Poon Hill Trek

Itinerary

1. 1
   Day 1

   Arrival in Kathmandu

   Arrival at Kathmandu airport and transfer to hotel.

2. 2
   Day 2

   Fly to Pokhara

   After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Pokhara and check in at hotel.

   Afternoon visit to the Peace Pagoda and Pundikot Shiva temple. Overnight at hotel.

3. 3
   Day 3

   Drive to Nayapul, trek to Tikhedhunga

   Early breakfast and drive to Nayapul, then trek to Tikhedhunga at 4,396 feet. Overnight at lodge.

4. 4
   Day 4

   Trek to Ghorepani

   Trek to Ghorepani village at 9,429 feet, climbing through rhododendron forest. Overnight at lodge.

5. 5
   Day 5

   Poon Hill sunrise, trek to Tadapani

   Early morning ascent to Poon Hill at 10,531 feet for sunrise over Fishtail, Annapurna 1, 2, and 3, Dhaulagiri, and the full Himalayan range to the north. Return to Ghorepani for breakfast.

   Trek on to Tadapani at 8,678 feet. Overnight at lodge.

6. 6
   Day 6

   Trek to Ghandruk, drive to Pokhara

   Trek to Nayapul via Ghandruk at 6,398 feet, five hours, then drive to Pokhara, two hours. Overnight at hotel.

7. 7
   Day 7

   Fly to Kathmandu, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath

   After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Kathmandu.

   Visit Pashupatinath, the most revered place in Nepal, often called the small Benares with its ghats and its many Hindu ascetics, the sadhus. Only Hindus may enter the inner temple dedicated to Lord Shiva; the pagoda-shaped roof is made of gold and silver. On the banks of the Bagmati, the dead are dipped three times into the river before cremation, so that the cycle of reincarnation may be brought to an end. From there, climb the hill to the temple of Gorakhnath, then descend to the Guheswari Temple.

   Drive on to Boudhanath, known as Mini Tibet. The first stupa was built after AD 600, when the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo converted to Buddhism. Back to the hotel.

8. 8
   Day 8

   Kathmandu Durbar Square and Patan

   Walking tour to Kathmandu Durbar Square, visiting the Vishnu Temple, Akash Bhairav, Kal Bhairav, Swet Bhairav, the Virgin Goddess Kumari, Ganesh Mandir, Nasal Chowk, Hanuman Dhoka, and Gaddhi Baithak.

   Half-day sightseeing to Patan, the City of Fine Arts: the Sundari Chowk galleries with the elaborately engraved Tusha Hiti water spout, and the twelfth century Golden Temple. King Bhaskar Verma had a divine dream which inspired him to found a temple at the palace where he saw a golden rat chasing a black cat. Overnight at hotel.

9. 9
   Day 9

   Bhaktapur

   After breakfast, short drive to Bhaktapur, nicknamed the city of devotees, a genuine medieval town that has kept its medieval appearance intact.

   Visit the eighteenth century Natyapola Temple dedicated to the goddess Siddhi Lakshmi, an incarnation of the goddess Parvati; the Bhairavnath Temple; the Taleju Bhawani Temple; the Dattatreya Temple; the Wakupati Narayana Temple; the Indrayani Temple; and the Siddhi Lakshmi Temple. Overnight at hotel in Bhaktapur.

10. 10
    Day 10

    Changu Narayan and Panauti

    Breakfast at 0800, then visit Changu Narayan Temple, which holds a collection of statues and sculptures famous for their craft in wood, stone, and metal. Garuda, half man and half bird, is the vehicle of Vishnu, and the temple is decorated with the ten incarnations of the Narayan. It dates back to 464 AD.

    Drive to the old town of Panauti, set at the confluence of three rivers: the Roshi, the Punyamati, and the Lilawati. A month-long festival is held once every twelve years at Triveni Ghat, where all three rivers meet. Return to Kathmandu. Free for individual activities.

11. 11
    Day 11

    Departure

    Free time until departure transfer to the airport.

Frequently Asked Questions