Annapurna Base Camp Poon Hill Trek

Trip Facts

Duration 16 Days
Trek Duration 9 days
Trek Distance 68 km
Max. Altitude: 4130m. (at ABC)
Activity Trekking
DIFFICULTY Moderate
Trek Starts Tikhedhunga
Trek Ends Jhinu Danda

Overview

The Annapurna Base Camp Poon Hill Trek is renowned as one of the premier trekking destinations not only in Nepal but also worldwide. It covers both Annapurna Base Camp and Ghorepani Poon Hill treks. The trek leads adventurers to the southern base of Mt. Annapurna I, the 10th highest mountain on the planet. The British explorer Colonel James Owen Merrion Roberts was the first person to explore the route in the mid-1950s.

The city of Pokhara serves as the starting point for this trek, offering various options for commencing the journey. Phedi stands out as the nearest starting point, reaching in less than half an hour’s drive from Pokhara. The trek is graded as “moderate,” making it accessible to individuals with reasonable fitness levels. The trek can typically be completed in 8 to 14 days, depending on the specific route or itinerary chosen.

Special Features of the Trek

  • Stunning mountain views of Mt. Dhaulagiri (8,167m.), Mt. Annapurna I (8,091m.), Annapurna South (7,219m.), Gangapurna (7,455m), Fishtail (6,993m), Hiuchuli (6,441m.) and many more.
  • Annapurna Base Camp (4,130m.) is the highest point of the trek.
  • 360° mountain view from Annapurna Base Camp.
  • Visit to Poon Hill (3,210m) for early morning mountain and sunrise view.
  • Trek through dense rhododendron and bamboo forests where you are likely to encounter monkeys, langurs, deer and difference species of birds including endangered vultures.
  • Visit Gurung villages and observe Gurung culture.
  • Bath in natural hot spiring at Jhinu.
  • Cross/ walk on 287 meters long suspension bridge.

Detail Itinerary

Accommodation Hotel

WELCOME TO NEPAL, the land of the Himalayas! 

Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will receive a warm welcome from the company representatives of Osprey Adventure, who will assist you with your luggage and guide you to the hotel. After checking into the hotel, the company representative will provide you with a comprehensive briefing about your upcoming trip, including inclusions and exclusions, safety precautions, cultural norms, and other important information that will be useful during your stay in Nepal.

Accommodation Hotel

Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Your city tour guide will arrive promptly at the hotel with a private vehicle and driver. After breakfast, you will process to visit the following religious and historical sites, all of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1979 AD.

Swayambhunath is situated atop an elevated hill station in the heart of Kathmandu city, standing 77 meters above the city’s level, providing panoramic views of the entire Kathmandu valley. It is also famously known as “Monkey Temple” among tourists due to the abundance of monkeys found on the site. While primarily a Buddhist pilgrimage site, you can also find a Hindu temple harmoniously coexisting alongside the main temple of Swayambhunath.

Kathmandu Durbar Square, situated in the heart of Kathmandu, is the former Royal Palace of Nepal. “Durbar” translates to ‘palace’ in Nepali. It stands out as one of three durbar squares in the Kathmandu valley. Today, it serves as a key attraction for tourists, renowned as the center of medieval art and architecture.

Within the Durbar Square, your tour will encompass visits to several historical landmarks, including the ancient palace museum, the temple of Kumari (the living goddess of Nepal), Hanuman Dhoka, the Kasthamandap Temple, and the statue of Kal Bhairav.

Boudhanath is the largest stupa in Nepal, situated 11km northeast from the heart of Kathmandu city. Its magnificent size and mesmerizing shape are sure to leave you stunned. Historically, it is believed to have been built in the early 5th century and now stands as a beacon of Buddhist belief. Surrounding the stupa, there are many terrace restaurants where you can enjoy a lunch break.

Pashupatinath Temple stands as one of the largest and most revered shrines for Hindus worldwide. Situated on the western bank of the holy Bagmati River, which flows through the center of the Kathmandu valley, it also serves as a popular cremation site for Hindus. The majority of Hindus who pass away in the Kathmandu valley are brought to Pashupati for cremation, so it is highly likely that you will observe open-air cremations during your visit. Entrance to the main temple is restricted to Hindus only. However, even if you are non-Hindu, you can still observe the main temple from the eastern bank of the river.

Drive Distance 205 km
Drive Duration 6 Hours
Accommodation Hotel

The journey begins right after an early breakfast at the hotel. You will walk or drive to the tourist bus station and travel by tourist bus towards Pokhara along Prithivi Highway. After an hour, you will start following the Marshyangdi River and Trishuli River until halfway. After the lunch break, you will continue journeying through the foothills of the Himalayas, passing through villages and terraced fields. Upon reaching Pokhara, you will be transferred to a hotel at Lakeside. If you have enough time, you can walk and explore the area around Phewa Lake and the markets on your own.

