Self-Launched Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek & Kathmandu–Pokhara
10 days · Nepal
Adventure Himalayan Travels charges £610
No-markup version: ~£385 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Adventure Himalayan Travels' 10-day Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek — Kathmandu sightseeing, a scenic ride to Pokhara, four days of teahouse trekking in the Annapurna Conservation Area, sunrise over Dhaulagiri and Annapurna from Poon Hill, then back to the city. You book your own permits (ACAP + TIMS), use tourist buses instead of a private vehicle, walk independently on Nepal's best-waymarked teahouse trail, and stay in the same standard 3-star city hotels plus basic teahouses on the trail. No guide required for this route — it's one of the most straightforward treks in Nepal — though you can hire a local porter-guide in Pokhara for around £20-25/day if you'd rather have company and a bag carrier. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Kathmandu — Thamel base camp
Kathmandu
Land at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). Grab a prepaid taxi from the airport desk to Thamel (roughly NPR 700-1,000 / £4-6) — ignore the touts outside arrivals. Check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in Thamel; places like Hotel Samsara Boutique or any of the quiet side-street guesthouses run £12-18/night for a double. Spend the afternoon sorting practicalities: buy a Nepali SIM/eSIM (Ncell or NTC, ~£3-5 for data), change money at a Thamel exchange (better rates than the airport), and pick up a map. If you're trekking independently, get your ACAP permit (NPR 3,000) and TIMS card at the Nepal Tourism Board office on Bhrikutimandu Marg, or arrange them through a Pokhara agency later. Early dinner and early night to adjust to altitude and jet lag.
🚌Airport taxi ~£5
🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget 3-star hotel, £14/night
- →Thamel orientation walk
- →Buy SIM card and trekking permits
- →Money exchange
Kathmandu Valley sightseeing under your own steam
Kathmandu
Skip the group sightseeing tour and DIY the valley's big four. Start at Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) in the morning — a 20-minute walk or cheap taxi from Thamel, entrance NPR 200. Then take a local bus or taxi to Patan Durbar Square (NPR 1,000 entry), have lunch in Patan's backstreets, and finish the day at Boudhanath (NPR 400) for sunset kora (clockwise walk) around the stupa, followed by momos and a rooftop lassi. Pashupatinath (NPR 1,000) works best at dawn the following day if you have energy, or fold it in now. Budget roughly £12 for entries plus £5 in transport.
🚌Local bus/taxis around the valley ~£5
🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget 3-star hotel, £14/night
- →Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple)
- →Patan Durbar Square
- →Boudhanath stupa at sunset
- →Optional: Pashupatinath ghats
Scenic tourist bus Kathmandu to Pokhara
Pokhara
Book a tourist coach from Kathmandu's Kantipath/Sorhakhutte bus counters the day before (NPR 1,200-1,800 / £8-11 one way). Buses leave around 7:00-7:30am and take 7-9 hours along the Prithivi Highway, with views of terraced hills, river gorges and rural villages — the same scenery as the tour, just on a public bus with a lunch stop at a roadside dal bhat place. Arrive Pokhara Lakeside in late afternoon, settle into a guesthouse in Lakeside North (£10-15/night), stroll the lakefront and watch the Annapurnas go pink at sunset. Arrange your ACAP/TIMS permits here if you haven't already, and buy any last trekking snacks.
🚌Tourist bus Kathmandu–Pokhara ~£10
🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara, £12/night
- →Scenic highway drive
- →Lakeside sunset walk
- →Buy permits if not yet done
Pokhara to Nayapul and trek to Tikhedhunga
Tikhedhunga
Take a local bus or shared jeep from Pokhara's Baglung Bus Park to Nayapul (about 1.5 hours, NPR 150-300 / £1-2) — no need for a private transfer. From Nayapul the trail is easy to follow: cross the bridge, climb gently past Birethanti's checkpost (show your ACAP/TIMS here) and follow the Modi Khola up through terraced hillsides and bamboo to Tikhedhunga in about 3 hours. Book a teahouse on arrival (NPR 300-500 for a twin room, or free if you eat dinner there). Expect dal bhat, garlic soup and a hot shower billed separately (~£1.50).
🚌Local bus Pokhara–Nayapul ~£2
🛏Teahouse, Tikhedhunga, £4/night
- →Trek Nayapul to Tikhedhunga (~3 hrs)
- →Annapurna Conservation Area checkpost
Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani via Ulleri
Ghorepani
The big climb day. From Tikhedhunga it's 5-6 hours up to Ghorepani (2,860m), starting with the infamous 3,300 stone steps to Ulleri — take it slow, it's the hardest section of the whole trek. Then it's a steady, beautiful walk through rhododendron and oak forest past Banthanti and Nangethanti for lunch (dal bhat or noodle soup, £3-4). Arrive Ghorepani mid-afternoon, claim a room in a teahouse with a view (many have dining rooms facing Dhaulagiri), and layer up — it gets cold up here. An early night; sunrise is the point of tomorrow.
