Trekking in Nepal is something we have been talking about for a long time in our travels! We seem to have visited the surrounding South Asian countries of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan. And we’ve been on multi-day hikes in Myanmar and Vietnam since the kids were small. But trekking in the Himalayas in one of those bucket-list adventure destinations. And as soon as we heard about the Poon Hill Trek we decided that sounded exactly right for us – and we couldn’t wait to get there!
We flew into Kathmandu and enjoyed three days of the hustle and bustle of the capital. But it was almost hard to relax and truly try to take it all in as the big adventure of our Nepal trip was looming – the 5-Day Poon Hill Trek.
About the Poon Hill Trek
We are going to start right from beginning and detail each day of this amazing trek – right from Day 1 – but before we start I wanted to properly introduce the hike we chose and why we chose it…
The Poon Hill Trek is the one of the most popular multi-day hikes in the Annapurna Region of Nepal. It is often known as the Annapurna Sunrise Trek because everyone is trekking towards that famous sunrise spot at the summit of Poon Hill where you can see panoramic – and seriously majestic – views of the Annapurna Range.
The trek starts from Pokhara which is the second largest city in Nepal. And it is easy to get to Pokhara from Kathmandu by flight (30 mins) or by bus.
The hike can be done as a 3-Day trek or 5-Days (as we chose). It begins from an elevation of 800m up to 3260m at the summit of Poon Hill.
On each night of the trek you will stay in ‘Tea Houses’ – these are basic guesthouses on the trail in small villages. The hosts live in the guesthouses and offer a room, showers and meals in a common room/dining hall.
The Poon Hill Trek is an amazing way to see rural Nepal life in the villages right up in the mountains…
Choosing a Trekking Agency in Nepal
We chose to trek with ‘3 SISTERS’ TREKKING AGENCY’. Choosing a trekking agency was the biggest decision of this adventure.
We feel very proud to introduce our fabulous guide and trekking assistant – Kushum and Sobha.
The 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking Agency specialises in training and employing female guides and assistants for treks in and around the Himalayas in Nepal; empowering women through a training programme and NGO Empowering Women of Nepal.
The training program teaches local women the necessary skills for trekking and guiding, including English language and hospitality skills. And since the company was started in 1994 over 2,000 women from all over Nepal have completed the training.
As well as that the company has strict restrictions to ensure the safety and respect of their employees – women assistants can carry a maximum of 10kg and male assistants 13kg. (And trust me; we saw some porters carrying +30kg!).
We will tell you more about Kushum and Sobha as we get into it!
Kathmandu to Pokhara
We took the Tourist Bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara. It takes a full day (and the description of bumpy is an understatement) and is an adventure in itself. But we arrived in Pokhara and were greeted by a first glimpse of the surrounding snow-capped peaks of the Annapurna Range.
Read all about taking the Tourist Bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara here.
Poon Hill Trek T-1 (about the day before the trek)
We had planned our time in Nepal to mean we had a full day in Pokhara before the trek (and I suggest you do too). This essentially meant we had a day to explore and also to grab a few last minute things from and of the many trekking shops in Pokhara.
We need to carry everything for the five days so it does require a bit of planning and deciding what we really do need! And thankfully we have most things with us but the boys needed a new trekking shirt and I needed one fleece for the trail.
In Pokhara, we purchased water purification tablets as we always hope to lessen our tread on the planet by reusing our water bottles and filling from the guesthouses with safe drinking water.
Day 1 – Pokhara to Birethanti – Birethanti to Hille
Setting off on Day 1 was an exciting feeling! We didn’t really know what to expect but after 1.5 hour Jeep ride from Pokhara to Birethanti (just over the bridge from Nayapul) we arrived at the starting point and off we set…
The first two hours was a gentle uphill through small villages and following a Jeep-track. (Well, I say Jeep track but there were the odd buses passing through as well!). It felt like a great introduction to the Poon Hill Trek.
This part really was like walking on a rural road and was all passable except for one river ford where there was no way over! We all enjoyed taking our shoes off and the feeling of the refreshing mountain river.
Views were spectacular over the rice fields and before we knew it we had arrived in the village where we would stop for lunch.
