Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Poon Hill

The Annapurna region of central Nepal draws more trekkers than any other mountain area in the country. Two routes inside this region sit in their own category. Poon Hill, the famous viewpoint at 3,210 meters above the town of Ghorepani, offers a sunrise panorama of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, and Machapuchhare that has appeared in more travel photographs than almost any other image from Nepal. Annapurna Base Camp, sitting at 4,130 meters inside a natural granite amphitheatre ringed by eight peaks above 6,500 meters, is one of the finest high mountain cirques accessible to trekkers anywhere on earth. This 12-day itinerary visits both.

The route starts at Ulleri and climbs through the stone staircase villages of the lower Modi Khola area to Ghorepani, then rises for the Poon Hill sunrise before crossing the ridge into the Modi Khola valley toward Chomrong, Sinuwa, and the upper sanctuary. The final push through Deurali and Machhapuchhare Base Camp delivers the trekker to ABC on Day 7. The return descends through Bamboo and the rhododendron forest to Jhinu Danda, where natural hot springs beside the Modi Khola provide one of the most welcome endings to a Himalayan trek available anywhere.

Combining these two destinations in 12 days is tight but achievable with the right pacing, good weather, and a guide who understands the daily demands of the route. The itinerary drives from Pokhara to Ulleri on Day 3 to maximise walking time in the sanctuary and minimize transit days, and the return to Nayapul on Day 10 closes the loop before the drive back to Pokhara. No domestic flight is required at any stage.