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Home » Destinations » Asia » Nepal

Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek in Nepal (Photos)

Modified: Jul 6, 2019 · Published: Oct 28, 2013 by Mark Wiens |

Beginning the Poon Hill trek in Nepal
Beginning the Poon Hill trek in Nepal

When we were traveling in Nepal, one of my goals was to take a trek.

Being with my wife, I wanted a trek that wasn't extremely strenuous or too high in elevation, but that provided great scenery.

So we choose to do the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek, a 5 days hike through the lower Annapurna range.

Great views of villages and hillside farms
Great views of villages and hillside farms

From the very first day, the views were incredible. We passed through many small villages and farms, hiking along both dirt and stone trails.

The rocky trail
The rocky trail

We took it pretty easy, only hiking for 6 - 8 hours per day. But even so, there were some pretty steep climbs and descents that got our hearts racing.

The meal I ate everyday
The meal I ate every day

The national meal of Nepal is dal bhat, a plate of rice served with a side of dal soup, and often a few curried or fried vegetables. 

It sure felt good after a strenuous hike to be able to chow down on a hearty fresh meal.

Our first peak at the snowy peak
Our first peek at the snowy peak

Catching the first glimpses of the snowy Himalayan peaks was breathtaking.

View of Annapurna on a clear morning
View of Annapurna on a clear morning

There are a number of main Annapurna peaks, the highest reaching over 8,000 meters.

Waking for sunrise
Waking for sunrise

The climax of the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek is waking up for the sunrise at the top of Poon Hill.

At 3,200 meters in elevation, it's not extremely high, but it provides a picturesque panoramic view of the full Annapurna mountain range.

Annapurna
Annapurna

Again, the view was beyond spectacular.

Basketball court in the Himalayas
A basketball court in the Himalayas

In the town of Ghorepani, a small mountain village is where I found what has to be one of the world's most beautiful basketball courts.

Cairns marking the trail
Cairns marking the trail

Our 5-day trek offered an incredible glimpse of the Himalayas on a well-maintained trail that wasn't too difficult. The scenery was breathtaking!

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About Mark Wiens

Mark was raised in central Africa before migrating back to the U.S. for University. After graduating, he decided to continue traveling the world. On Migrationology, he shares the cultural side of travel from a slow-paced local perspective that often revolves around his love for eating all forms of food. Join him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @migrationology.

Comments

  1. Rebecca says

    October 28, 2013 at 7:41 pm

    This is amazing! Was this done with a tour guide or alone? I would love to take this trek

    • Mark Wiens says

      November 01, 2013 at 10:28 pm

      Hey Rebecca, we didn't go on a package tour, but we did hire a private guide to accompany us. It worked out well!

  2. Sorin says

    October 31, 2013 at 3:38 pm

    its impossible not to shot the perfect picture in Nepal. I really like the sunrise photo..

  3. OliverJack says

    November 22, 2013 at 1:07 am

    Really wonderful blog with photos. Necessary information which i needed personally we get from these. Its too much help for me in my future.

  4. Matthew Fine says

    January 31, 2014 at 5:40 pm

    I have always wanted to visit Nepal and see the Himalayas, I mean after seeing these photos how could you not. One thing that has always been off putting though is the costs of such treks? In your opinion, is this sort of thing manageable without breaking the bank?

    • Dave says

      January 31, 2014 at 6:37 pm

      Absolutely Matthew. Lots of backpackers go to Nepal on a tight budgets. In 2008, I met some who would do treks without a guide or porter to save money. And this includes people who've never done a trek before, let alone one to over 5,000 meters in altitude (Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit).

      And even if you do want to hire a guide, and/or a porter, it can be done cheaply (but you just want to make sure they're still earning a fare wage for their work).

      It's much cheaper if you go on your own and book Nepali guides/porters yourself, which is super easy to do from Kathmandu or Pokhara. The cost of booking a similar trek through an international company can be thousands of dollars, which may give the impression only rich folk can do these treks when that's not the case.

      In April/May 2008, I spent 42 days total in Nepal, and averaged $54 per day, or $2,275 total. This is on the high end, it certainly can be visited for less. According to my notes, I paid $360 to hire a guide and porter for my Annapurna Base Camp trek, and this included transport, accommodation, and food for 11 days.

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

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