Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). Grab a prepaid taxi from the official counter outside arrivals (roughly NPR 700–1,000 / £4–6) into Thamel. Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel in Thamel or Paknajab. Spend the afternoon sorting logistics: pick up your ACAP entry permit and TIMS card at the Nepal Tourism Board office on Bhrikutimandap Marg (bring passport photos and passport; combined cost around £25–28), buy a Nepali SIM/data pack (Ncell or NTC, ~£5 for a tourist SIM with data), and get cash from an ATM — you'll need rupees for the trail. Evening: dal bhat and a wander through Thamel's gear shops if you need to rent a down jacket or sleeping bag (rentals ~£1–2/day).

🚌Prepaid airport taxi ~£4–6

🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Thamel, private room ~£10–14

• →Prepaid airport taxi to Thamel
• →ACAP permit + TIMS card at Nepal Tourism Board
• →Buy local SIM and withdraw cash
• →Thamel gear rental/evening explore

Take a tourist bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara — book through your guesthouse or any Thamel agency the night before (~£8–11, departing around 7am, 7–8 hours with a lunch stop). Alternatively, a 25-minute flight is ~£70–90 if you want to save time. Arrive Pokhara, settle into a lakeside guesthouse in Lakeside. In the late afternoon, walk the shore of Phewa Lake with views of Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna range, or hire a paddle boat (~£2–3). Last chance for a big shop: trail snacks, water purification tablets, and cash — there are ATMs in Pokhara but none on the trek.

🚌Tourist bus ~£8–11

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara, private room ~£10–14

• →Scenic tourist bus Kathmandu–Pokhara
• →Phewa Lake shoreline walk or paddle boat
• →Buy trail snacks and purification tablets

Shared jeep or local bus from Pokhara's Baglung bus park to Nayapul/Birethanti (~1–1.5 hours, £2–4 shared jeep; local bus is cheaper still). Show your ACAP and TIMS at the Birethanti checkpoint, then walk: Birethanti → Hille → Tikhedhunga, roughly 4–5 hours of gentle valley walking past waterfalls and suspension bridges. Stay in a teahouse in Tikhedhunga — simple twin rooms, dal bhat dinner, hot shower for a small extra charge. Note: teahouse prices are subsidised if you eat dinner and breakfast there.

🚌Shared jeep ~£2–4

🛏Teahouse, Tikhedhunga, ~£4–6 per room (shared twin) incl. simple dinner/breakfast

• →Shared jeep Pokhara–Nayapul
• →ACAP/TIMS checkpoint at Birethanti
• →Trek Birethanti–Hille–Tikhedhunga (~4–5 hrs)

The hard day: the notorious Ulleri stone staircase, roughly 3,300 steps up through rhododendron and oak forest. Start early. Route: Tikhedhunga → Ulleri → Banthanti → Nangethanti → Ghorepani, around 5–6 hours of steady climbing. On clear days Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Annapurna I and Hiunchuli come into view as you gain height. Ghorepani sits at ~2,870m — it will be cold at night, so layer up. Book a room on arrival (first-come, first-served in peak season, so aim to arrive by mid-afternoon), order dinner, and set an alarm for a very early start tomorrow.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse, Ghorepani, ~£4–7 per room (shared twin)

• →Ulleri stone staircase climb
• →Trek Tikhedhunga–Ghorepani (~5–6 hrs)
• →Mountain viewpoints: Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Annapurna I

Wake around 4:30am and hike 45–60 minutes up stone steps to Poon Hill (3,210m) with a headtorch — you'll join a line of lights climbing in the dark. The sunrise over Annapurna South, Fishtail and Dhaulagiri is the highlight of the whole trek; there's a small entry fee at the top (~NPR 100–200). Descend back to Ghorepani for breakfast, then trek on through rhododendron forest via Deurali to Tadapani (~5–6 hours, rolling ups and downs with big mountain views). Teahouse in Tadapani for the night.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse, Tadapani, ~£4–6 per room

• →Pre-dawn hike to Poon Hill for sunrise (3,210m)
• →Trek Ghorepani–Deurali–Tadapani (~5–6 hrs)

A mostly descending day: Tadapani → Ghandruk (~3–4 hours) through forest with Annapurna South looming ahead. Ghandruk is a large Gurung village with a worthwhile Gurung museum and beautifully terraced hillsides — worth an hour of wandering and a momo lunch. From Ghandruk, walk down or take a shared jeep to Nayapul (~2–3 hours walking, or ~£2–4 for the jeep), then a local bus or shared jeep on to Pokhara (~£2–3). Back in Lakeside for a hot shower and a proper meal.

🚌Shared jeep and local bus ~£4–7

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara, private room ~£10–14

• →Trek Tadapani–Ghandruk
• →Explore Ghandruk Gurung village and museum
• →Shared jeep/bus Ghandruk–Nayapul–Pokhara

Morning tourist bus back to Kathmandu (~£8–11, 7–8 hours). If you have time before departure, an early lakeside breakfast or a quick hike to the World Peace Pagoda is a nice send-off. Arrive Kathmandu in the late afternoon and check into a Thamel guesthouse. Evening: farewell dinner — momos and a Thakali set, or a rooftop restaurant overlooking the stupa at Boudhanath if you fancy a splurge.

🚌Tourist bus ~£8–11

🛏Budget guesthouse in Thamel, private room ~£10–14

• →Tourist bus Pokhara–Kathmandu
• →Optional World Peace Pagoda walk
• →Farewell dinner in Thamel

Prepaid taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport according to your flight time (~£4–6). If you have a late flight, drop your bag at the guesthouse and spend the morning at Boudhanath Stupa or Swayambhunath — both easy taxi rides (~£2–3) from Thamel.

🚌Prepaid taxi ~£4–6

🛏—

• →Optional Boudhanath or Swayambhunath visit
• →Prepaid taxi to airport