Starting Point of Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
The shortest way to Ghorepani Poon Hill Trail is to start from Pokhara, which is also the gateway to Annapurna Base Camp Trek. To reach POKHARA, travelers has to drive or take a flight from Kathmandu.
Although POKHARA is a beautiful city, there isn’t any international flight operation. The only option to reach is either to take a DRIVE or FLIGHT from the Capital City KATHMANDU.
From Pokhara, trekkers will need to reach NAYAPUL to start the Trek towards Ghorepani Poon Hill.
Distance and Travel Time from KATHMANDU to POKHARA
To start the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek one has to reach Pokhara. This can be done in two different ways, i.e. either to take a BUS DRIVE or FLIGHT.
The distance between POKHARA and KATHMANDU is just 200KM only. However, this will take around 7-8 Hour drive. This will be a scenic drive throughout with majestic views of the hills and villages on the hills, Himalayas, rivers, local markets, etc.
As the road will be through the hills and riverbank, the drive will be slow and with frequent stops for short breaks. There are luxurious Tourist buses that are comfortable to drive to Pokhara and operate daily at 7 AM.
However, if you want to explore more comfortably, taking a private CAR or JEEP will be an advantage and will take around 6-7 hours.
Overall, the time to reach Pokhara is determined by different factors. As the road to Pokhara is through the hills and is not broad enough to drive fast. Hence, during the monsoon, landslides might affect the time and sometimes the maintenance of the road, traffic jams, etc. as well.
The best and easiest way to reach POKHARA will be to take a FLIGHT and will take just 30 minutes to reach Pokhara. Every day, several flights to Pokhara are operated, and taking an early morning flight will help you to explore the beautiful city.
Or if you take an early morning flight from Kathmandu, the same day you can start your trek to Ghorepani. This will shorten a day extra in Pokhara. However, flights are subject to delay if you are in monsoon.
Distance and Travel Time from POKHARA to NAYAPUL
Ghorepani Poonhill Trek starts from Pokhara and is the gateway to the Annapurna region as well. Firstly, from Pokhara trekkers will have to drive to Nayapur from Pokhara which is 62 km in terms of distance and will take around 1.5 hours.
The drive to NayaPul will be a scenic drive through the hills and the condition of the road is better and is broader than Kathmandu to Pokhara. With the majestic view of the hills and Himalayas, you will reach NayaPul the starting point of the trek to begin your adventure.
Distance and Trekking Time for GHOREPANI POON HILL TREK
Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek can be accomplished in multiple ways. This can be as short as 3 days trek to as long a 5 days trek. However, the length for the trek is determined by the fitness level and also the trail to follow.
Below are some of the best trekking trails for the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek:
PROGRAM 1
Distance and Time for Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
The overall distance to be covered for Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek is just …apart from the driving distance from/to Pokhara- NayaPul. However, the trekking time mentioned here is relatively for average hikers. Thus, might be a bit less for experienced trekkers.
Below is the chart which indicates about the entire trekking distance and the time required for the Hike.
The Average Hike Hours Per Day For Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek is a considerably easy hike for any trekkers. The trail goes through the villages, farmland, hills, and into the forest. However, some climbs will be there with the altitude. Overall, we can say, this is an easy hike for any trekkers.
On the first day from Naya Pul to Tikhedhunga the hike will be easy with a flat trail and will take 5 Hours to reach Tikhedhunga. However, if you are comfortable with this hike, you can ascend towards Ulleri. This will add another 2 hours extra.
From Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani will be inclined to climb uphill through the villages and the forest and will go from 6-7 Hours in a relatively nominal pace.
Further, Ghorepani to Poon Hill will be an early uphill hike through the well-maintained trail for the SUNRISE View over the Himalayas, covering a distance of 1.5 KM and will take an hour to reach. However, descending will be easy.
After breakfast, the hike to Tadapani continues, starting will climbing the hill and then descending. This will take 5-6 hours to cover a distance of 6.5 KM.
Your last night will be in Ghandruk, starting your hike from Tadapani through the forest and then villages onward. This will be a relatively downhill hike and will take almost 5 hours to cover the distance of 9.8 KM.
The final day will be to Pokhara Via NayaPul. This will be an easy hike mainly through the village and drivable road to reach NayaPul, when you start your trek. This will be 5 5-hour hike covering a distance of 14 KM and finally a drive to reach Pokhara in just an hour and a half.
Alternative Trekking Itinerary for Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek can be done in multiple ways if you don’t want to follow Tadapani and Ghandruk Trail.
This can be a short 3-day Trek with a halfway jeep drive one way. Below is the easy way to Trek:
Day 1: Drive to NayaPul and Trek to Tikhedhunga
Day 2: Trek to Ghorepani
Day 3: Early Moning Hike to Poon Hill Descend to Banthati and Drive to Pokhara
However, during the Monsoon season road gets muddy, and driving will not be possible.
PROGRAM 2
Day 1: Drive to NayaPul and Trek to Tikhedhunga
Day 2: Trek to Ghorepani
Day 3: Early morning Hike to Poon Hill and Trek to Ghandruk
Day 4: Hike to NayaPul and Drive to Pokhara
When is the Best Recommended Time for Ghorepani Poon Hill Hike
Ghorepani Poon Hill is a low-altitude trek, so trekkers need to be very careful while trekking towards this destination. However, Spring, Autumn, and Winter are the best times for this trek.
As the area lies close to Pokhara, during monsoons sufficient amount of rainfall is received in this area and landslides become very common. Moreover, during this time of the year, trails become very slippery and insects are very common.
June, July, and August are not very recommended times for this trek. When almost everyday rainfall occurs very often and views of the Himalayas are very rare to see.
However, for the magnificent views, December, January, and February are highly recommended and receive snowfall in Ghorepani and Poon Hill, and the night temperature sometimes will go to -10 Degrees Celsius. Apart from all this, you will experience the majestic view of the Himalayas.
If you want to avoid snowfall then March, April, May (Spring), and September, October, and November (Autumn) are also best recommended times for Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek.
Possible Trail to Extend from Ghrepani Poon Hill Trek
Following the trail to Ghorepani Poon Hill, one can easily extend to multiple areas of the Annapurna Region. The Annapurna Region is one of the most diverse regions with huge areas to explore and trek.
Trekkers can extend their trail toward Annapurna Base Camp by adding a couple of days to their program. Further, Mardi Himal Base Camp will be another option. This is a pristine trail for trekkers.
Or, if you are worried about the altitude then, you can descend through Landruk and Dhampus instead of skipping through NayaPul.
Moreover, if you have more days to explore then transverse towards Jomsom Muktinath or Upper Mustang areas of the Annapurna region through the natural hot spring.
Nothing to worry about, if you have a number of days extra, let us know we will make a wonderful itinerary according to your interest and your vacation.
