Get excited for Day 4 of the Poon Hill Trek because today is all DOWNhill! The trail today starts (at sunrise if you wish) from the beautiful hilltop village of Tadapani downhill through Rhododendron forests to the largest hill village of the trek, Ghandruk. But the best part about todays sunrise? You don’t even have to walk anywhere to see the magnificent snow-capped peaks of the Annapurna Range in the morning light.
Here is everything you need to know to be prepared for Day 4 Poon Hill Trek from Tadapani to Ghandruk.
About Day 4 – Poon Hill Trek – Tadapani to Ghandruk.
- Starting point: Tadapani
- Finishing point: Ghandruk (2012m)
- Highest point: Tadapani (2630m)
- Distance: 8.6km
- Time: 4 hours
- Total descent: 618m
Waking up at sunrise – Day 4 Poon Hill Trek
The sunrise this morning didn’t require any walking. The views from the rooftop were even level with our rooms – no stairs required(!).
It must have been the promise of the shortest walking day of the trek (Poon Hill Trek DAY 4) and the chance for one last sunrise over the Annapurna Range that made it surprisingly easy to wake up with the sun again.
The small village of Tadapani was already bustling with the bells of mules jingling ready to trek to work and the lights on in the tea house kitchens where we could see flatbreads being spun and clapped and fried through the windows.
Pink hues and the cool morning air with no rush to depart today meant we all snuck back to bed for an hour before our breakfast and that first morning cup of Nepali tea.
Breakfast on Day 4 – Poon Hill Trek
We all looked forward to more Tibetan bread and honey for breakfast this morning. It just seems to hit the spot in the morning on the mountains! And it was a nice feeling not to have to rush this morning to leave Tadapani.
Rather, it was a mixture of emotions having completed such a high with sunset (AND summitting the stairs on Day 2 of the trek!) in the morning on Poon Hill yesterday. It felt a bit surreal to know we were over the hardest part of the trek and to set off for today’s downhill to Ghandruk.
A first stop for tea – Day 4 Poon Hill Trek
We didn’t walk far on Day 4 morning before our first stop. And did I mention that the best news was that the Day was ALL downhill today!
The elderly lady who owned the tea house we stopped at was preparing ferns from the forest for lunch. She showed us her cooking room – a detached building just down from the dining room where she was drying corn as well as preparing boiling water for tea. She had a great sense of humour and thought it was amusing we were so interested to see what she was up to!
Waterfalls and downhills (it’s all DOWNhill today!)
Day 4 of the Poon Hill Trek could be described with waterfalls blessed downhill trails from Tadapani to Ghandruk.
We made a stop to rest in a shady hut and stopped once more to refill our water bottles at a tea house. But the walk today was not strenuous at all and more so we walked and reflected on the incredible feeling of the last few days hiking in the mountains here.
Lots of the tea houses offer ‘Safe Drinking Water’ – sometimes it’s free of charge and sometimes there is a small charge of 70 NPR (0.50c USD) to refill water. Often the water that is charged for is filtered entirely through a UV filter. And otherwise we have got water purification tablets that only take 30 minutes for 1L of water. There’s water all around and it’s beautifully clear. We hope our footprints are respectfully minimal and make it our goal that the next time we can be even more so.
Approaching Ghandruk
Sometimes we pass mules; sometimes donkeys and sometimes buffalo. Oscar reckons it’s just part of everyday life here in the mountains!
Arriving in Ghandruk
Ghandruk is the biggest village of the Poon Hill Trek trail and is a stunning village on the hillside. It felt like even more of a highlight arriving in Ghandruk today after trekking from Tadapani to Ghandruk as it was all downhill and we even arrived at our guesthouse in Ghandruk before lunchtime!
The views from our room were seriously spectacular.
Gurung Museum in Ghandruk
Because we had arrived so early in Ghandruk on Day 4 we had time after lunch for a rest AND to visit the small Gurung Museum.
