Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid taxi to Thamel (~NPR 800–1,000 / £5–6; ignore the touts inside the terminal). Check into a budget guesthouse in Thamel or Paknajang. In the afternoon walk to the Nepal Tourism Board office (Bhrikutimandap) or a registered TIMS counter and sort your permits for the Annapurna region: ACAP entry permit (~NPR 3,000 / £18) plus TIMS card (~NPR 2,000 / £12 for independent trekkers). Buy a Nepali SIM (Ncell or NTC, ~£3–5 with data) and stock up on cash — ATMs in Thamel are reliable but there are none on the trail. Evening: momos and dal bhat in Thamel.

🚌Airport prepaid taxi ~£6; walking in Thamel

🛏Budget guesthouse in Thamel (private room, ~£12)

• →Permit office (ACAP + TIMS)
• →SIM card purchase
• →Thamel street wander
• →Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) sunset walk if time allows

Book a tourist bus the day before (any Thamel travel agency, ~NPR 1,800–2,200 / £11–13) departing Kantipath or Sorakhutte around 7am. The Prithvi Highway run takes 7–9 hours with a lunch stop — sit on the left for river views. Arrive Pokhara Lakeside late afternoon, check into a guesthouse near Phewa Lake (~£10–12), and stroll the Lakeside strip for dinner. Optional: if you'd rather save a day, fly Kathmandu–Pokhara (~£80–100 one way with Buddha Air/Yeti) and trek the same schedule.

🚌Tourist bus Kathmandu–Pokhara ~£12 (7–9 hrs)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara (private room, ~£11)

• →Prithvi Highway scenic bus ride
• →Phewa Lake evening stroll
• →Lakeside dinner

Take a local bus or shared jeep from Pokhara Baglung Bus Park to Nayapul/Birethanti (~1.5 hrs, NPR 200–300 / £1.50–2). Register your permits at the Birethanti checkpost, then walk the riverside trail through Hile and Tikhedhunga, crossing the suspension bridge before the infamous 3,000-step stone staircase up to Ulleri (1,960m). Roughly 4–5 hours of walking. Sleep at a teahouse in Ulleri — rooms are typically free or ~NPR 300 if you eat dinner and breakfast there (~£18–22 for room + all meals + hot shower). Fill water bottles at the trail taps/teahouse filters rather than buying plastic.

🚌Local bus Pokhara–Nayapul ~£2; trekking on foot

🛏Teahouse, Ulleri (~£4 room; ~£18–22 with meals & hot shower)

• →Birethanti permit checkpost
• →Suspension bridge crossing
• →Ulleri stone staircase climb
• →Rhododendron forest approach

A steady 4–5 hour climb from Ulleri (1,960m) to Ghorepani (2,860m) through dense oak and rhododendron forest, with tea stops at Banthanti and Nangethanti. In spring (March–April) the rhododendrons are in full bloom; in autumn you get clear mountain views. Ghorepani is a cluster of teahouses with a lively communal dining-hall scene — arrive by 2–3pm, claim a room, and order dal bhat. Set an alarm for an early start tomorrow.

🚌On foot (4–5 hrs, ~1,000m ascent)

🛏Teahouse, Ghorepani (~£18–22 with meals & hot shower)

• →Rhododendron forest trek
• →Banthanti and Nangethanti tea stops
• →Ghorepani teahouse evening

Leave the teahouse around 4:45am with a headtorch for the 45–60 minute climb to Poon Hill (3,210m). The sunrise over Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre and the whole Annapurna range is the highlight of the trek — Poon Hill has an entry fee of ~NPR 200 (~£1.20). Back at Ghorepani for breakfast, then trek east to Tadapani (2,630m) via Deurali and the Thapla Danda ridge, ~5–6 hours through more rhododendron and bamboo. Tadapani has a handful of basic teahouses with front-row Annapurna South views.

🚌On foot (~6–7 hrs total including Poon Hill)

🛏Teahouse, Tadapani (~£18–22 with meals & hot shower)

• →Poon Hill sunrise (3,210m)
• →Annapurna panorama viewpoint
• →Deurali ridge trail
• →Tadapani viewpoint

A short, mostly descending 3–4 hour walk through forest to Ghandruk (1,940m), the largest Gurung village in the region. Unlike the high teahouses, Ghandruk has homestays, bakeries and a proper village atmosphere. Wander the stone alleys, visit the Gurung Museum (~NPR 200), and take in the close-up view of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre from the village viewpoint. If you want a guided experience, village homestays can arrange a local cookery or culture walk — ask at your homestay.

🚌On foot (3–4 hrs, descending)

🛏Ghandruk homestay/guesthouse (~£8–10 room; ~£18–22 with meals)

• →Ghandruk village walk
• →Gurung Museum
• →Annapurna South viewpoint
• →Optional homestay cookery session

Walk down from Ghandruk to Syauli Bazaar on the Modi Khola (~2–2.5 hrs, steep stone steps), then catch a shared jeep or local bus from Syauli Bazaar/Nayapul back to Pokhara (~NPR 300–500 / £2–3, 1.5–2 hrs). Then follow the operator's own optional suggestions: walk beside Phewa Lake, rent a boat (~£3/hr), visit the World Peace Pagoda, and enjoy Lakeside bars. First hot shower in days, followed by a proper dinner.

🚌Trek 2.5 hrs; shared jeep/bus Syauli Bazaar–Pokhara ~£2.50

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara (~£11)

• →Syauli Bazaar descent
• →Phewa Lake walk and boat hire
• →World Peace Pagoda
• →Lakeside shops and bars

Tourist bus back to Kathmandu departing ~7am (~£12, 7–9 hrs) — or a morning flight (~£80–100) if you're short on time. Arrive Thamel mid-afternoon, check into a guesthouse, and finish the trip with a self-arranged farewell dinner at a Thamel or Patan restaurant (Nepali thali set ~£6–10). Optional evening: Boudhanath Stupa kora at dusk, a short taxi ride away.

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Kathmandu ~£12

🛏Budget guesthouse in Thamel (~£12)

• →Scenic return bus
• →Boudhanath Stupa evening walk
• →Thamel farewell dinner

Breakfast at the guesthouse, then take a prepaid taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport (~£6) arriving three hours before your international flight. If your flight is late, squeeze in a morning visit to Kathmandu Durbar Square or Patan Durbar Square (~£8 entry).

🚌Prepaid taxi to airport ~£6

🛏—

• →Optional Durbar Square morning visit
• →Airport transfer