Ghorepani Poonhill Trek with Chitwan - 12 Days

Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, you will be greeted by our correspondent who will assist with your transfer to the hotel. Once checked in, we will arrange a pre-trip meeting where we will brief in short about the trek, answer any queries you have and meet your trekking guide as well. After the short brief, you can relax and spend rest of the day at your leisure. Stay overnight at the Hotel / Resort in Kathmandu

Today you will prepare to begin your journey to Pokhara, beautiful city of lakes. In the morning, you will have breakfast at the hotel and then get ready to depart from Kathmandu. You will travel to Pokhara via tourist vehicle which takes about 8-9 hours (200 km). You can explore around lakeside of Pokhara city in the evening. Stay overnight at the hotel.

Note:
You have 3 options (flight / private vehicle / tourist bus) to travel from Kathmandu to Pokhara (200 km). It takes 25 minutes by flight, 7-8 hours by private vehicle and 8-9 hours by tourist bus to reach Pokhara.
If you take flight to Pokhara (extra cost) then you will have time to explore around Pokhara city and visit the important and must visit monuments.

This day you will prepare to begin your journey towards the first day of the trek. In the morning, you will have breakfast at the hotel and then prepare to reach Ulleri via Birethanti. At beginning, you will drive to Birethanti which takes about 2 hours and from there you will hike to Ulleri which takes about 5 hours.

Birethanti is the gateway to Annapurna Ghorepani Poonhill trek. Your guide will make an entry of your permits here in Birethanti and then get ready to begin the first day of your trek. You will have to walk straight climb (mostly stone steps trial) for about 900m till you reach Ulleri. On the way you will pass through the beautiful villages, terraced farming enjoying the rivers and amazing landscapes. Before you reach Ulleri, you will pass via Lamdawali, Hille, Sudame and Tikhedhunga.

Ulleri is one of the beautiful villages with the major settlement of Magar people (one of the ethnic groups of Nepa). If weather permits, uou can see beautiful views of Annapurna South and Himchuli. Stay overnight at lodge in Ulleri.

Note:
You can also drive from Pokhara – Tikhedhunga (1540 m) and trek to Ghorepani (2750 m). This will reduce the trek by 1 day. For the purpose of acclimatization we recommend the classic route, i.e. trek to Ulleri.

This day after having breakfast you prepare to begin your trek to your ultimate destination, Ghorepani which takes about 5 hours.

Today also, you will have to walk mostly uphill trial to reach Ghorepani.You will walk through the Rhododendron and Pine Forest till you reach Banthati. From Banthati following Bhurungdi Khola (River) you will reach Nangge Thanti. From here, again walking ascending trial you will reach Ghorepani. The route from Ulleri to Ghorepani is very beautiful as you get to see beautiful forest as well as views of mountain in between the trail.

Ghorepani is a beautiful settlement of Magar people surrounded by the hills and amazing forests. As you enter Ghorepani you start to see local house, horses, mules, and so on. Also, from Ghorepani you can see amazing views of Annapurna South, Dhaulagiri, Himchuli, Mount Nilgiri and other Annapurna Range. Stay overnight at lodge in Ghorepani.

This day you will wake up early in the morning and then hike to Poonhill which takes about 2 hours. Poon hill is a hill station from where you can see 360-degree views of Himalayas and catch the amazing sunrise in the early morning. From the top, you can see amazing views of Mount Annapurna, Mount Dhaulagiri, Mount Machhapuchre, Mount Manaslu, Himchuli, Nilgiri, Lamjung Himal, Tukuche, and many more. After enjoying the scenic view, taking pictures from Poonhill you descend back to Ghorepani.

You will have breakfast after arrival from Poonhill and then get ready to reach next destination, Tadapani which takes about 5 hours. Today you will be walking straight as well as some ascending trial through the Rhododendron and oak forest till you reach Deurali. From Deurali you start to descend along the rhododendron forest till you reach Ban Thanti. From Ban thanti, you will have to walk uphill trial and some steep trial to reach Tadapani.