Gurung are an ethnic group indigenous to this region of the mountains in Nepal. And this is the style of dress in the mountains – the men had two panniers/bags over their shoulders (which we saw men wearing each day to and from work) and a thick belt and sarong (similar to a lungyi).
The women have beautiful skirts with a sash top and are adorned with huge and heavy jewellery.
The museum is a small single-room display in a traditional house showcasing artefacts with a basic description of how they are used in daily life here in the mountains. It costs less than a dollar to enter the museum and despite there being no power to the building when we visited; it still felt like a good way to support tourism in the local community – and to learn something else new about the way of life in Ghandruk.
And trying on the traditional Gurung clothing felt like an adventure of a different kind to try something else today new on the Trek!
Winding up Day 4 – Poon Hill Trek
Today felt like another great day on the trek. And a totally different style of day to the challenges of Day 2 and Day 3 before. Today was all downhill. And arriving in Ghandruk in time for (a late) lunchtime meant we had some downtime after visiting the museum and took a rest before dinner. It almost felt a bit surreal knowing that tomorrow was the last (and even shorter) day of the adventure.
But wow; Day 4 felt like a great day too!
Challenges – Day 4 Poon Hill Trek
- The odd feeling of downhill after so much UP! Some parts were slippery (but nothing really to complain about!).
Highlights – Day 4 Poon Hill Trek
- A beautiful purple sunrise in Tadapani from the rooftop.
- All of the DOWNhill of today’s trail from Tadapani to Ghandruk!
- Trying on traditional Gurung clothing in Ghandruk.
The Finer Details – Day 4 Poon Hill Trek – Tadapani to Ghandruk
The specific trekking and guide costs are the same as for Day 1, 2 and Day 3 of the Poon Hill Trek. And 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
Breakfast: Himalayan Guesthouse, Tadapan
- 2x fried eggs @200
- 2x toast @250
- 1x Tibetan bread @350
- 2x Nescafe @170
- Total: 1590 NPR
Snack: Nisha Guesthouse
- 4x snickers @250
- 2x milk tea @200
- 1x black tea @150
- Total: 1550 NPR
Snack: Hotel Lonely Planet Guesthouse
- 2x 1L water @150
- Total: 300 NPR
Lunch: Travellers Inn, Ghandruk
- 1x chicken momo @530
- 2x veg dal bhat @550
- 1x egg sandwich @400
- 2x Nescafe @150
- Total: 2380 NPR
Dinner: Travellers Inn, Ghandruk
- 2x chicken momos @530
- 1x veg momos @400
- 1x French fries @450
- 1x veg dal bhat @550
- Local wine @150
- Small pot milk tea @350
- Total: 2960 NPR
Other:
- Toilet paper @150
- 1x water refill @70
- Total: 220 NPR
Accommodation in Gandruk – Day 4 Poon Hill Trek
Accommodation: Travellers Inn Guesthouse, Ghandruk.
- 2x attached rooms @1100 NPR
- Total: 2200 NPR ($16.60 USD)
Total Costs – Day 4 Poon Hill Trek
This is the total costs for Day 4 of the Poon Hill trek for 2 adults and 2 children including the cost of a Guide and Trekking Assistant.
- Total (Food and Other) Poon Hill Trek Day 4: 9000 NPR
- Total Accommodation Day 4: 2200 NPR
Total NPR Day 4: 11200 NPR
+ $60 USD Guide and Trekking Assistant
- Day 4 Total: $144.38 USD
See you on the next day!
Read more about Poon Hill Trek
- Poon Hill Trek Day 1 – Pokhara to Nayapul – Nayapul to Hille.
- Poon Hill Trek Day 2 – Hille to Ghorepani.
- Poon Hill Trek Day 3 – Poon Hill (Sunrise) to Ghorepani to Tadapani.
- Poon Hill Trek Day 5 – Ghandruk to 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.