 

Drive Distance 49 km
Drive Duration 2.5 Hours
Trek Duration 2 hours
Trek Distance 2 km
Altitude Gain 1133 meters
Accommodation Tea-House Lodge

The breakfast will be served at the hotel. After breakfast, your journey begins with a private vehicle drive all the way to Tikhedhung, passing through the scenic villages of Phedi, Naudanda, Kande, and Lumle and enjoying panoramic mountain views of Fishtail and Annapurna Range. After one and half hour’s drive, you will reach Nayapul. From Nayapul, the road diverts from the main highway and you will follow the right sub-road. After 10 minutes, you will reach Birethanti, where the Modi River and Burundi River meet. From there, you will follow east bank of the Bhurungdi River all the way to Tikhedhunga, with scenery of rushing waterfalls, terraced fields and green forests. Lunch will be served at Tikhedhunga. From Tikhedhunga, your trek begins with the trail steeply ascending the 3300 stone steps to Ulleri village, settled on the top of a hill.

Trek Duration 5 hours
Trek Distance 7 km
Altitude Gain 900 meters
Accommodation Tea-house Lodge

Today’s trek begins at 8 am after breakfast. The ascent is gently uphill and relatively easier than other days because it doesn’t consist of steep uphill and steep downhill sections. For the first one and half hours (up to Banthanti village), the path goes passing local houses and terrace fields. From Banthanti, the trail goes through rhododendron forest until Ghorepani. Walking in the forests is more comfortable, and cool shade and chirping sounds made by birds may alleviate your exertion. You may have the chance to encounter monkeys and langurs. And if you trek in the spring season, the forest is adorned with red and pink with rhododendron flowers. The above-mentioned “trek duration” is a standard and average tourist duration. Some people go to Ghorepani for lunch, and some people stop for lunch at Nanggethanti. It all depends on your walking pace. Don’t compete with others; just follow your own pace. Once you reach Ghorepani, you will be rewarded with stunning mountain views of Mt. Dhaulagiri, Tukuche Peak, Nilgiri, Fang, Annapurna South, and many more.

Trek Duration 7.5 hours
Trek Distance 11 km
Altitude Gain - 230 meters
Accommodation Tea-house Lodge

Wake up at 5 am and start hiking to Poon Hill with your guide. Be ready with warm clothes, gloves, and a hat. You will also need a headlight since it will still be dark. It takes about 45 minutes to one hour to hike to reach Poon Hill. The sunrise usually occurs at 6 am. Once you reach Poon Hill, you will be stunned by the 180° mountain views, including Mt. Dhaulagiri (the seventh highest in the world), Tukuche Peak, Dhampus Peak, Nilgiri, Fang, Annapurna I (the tenth highest in the world), Annapurna South, Hiuchuli and Fishtail respectively from left to right. After spending some time there, return to the hotel for breakfast.

You will be given time to pack your bags, and breakfast will be served. After breakfast, you will trek to Tadapani. The trail climbs for about one and half hours, then proceeds straight for about one hour through rhododendron, pine and bamboo forests to Deurali. From Deurali, the trail descends fairly steeply for about one and half hours to Banthanti, where you will stop for lunch. From Banthanti, the trail continues straight for about 20 minutes and then descends steeply for 20 minutes to the river. From the river, it takes about half an hour of steep climbing followed by 15 minutes of gradual ascent to reach Tadapani. Tadapani is a hill station with seasonal settlement and serves as a junction where trails from four directions converge.

Trek Duration 5 hours
Trek Distance 7.5 km
Altitude Gain - 460 meters
Accommodation Tea-house Lodge

Tadapani offers a beautiful sunrise view of Mt. Annapurna South and Hiuchuli, providing much closer perspective of both mountains. After breakfast, prepare to embark on today’s journey. The trail initially descends for the first two hours until you reach Kimrong River. The first one hour of walking takes you through dense forest with a gradual downhill path. Upon reaching Mountain Discovery Lodge in Chuile, the trail steeply descends to Kimrong River for another one hour. The exact elevation of Mountain Discovery Lodge is 2,275 meters, while the last house just before the river is at 1,950 meters.

After crossing a suspension bridge over the river, the path ascends steeply for about half an hour to reach Gurjung village. Walk about another half an hour straight, and you will reach the end of the village where you will stop for lunch break. From Gurjung village, the trail gradually ascends for about one hour before continuing straight to Chhomrong for another one hour. Chhomrong is one of the largest villages along this trek.

