few like me had never been on a raft. I am also not a strong swimmer; so, it was an act of faith and surrender to the river and expertise of our leader Mani, and river rafting expert Manu to go on the trip.
We put the rafts in the river after about 4 hours drive up the town of Surkhet at an altitude of about 800 m. The rafts and the equipment, including the tents and rations, were supplied with the generous support of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) in the States.

This expedition was conceptualized and planned by Ravi, NOLS India Programmed Director, and Mani ( #navigateoutdoor Nepal) NOLS senior Instructor and who co-led the expedition. The two kayakers, Ganesh and Nanu Kayaks and were in the tumultuous waters of Karnali watching and guiding our rafts at each and every rapid that came along. They were plenty of challenges to varying degrees!

For the next seven days we were out on the river, and camping at some of the most beautiful banks. We witnessed a vast expanse of pristine natural habitats along the way both on land and in the waters. We parked the rafts often to take a walk over to beautiful villages and bought fresh vegetables, fish, milk and yogurt, etc. from the villagers. We savored some delicious meals in cottage eateries that you can find along the traditional walking routes of the shepherds, traders, and village folk, that connect the plains with the high Himal region in the kingdom of Nepal and beyond on the Tibetan plateau. The river crisscrossed some of the most wonderfully crafted hanging bridges on these routes as well.

We saw how the simple and rich life of fishing communities sustainably harvest the bounty of fish from the river. They fish in their dug up canoes made from tree trunks. The fish from Karnali is famous across the region and fetches amongst the highest price in Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu. High value and low volume seem to be the guiding factor – it can be 2-4 days walk to sell and transport the fish, so, the fish is dried or smoked creating a very special, niche type of produce from the villages along Karnali.
Agriculture and livestock rearing is still flourishing in the villages. It was amazing to see some of the most appropriately designed dehusking, pounding, and winnowing equipment still in use – that has perhaps not changed in the last thousand years.

It is indeed a living culture that uses and maintains the landscape, in harmony with nature, using indigenous knowledge to enhance biodiversity and what we call ecosystem services. Our faith in the concept of the Gross National Happiness index was further strengthened. The common Human Development indices merely emphasize infrastructure and access to institutions such as hospitals and schools- but there is so much to be taken into account for true sustainability. While the intent is not to romanticize the old, biocultural heritage, the wisdom of the old seems to be working harmoniously and should well complement human development in a more meaningful way.
Some of the big questions being discussed in conferences and seminars across the world could be answered in a much more eco-friendly and happy way by experiencing the life and values of the community here and of other indigenous peoples across the world.

The modern idea of development as highly individualistic has become increasingly crippled with outdated notions of competition, rather than collaboration, also creating massive disparities in income and consumption of natural resources.
We could learn from the communities here, and take lessons from the past into the future: the dignity of physical work, interdependence, and interconnectedness are three principles that need to be central to human endeavor- there is no sustainability without equity and dignity.

Gradually, we descended down with the flow of the river, as it slowly calmed down in the Terai region. It’s a rich habitat for tigers, rhinoceroses, elephants, and another charismatic megafauna. The very sight of these deep jungles invokes awe. We got off the banks of the mighty Karnali at the little town of Chiso Pani.

We deflated the rafts, packed the gear, washed, and rushed to one of the many restaurants in this little town. Some of us relished the delicious fish from Karnali to their heart's content! For others like me, the restaurant served fabulous fresh greens with dal-bhat; as they say in Nepal “Dal Bhat power, 24 hours!”

May the river Karnali have a long life and continue to bless humanity as the King had anticipated in the ancient times. May present-day leaders start to wake up to the wisdom in conservation and sustainable utilization of the river, rather than damning it and threatening the sheer existence of these communities. May we all learn from the life of the people here; all the wonderful ways to weave a close-knit community and flourish together with nature.

Thanks for the whole team Chura Mani Aryal, Manohar, Nanu and Ganesh river experts, and beautiful Karnali River, and people from the river corridor.

Ajay Rastogi

Majkhali India

Ajay Rastogi,Majhkhali India

"I want to thank you and your guides and employees again for the wonderful memories I have of the Manaslu trek and the lovely side trip into the Tsum Valley. The scenery and experiences were great and I especially loved the variety of forests, the wildlife, and of course the incomparable mountain scenery. I want to add a special thank you to you for the special care you gave me when my foot and leg became very swollen. Your help and knowledge allowed me to complete the trek with minimal discomfort. I still experience the problem to a minor degree but still, look forward to further adventurous travel when the situation allows in the future. Conversations with you about Nepalese history were also an enjoyable and informative aspect of the trek".

