Poonhill Trek from Pokhara

• Three Days from Pokhara: A complete Himalayan trek and a world-class sunrise inside a long weekend.

• Sunrise from Poon Hill (3,210 m): Watch first light cross Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, and Machhapuchhre from a single viewpoint.

• Start at Ulleri: Drive past the steepest staircase section and begin the walk on the pleasant forest trail above.

• Rhododendron Forest to Ghorepani: Walk through some of the densest rhododendron forest in Nepal, spectacular in spring.

• Finish in Ghandruk: Descend through a classic Gurung village of stone streets and slate roofs with Annapurna South overhead.

March to May and October to November are the strongest seasons. Spring is exceptional on this route because the forest between Ulleri and Ghorepani is dense rhododendron, in full flower through late March and April. Autumn gives the clearest air of the year and the highest chance of a cloudless Poon Hill sunrise.

Since the trek stays below 3,210 m it also works well from December to February, when views are outstandingly clear, the viewpoint is far quieter, and only the mornings are genuinely cold. Avoid the monsoon between June and August, when cloud obscures the range, the forest is full of leeches, and the stone steps become slippery.

For a month-by-month look at weather and trail conditions, see our guide to the best time to trek in Nepal.

This is an easy to moderate trek and probably the most accessible multi-day route in Nepal. Three walking days, a maximum sleeping altitude of 2,885 m, and frequent lodges make it well suited to first-time trekkers, active families, and older travellers in reasonable health. Driving to Ulleri removes the notorious 3,300-step climb from Birethanti, which is the section most people find hardest.

What remains is still stone-step walking, particularly on the descent from Tadapani to Ghandruk. A few weeks of regular walking with some hill work is enough preparation, and trekking poles noticeably reduce the strain on knees during the descents.

To build that fitness step by step, follow our 12-week training plan for a Nepal trek.

Travel insurance is required for this trek and your policy should cover trekking to at least 4,000 m, which brackets the Poon Hill viewpoint at 3,210 m with room to spare. Most standard travel policies cover this range, but check the altitude clause specifically rather than assuming, as some cap at 2,500 m.

Make sure emergency helicopter evacuation and medical treatment are included. Altitude illness is uncommon at these elevations, but slips on wet stone steps causing ankle and knee injuries are the usual reason trekkers need help, and there is no road access above Ulleri. Send us your policy number and the insurer's emergency contact before you set off.

Our guide to travel insurance for trekking in Nepal explains the altitude limits, evacuation terms and common exclusions to check before you buy.

You need surprisingly little for this trek. Bring comfortable waterproof trekking boots, two base layers, a fleece, a light down jacket for the cold Poon Hill morning, a waterproof shell, trekking trousers, a warm hat, sun hat, gloves, and wool socks. A sleeping bag rated to -5°C is plenty for Ghorepani, and lodges also supply blankets.

Also pack a 25-litre daypack, trekking poles for the descent to Ghandruk, a headlamp with spare batteries for the pre-dawn climb, high-SPF sunscreen and lip balm, sunglasses, a reusable bottle with purification tablets or a filter, a small first aid kit with blister care, insect repellent, a quick-dry towel, toiletries, and a power bank. Almost everyone manages this trek without a porter.

For the complete kit list, organised by the altitude you will reach, see our Nepal trekking packing list.

Both nights are spent in teahouses, at Ghorepani and Tadapani. Lodges on this route are among the most comfortable anywhere in Nepal's trekking regions — twin rooms with real beds, many with attached bathrooms, hot showers, and heated dining rooms. Ghorepani has a dozen or more lodges and gets genuinely busy in October, so we book ahead and arrive in good time.

Three meals a day are included on the trek. The menus are wide by trekking standards, with dal bhat and free refills, noodles, fried rice, momos, soups, pasta, pizza, and a good breakfast range of porridge, eggs, Tibetan bread, and pancakes. Kitchens here are experienced with international diets, so let us know about vegetarian, vegan, or allergy requirements in advance. Refill your bottle at the lodges and treat it with tablets, a filter, or a UV pen instead of buying plastic bottles, which the conservation area discourages.

What the lodges are really like, from rooms and meals to showers and charging, is covered in our guide to teahouse trekking in Nepal.

• Meditation for Trek Anxiety: Altitude, Flights and Exposure — Fear of altitude, the Lukla flight, suspension bridges, being far from help — trek anxiety is common and manageable.

• Mardi Himal vs Poon Hill vs Annapurna Base Camp: Which to Choose — The three treks most visitors to Pokhara choose between, compared on days, altitude, difficulty, crowds, cost and what you actually see.

• Annapurna Treks During Dashain: ABC, Poon Hill and Mardi Himal — The Annapurna foothills are where a trekker meets Dashain head-on: Gurung villages with swings at every corner, lodge owners handing out tika.

• Short Treks from Pokhara: Himalayan Walks in 3 to 10 Days — Pokhara is the best trekking base in Nepal: the Annapurna trailheads are under two hours away, and there is no mountain flight to catch.

• Trekking in Nepal with Asthma, Diabetes or High Blood Pressure — A long-term condition rarely rules out a Nepal trek, but it changes the planning.

• Poon Hill Trek: Nepal's Best Short Sunrise Trek — Three to seven days, a maximum of 2,885 m, and a dawn panorama over Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre.