Himalaya only · Saver trips from ₹7,500
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Seven nights on Nepal's most popular short trek, done on a saver budget. A tourist bus to Pokhara, then three nights on the Poon Hill and Ghandruk loop in the Annapurna foothills with a licensed guide, dal bhat and teahouse rooms, and two lazy days on Phewa Lake.
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsThe Poon Hill loop is the shortest walk in Nepal that gets you face to face with the big peaks. From the 3,210 m viewpoint above Ghorepani, Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna range line the northern horizon at dawn. Then the trail drops through rhododendron forest to Tadapani and the Gurung village of Ghandruk, with stone houses, terraced fields and a view of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre.
We keep it affordable with the tourist bus from Kathmandu, shared jeeps to the trailhead, teahouse rooms with shared bathrooms and dal bhat with refills. A licensed guide walks with you, as current rules require for most foreign trekkers in the Annapurna area; split between two people, the cost stays modest. Expect long climbs on stone steps, about 3,300 of them on the first day from Tikhedhunga to Ulleri, cold nights and simple rooms.
Sleeping altitude, night by night
Red points are nights above 3,000 m. We pace those climbs by the usual advice of no more than 300–500 m of sleeping height a day. This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor before a high trip. Try the altitude planner.
Day by day
Arrive in Kathmandu and check into Zostel. If you have not bought the ACAP permit online or through your agency, your guide helps you get it at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Bhrikutimandap, open on working days; bring your passport and two photos. Rent or buy any missing kit in Thamel: a down jacket, trekking poles and a sleeping bag liner cost little to hire. Early night before the 7 am bus.
About KathmanduTake the 7 am tourist bus from Sorhakhutte along the Trishuli river and over the Prithvi Highway to Pokhara, with a lunch stop on the way. Reach Lakeside by mid-afternoon. Walk along Phewa Lake for sunset and meet your guide for a briefing on the trek, the route and what to leave behind. Most Lakeside hotels store spare bags free for trekkers.
About PokharaAn early shared jeep from the Baglung bus park takes you via Nayapul up the Bhurungdi valley to Tikhedhunga or Ulleri, depending on the road. The walk is steep on old stone steps through Magar villages and then forest, about 5–6 hours to Ghorepani, a lodge village on a pass at 2,860 m. Rooms are basic, the dining room has a stove, and dal bhat is the sensible order.
About GhandrukLeave at about 4.45 am with a headtorch for the 45-minute climb to Poon Hill at 3,210 m. In clear weather Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre light up in turn. Back at the lodge for breakfast, then walk east along the ridge through rhododendron and oak forest via Deurali to Tadapani, about 5–6 hours. The forest flowers red and pink from March to mid-April.
About GhandrukA short, steep descent of 2–3 hours brings you to Ghandruk, one of the largest Gurung villages in the Annapurna region, with stone-slate roofs and flagged lanes. Visit the small Gurung museum, walk the old village and watch the evening light on Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre, the fishtail peak that is closed to climbers. Overnight in a family-run Gurung homestay.
About GhandrukWalk down to Kimche in about an hour and take a shared jeep to Nayapul and Pokhara. Afternoon free: hot shower, laundry and a slow lakeside dinner. If you have the energy, hire a rowing boat to the Tal Barahi temple island, a small two-tiered shrine to the goddess Barahi in the middle of Phewa Lake.
About PokharaA free day. Take a taxi to Sarangkot for sunrise, or cross the lake by boat and walk up to the World Peace Pagoda, built by Japanese Buddhist monks of Nipponzan Myohoji. In the afternoon, visit the Tibetan settlement at Hemja or the International Mountain Museum. Paragliding from Sarangkot is a popular extra at ₹5,000–8,000.
About PokharaTake the 7 am tourist bus back to Kathmandu, arriving mid-afternoon. If you are flying out of Pokhara or heading to the Sunauli border instead, buses leave Pokhara for Bhairahawa through the morning, taking 7–9 hours. Trip ends at Sorhakhutte bus park.
About PokharaWhere you sleep
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
The Indian hostel chain's Kathmandu property, down a quiet alley off Paknajol Marg a few minutes' walk from Thamel…
Photo: Bijaya2043 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Budget
Stay in a Gurung family house in Ghandruk rather than a lodge. Rooms are simple and often share a bathroom, but yo…
Questions
It is an easy-to-moderate trek of 4–6 hours a day, mostly on stone steps with long climbs and descents rather than difficult terrain. The first day to Ghorepani is the hardest. Anyone reasonably fit who can climb stairs for a few hours can do it; families with teenagers manage well.
This 7-night trip starts at ₹27,500 per person, twin sharing, including buses, jeeps, rooms, trek meals, the ACAP permit at SAARC rates and a shared licensed guide. On the trail itself, budget about ₹3,000–4,500 a day per person with a shared guide. Flights to Kathmandu are extra.
Nepal made licensed guides mandatory for foreign trekkers in most protected areas from April 2023, and enforcement for Indian nationals has varied by checkpoint and year. We include a licensed guide because it is safer and simpler. Check current status before you travel, as the rule is still evolving.
You need the Annapurna Conservation Area permit, which costs NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals and NPR 3,000 for other foreigners in recent years. The TIMS card requirement was changed in 2023; check current status before you travel. Carry your passport and keep the permit handy for checkpoints at Birethanti and Ghorepani.
Nepal Telecom and Ncell data works in Ghorepani, Tadapani and Ghandruk most of the time, though it can be slow. Many teahouses offer Wi-Fi for a small charge. Do not rely on it for navigation or bank transactions; download offline maps before you start.
Fit seniors and children over about ten usually manage well, especially if you add a night to split the first day at Ulleri. A porter for bags helps a lot. Talk to your doctor if you have heart or knee problems, because the stone steps are long and steep.
Good walking shoes, a down jacket, a fleece, a warm hat and gloves for the dawn climb, a rain jacket, a headtorch, a water bottle with purification tablets, sunscreen and a sleeping bag liner. Leave the rest at your Pokhara hotel. A 30–40 litre daypack is enough if you have a porter.
October and November give the clearest views. March and April bring rhododendron flowers in the forest, with more haze by afternoon. December to February is clear but cold at Ghorepani. June to August is monsoon, with leeches, slippery steps and cloud.
Yes. Australian Camp is a gentle overnight walk from Pokhara with Annapurna views. Mardi Himal is a harder 4–5 day ridge trek up to about 4,500 m at its high camp, which needs acclimatisation days. We can quote either as an add-on.
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