Tadapani is a beautiful village surrounded by green forests of rhododendron and oak trees. It is mainly home to the Gurung community, where you can see their unique culture and traditions. The village also offers stunning close-up views of Annapurna South, Himchuli, Gangapurna, and other mountains. You’ll stay overnight at a lodge in Tadapani.

Today will be the last day of Annapurna Ghorepani Poonhill trek. You will have breakfast at the lodge and then prepare to descend towards Ghandruk which takes about 4/5 hours. You will walk through the Rhododendron and oak forest, some descending and straight trials to reach Ghandruk.

Ghandruk is immensely popular amongst international as well as domestic tourist from where you can enjoy beautiful views of Himalayas and Gurung community. You can see beautiful views of Annapurna South, Machhapuchre, Gangapurna, Annapurna III, Himchuli and so on. Also, you can visit the famous Gurung museum and if interested you can wear ethnic Gurung dress and take pictures and enjoy the scenery. Stay overnight at lodge in Ghandruk.

This day you will have breakfast at the lodge and then prepare to drive back to Pokhara which takes about 3 hours. You can drive back either in private or local public sharing vehicle to reach Pokhara.

After arrival in Pokhara, you can explore around the lakeside and visit the beautiful Fewa Lake, Tal Barahi temple, Gupteshore Cave, David Fall, Seti Gorge, Pokhara International Mountaineering Museum, Bindabasini Temple and Tibetan Refugee Camp. Stay overnight at the Hotel / Resort in Pokhara.

Today, you'll head to one of Nepal's most popular tour destinations, where you'll experience rich wildlife and a culture completely different from that of the Annapurna region.

You have three options to travel Chitwan from Pokhara, i.e. flight / private vehicle and tourist bus. It takes 20 minutes by flight, about 5 hours by private vehicle and 6-7 hours by tourist bus to reach Chitwan (Bharatpur).

As you reach hotel in Chitwan, you will be provided with briefing about the program / activities in Chitwan and then you will rest in hotel for a while. In afternoon, you will have lunch and then head to Tharu village walk (Tharu: one of the ethnic groups of Nepal) and visit Tharu Cultural Museum. Tharu people are indigenous to the area, and their culture is very unique, different from what can be found in Nepal or even India. Or those who prefer to explore jungle can opt to go for Jungle Walk where you can watch birds, flora, fauna and get the whole nature experience. At the evening you will have presentation from the experts about Chitwan National Park, animals and so on. Stay overnight at 5 star hotel in Chitwan.

This day you will have breakfast in the morning and then prepare of the most adventurous and exciting Jeep Safari. The safari will be of 3-4 hours. During the safari, you can see floras, faunas, and different animals like one-horned rhino, countless species of deer, Bisons, and if you are lucky you will have encounter with Royal Bengal Tiger.

After safari you will have lunch and then you will go to visit Crocodile Conservation Project. Established in 1971, the Gharial (distinguished from other crocodiles by its narrow snout) conservation center has been breeding this endangered species and releasing them to the wild every year. At the evening, you will go for canoeing and end your safari for the day. Then at late evening, you will enjoy Tharu Cultural Dance. The dance is an age-old tradition of the Tharus and is usually performed to appease the gods during religious festivals. Stay overnight at 5 star hotel in Chitwan.

In the morning, you will have breakfast and after that you will depart from Chitwan and return back to Kathmandu either by flight / private vehicle / tourist bus. It takes 25 minutes by flight, 4-5 hours by private vehicle and 5-6 hours in tourist bus. Stay overnight at the Hotel / Resort in Kathmandu.

Today after having breakfast prepare to explore the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE sightseeing as below with English speaking tour guide: 

1. Patan Durbar Square: Home of several ancient places, temples, statues, religious objects, former royal palace (museum).
2. Golden Temple in Patan: This place is also known as Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, is a 12th-century Buddhist monastery renowned for its gilded façade and intricate Newari artwork.
3. Boudhanath: One of the largest stupas in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4. Pashupatinath: A sacred Hindu temple complex on the banks of the Bagmati River.

Enjoy your last day in Kathmandu before departure. At your scheduled departure time, our correspondent will pick you up from the hotel, transfer you to the airport, and bid you farewell with warm hearts.