Mini Annapurna Sanctuary Trek

We will receive you at the airport when you arrive in Kathmandu. While you are under our care, we will make sure that your travel requirements are addressed. Since there are no activities planned for the day, we will help you check into the proper accommodation. You can choose between taking a stroll through the neighborhood or relaxing in each of your rooms.

You will be picked up in a private vehicle the following morning after breakfast and driven to Pokhara, which is located west of Kathmandu. After having lunch at Malekhu, along the route. Due to its proximity to the Trishuli River, Malekhu is well known for its fried fish. Drive the remaining distance to Pokhara after lunch, passing via Muglin, where the roads to Chitwan and Pokhara split. We are free to spend the evening in Pokhara exploring the city or taking it easy in our accommodations after a long day of travel.

Today, the actual Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek begins after a one-hour drive via the affluent village of Lumle to Naya Pul. We pick you up in your hotel early morning with your belongings and head towards Nayapul after breakfast. 

As we start trekking from Nayapul, we cross numerous villages and farmlands. One of the villages is Birethanti, where a tourist checkpost exists and we register. Those wishing to take the short Annapurna Base Camp Trek can take the route via Birethanti. Crossing the Birethanti bridge over the Modi River, we walk through the main road that lies beside numerous terraced farm fields. The main road itself goes through a forest making for an exciting walk. We reach the village of Sudhami where we grab lunch. The trek trail ascends from Sudami and we reach the village of Hile. During spring poinsettia can be seen all around us. Walking through the ascending trail we reach Tikhedhunga. The village is open to exploration to see the local lifestyle of the people. Nearby the village is a waterfall that we can visit also.  Guesthouses and hotels are decked in flowers here as is the custom. We stay overnight here at Tikhedhunga. 

After an early morning breakfast we a suspension bridge as we climb around 3300 stone steps. While climbing we get to see the valley we passed through yesterday as well as get excellent vistas of the terraced farmlands behind us. We also get an amazing view of Annapurna South while climbing. We eventually reach Ulleri village which showcases a great view of Fishtail mountain. Ulleri is a large village built in a traditional style. After a short exploration of the village, we ascend to the village of Ban Thanti, where we can stop for tea. We can sip tea amid excellent views of Annapurna South and Mt.Fishtail. We cross through forests of rhododendron en route to Ghorepani. We cross through the village of Nange Thanti where we can grab lunch. Walking through an inclined route, we see numerous buffalos, goats, and mules. We reach the welcome gate to Lower Ghorepani which welcomes you to Poon Hill. After crossing a check post at Lower Ghorepani. Walking around 10 minutes, we reach upper Ghorepani which showcases a 360 view of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain ranges. We can also explore the Ghorepani village where we stay overnight.  The dining rooms here have a fireplace with a chimney that allows us to warm ourselves.

We wake up before sunrise and take a one-hour walk to climb Poon Hill. The view of the sunrise from Poon hill is absolutely amazing and is considered by many to be the best sunrise view in Nepal. From the top of Poon Hill, we see the mountains of Dhaulagiri I, II, Annapurna I, Barha Sikhar, Annapurna South, Himchuli, Gangapurna, Mt Fishtail, Mardi Himal, and Lamjung Himal. In front of the mountains lie hills that are decked with rhododendron in spring.  After taking tea and enjoying the view from the top we return back to Ghorepani where we grab breakfast.

After lunch, we begin our trek to Tadapani. We ascend Gurung Hill through forest trails surrounded by Rhodendron. Again, the views of the mountains and the valleys we walked through can be viewed in all their glory from the top of Gurung Hill. We continue our trek to reach the village of Deurali from where we descend. During winter the narrow trail is quite slippery. We reach a second village by the name of Ban Thanti and grab lunch. During the monsoon, we can enjoy bamboo shoots. Monkeys can be seen on the trail along with many domestic animals.  We descend a slippery route, cross an iron bridge and start our ascent. After a short duration, we reach Tadapani from where the view of Mt. Fishtail is amazing as well as close. Here, the trail to Annapurna Base Camp and Khopradanda starts. The dining rooms here have a fireplace with a chimney that allows us to warm ourselves. 

Today we wake up at Tadapani, from here we begin the walk to Landruk after breakfast. We begind descending through forest trails. The trail is relatively simple and we walk through many small villages and farmlands also. We will reach Ghandruk for lunch and there we can see the traditional way of living of the Gurung people. Ghandruk village is considered to be one of the most scenic villages and so is Landruk where we will be staying. After our brief stay in Ghandruk, we descend all the way to Landruk. Landruk is also a Gurung village and very scenic with the mountains and hills forming an excellent vista. The view of Annapurna South is simply amazing from Landruk. 

From Landruk we descend further to Australian Camp. Today also we will be walking through forests along a relatively easy trail. Leaving Landruk behind, we walk for a brief 3 hours across farmlands and small villages before we reach Australian Camp located atop a small hill. The camp is very scenic and offers 360-degree views all around. Australian Camp's original name, "Thulo Kharka," translates to "big pasture." Buffalo and cow herders from the villages below Dhampus and others used to use this area as a seasonal grazing and grazing pasture. In the late 1980s, Austrians reportedly found it so attractive that they camped there for several days due to the area's tranquility, purity, and breathtaking mountain views. Since then, the area has been referred to as the "Australian camp," but because this is a difficult name for native Nepalese speakers to articulate, they instead refer to it as "Australian camp."

From Australian Camp we can start late in the morning for a very brief descent down to Dhampus village which is beautiful in and off itself. Dhampus is where many Nepalese also come for a relaxing few days away from the city. We can rest and grab lunch in Dhampus itself before taking a jeep to get to Pokhara from Dhampus. We can also descend from Dhampus by walking a short but scenic village route to the bottom of the hill and grab a vehicle there and drive to Pokhara. The final day of our trekking has finished. We can celebrate the completion of the trek at the many restaurants at Pokhara lakeside. 

We begin our journey back to Kathmandu today after grabbing breakfast. We take the Prithvi highway which snakes the Trishuli river all the way to Kathmandu. We grab lunch again along the way at either Muglin or Malekhu. We will get to Kathmandu in the evening and you will be dropped off at your hotel where you may rest from the tiring journey.

Three hours prior to your flight's departure, our airport agent will drop you off at the international airport in Kathmandu for your journey out of Nepal. We wish you a lifetime of memories of stunning Nepal, the breathtaking Himalayan scenery, and the cultural experience you had while hiking Poon Hill. We also wish for you to return home feeling victorious.