Poon Hill Route Map: Stages, Distances & the Ulleri Steps

The Loop in One Paragraph

From Pokhara a 1.5 to 2-hour drive west reaches the traditional trailhead at Nayapul (1,070 m), just below the ACAP checkpoint at Birethanti (1,015 m). The trail follows the Bhurungdi Khola through farmland to Tikhedhunga (1,540 m), then climbs the famous Ulleri stone staircase to Ulleri (1,960 m). From there it is a gradual, beautiful climb through rhododendron and oak forest via Banthanti and Nangethanti to the ridge-top village of Ghorepani (2,860 m). Before dawn you climb 45 minutes to an hour to the Poon Hill viewpoint (3,210 m), then return for breakfast and traverse east over Deurali pass to Tadapani (2,630 m). The final day descends through forest to the large Gurung village of Ghandruk (1,940 m) and out to the road at Kimche or Nayapul for the drive back to Pokhara.

It is a genuine loop, not an out-and-back, which is a large part of why it has been the standard first Nepal trek for forty years: three distinct landscapes — farmland, forest, high viewpoint — and two very different villages, in under a week.

Standard 4-Day Route Table

Distances are approximate and depend heavily on how far your jeep gets on each end, which now varies year to year. Walking hours assume a moderately fit trekker with a daypack.

Total walking is roughly 40 to 45 km with cumulative ascent of about 2,300 m. The distances are short; the effort is in the stone steps, of which there are a great many in both directions.

The Ulleri Staircase: The Trek's Defining Section

Between Tikhedhunga and Ulleri the trail climbs roughly 420 m in a little over a kilometre on a continuous stone staircase, commonly quoted as about 3,000 to 3,300 steps. Nobody has counted them the same way twice, and by step 800 you will not care.

It is the single hardest hour of the standard Poon Hill trek and the reason some trekkers describe an "easy" route as brutal. What actually helps:

• Go slower than feels natural. The steps are irregular in height, which breaks any rhythm you establish. A steady plod with short steps beats bursts and rests.
• Do it in the morning if you can. The staircase faces roughly east-south-east and is in full sun by late morning. Trekkers who leave Pokhara at 9 am hit it at the worst possible hour.
• Trekking poles earn their weight here, and again on the descent from Tadapani.
• Sleep at Tikhedhunga if you are unsure. Splitting the first day means you climb the staircase fresh on morning two rather than at the end of a long first day.

The reward at the top is real: Ulleri is a Magar village at 1,960 m with the first proper view of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli, and a great many lodges with a chair facing them.

The Poon Hill Sunrise Climb

The viewpoint sits 350 m above Ghorepani, reached by a broad stone path that takes 45 minutes to an hour at a comfortable pace. Practical detail, because this is the part everyone gets wrong:

• Leave between 4.30 and 5 am depending on season — later in December, earlier in May. Lodges know the right time and will wake you; ask the night before.
• Head torch required. The path is good but unlit and busy, and phone torches annoy everyone around you.
• It will be crowded. In peak October and April, several hundred people share the summit platform. This is not a wilderness experience and pretending otherwise leads to disappointment. Arrive twenty minutes early for a spot at the rail.
• Dress for standing still at 3,210 m before dawn. Down jacket, hat, gloves. You will be stationary for forty minutes in the coldest part of the day, and the walk up is warm enough to fool you.
• There is a small tower and a teahouse at the top selling hot tea and coffee, which is one of the more welcome cups of tea in Nepal.

What you see, left to right on a clear morning: Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Tukuche, Nilgiri, Annapurna I (8,091 m), Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machhapuchhre. Two eight-thousanders from a viewpoint you can reach in three days from Pokhara is the reason this trek exists.

How the Roads Changed the Classic Route

If you are reading an older guidebook, this is the section that matters. Road construction in the Annapurna foothills has steadily shortened the walking on both ends of the loop, and the practical trailhead now moves around.

• The Nayapul end. Jeeps now routinely drive past Nayapul to Hile or Tikhedhunga, cutting two to three hours of road walking from the first day. Most trekkers see this as a gain: the stretch above Birethanti is the least interesting walking on the loop.
• The Ghandruk end. A road reaches Kimche, below Ghandruk, and in some seasons vehicles get higher. This turns the final day from a long descent to the valley into a shorter walk plus a jeep.
• The Ghorepani approach. A rough road now comes within reach of the Ghorepani ridge from the Beni side, which is what makes the compressed three-day version possible — drive high, sleep at Ghorepani, climb Poon Hill at dawn, walk out via Tadapani.
• What this means for you: confirm with your agency exactly where the jeep drops you and picks you up, because a "4-day trek" can involve anywhere from 30 to 48 km of actual walking depending on those two points.

Some trekkers regret the roads. In fairness, they have also made a genuine Himalayan viewpoint reachable for people with three days, older travellers and families with children — which is not a small thing.

Variants and Extensions

5-day relaxed loop

The version we would recommend to most first-timers. Night one at Tikhedhunga or Ulleri, night two at Ghorepani, Poon Hill at dawn, night three near Tadapani, and night four in Ghandruk itself. The Ghandruk night is the single best addition to this trek — a large, handsome Gurung village with a small museum, stone houses and an Annapurna South amphitheatre view from the upper lanes.

3-day fast version

Drive high toward the Ghorepani approach, overnight at Ghorepani, climb Poon Hill at dawn, then descend via Tadapani with a jeep shortening the final stretch. Tight, with a long last day, but it captures the sunrise. Pairs well with our 3 days in Pokhara itinerary.

Onward to Annapurna Base Camp (10–12 days)

From Tadapani or Ghandruk the trail links north to Chhomrong and the Annapurna Base Camp sanctuary. This is the classic way to combine a gentle start with a major objective, and the Poon Hill section doubles as acclimatisation.

Khopra Ridge alternative

From Ghorepani, instead of turning east to Tadapani, head north to Khopra Ridge — far quieter, higher, and with a closer Dhaulagiri view than Poon Hill offers. A good choice for a second visit to the area.

Mardi Himal pairing

Poon Hill and Mardi Himal sit side by side and use the same ACAP permit. Walking both with a rest day in Pokhara between them makes a rewarding 10-day trip covering the region's gentlest and its most dramatic ridge.

Key Landmarks on the Route

• Birethanti (1,015 m): the ACAP checkpoint where permits are registered. A pleasant riverside village and the formal entry to the conservation area.
• Tikhedhunga (1,540 m): lodges at the foot of the Ulleri staircase. The sensible first night if you started late from Pokhara.
• Ulleri (1,960 m): Magar village at the top of the steps, with the trek's first big mountain view.
• Banthanti and Nangethanti (2,250 to 2,460 m): forest lodge clusters in the rhododendron belt, both good lunch stops on the climb to Ghorepani.
• Ghorepani (2,860 m): the ridge-saddle village of blue-roofed lodges where everyone sleeps before the sunrise. The upper section is called Deurali. Busy, warm, and the social heart of the trek.
• Poon Hill (3,210 m): the viewpoint, with a small tower and a tea stall. Highest point of the trek.
• Deurali pass (about 2,960 m): the forested high point between Ghorepani and Tadapani, crossed on day three.
• Tadapani (2,630 m): a forest clearing with grandstand Machhapuchhre views, and often the best sunset of the trek.
• Ghandruk (1,940 m): one of Nepal's largest and most attractive Gurung villages, with a Gurung museum, slate-roofed stone houses and a magnificent view of Annapurna South.