Sunrise at Poon Hill

Bite-sized trip

Itinerary:
Pokhara - Tirkhedhunga - Ghorepani - Poon Hill - Ghandrung - Pokhara
Duration:
5 days / 4 nights
Price:
from £ 415.- per person (excluding flights)

Take a short trek through forests and villages for an epic sunrise view. Watch colours paint the sky and clouds drift below you as dawn breaks over Poon Hill, perched between snow-tipped Himalayan peaks. Over five days, you’ll climb twisting stone staircases, hike through the lush foothills and get a real taste of trekking in Nepal. You’ll set off to catch the sunrise well before dawn, trekking in the dark with your guide and your head torch. Watching golden light flood the snowy peaks as the sun creeps up between the mountains, your efforts will be rewarded a thousand times over.

Day 1 – Pokhara to Tirkhedhunga

After breakfast, your driver will pick you up for the two-hour drive to Birethanti. On the way, you’ll see the high peaks of the Himalayas looming in the distance as the road twists its way up to the starting point of the trek. Armed with your camera, a warm sweater and some water you’ll head off, accompanied by your local guide and porter. The path leads through a thick bamboo forest to lush green fields where animals graze in the shade. After about 4 hours, you’ll arrive in Tirkhedhunga, a small village with a couple of shops, a wobbly hanging bridge across the river and waving children. You’ll stay in a basic lodge with cold running water, where you can rest your legs in preparation for tomorrow.

Day 2 – Trek to Ghorepani

After a hearty breakfast it’s time to pack your things and head off. The first stretch is fairly easy as you’ll walk downhill into the valley, crossing the beautiful Burungdi Khola River. Then, you’ll start the most strenuous part of your trek, heading up a vast staircase of stone steps etched into the hillside. As you walk, you’ll be rewarded with amazing views of the snow-capped mountains rising up above the surrounding hills. The last part leads you through a colourful, aromatic rhododendron forest. On arrival in Ghorepani, you can put your feet up and relax, as you look out over rainbow prayer flags blowing in the wind.

Day 3 – Trek to Poon Hill & Tadapani

It’s an early start today when you are trekking in Nepal, so as not to miss the highlight of this trip, the sunrise at Poon Hill. After a quick breakfast, you’ll begin the one-hour climb to the summit, perched at a 3190m. When you reach the top, you can sit down and watch as the sun slowly go a deep orange glow over the snowy Annapurna peaks. It’s enough to give you goose bumps. When the sun is up, you’ll continue to Tadapani, where you’ll spend the night. You’ll meet a lot of local villagers lugging everything from sacks of rice to live chickens and entire beds up the mountains.

Days 4-5 – Trek to Ghandruk & departure

Today, you’ll start descending and spend most of the day walking downhill towards Ghandruk. On the way, you’ll hike through thick forests and bright green fields with farmers working the terrain. You’ll also find yourselves stopping for mule trains carrying colourful and sometimes bizarre burdens up or down the mountains. At the end of the afternoon you’ll reach a small Gurung village where you’ll spend the night in a basic lodge.

The next day you’ll continue the last part of your sunrise trek to Nayapul, walking downhill all the way. When you arrive, you’ll find your driver waiting to take you back to Pokhara.