Plan my trek
Plan my trek
About 2,860 m
Annapurna (Myagdi)
Poon Hill, ABC, Khopra
1.5–2 days walk
Oct–Nov, Mar–Apr
Lodges, wifi, no ATM
Ghorepani is a village of teahouses strung along a forested saddle at about 2,860 m, in Myagdi district on the western edge of the Annapurna Region. It is the overnight stop before the most famous sunrise walk in Nepal: the climb to Poon Hill (3,210 m), where Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas and Machhapuchhre appear in a single sweep at first light.
The name comes from the Nepali words for horse (ghoda) and water (pani). For generations this saddle was a resting point on the trade path between the Kali Gandaki valley and the middle hills, where mule and horse caravans stopped to drink. Roads have since taken over most of that trade, and tourism is now the village’s main income.
The surrounding hills are home mainly to Magar communities, with Gurung villages further east towards Ghandruk. Poon Hill is commonly said to take its name from the Pun, a Magar clan of the area. Many lodges are run by families from villages lower down the valley, who move up for the trekking seasons. You will hear Nepali and Magar spoken, and see a mix of Hindu and Buddhist practice.
Ghorepani is a crossroads. Trails arrive from the south up the long stone staircase from Tikhedhunga and Ulleri, from the east along the ridge from Tadapani and Ghandruk, and from the west and north up from Tatopani on the Kali Gandaki. That makes it the high point of the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek, an optional warm-up for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, and the classic finishing loop for people walking out from the Annapurna Circuit.
Expect a busy, sociable mountain village rather than a quiet hamlet. In October, November, March and April the lodges fill by mid-afternoon, dining rooms are warm with wood or gas stoves, and you will share Poon Hill with a few hundred people on a clear morning. Out of season it can feel almost deserted, cold and misty, with the forest dripping and the peaks hidden until the cloud lifts.
The setting is the reason people love it. Ghorepani sits inside one of the largest rhododendron forests in Nepal, mixed with oak, and in spring the slopes around the village turn red, pink and white. Even without Poon Hill, the evening and early-morning views of Dhaulagiri from the upper part of the village are reason enough to stop.
Ghorepani suits almost anyone with reasonable fitness. The hard part is getting there: thousands of stone steps, whichever way you come.
Most people spend one night in Ghorepani, arriving in the afternoon and leaving after the sunrise and breakfast. A second night gives you a better chance of clear weather and time for the walks below. Times are for an average walker with stops.
The reason most people come. Guides wake you between about 4 and 4.30 am, depending on the season, for a climb of 45 minutes to an hour up a stepped path from the top of the village, gaining roughly 350 m. At the summit (3,210 m) there is a wooden viewing tower and usually a tea stall. On a clear morning you see Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) and Tukuche Peak to the west, the deep Kali Gandaki gorge, then Nilgiri, Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and the fishtail of Machhapuchhre to the east.
Time needed: 2 to 2.5 hours round trip including sunrise. Tip: take a head torch, down jacket, hat and gloves; it is often below freezing before dawn from November to February. A small ticket is usually collected at the foot of the steps, so carry a little cash.
If you arrive by mid-afternoon, do not wait for morning. The upper part of Ghorepani faces north-west towards Dhaulagiri, and the last light on the mountain can be as good as sunrise from Poon Hill, without the crowd. Clear evenings are most common in October, November and the colder winter months.
Time needed: 30 to 60 minutes. Altitude gain: none, or a few minutes up the Poon Hill steps for a wider angle. Tip: cloud often builds over the foothills in the afternoon and clears again near dusk, so be patient. Bring a warm layer, because the temperature drops quickly once the sun goes.
East of the village the trail climbs through forest to the Deurali pass, often signed as Gurung Hill, at about 3,090 m. It is a quieter alternative viewpoint to Poon Hill, with views back to Dhaulagiri and ahead to Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. Most trekkers pass it on the way to Tadapani, but it also makes a good short walk on a rest morning.
Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hours each way from Ghorepani. Altitude gain: about 230 m. Tip: the shaded forest can be icy from December to February. Microspikes are rarely needed, but poles help.
The forests around Ghorepani, especially between Nangethanti, Ghorepani, Deurali and Banthanti, are one of the best places in Nepal to see laliguras, the rhododendron, Nepal’s national flower. Trees here grow to forest height, and in bloom the hillsides turn scarlet with patches of pink and white higher up.
When: usually from mid-March to mid-April, earlier lower down and later higher up, varying from year to year. Time needed: it is the trail itself, so simply walk slowly. Tip: spring brings more haze over the peaks than autumn. If flowers matter more to you than the clearest views, time your trip for late March.
The oak and rhododendron forest holds a good range of Himalayan birds. Look for the Danphe or Himalayan monal (Nepal’s national bird) at higher levels, along with pheasants, laughingthrushes, sunbirds and minivets. Langur and rhesus monkeys are often seen near the trail between Ghorepani and Tadapani. Leopards live in the region but are very rarely seen.
Time needed: an early hour on the trail before the groups set off. Tip: bring compact binoculars, and ask your guide to walk the Deurali ridge with you at first light, when birds are most active and the path is empty.
If Poon Hill crowds put you off, there is an alternative on the ridge towards Tadapani. The Mulde viewpoint, above the small lodge settlement of Dobato on the route towards Khopra and Mohare Danda, gives a similar panorama with far fewer people. It is best done by sleeping at Dobato rather than in Ghorepani.
Time needed: adds roughly half a day to a day to a standard itinerary. Altitude: the ridge is roughly 3,500 to 3,600 m, so it is higher than Poon Hill. Tip: lodges at Dobato are few and simple, and trails are less well signed, so go with a guide who knows the route.
Ghorepani is known on the trail for its baking. Many lodges make apple pie, chocolate cake and cinnamon rolls in wood-fired or gas ovens, and a slice with milk tea after the Ulleri steps is something of a ritual. Dal bhat is still the best value and most filling meal, with free refills.
Cost: dal bhat around NPR 600 to 1,000 (about £3.50 to £6) and a slice of cake a few hundred rupees, at the time of writing. Tip: order dinner early in peak season, when one kitchen can be cooking for 60 people. Meat is carried up, so many trekkers stay vegetarian on the trail.
From Ghorepani or Tadapani a less-used trail heads north through forest to Khopra Danda, a ridge at roughly 3,640 m with a community lodge facing Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South. Strong walkers can continue to the sacred Khayer Lake at about 4,600 m. The trek gives you big views and very few other people.
Time needed: 2 to 4 extra days. Altitude gain: significant; Khayer Lake is far above anything on the standard Poon Hill route, so you need an acclimatisation plan. Tip: check that your travel insurance covers the extra altitude before you go.
Ghorepani is the high point and the turning point of the Poon Hill loop, and a junction for several longer treks. On almost every itinerary it is the place where you sleep before the Poon Hill sunrise. The table shows the main walks in and out. Altitudes vary by 20 to 50 m between maps, so treat them as approximate.
| Route | Distance | Time | Altitude change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tikhedhunga (about 1,500 m) to Ghorepani via Ulleri | About 10–12 km | 6–7 h | About +1,350 m, mostly steps |
| Ulleri (about 1,960 m) to Ghorepani | About 7–8 km | 3.5–4.5 h | About +900 m |
| Ghorepani to Tadapani (about 2,630 m) via Deurali | About 9–10 km | 5–6 h | +230 m, then about −460 m |
| Ghorepani to Tatopani (about 1,190 m) via Chitre and Shikha | About 16–17 km | 6–7 h | About −1,700 m |
| Ghorepani to Poon Hill and back | Short and steep | 2–2.5 h with sunrise | About +350 m / −350 m |
Distances on this route are rarely measured precisely, so figures differ between sources. Plan by hours, not kilometres.
