Ghorepani Poon Hill Sunrise Trek — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid taxi to Thamel (roughly NPR 800–1,000 / £5–6 — ignore touts inside the terminal). Check into a Thamel hostel or guesthouse. In the afternoon sort your trekking paperwork: get your TIMS card and ACAP permit at the Nepal Tourism Board office (Bhrikutimandap) or via the TAAN office — bring passport photos and cash, budget about £25 total. Rent or buy a down jacket and sleeping bag in Thamel if you don't have them (rental ~£1–2/day). Pick up a bus ticket for tomorrow's Pokhara departure at a Thamel travel agent.

🚌Airport taxi ~£6; walkable Thamel

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Thamel, £8–12 per night

• →Thamel wander
• →TIMS card and ACAP permit registration
• →Gear rental shopping

Take a tourist AC bus from Kathmandu's Balaju or Gongabu bus park to Pokhara, departing around 7am and taking 6–7 hours (roughly NPR 1,000–1,500 / £6–9). Sit on the right for river views. Arrive Pokhara late afternoon, take a short taxi to Lakeside, and settle into a guesthouse. Stroll the lakeshore at sunset with Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) on the skyline, and optionally hire a rowboat on Phewa Tal for around £3–4. Eat dinner at a Lakeside dal bhat or momo spot.

🚌Tourist bus Kathmandu–Pokhara ~£8; local taxi ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Lakeside, Pokhara, £8–12 per night

• →Phewa Tal lakeside walk
• →Optional rowboat hire on Phewa Tal
• →Fishtail and Annapurna viewpoint at sunset

Take a local bus or shared jeep from Pokhara's Baglung bus park to Nayapul (about 1.5 hours, £2–3). From Nayapul walk via Birethanti — where you show your TIMS and ACAP permits at the checkpost — following the Modi River through bamboo and terraced fields to Tikhedhunga (approx. 3–4 hours). Teahouses here are simple but cheap; the room is usually free or near-free if you eat dinner and breakfast there. Order dal bhat in the evening and get an early night.

🚌Local bus/shared jeep Pokhara–Nayapul ~£3

🛏Teahouse in Tikhedhunga, £4–7 per night (often discounted with meals)

• →Trek Nayapul–Birethanti–Tikhedhunga (3–4 hrs)
• →TIMS/ACAP checkpost at Birethanti

A tough but rewarding day: the notorious stone staircase of roughly 3,300 steps up to Ulleri, then on through Banthanti and rhododendron forest to Ghorepani (2,874m). Around 5–6 hours of walking. The village of Ghorepani straddles the ridge with Dhaulagiri to the west and Annapurna South to the east. Arrive by mid-afternoon, claim a teahouse room, order dinner early and be asleep by 8pm — sunrise comes fast.

🚌On foot (5–6 hrs)

🛏Teahouse in Ghorepani, £5–8 per night

• →Ulleri stone staircase climb
• →Rhododendron forest walk via Banthanti
• →Annapurna South and Dhaulagiri viewpoints

Set an alarm for 4:30am and walk 45–60 minutes up stone steps to the Poon Hill viewpoint (3,210m) with a headtorch — no guide needed, just follow the other trekkers. Pay the small viewpoint fee (a few hundred rupees). Watch sunrise light up Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Nilgiri, Annapurna I–IV, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Lamjung Himal. Back down for breakfast, then trek through Deurali and forest to Tadapani (about 5–6 hours), with excellent Machhapuchhre views from the ridge.

🚌On foot (Poon Hill + 5–6 hrs to Tadapani)

🛏Teahouse in Tadapani, £5–8 per night

• →Poon Hill sunrise viewpoint (3,210m)
• →Trek Ghorepani–Deurali–Tadapani
• →Himalayan panorama: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I–IV, Nilgiri, Lamjung Himal

A shorter, mostly descending day of about 4–5 hours through mossy forest to the large Gurung village of Ghandruk. Ghandruk is the biggest settlement on the route, with proper guesthouses, bakeries and hot showers. Optional: visit the Gurung museum (£1–2) and the village Buddhist monastery, and catch Annapurna South, Gangapurna, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre glowing at sunset. Choose a guesthouse with a rooftop terrace.

🚌On foot (4–5 hrs downhill)

🛏Guesthouse in Ghandruk, £5–8 per night

• →Trek Tadapani–Ghandruk
• →Gurung museum and monastery visit
• →Annapurna South / Gangapurna sunset views

Walk down from Ghandruk to Birethanti following the Modi Khola (2–3 hours, lots of stone steps descending). From Birethanti/Nayapul catch a local bus or shared jeep back to Pokhara (£3–4). Alternatively, take a shared jeep from Ghandruk directly to Pokhara (£5–7) and save your legs. Arrive Pokhara by afternoon — hot shower, laundry, then a Lakeside dinner. Your permits are checked out at the exit point on the way through.

🚌Local bus/shared jeep Nayapul–Pokhara ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Lakeside, Pokhara, £8–12 per night

• →Trek Ghandruk–Birethanti along the Modi Khola
• →Laundry and rest in Pokhara
• →Lakeside dinner

Tourist bus back to Kathmandu (6–7 hours, £6–9), departing around 7am. Alternatively a 25-minute flight is about £60–80 if you want to save time. Arrive Kathmandu in the late afternoon, check into Thamel, and spend the evening eating momos and browsing the shops. Pick up any last souvenirs — pashminas, prayer flags, trekking gear.

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Kathmandu ~£8

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Thamel, £8–12 per night

• →Thamel evening wander
• →Souvenir shopping
• →Momo dinner

Depending on your flight time, squeeze in a sunrise visit to Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) or Boudhanath stupa (entry ~£2–3 each) before a prepaid taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport (£5–6). Allow 3 hours before departure for international check-in. Return your rented trekking gear in Thamel if you haven't already.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£6; optional walking to stupas

🛏—

• →Optional Swayambhunath or Boudhanath visit
• →Gear returns