Last checked
How do you get to Poon Hill?
Drive from Pokhara toward Nayapul or up to Ulleri, walk to Ghorepani (about 2,874 m), sleep there, and climb to Poon Hill before dawn. From Ulleri the walk to Ghorepani is about three hours; the climb to the viewpoint takes 45 minutes to an hour.
The traditional route climbs the famous stone staircase from Tikhedhunga to Ulleri. Jeeps now reach Ulleri, which cuts most of that out.
You can also approach from the north, walking up from Tatopani through Shikha and Chitre in eight to ten hours.
Poon Hill is inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so you need the ACAP.
What can you see from Poon Hill?
Two of the world's fourteen 8,000 m peaks, Dhaulagiri at 8,167 m and Annapurna I at 8,091 m, plus Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Machapuchare and the Nilgiris. On a clear morning the whole range lights up in sequence.
The Kali Gandaki gorge between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna is one of the deepest valleys on earth, and Poon Hill is one of the easiest places to see both walls of it at once.
There is a small viewing tower and a tea stall at the top. It is busy in October and November, so the tower fills early.
When is the best time for Poon Hill?
October and November give the clearest mornings. March and April bring rhododendron forest in bloom below Ghorepani, with more chance of haze. December is clear and cold, and quieter.
During the monsoon from June to August, cloud usually hides the peaks and the trails are muddy with leeches.
Things to do in Poon Hill
- 01
Sunrise from the viewpoint
Leave Ghorepani around 4:45 to 5 am with a headtorch. Bring a warm layer: it is cold at the top until the sun reaches you.
- 02
Rhododendron forests
The forest between Ghorepani and Deurali is full of rhododendron, Nepal's national flower, which blooms red and pink in March and April.
- 03
Ghorepani village
The name means horse water, from its history as a rest stop where traders watered their horses on the old trade route.
Nearby
Frequently asked questions
Sources checked
- Poon HillWikipedia, checked 30 September 2026
- Ghorepani, altitude and routesWikipedia, checked 30 September 2026
- Annapurna Conservation Area permitsNational Trust for Nature Conservation, checked 30 September 2026
Fees and regulations in Nepal change. This page was last verified on 30 September 2026.