On the standard anticlockwise loop from Nayapul, Ghorepani is reached at the end of Day 2, after the climb from Tikhedhunga up the Ulleri staircase, often quoted as more than 3,000 steps. If you drive to Ulleri, you can arrive on Day 1. On Day 3 you climb Poon Hill, return for breakfast, and walk the ridge to Tadapani. See the full Poon Hill trek guide for itineraries.
Walking the loop clockwise, you start at Ghandruk, sleep at Tadapani, and reach Ghorepani on Day 2 or 3 after a long forest climb to Deurali. This direction puts the Ulleri steps on the descent, which is hard on knees but easier on the lungs. Many people prefer it because the gradient through the forest is gentler.
The most popular combination in the region. You walk Nayapul or Ulleri to Ghorepani, sunrise on Poon Hill, then Tadapani and on to Chhomrong and up the Modi Khola valley to base camp at about 4,130 m. Ghorepani is reached on Day 2 or 3. See our guide to Annapurna Base Camp.
Trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit who skip the Jomsom exit can walk down the Kali Gandaki to Tatopani and climb about 1,700 m in one long day to Ghorepani. After the Thorong La, the altitude is no issue, but the climb is long and hot. Most people sleep at Shikha or Chitre if they are tired. You then finish via Poon Hill and Ulleri or Ghandruk.
At 2,860 m Ghorepani is below the height where most people get altitude sickness, and no rest day is needed. Mild headache or breathlessness on the first night is not unusual, especially if you drove from Pokhara (about 820 m) to Ulleri and walked up the same day. For treks continuing to Khopra Danda or Annapurna Base Camp, Ghorepani is a useful first step up rather than a dedicated acclimatisation stop.
Ghorepani has dozens of family-run lodges, most built of stone and timber with corrugated or painted tin roofs, clustered around the saddle and spreading a short way down the slope. Standards are high for a trekking village, because the route is short, busy and close to Pokhara. We do not name individual lodges here: ownership and standards change, and your guide will usually book ahead.
Expect twin rooms with foam mattresses, pillows and blankets, and thin wooden walls. Older lodges have shared toilets and showers; newer and refurbished ones offer attached bathrooms. The rooms are unheated, and nights from November to February drop below freezing, so the warm dining room is where everyone gathers.
| Lodge type | What you get | Typical room price (per room) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic teahouse | Twin room, shared toilet and shower, dining room with stove | NPR 500–1,000 (about £3–6), often discounted if you eat in |
| Standard lodge | Better mattresses, sometimes attached bathroom, solar hot water | NPR 1,000–2,000 (about £6–11) |
| Upgraded lodge | Attached bathroom, hot shower, power sockets in room, more insulation | From around NPR 2,500 (about £14) upwards; prices vary widely |
Room prices are often low or even free if you take dinner and breakfast in the same lodge, and higher if you eat elsewhere. That is normal and fair: the lodges make their money on food.
These are typical ranges from recent trekker and agency reports, not a fixed price list. Prices rise with altitude because supplies come up by mule or rough road.
In the second half of October and early November Ghorepani regularly fills up. Book through your guide, aim to arrive by early afternoon, and be prepared to share a room or sleep in a lodge a few minutes down the hill on the busiest nights.
Every route to Ghorepani starts in Pokhara. From Kathmandu, Pokhara is a 25 to 30-minute domestic flight or a 6 to 8-hour bus ride on the Prithvi Highway, which suffered landslide closures in 2026. From Pokhara you drive west on the Baglung road to Nayapul (about 40 km), then continue on rough roads to your chosen starting point and walk up.
| Route | How | Time | Approximate cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokhara to Nayapul | Local bus from Baglung Bus Park | 1.5–2 h | NPR 200–400 (about £1–2) |
| Pokhara to Nayapul | Private jeep or taxi | About 1.5 h | NPR 2,000–3,000 one way (about £11–17) |
| Nayapul to Hile, Tikhedhunga or Ulleri | Jeep on dirt road | 1–2 h, longer after rain | Usually bundled into a private jeep from Pokhara; ask your agency |
| Tikhedhunga or Ulleri to Ghorepani | On foot | 3.5–7 h | Free, apart from tea stops |
| Ghandruk to Ghorepani via Tadapani | On foot | 1.5–2 days | Jeep Pokhara to Ghandruk about 2.5–3 h |
| Tatopani to Ghorepani | On foot | 7–9 h uphill | Tatopani is on the Beni to Jomsom road |
A rough jeep track now reaches Ghorepani, and some operators sell jeep tours that drive all the way up for the Poon Hill sunrise. Reports differ on which side the track is reliable from and how long it takes; journeys of four to six hours from Pokhara are quoted. It is single-track, dusty and often blocked after rain. Walking up is the better experience, and the road should be treated as a back-up or an emergency exit rather than a plan.
Ghorepani can be visited all year, but the reason to go is the view, and that needs clear skies. At about 2,860 m the village is cold for much of the year at night and pleasant by day. For the wider picture, see our guide to the best season to travel in Nepal.
| Months | Conditions at Ghorepani | Views | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|
| October–November | Dry and settled; days mild, nights near or just below freezing | Best of the year | Busiest; lodges fill |
| December–February | Cold; frost most nights, occasional snow in the village and on the Deurali ridge | Often very clear, especially early | Quiet; some lodges thinly staffed |
| March–April | Warming; afternoon cloud and showers increase in April | Good early mornings, haze later | Busy; rhododendrons in bloom |
| May | Warm, hazy, pre-monsoon storms | Hit and miss | Moderate |
| June–September | Monsoon: heavy rain, mist, leeches, slippery steps | Mostly cloud, with the odd clear dawn | Very quiet |
Bloom usually peaks from mid-March to mid-April. Trees lower down near Ulleri and Banthanti flower first, and those near Deurali and Poon Hill later. A late cold spell can delay it by a couple of weeks.
Ghorepani gets occasional snow between December and February, and sometimes in early March. A light fall is beautiful and rarely closes the trail, but the steps and the shaded forest towards Deurali become icy. Poles and good boots are enough for most people; ask your guide whether microspikes are worth carrying.
Dashain and Tihar usually fall in October or early November. You will see bamboo swings, oil lamps and garlands in the villages, and some lodge staff go home to their families. Transport out of Pokhara is busier then. Magar and Gurung communities also celebrate their own new year and harvest festivals; dates follow the lunar calendar and change each year, so ask locally.
The monsoon brings road disruption every year. In July 2026 floods and landslides damaged a bridge and trail sections near Syauli Bazaar, close to the Ghandruk end of the Poon Hill loop. The serious late-August 2026 floods mainly hit districts north of Kathmandu, not this area. If you visit between June and early October, allow a spare day and check the roads with your agency.
Ghorepani lies inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, and there is an ACAP checkpoint in the village. Carry your ACAP permit (NPR 3,000, about £17, for foreign nationals and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, at the time of writing) and your passport. Some sources say a permit bought on the trail costs double, so buy it in Pokhara or Kathmandu or through your agency. The status of the TIMS card on Annapurna trails is unclear: some agencies report that only the ACAP permit is checked, while FCDO advice still lists TIMS. Budget about NPR 2,000 and ask your agency.
Since 1 April 2023 the Nepal Tourism Board has required foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas to use a licensed guide booked through a registered agency. The FCDO also says foreign independent trekkers must use a local guide or porter in protected areas. Enforcement on these trails has been patchy, but plan to trek with a guide.
Serious altitude sickness is unusual at Ghorepani’s height, but not impossible after a fast ascent. Warning signs are a worsening headache, nausea, unusual tiredness and breathlessness at rest. The cure is to go down, which is easy from here. Stomach bugs are the more common problem, so wash your hands and choose freshly cooked food.
There is no reliable ATM in Ghorepani or on the trail. Bring enough Nepali rupees from Pokhara for lodges, food, the Poon Hill ticket, extras and tips, with a reserve. Cards are rarely accepted.