Trek Duration 6 hours
Trek Distance 8.5 km
Altitude Gain 430 meters
Accommodation Tea-house Lodge

After breakfast, the day’s journey begins. The trail descends through the village, passing local houses, restaurant, and terrace fields for the first half an hour until you reach Chhomrong River. The path is wide and well-built with stone steps. From the river the trail ascends steeply for about half an hour and gradually for another half an hour to Lower Sinuwa. From there the trail follows a roughly 40-degree slope up to Sinuwa, which takes about an hour. From Sinuwa, the trail continues straight into dense forests with some ups and downs. The journey is pleasant in the shade with the chirping sounds of birds, and you may encounter groups of monkeys and langurs. Just before reaching Bamboo, the trail descends steeply for about 25 minutes. Lunch will be served at Bamboo, from where it is two hours’ journey to Dovan through bamboo and oak forests with a relatively easier path. Dovan is situated on the bank of the Modi River and has four seasonal tea houses. A magnificent view of the top part of Fishtail can be seen from Dovan.

Trek Duration 6.5 hours
Trek Distance 8.5 km
Altitude Gain 1100 meters
Accommodation Tea-house Lodge

Today’s walk is one of the longest of the trek. The trail follows a fairly straight with some ups and down through bamboo forest for the first one hour, leading you to a small temple on the bank of Modi River. From there, a beautiful water fall can be observed on the other side of the river. Continuing from the temple, the trail ascends steeply on stone steps for about 25 minutes, followed by a straight walk of about 10 minutes to reach Himalaya. From Himalaya, it is about one hour 15 minutes’ walk to Hinko Cave. The path to Hinku Cave slightly climbs on a rocky trail through bamboo forest, with the last 15 minutes being a steep ascent.

From the cave, Deurali can be seen, which is at a 45-minute walk away. After a nice lunch break at Deurali, prepare for about two and half to three hours’ journey to the day’s campsite. The path from Deurali is not particularly difficult, but you may feel challenged due to the altitude. As the trail continues into the sanctuary, it crosses two wide avalanche tracks on a narrow trail that closely hugs the cliffs. The trail then descends to meet Modi River and follows the river to Bagar. From Bagar, you will climb across more avalanche paths and cross a moraine and a stream. The climb then continues towards an area known as Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC) (FYI, “Machhapuchare” is the Nepali name for ‘Fishtail’). The place offers panoramic mountain views of Hiunchuli, Annapurna III, Gangapurna, and Fishtail.

IMPORTANT NOTE: As some travelers are likely to suffer from high altitude sickness above 3,000 meters, please be cautious about your health symptoms. Sudden tiredness while walking uphill, headache, nausea, and vomiting are some of the symptoms of high altitude sickness. If you experience any of these symptoms, please talk to your group leader or guide. Stay in close contact with your friends and staff members. Do not hesitate to share your physical symptoms with your group. Keep yourself hydrated. Take a rest if you experience symptoms of high altitude sickness and descend if the symptoms worsen or do not improve after 24 hours of rest.

Trek Duration 2 hours
Trek Distance 3 km
Altitude Gain 430 meters
Accommodation Tea-house Lodge

Today’s walk is the shortest of the trek and the easiest one if you do not have symptoms of high altitude sickness. Since it is only two hours’ journey, take your time and relax. You can start later than usual. As it is an alpine zone, no trees can be seen along the way. The trail goes slightly uphill for about first one hour. Once you reach half way, Mt. Annapurna I and the hotels of Annapurna Base Camp come into view. The second half of the trail is a grassy path that inclines slightly but is not steep. Once you reach ABC, you will find yourself surrounded by snow-capped mountains on all sides. The mountain views offered by ABC are incomparable. It is a heavenly feeling for anyone who loves mountains.

The weather usually becomes cloudy after midday. However, if the weather remains clear, you can explore around the base camp in the afternoon and await the beautiful view of the sunset over the mountains in the evening.

Trek Duration 7 hours
Trek Distance 14 km
Altitude Gain - 1820 meters
Accommodation Tea-house Lodge

After a great time at ABC, you retrace the journey back to Bamboo. Though it is a long journey, going down is much easier than going up. Lunch will be served at Himalaya before you continue the trek back to Bamboo.

Trek Duration 4.5 hours
Trek Distance 8.5 km
Altitude Gain - 530 meters
Accommodation Tea-house Lodge

From Bamboo, the morning walk begins with a short climb to Khuldighar, followed by a 45-minute straight walk to Sinuwa. From Sinuwa, the trail descends all the way to Chhomrong River. After crossing the suspension bridge, the trek continues uphill to Chhomrong. Following a lunch break at Chhomrong, the walk proceeds straight for about 20 minutes to a junction where three paths meet. Up to this point, you are simply retracing your steps. However, from this junction, you will be following a new route. Stick close to your guide or leader, as continuing straight on the gradually winding trail that will lead you to the same path you took from Tadapani to Chhomrong. From there, the trail descends steeply for about an hour to Jhinu Danda.