I would like to thank Navigate Outdoor for organizing such a joyful and safe trip to the Tsum and Manaslu region. I'd like to thank Mani and his entire team to make our trip such memorable and extra care to all of us on the trekking. I really enjoyed having my own personal time exploring the side valley taking pictures and interact with local people on the trail. Mani is an experienced leader who allows space while trekking. He helped, and always available for other trekkers they need medical attention. I saw him support others and interact with them in a really professional way. I appreciated and enjoyed the 24 days trekking in the Tsum valley and Manaslu round trekking.

Nick Green Australia 2018

Nick Green,Australia

 

I appreciate your attitude "Anyway life comes first and business comes second and other things." I can see you are really living that motto when you tell us of the wonderful time you are having with your family.

Dane, and I really enjoyed the trek to the Annapurna Sanctuary. While I have been trekking in the Himalayas a number of times it was nice to do a trek with my son. Dane was very impressed to see the high mountains. Thanks for organizing Annapurna Base Camp trekking for me and my son Dane. Mani, I really appreciated sharing your previous experiences and telling stories about your own life and adventure career. We'll do another trip in the future. We'll share our experiences with our friends and recommended Navigate Outdoor. I can't express the joyful moment I had on the Annapurna Base camp trip you with, and felt 100% safe, thanks for taking care of us in the trekking.

Malcolm and Dane Dwyer Australia 2019

Mal & Dane,Australia

Karnali River Experience.

They say that the journey is better than the destination. That all the experiences along the way are like an accumulation of rocks along a riverbed. This story is another stone in a river.

I have known Mani Aryal for several years, meeting him in the United States, in the state of Utah. Mani and I were both on a work contract to take a group of students down Desolation & Gray Canyon on the Green River. After spending three weeks with Mani I knew that I made a paddling adventure buddy and that he would be a person that I actively stay in contact with. The years have a way of floating by with adventure and intentions. Every time I spoke to Mani he persistently invited me to Kathmandu to see his home and to float the rivers. Three years after saying “no”, I finally could say “maybe”.

Kathmandu is large in legend and small in structure. The shuttle ride from the airport is an example of whitewater: dodging potholes, must-make moves, and pure adrenaline. It’s best not to watch.

There are two options to get to the river when signing up for a Karnali River Expedition trip: 1) take the plane or 2) ride with the guides and gear on public transport. I was on a tight budget, so option #2 was the only way to go. Putting together a multiday river trip is always difficult, especially when you start combining buses, shuttles, and rendezvous. The first leg of the journey was via public transportation to Koholpur. The guides and I, hanging out at the main bus depot, loading all of the gear we would need for the next 12 days was a new experience indeed.

You see a lot of different people and livestock on the long-distance buses. Chickens and goats are not uncommon. If a woman is standing with a baby, it’s a norm to hand a baby to you, a seated passenger, to hold the child in order to give her a break.

The second half of the shuttle was a private bus to the put-in, the small village of Dungeshor that is located straight down a canyon. The route our bus driver picked was shorter to save fuel but longer because of road conditions. Our bus rocked, creaked and moaned down the road for 8 hours only to cover 85km. “Singletrack” may be a better description than “road” as there were only inches to spare between rock walls and open air.

 Sideswiping other buses, scouting rock gardens, and pushing our transport were common occurrences that quickly become norms. We reached Dungeshor after 10 pm to hastily inhale some food and beer from a generous restaurant owner who opened his doors after hours. Afterward, we set up our tents on the riverbank to welcome a solid, unwavering piece of ground to usher in some sleep.

The next morning, the guides were in their prime, having already started getting breakfast ready for everyone. Mani was no exception, greeting me with a great, white smile and a coffee to help orient my mind back to my body. The biggest surprise was all of the children hanging about camp. We were all warned not to leave our gear unattended. Later that day, I realized a carabineer walked off to hang out with the children. The guides seemed to include me that much more by laughing and sharing stories of gear gone lost.

Throughout the six days, Mani and his guides were exceptional hosts. It seemed as if they never stopped moving. Always quick to put a coffee in your hand, help you set up your campsite, or to offer a meal. Every morning they would barter with local fishermen to add an extra flair to the menu. On the water, I felt safe and involved in risk management. All ideas were heard until a plan formed to be implemented with everyone on board. The standard followed by Mani was professional.

Six months after this trip, the strongest memories I have are of traveling to and from the river. Once I had oars in my hand and a blue sky above me I knew who I was and how I got there.

The total trip duration from Kathmandu to Kathmandu was 10 days included the bus journey.

 Dan Colorado USA.

Thank you, Mani. I look forward to our next adventure.

Daniel Ives

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