Sunday, November 1, 2009

Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

Tour Duration: 7 days or 12 days
Ghorepani Trek days : 4 days or 5 days
Trek grade: Easy
Max altitude : 3210 m
Trekking style :Lodge to lodge
Best Seasons: All through Oct - June
Minimum group size: One pax

The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek has over the years been the bestseller among all our trekking tours.The breathtaking mountain scenery and the beautiful ethnic villages justify the popularity of Ghorepani trekking. The trek is easy, it has enough walking along streams and forests for those who are looking for a few days close to nature, yet it is not far away and involves no high climbing .You absolutely have no risk of altitude sickness on this trek. Ghorepani trekking can be done all through the year except during the monsoon.

The Ghorepani Poon hill trek is an immensely popular short trek to the Annapurnas. The trek starts from the beautiful Modi Khola river, after an hour of drive from Pokhara.Crossing the suspension bridge over Modhi Khola river, we ascend through ethnic villages and farm terraces enjoying the views of Machhapuchare peeking between the hills . On the second day we walk mostly through woods before we reach Ghorepani hill .Next morning we make an early climb of one hour to the nearby Poon hill for the spectacular view of the Dhaulagiri, Annapurna , Nilgiri and other famous mountains of the region.
The whole of Ghorepani is densely forested with rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal. Every spring it is tremendous scenery to watch these forests in bloom with the panorama of the high mountains on the skyline.

From Ghorepani we descend for the beautiful Gurung (name of a community) village of Ghandruk on the lap of the Annapurnas. The village is known for its traditional houses, rich culture and the great landscape. Walking down through the innumerable steps we make a loop at Birethanti and catch our vehicle for Pokhara at Nayapul .We trace back no part of the trail on this itinerary. On our whole trek, we use the mountain lodges called the tea houses for our food and accommodation.

The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek combined with a two days of elephant back safari in the tropical Chitwan national park (5 hr of drive from Pokhara) makes an ideal Nepal holiday. You see a great number of wild animals and birds including rhinos, crocodiles, deers, peacocks, leopards and if lucky even a tiger. You will enjoy a canoe ride in Rapti river, visit baby elephants in elephant breeding centre and the safari trip will conclude with a bird watching tour – Chitwan national park alone has 450 species of birds! Back at Kathamndu we celebrate our Ghorepani hiking with a traditional Nepali dinner followed by ethnic cultural show.
Ghorepani Trek Itinerary - 7 days

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu , transfer to hotel

Day 02: Early mornig flight to Pokhara and trek to Tikhedhunga
Day 03: Trek to Ghorepani 2885 m
Day 04: Early morning climb to Poon Hill ( 3200m ) for grand Himalayan panorama and trek to Ghandruk
Day 05: Trek to Nayapul and drive back to Pokhara .Rest in beautiful Pokhara.
Walk around the town , boating on the Phewa lake.
Day 06: Fly back to Kathmandu early morning. Short guided tour of Kathmandu including Kathmandu Durbar square and Swoyambhunath stupa. Evening farewell Nepali dinner with traditional cultural show.
Day 07: Fly back home.

Note: The above itinerary is for those having short holiday and for people having good fitness. For those who want a more leisurely tour, 8 days would be bettter for this trek.

Ghorepani Trek Itinerary - 12 days (with jungle safari)

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu, transfer to hotel
Day 02: Guided sightseeing tour of Kathmandu including Swoyambhunath, Bouddhanath and Kathmandu Durbar square.
Day 03: Fly to Pokhara , short sightseeing tour and boating in the lake ,
Day 04: Drive to Nayapul( one hr) and trek to Tikhedhunga
Day 05: Trek to Ghorepani (2855 m )
Day 06: Climb to Poon Hill (3200m) for great views of the Himalayas and trek to Tadapani (2595 m). Poon hill is the highest point on the Ghorepani trek.
Day 07: Trek to Ghandruk (short trek of 3 hours), explore the ethnic village, visit the ethnic museum, enjoy the scenery
Day 08: Trek to Nayapul and drive to Pokhara , relax in the beautiful lake city.
Day 09: Drive to Chitwan, overnight on the lodge by the side of the national park
Day 10: Diferent jungle activities in Chitwan including canoeing, elephant back safari, visiting elephant breeding centre, birdwatching etc
Day 11: Fly to Kathmandu, free time . Evening , enjoy the farewell Nepali dinner with traditional cultural show.
Day 12: Fly back home

Price: 985 Euro per person.
Flight cost extra.

Included in the price
All surface transfers as per itinerary in private vehicle
Hotel in Kathmandu and Pokhara in twin sharing , BB basis
Fooding, lodging, insurance and other expenses of the trekking staff
Fooding (3 meals a day ) and lodging for the clients in trek days
Necessary permit and national park fees
Guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu and Pokhara
(Incase of 2nd itinerary) all safari activities, three meals and lodging in excellent safari resort in Chitwan.

Not included in the price
Nepal visa
Nepal internal airport tax of USD 3
Personal equipments and clothing
Your insurances
Cold drinks and beverages
Personal expenses and tips
Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara

Trekking