Jhinu Danda is renowned for its natural hot spring, located at a 20-minute downhill walk on the banks of the Modi River. Be prepared to experience a bath in the natural hot spring in the afternoon.

Drive Distance 53 km
Drive Duration 3 hours
Altitude Gain - 953 meters
Accommodation Hotel

After breakfast, walk for 10 minutes down to the longest suspension bridge of this trip. It is 287 meters long and takes about 5 minutes to cross the bridge. The trekking ends immediately after crossing the bridge, from where you will drive to Pokhara by a private jeep. The road is bumpy for about an hour. From Siwai, the road is well-tarmacked all the way to Pokhara.

Drive Distance 205 km
Drive Duration 6 hours
Accommodation Hotel

After early breakfast, you will depart from the hotel at 6:00 am and drive to tourist bus station by a car or taxi, where you will board the bus for the 5 to 6 hours scenic journey back to Kathmandu.

Accommodation Hotel

Today is a leisure day. You can plan your activities as you wish. You can hire a taxi and explore your favourite places or go shopping. If you wish to arrange extension trips you can talk to your guide or contact Osprey Adventure.

Today marks your final day in Nepal. We will drive you to Kathmandu International Airport three hours before your flight time.

 

Note: If you would like to spend more time in Nepal, you can join our leisure or adventure extension trips such as City Sightseeing, White-water Rafting, Jungle Safari, Paragliding, Bungee Jumping etc.

Cost Includes

  • 4 nights’ accommodation in a tourist category hotel in Kathmandu in BB meal plan.
  • 2 nights’ accommodation in tourist standard guest house in Pokhara in BB meal plan.
  • 9 nights’ accommodation in standard tea-house lodges in Annapurna Region with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Tea and Coffee.
  • Kathmandu – Pokhara – Kathmandu drive tourist bus (lunch included).
  • Pokhara – Tikhedhunga & Jhinu – Pokhara drive by private A/C jeep.
  • Airport/ bus stop pick-up & drop and other necessary ground transportation in Kathmandu and Pokhara by private A/C vehicle (car/ jeep/ Hiace/ bus as per group size).
  • 1 Experienced, English speaking city tour guide for the city sightseeing Kathmandu.
  • 1 Experienced, English speaking trekking guide for the entire trek in Annapurna Region.
  • 1 High altitude porter for the entire trek.
  • Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Permit fees and Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) card fees.
  • Entry fees in the historical and religious sites for the sightseeing in Kathmandu.
  • Staff insurance fees.
  • First Aid Kit box.
  • Government Taxes and Service Charges.

Cost Excludes

  • Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
  • Extra beverage, mineral water and bar bill during the trek.
  • Emergency rescue evacuation charges.
  • Additional charges borne by any natural calamities or political strikes.
  • Personal insurance fees.
  • Personal medical charges.
  • Tips for the guide and porter.

Equipment

Choosing the proper equipment for trekking in Nepal is crucial for a safe and enjoyable experience. Most trekking destinations in Nepal are remote, with few accessible markets. Even where markets exist, prices tend to be high. Therefore, it is essential to prepare all necessary equipment before starting your trek. Kathmandu, particularly the Thamel area, is the ideal place to acquire equipment if you haven’t brought it from your home country. Alternatively, Pokhara offers equipment at similar prices to Kathmandu.

Below is a list of general equipment. Not all items may be necessary depending on your destination. Consult your travel consultant or guide if assistance in selecting the appropriate equipment.

*Note: FYI, you can also rent a sleeping bag and a down jacket in Kathmandu. The cost varies from $2 to $3 per day for each item, depending on the quality.

  Clothing / Body wear

  • A pair of trekking boots
  • A pair of sport shoes (to be used at campsite)
  • A pair of sandals
  • Hiking socks and woolen socks
  • Trekking full baggy pants (one or two, depending on the length of the trek)
  • Trekking half pants
  • A pair of warm cotton trousers
  • T-shirts (half sleeve and long sleeve)
  • A warm high-neck jumper
  • A set of thermal coat
  • One light jacket
  • One down jacket
  • Sun hat/cap
  • One woolen/warm hat
  • A pair of woolen gloves
  • Wind proof sets
  • Waterproof sets / raincoat

  Other Items

  • -5 to -20 sleeping bag
  • A pair of trekking poles
  • A one liter water bottle
  • A pair of sunglasses
  • Sunscreen (recommended above 30 SPF)
  • A headlight/flashlight with required batteries

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