Poonhill Circuit Trek - 11 Days

You will arrive at only international airport in Nepal- the Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu. Our representatives from The Great Adventure Treks will meet you outside the airport terminal. They will be holding a signboard that reads “The Great Adventure Treks”. So you can locate them easily. After you meet them, you will check in your hotel. Our guide will give you all the relevant information about the hotel you will be staying. He will also brief you about the Poon Hill Circuit Trek. if you have any other queries, you shouldn’t hesitate to talk to him.

The capital city of Nepal- Kathmandu- awaits for you today for a great sightseeing tour. Despite being one of the most modern cities in Nepal, you will also be able to see the heritage of the ancient culture in Kathmandu. You can see the influence of this in the architecture of this city, where you can find modern buildings as well as temples of the medieval age.

Pashupatinath Temple:

The most impressive Hindu temples in the world, Pashupatinath, lies quite close to the waters of the Bagmati river. Every year, this largest Hindu temple in the world welcomes over a million Hindu devotees. You can come to this temple on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri where there is a gathering of a million people. It is a two-storied temple that has various other temples surrounding it.

Boudhanath Stupa:

Boudhanath, a holy Buddhist site in Kathmandu, was the 5th century C.E. It was established as a World Heritage Site in 1979 A.D. You can find people of all faiths in Boudhanath. They rotate the prayer wheels that are abundant in the temple. People make several rounds of this monastery while they are here.

Kathmandu and Patan Durbar Squares:

Kathmandu Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square were the residential palaces of the kings of Kathmandu and Patan respectively in the past. These palaces embody the wonderful architectural styles of Newari artists and craftsmen.

Krishna Mandir is the most popular temple in Patan Durbar Square. Hanuman Dhoka complex is the most visited site inside the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square. You can also visit the museums located in these Durbar Squares.

Next day, you will set out to Pokhara on a bus after having a breakfast in your hotel. The route of the bus takes you along the beautiful, scenic hills along with sights of Trisuli and Marsyangdi River. It is also possible for you to catch views of Ganesh Himal and the Manaslu peak during this bus ride. After a ride of 6-7 hours from Kathmandu, you will reach Pokhara(820 meters).

Pokhara is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal. It is a paradise for tourists. This is mainly due to its wonderful landscape, touristic vibe, and its clean, green environment. After you reach Pokhara, you can stroll around the city or spend some quality time in the lakeside.

This will be your leisure day in Pokhara. You can go for a sightseeing tour this day. Pokhara has some of the most beautiful lakes in the country. So you can head out to Phewa Lake, Begnas Lake, and Rupa Lake. You can also get some boating experience here. Pokhara is also home to some adventurous caves like Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, Bat Cave, and Mahendra Cave. So there are plenty of exciting things you can do in Pokhara on this leisure day. Or you can simply take a break and rest in your hotel.

You will head out to Nayapul (new bridge) the next day after having breakfast on a 2-hour drive. Nayapul lies at an altitude of 1070 meters. You start your trek in Nayapul. The start of your trek passes through some busy areas. You will encounter local and international trekkers, mule and donkey trains along the way.

The path joins Bhirthati village. From here, you will follow the main trail, which is an old Trans-Himalayan trade route path. The trek then follows the main route through several farm villages and waterfalls till you reach Tikhedhunga after trekking for 4-5 hours. You will spend your night in Tikhedhunga (1560 meters).

You will encounter one of the most difficult parts of the trek this day. You will walk 2 hours uphill as you trek along thousands of stone staircases to Ulleri. From Ulleri, the path winds gradually through the cool rainforest with gentle uphills and downhills.

You can feel a cold wind blowing as you trek. You will also find a change in temperature as well as vegetation on your way to Ghorepani. You will encounter many rhododendron trees along the forests of ACAP region while trekking to Ghorepani. Eventually, after trekking for 6-7 hours, you will reach Ghorepani(2860 meters).

You will go on an early morning hike to Poon Hill (3,190m) to catch mesmerizing views of the sunrise. The sun rises over the great panorama of the Himalayas from Dhaulagiri-Annapurna to Manaslu mountain range. From here, you will return back to Ghorepani for breakfast.

The trail from Ghorepani takes you to an upper ridge as you walk through rhododendron forest. The path then narrows downhill as you walk through the temperate forests. You might encounter some steep paths along the way before reaching Bhanthahti. Birethanti lies in the middle of the forest where you can take a small lunch-break. Then, you will hike along a trail for an hour through rhododendron forests and small streams. After trekking uphill for an hour, you will reach Tadapani(2630 meters).

Tadapani is in the middle of the forest of Rhododendron, Magnolia, and Oaks. From this place, you can have grand views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchare (fishtail). Today’s trek to Tadapani, including the hike to Poon Hill and back, is 6-7 hours long.

Today your trek will be short and beautiful. It will take you 2-3 hours to trek to Ghandruk (1940 meters) from Tadapani. Some wonderful views of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Fishtail etc will be there to greet you during today’s trek. You will have an opportunity to the ACAP Headquarter and Gurung Museum.

Today you will descend down to Nayapul from Ghandruk. For the initial one hour or so, you will be trekking downhill with a good view of the mountain on the northern side. You can catch a nice view of a running river to your south. Then, you will trek 1 hour before reaching Syauli Bazar. The last 2 hours of your trek takes you on more or less a flat trail to Nayapul (1070 meters) in the company of Modi Khola.

All in all, today’s trek will be 4-5 hours long. A one and a half hours ride from Nayapul will take you to Pokhara.

On this day, you will drive back to Kathmandu from Pokhara. The route of the bus takes you along the beautiful, scenic hills along with sights of Trisuli and Marsyangdi River. It is also possible for you to catch views of Ganesh Himal and the Manaslu peak during this bus ride. After a ride of 6-7 hours from Pokhara, you will reach Kathmandu.

You can go for some last minute shopping in Thamel to buy some souvenirs or other items you might need.

Today is your last day in Nepal. You will get to the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu for your flight back home. You will get to the airport approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. You will go to the airport in a private transport with the representatives from The Great Adventure Treks. You will need the confirmed air ticket and other necessary travel documents before boarding the plane. We could also arrange another tour for you in Nepal if you want to.