🚌On foot
🛏Teahouse, Ghorepani, £4/night
- →Trek Tikhedhunga–Ulleri–Ghorepani (~5-6 hrs)
- →Rhododendron forest walking
Poon Hill sunrise, then trek to Tadapani
Tadapani
Set an alarm for 4:30am and walk 45 minutes up to Poon Hill (3,210m) with a headtorch — pay the small NPR 100-200 viewpoint fee at the gate. Watched from the platform: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) and Manaslu lighting up orange at dawn. Bring gloves and a down layer; the wind is brutal before sunrise. Back at the teahouse for breakfast, then trek about 6 hours to Tadapani via Deurali and Banthanti through more rhododendron forest and ridge-top clearings. Tadapani teahouses are basic but the sunset views of Annapurna South are excellent.
🚌On foot
🛏Teahouse, Tadapani, £4/night
- →Poon Hill sunrise viewpoint (3,210m)
- →Trek Ghorepani–Tadapani via Deurali (~6 hrs)
Tadapani to Ghandruk
Ghandruk
A shorter, gentler day — 3 to 4 hours descending through mossy forest and open hillsides into Ghandruk (1,940m), a lovely traditional Gurung village of stone houses and slate roofs with front-row views of Machhapuchhre and Annapurna South. Drop your bag and explore the village on foot; the small Annapurna Conservation Area Museum and the Gurung cultural museum are both worth an hour (a few hundred rupees each). Eat well tonight — Ghandruk's kitchens are among the best on the route.
🚌On foot
🛏Teahouse, Ghandruk, £4/night
- →Trek Tadapani–Ghandruk (~3-4 hrs)
- →Ghandruk village walk
- →Annapurna Conservation Area Museum
Ghandruk to Nayapul, fish lunch at Birethanti, back to Pokhara
Pokhara
Descend from Ghandruk via Seuli Bazar along the Modi Khola to Birethanti and Nayapul — about 4-5 hours of mostly easy downhill. Treat yourself to the fresh river fish lunch at Birethanti (around £5-6), the exact stop the tour makes, and then take a local bus or shared jeep back to Pokhara (£2-3, ~1.5 hrs). Check into a Lakeside guesthouse, shower properly, and head for a rooftop bar or a lakeside restaurant for a celebratory dinner and momos.
🚌Local bus/shared jeep Nayapul–Pokhara ~£3
🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara, £12/night
- →Trek Ghandruk–Birethanti–Nayapul (~4-5 hrs)
- →Fresh fish lunch at Birethanti
Bus to Kathmandu and a Nepali dinner-and-dance night
Kathmandu
Take the morning tourist bus back to Kathmandu (£8-11, 7-9 hrs) or, if you've got spare budget, a 25-minute flight (around £65-80) for the mountain views. Arrive Kathmandu late afternoon and check back into a Thamel hotel. For your farewell evening, book a Nepali cultural dinner show — restaurants like Nepali Chulo, Thamel House or Bhojan Griha all put on traditional dance and music with a set thali dinner for roughly £12-18; book directly online rather than through an operator. Alternatively, a cheaper night is Newari food and local raksi in Thamel's side streets.
🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Kathmandu ~£10
🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget 3-star hotel, £14/night
- →Scenic return bus
- →Nepali cultural dinner and dance show
Last chai and departure
Kathmandu
Depending on your flight time, do a final Thamel morning: souvenir shopping for pashmina and singing bowls, a proper breakfast, a last masala chai, and maybe a walk to the Garden of Dreams. Prepaid airport taxi back to KTM (roughly £4-6, allow 45-60 minutes in traffic). If your flight is late, the Pashupatinath ghats at dawn are a memorable final stop.
🚌Airport taxi ~£5
🛏None (departure day)
- →Thamel shopping
- →Garden of Dreams
- →Optional dawn visit to Pashupatinath
Self-launched vs. Adventure Himalayan Travels
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Adventure Himalayan Travels | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£385 | £610 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £225 per person (37%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Adventure Himalayan Travels-style trips? Check them out here.~£385
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek & Kathmandu–Pokhara cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £385 per person for 10 days in Nepal. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Adventure Himalayan Travels?+
Yes — Adventure Himalayan Travels charges around £610 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £385 — a saving of roughly £225 (37%) per person.
How long is the Nepal trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Nepal.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a hiking, adventure, culture trip through Nepal, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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