The 5‑day Ghorepani Poon Hill Ghandruk Trek covers two icons: Poon Hill's 3,210m sunrise panorama and the Gurung cultural heart of Ghandruk village. Starting from Pokhara, explore rhododendron forests, Gurung and Magar homestays, with our expert local guides.
Starting the adventure, with a city of lakes, at 830 meters, this short yet enchanting adventure trekking to Poon Hill Ghandruk takes you to the highest altitude at 3210 meters, with a gentle walk, and deep exploration of the heavenly paradise cultural hamlets, perfect for beginners, or families with kids, as well.
Get ready to delve into the rich cultures and tea house experiences, with the magnificent sunrise 360 degrees panorama of the glistened mountains, including Annapurna I, II, IV, and Macchapuchare, Dhaulagiri, Himchuli, along with other 10 peaks, with our finely crafted itinerary, within just five days of timeframe.
Discover Poon Hill's sunrise & Gurung culture in Ghandruk: 5 Days Cultural Trek
The Ghandruk Poon Hill Trekking stands out as one of the best himalayan odysseys, which combines the natural wonders of the Annapurna Conservation Area, and the rooted cultures amid the himalayas, navigating through the verdant, colorful, patterned forest of oaks, junipers, bamboos, and rhododendrons, small water streams, river falls, with the rewardable unique patterned landscapes, and perspectives, of the majestic himalayan giants.
This adventure is fully dedicated to cultural exploration, staying in teahouses and lodges run by the ethnic Tibetan communities. Hikers interact with rural mountain people, enjoy hands-on local cooking experiences, witness mesmerizing folk dance performances, and visit the traditional Gurung Museum, making every day a surprising journey of ethnic cultural discovery beyond just reaching a destination.
The short trek to Ghandruk Poon Hill suits perfectly for those trekkers who are short on time, or first-time trekkers who are not willing for a long hour trekking trail, or the strenuous hike, that challenges you every second, and every day, yet wish to experience the himalayan life style and the untamed wonders of the Annapurna region. This 5-day trek starts and ends in Pokhara, the gateway of the Annapurna trail; however, for arrivals from Kathmandu (1,360m), we customize itineraries to suit your preferences and budget, including full transfers and accommodation from the capital.
This 5-day Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek from Pokhara itinerary starts with a jeep drive towards Nayapul, and proceeds on a hike towards Ghandruk village, situated at an elevation of 1920 meters, traversing through the local hamlets, verdant forest trails, cascading waterfalls, and rich flora and fauna, along with the terraced farms, with the crops growing all along. Ghandruk marks, as one of the mesmerizing villages, in the Annapurna region, that perched itself at such a high altitude (hill top), offering the first insights of the Annapurna massifs, and beautiful sunsets, above the mountains, and a wide slatted roof, similar to patterned brick villages, that seem unreal.
On this very first day, we'll also take a short walk to the hilltop of the village, and visit the famous "Gurung Museum", unveiling the unique traditional gurung livelihood, historic army services, and mountain lifestyle that defines who they actually are, enjoying their, warm and cozy hospitality, that reminds, us that we are at home, far away from home.
The second day takes us to an uphill walk through woodland forest navigation, and key notable villages, including Seuli, Chistibung, Tadapani, Banthanti, as we make our way to Ghorepani, via Magar hamlets and full rhododendron forest, all the way along. The third day morning will lead us to the morning hike to the Poon Hill View Point at 3210 meters, following the steep stone section, which is tiring yet intriguing, with the surrounding views that keep the hike fully engaged for the whole 45 minutes. Upon reaching to the Poon Hill, which stands out as the most iconic annapurna view point, that showcases, the wide angle 360 degree panoramic views of the several himalayan peaks, such as Annapurna I (8091 m), Annapurna South (7219 m), Dhaulagiri (8280 m), Humchuli (6812 m), Mount Fishtail at 6998 m, and many more.
After savouring the unmatched vista, we will take a descent to the tea house, have our breakfast, carry our backpack, and proceed on the trail towards Tadapani (2630 meters), which includes a continuous downhill walk, and a trail through the colorful forested trail and hamlets of gurung and Magar communities in between.
On the fourth day, we will get back to Ghandruk village, where the day is fully dedicated to the deep cultural exploration (check our itinerary details to know more), whereas the trip concludes on the 5th day, with a jeep or car drive back to the wetland city of Pokhara.
Hence, this finely customized, Poon Hill Ghandruk Tour, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that unravels the beauty of nature, visits the local tea houses, homestays, museums, and the distinct perspective of the majestic giants, and the villages nestled in the heart of the mountains, making it a heart wrenching, odyssey, that leaves a remarkable spot in your heart forever!
Highlights of Ghorepani Ghandruk Trekking
- Scenic drive from Pokhara at 830 meters to Nayapul, the gateway, or the starting walking trail, of the trip.
- Get rewarded with the spellbound Alpenglow vista of more than 10 iconic peaks, including the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massif, from the Poon Hill Vantage Point at 3210 meters.
- Immerse in the wonderland of the iconic Annapurna Conservation Area, meandering through the lush green forest, small river streams, cascading waterfalls, bridges, terraced farms of millets, or other homegrown crops, and ancient villages in between.
- Experience the warm hospitality, rich cultures, traditions, distinct lifestyle, and local Tibetan cuisines of the Gurung and Magar communities, also, engage in a cooking session, learning local phrases, and craft the wool carvings, jewels, attires, and so on, elevating your cultural experiences, during one day full exploration at Ghandruk village.
- Visit the famous Gurung Museum, where you get to gain insight into the background history, traditional roots, army service background stories, wear traditional dresses, and carry a doko (handwoven bamboo on a cone-shaped, used by farmers, to store crops, firewood, etc).
- Pass through the key notable villages of the territory, such as Birethanti, Ulleri, Ghorepani, Tadapani, Syauli Bazaar, Ghandruk, and many more, insighting the distinct insights of the locals.
Why choose the Ghorepani Poon Hill Ghandruk Trek?
The Ghorepani Poon Hill Ghandruk Trekking is a fusion of the local tea house cultural experiences, navigation along the popular hamlets, lush colored rhododendron forests, and the surrounding himalayan massif, in each stride, where each step is no less than an adventure. Even though this trip lasts for a short period of time, only 5 days in total, it explores every highlighted corner within this region, without missing out on anything. This trip stands out also as an introduction to the mountainous world, to the beginners, who seek no intense walk, yet are rewarded with the snowcapped himalayan peaks, and villages, knowing the other side of the himalayas, which is totally different from the city area.
Here are the top 3 reasons why the trail to Poon Hill and Ghandruk village should be your go-to destination for 2026 and 2027:
Perfect Beginner Introduction to Himalayan Trekking
This trek is simply one of the short, beginner friendly adventure that requires only 3 to 5 hours of daily hiking, with a gentle altitude gain reaching only the highest at 3210 meters (daily altitude gain of 200-300 m), which suits the first time trekkers, and any age group of hikers.
There are no extreme technical climbs; there are some ascents and descents via steep stone sections, which can easily be accomplished by any fitness level trekkers. The lodges, on the other hand, are well equipped, with all the amenities included, and meal variations, allowing the visitors to choose what kind of homestay they prefer, meals that caters their diets and taste palette, without any compromises, not giving you mental dilemma, or frustration, which rural, isolated, restricted trip does.
Unmatched Cultural Immersion at Ghandruk Village (Full Day Dedicated)
What sets our itinerary apart from others is that it includes more than 48 hours, deep cultural exploration, in the famous heavenly paradise village soared at the Ghandruk village (1920 m), getting to know about the gurung communities, livelihood, cultural roots, historic background, and many more. Located in the Kaski District, it is one of the largest Gurung villages, with more than 5000+ villagers of the Gurung and Magar communities, where 95% dominates the majority. It is also considered the "Dhungeni Gaun," carved with the wooden windows, white bricks, and slated roofs, every house of the locals, made with the same pattern, that seem like a paradise when gazing at the hill point. Here are the top things that this cultural tour will let you experience while staying here for 2 nights (at the beginning and end of the trip):
Major Cultural Highlights
- Visiting the iconic hill top gurung museum, which showcases the British/Indian legacy, the traditional cultural roots of locals, and pictures of the old village, traditional ethnic attires, and jewels to try on.
- Engaging in the cooking session practices and learning the phrases of locals, insighting the folk traditional gurung dance in the evening, along with an authentic gurung family dinner.
- Short walk to the hill point, where we get to see the majestic sunset vista on the very first day - introducing ourselves to the majestic peaks
- Interacting with the Magar and Gurung local people, getting to know about their livelihood, stories, beliefs, and the local smiling kids with red cheeks.
- Cozy, meals, inspiring the panorama mountains, from the tea house itself, gazing at the Annapurna South (7,219m) and Machhapuchhre golden alpenglow
World-class Sunrise Panorama from Poon Hill at 3210 meters
Soared at an altitude of 3210 m, with only 45 minutes uphill walk from Ghorepani, the Poon Hill's summit offers a 360° view of the sunrise dawn of countless peaks, including the Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Macchapuchare, Himchuli, Lamjung Himal, and many more, outshining many longer treks' vantage points. Beautifully fluttered, flanked by Buddhist Tibetan prayer flags and the blooming flora, just right in front of the giants, the sunrise paints the whole surrounding area in the shades of pink, red, and orange, leaving an everlasting, impressive impact.