Most lodges have wifi, and Nepal Telecom and Ncell 4G usually work in the village and on Poon Hill, though signal drops in the forest. A local SIM bought in Pokhara is cheap and useful for keeping in touch with your agency.
Do not drink untreated tap or stream water. Bottled water is sold, but plastic waste is a real problem here. Bring a filter bottle or purification tablets and refill from lodge taps, or buy boiled water.
Ghorepani is one of the safest places to trek in Nepal: low altitude, mobile signal, and road access within a day. The main hazards are slips on wet or frosty steps, the pre-dawn Poon Hill walk in the dark, and road travel. Walk to Poon Hill with your guide or the crowd, never alone, with a head torch. Take out travel insurance that covers trekking and helicopter evacuation; see do I need travel insurance for trekking and our safety tips for trekking in Nepal.
At the time of writing, the UK FCDO does not advise against travel to Nepal. Its advice, updated on 1 October 2026, warns of further floods and landslides after the major floods of late August 2026, which mainly affected Rasuwa, Gorkha, Nuwakot and Dhading. Nepal saw serious unrest in Kathmandu in September 2025 and held elections in March 2026, and protests can still start at short notice. Check the latest FCDO advice before you travel.
Ghorepani is a hub, so it is easy to extend your trip in almost any direction. These are the places most often combined with it.
A large Gurung village of slate-roofed stone houses at about 1,940 m, a day and a half east of Ghorepani via Tadapani. It has a small Gurung museum and views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. Read our Ghandruk village guide.
The gateway to the Annapurna Sanctuary at about 2,170 m, reached from Tadapani in a day. If you want to continue from Poon Hill to base camp, this is where the route turns north. See our Chhomrong guide.
A long descent west takes you to Tatopani (about 1,190 m) and its hot springs on the Kali Gandaki river. From there the road runs north towards Jomsom and Mustang, or south to Beni and Pokhara.
On the far side of the Annapurna massif, Manang is the main acclimatisation stop on the Annapurna Circuit. Many circuit trekkers finish their trek via Ghorepani and Poon Hill.
For more ideas, see our best treks from Pokhara.
Get Lost Forever arranges guided Poon Hill and Annapurna treks with licensed local guides and fairly treated porters, and can combine Ghorepani with Annapurna Base Camp, Pokhara and the rest of Nepal. Tell us your dates and how you like to travel on our plan your trip page.
Ghorepani sits at about 2,860 m, although figures between 2,850 and 2,880 m appear on maps and signs. Poon Hill, above the village, is 3,210 m.
About 45 minutes to an hour uphill on a stepped path, gaining roughly 350 m. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours for the round trip, including time at the top for sunrise.
Most guides set off between about 4.30 and 5 am, depending on the season, with an earlier start in spring and summer when the sun rises sooner. Ask your lodge the night before.
No reliable one. Bring enough Nepali rupees from Pokhara for the whole trek, plus a reserve for extras and tips.
Yes. Most lodges have wifi, sometimes for a small fee, and Nepal Telecom and Ncell mobile data usually work in the village. Both can be slow in the evening.
A rough jeep track now reaches Ghorepani, and some operators offer jeep trips there. It is long, bumpy and vulnerable to landslides, so most trekkers drive only to Ulleri or Tikhedhunga and walk the rest.
Yes. Ghorepani is in the Annapurna Conservation Area, so you need an ACAP permit, which is checked in the village. Since 2023 foreign trekkers are also required to use a licensed guide in protected areas.
It is unlikely. At about 2,860 m, most people feel fine. A mild headache on the first night can happen, especially if you drove most of the way up. If symptoms get worse, go down.
Usually from mid-March to mid-April, with lower forests flowering first. The timing shifts by a week or two from year to year.
They do different jobs. Ghorepani is the base for the Poon Hill sunrise and has the bigger Dhaulagiri views. Ghandruk is a larger, older Gurung village with more culture and a road nearby. The Poon Hill loop lets you stay in both.
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