Time for lunch (and our first ‘Tea House’)
We had lunch at Mira Guesthouse – our first experience of a ‘tea house’. The elderly lady owner was lovely and Kushum translated for us that all the vegetables and rice are from the fields just outside. We ordered delicious fried rice and vegetables. And Oscar rescued a butterfly (his highlight of the day!).
The afternoon trek – Day 1 Poon Hill Trek
Day 1 felt exciting and although it would be nice to relax after lunch we were keen to get on. The track after lunch continued up the road for another 30 minutes and then joined onto a smaller walking track through the villages.
We passed a school and a few more tea-houses. And 1.5 hours later we arrived at our guesthouse for the night.
The Costs – Day 1 – Poon Hill Trek
We are very proud to share and recommend 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking Agency. We did the Poon Hill Trek with 1x Guide and 1x Trekking Assistant.
The 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking Agency specialises in training and employing female guides and assistants for treks in and around the Himalayas in Nepal. They have a fantastic programme empowering and educating their female Guides and Assistants and ensuring they are employed under safe and fair working conditions.
- Guide cost: US$ 35 per day
- Assistant cost: US$ 25 per day
Food – Day 1 Poon Hill Trek
Breakfast: We had breakfast included with our hotel accommodation in Pokhara so we enjoyed a great breakfast of eggs, toast, fruit, juice and coffee before we started.
Lunch: Mira Hotel, Gandaki
- 2x egg veg fried rice @450
- 1x plain rice @300
- 2x 1L water @100
- Total: 1400 NPR ($10.60 USD)
Snacks: Dipak Hotel, Hille
- 1x Sprite @200
- 1x small pot milk tea @400
- Total: 600 NPR ($4.50 USD)
Dinner: Dipak Hotel, Hille
- 2x spaghetti @500
- 1x veg egg fried rice @500
- 1x dal bhat @600
- 1x milk tea small pot @400
- Total: 2500 NPR ($18.80 USD)
Accommodation – Day 1 Poon Hill Trek
Accommodation: Dipak Guesthouse, Hille
- 2x triple rooms @600
- Total: 1200 NPR ($9.10 USD)
This was the first tea house of our trek. Simple accommodation with delicious food – TEA – and seriously epic views out over the valley…
Total Costs – Day 1 Poon Hill Trek
Day 1 was a great introduction to the Poon Hill Trek. This is the total costs for Day 1 of the Poon Hill trek for 2 adults and 2 children including the cost of a Guide and Trekking Assistant came to $99.20 USD.
- Day 1 Total: $99.20 USD
See you on the next day!
Read more about Poon Hill Trek
- Poon Hill Trek Day 2 – Hille to Ghorepani.
- Poon Hill Trek Day 3 – Poon Hill to Ghorepani to Tadapani.
- Poon Hill Trek Day 4 – Tadapani to Ghandruk
- Poon Hill Trek Day 5 – Ghandruk to Kimche (Pokhara).
Where we stayed in Kathmandu and Pokhara
We arrived in Kathmandu and we were picked up from the airport by our hotel.
- Kathmandu: Magnificent Hotel
Spacious, clean rooms with great WIFI and very friendly staff. They are very helpful booking tickets and can advise on travel anywhere in Nepal. Great buffet breakfast with fresh fruit and eggs cooked to order. We would recommend staying here.
- Pokhara: Hotel Trip
Cheap, central accommodation in Pokhara. Friendly welcome by hotel staff and a great breakfast.
- Pokhara: Hotel Orchid
Central to Pokhara lakeside with a simple breakfast. Rooms have a balcony with a nice view over Pokhara.
More about travel planning for Nepal and beyond…
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally. (We love the flexible cancellation policy!).
- Hostelworld– The largest inventory of hostel accommodation in the world.
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home).
Read more from travel in South Asia
- Taking an overnight train in Pakistan from Islamabad to Karachi.
- How to apply for a Pakistan e-Visa: And can you use it at the Wagah Border?
- Crossing the Wagah Border from India to Pakistan.
- Pakistan with kids: A complete guide to travel in Pakistan.
- Money in India: Using ATM’s, withdrawing and carrying your money safely.
- How to use a squat toilet: Everything you didn’t want to ask…
- Our complete packing list for travel in India.