Ghorepani - Poon Hill Trek 3N-4D

We pass through sub-tropical valley forests, crossing the Bhurungdi Khola (river) via a bridge to the village of Tikhedhunga. We climb up to the Ulleri Hill with thousands of steps and boulders that continually go upward will really prove a test of our stamina. Overnight in Ulleri.

After breakfast, we ascend to the Ghorepani village. Ghorepani is an interesting place with small shops and stalls for selling local products and crafts. The town has two parts: one in a saddle and the other a few hundred feet lower. We stop at the higher part of the Ghorepani village that offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains including Annapurna South and Nilgiri mountains. Since Ghorepani lies quite higher than our previous stop, we begin to feel the chilly weather especially in the evenings. Overnight in Ghorepani.

Poonhill is the best place to have a sunrise view over the Himalayas. So to catch this opportunity we make an early morning climb along the steep trail to the viewpoint of Poon Hill (3,210m), the most popular trekking destination of the Annapurna region. It is also a great viewpoint to enjoy the amazing views of Mustang, Pokhara and more than 20 highest mountains including the close-up views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. After taking photographs and having some coffee or tea, we head to Tadhapani via Ghorepani. We descend through rhododendron forests, pass by spectacular waterfalls along the way and reach Tadapani.

From Tadapani, we make a steep descent through the dense and dark forest. This part of the trek will be through a thick forest of old rhododendron trees. When the rhododendron trees are in bloom, these forests actually turn into amazing gardens. By afternoon, depending upon the season of travel, we also get to enjoy cherry blossoms in bloom on the slopes on the other side of the ravine. After trekking some more minutes, we enter the village of Ghandruk, a slope settlement with stone houses mostly inhabited by the Gurung community. Along with enjoying the stunningly close-up towering views of Fishtail, Annapurna South, and Hiunchuli mountains, we also acquaint ourselves with the simple but rich cultural traditions of the Gurung people at the Gurung Museum in Ghandruk. After having lunch at Ghandruk, we will descend an hour to Kimche from where we will board on our Jeep for Pokhara.