Poon Hill: The Best Viewpoint inside Annapurna Region

Regarded as the best place to view the grand Annapurna mountain range and other several Himalayan mountains, Poon hill is one of the most sought after trekking destinations for foreign tourists specially for those who want to take their entire families for a trekking vacation in Nepal. If you are someone who really loves the snowcapped mountains of Nepal but can’t afford the time or money to go on a trekking journey that can last up to 10 to 15 days then visiting the Poon hill can be your best option out of any other option available to you. And I’ll showcase the reasons for why I am saying that down below. So, continue reading!

First and foremost, the geographic location of Poon hill is perfectly suited for capturing the iconic sunrise views over the Himalayan massifs as it stands tall at a high altitude of 3,210 meters above sea level. Poon hill is Nepal’s classic view point that is situated inside the world wide famous Annapurna region. In itself, the Annapurna region is one of the most diverse and popular trekking region in the world. However, without Poon hill, even Annapurna region might not be so glamorous like it is currently. Therefore, many consider Poon hill the center of it’s overall popularity amongst trekkers from all over the globe.

Secondly, Poon hill can be reached within 3 days from the touristic lake city of Pokhara. Yes, you heard me, I undoubtedly said Pokhara city. Meaning that, you can visit this awe-inspiring destination, enjoy the scenic views of the mountains and then return back to Pokhara for some rest and celebration. After all, many regard Pokhara as the paradise for tourists specially if you are planning to go on a trek inside Annapurna region. And that’s because, trekkers must travel to Pokhara at first, before heading inside the Annapurna region trek tails which includes the stunning Annapurna Base Camp.

Usually, the journey to visit Poon hill begins after your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) which is in Kathmandu city. From there, you will need to take a long 7 hour drive west to Pokhara which can let you experience some unseen sights of Nepalese people and society as you need to drive through several small village settlements and towns en-route to Pokhara from Kathmandu. However, you can just take faster route by taking a flight to Pokhara instead. It’s way faster as it only takes about 25 minutes to complete the entire flight.

Once, you reach Pokhara, you can just take local bus or a cab to Naya Pul. It is a small urban town close to Pokhara city and from there you will start your trek as you will need to walk from there onwards to Tikhedhunga village. Continuing on, you will witness change in the vegetation and terrains around you. You will soon walk amongst the lush green rhododendron jungles of Nepal while having the accompany of the lovely snowy peaks on the horizon. Next, you will reach Ghorepani village and stay their overnight or if you make it early, you can just go and hike up to Poon hill the same day.

But that’s not advised as the iconic sunrise views are more thought provoking. Hence, we suggest you to stroll and explore the charming Ghorepani village and then hike up to Poon hill early in the morning before dawn. The hike in general is not taxing at all, even old people and children can hike up without much physical tension. Upon reaching the top, trekkers will get a full 360-degree panoramic view of the Himalayas and see several mountains like Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Dhaulagiri and Mt. Machapuchare (Fishtail).