Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Poon Hill, 9 Days is a 9-day trek to Annapurna Base Camp by way of Poon Hill for fit walkers who want Poon Hill and Annapurna Base Camp in one walk. It reaches 4,130 m (Annapurna Base Camp) and is graded Moderate: stone-step climbs, the Chomrong staircase, two big gains in sleeping height near the top, and long descents. It costs from USD 655 per person (Budget, couple). The price per person is the same for a private trip and a group of the same size, and it falls as the group grows.
Annapurna Base Camp via Poon Hill at a glance
| Duration | 9 days, Pokhara to Pokhara (8 nights on the trek, 1 night in a Pokhara hotel) |
|---|---|
| Maximum altitude | 4,130 m / 13,550 ft (Annapurna Base Camp). Poon Hill 3,210 m for the sunrise only |
| Grade | Moderate. Nine walking days of 2 to 7 hours on stone steps and forest paths. No technical skill needed |
| Best months | Mid October to mid November, then March and April |
| Group size | 1 to 20, always private |
| Starts and ends | Pokhara. Kathmandu to Pokhara is not included (road or a 25 minute flight, we book it at cost) |
| Permits | Annapurna Conservation Area and TIMS. Included |
| Hotels | 1 night in Pokhara (day 9) is included. Kathmandu nights are not |
| Start dates | You choose. See the windows for 2027 below |
| From price | USD 655 per person, Budget, couple. Standard USD 1,165, Luxury USD 2,095 |
Why I built it this way
This is the classic way into the Annapurna Sanctuary, and the way I would walk it myself. You start at Nayapul and climb the stone steps to Ghorepani, get up in the dark for the sunrise from Poon Hill, then cross to Chomrong and walk up to Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 m. It takes nine days from Pokhara to Pokhara, and it ends with a hotel night and a hot shower.
People ask me how it differs from our 7-day trek, which goes straight up from Ghandruk. This one adds Poon Hill and two more days. The honest benefit is a night at Ghorepani (2,860 m) and a famous sunrise before the sanctuary, plus more time on the trail with your guide. It is not an extra rest night at height: the big climbs, Chomrong to Deurali and Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp, are the same as on the 7-day trek. If you only have a week, take the 7-day trek. If you want Mardi Himal as well, look at our 15-day Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill and Mardi Himal trek.
Some days are hard. The Chomrong staircase, the 7 hour day to Deurali and the long descent to Bamboo are tough on the knees, and there is no acclimatisation night between Chomrong and Annapurna Base Camp. I would rather tell you now than at the staircase. Read How Difficult Is the Annapurna Base Camp Trek? Honest Rating for 2026/2027 and Poon Hill vs Mardi Himal: Which Short Trek Should You Choose? (2026/2027 Comparison) before you decide, and ask me about your fitness if you are unsure.
Hotel nights in Kathmandu are not included, and neither is the way from Kathmandu to Pokhara (road or a short flight, which we book at cost). The Pokhara night on day 9 is included. Every booking helps pay the teacher's salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum. The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
Best time to go, month by month
Rain and temperature in Pokhara are 1991 to 2020 averages, and the base camp nights come from our Annapurna Base Camp month-by-month guide. They are not forecasts.
| Month | What it is like | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| January | Cold and clear, with snow on the upper trail. Pokhara 19.9 C by day and 7.1 C at night, 21.6 mm of rain. Deurali nights near minus 7 C and base camp near minus 14 C. | Hard, not for a first winter trek |
| February | Cold, snow can sit above 3,000 m. Pokhara 22.7 / 9.7 C, 35.1 mm. Base camp nights near minus 12 C. | Hard |
| March | Spring begins. Rhododendron starts low down, mornings are clear. Pokhara 27.1 / 13.1 C, 63.7 mm. Base camp nights near minus 9 C. | Good |
| April | Warm, flowers on the ridges, more afternoon cloud, busier. Pokhara 30.0 / 16.1 C, 141.7 mm. | Good |
| May | Hot low down, cloud and storms build. Pokhara 354.7 mm and 18.3 rain days. | Possible with care |
| June | Monsoon: cloud, rain, leeches and slippery trails. Pokhara 648.2 mm. | No |
| July | Monsoon and the wettest month: 941 mm at Pokhara, 25.6 rain days. | No |
| August | Monsoon. Views are mostly lost: 839.4 mm at Pokhara. | No |
| September | The rains are easing but the trails are still wet and leechy: 635 mm at Pokhara. | No |
| October | Drying out and clearer each week: 159.2 mm at Pokhara. Busy around Dashain. | Best, from mid month |
| November | The clearest skies of the year: 17.2 mm at Pokhara. Cold nights at base camp. | Best |
| December | Clear and cold, 11.5 mm at Pokhara. Possible early in the month, hard from mid month. | Early December only |
Mid October to mid November is the best window, and March and April the second. Annapurna Base Camp is cold at night in every season. One price applies all year.
Starting dates for 2027
You choose your start date, because every trip is private. These are the windows I would pick for 2027. Festival dates for 2027 are the expected ones from public calendars, and the government confirms them each year.
| Window in 2027 | What to expect | My advice |
|---|---|---|
| March 2027 (Holi expected 22 to 23 March) | Spring starts. Clear mornings, cold nights at the top. Rhododendron begins low down, best on the Poon Hill days. | Good, from mid March |
| April 2027 (Nepali New Year 14 April) | Warmer, with flowers on the ridges and more afternoon cloud. The lodges fill up. | Good |
| Early October 2027 (Dashain expected 6 to 10 October, not yet announced) | The rain is leaving. Dashain fills the buses and some lodges close. Ask us what is open. | Avoid the Dashain days |
| Mid October to mid November 2027 (Tihar expected 29 to 31 October) | The best weeks: dry and clear, cold at the top. Busy on the main trail. | Best |
| December 2027 to February 2028 | Clear and very cold. Snow on the upper trail can close the way to base camp. Tell me your dates and I will say what our guides know. | Only with care |
Tell me your dates and I will tell you what I know for that week. If you want to walk in winter, ask me first.
Permits and costs
We apply for every permit and pay for all of them. You send us your passport details early. One Annapurna Conservation Area permit and one TIMS card cover the whole walk.
| Permit or fee | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annapurna Conservation Area permit | NPR 3,000 | Included |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 (NPR 1,000 SAARC) | Included, we issue it through our agency |
The price per person falls as the group grows, and a child pays the same as an adult. Private or group, the price per person is the same. Here is the full table. These prices hold for 2027.
| Group size | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 guest (solo) | USD 1,150 | USD 1,580 | USD 3,465 |
| 2 to 4 guests | USD 655 | USD 1,165 | USD 2,095 |
| 5 to 8 guests | USD 480 | USD 965 | USD 1,885 |
| 9 to 12 guests | USD 430 | USD 885 | USD 1,870 |
| 13 to 20 guests | USD 405 | USD 855 | USD 1,845 |
Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, paid in cash on arrival), Kathmandu hotel nights, travel insurance, tips, personal spending and any extra porter (USD 25 per day plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge). You pay a 10% deposit to book and the balance in Kathmandu. We take US dollars or euros, in cash or by card, and card payments carry a 3.5% bank charge.
Getting there and getting back
The trip starts and ends in Pokhara. From Kathmandu you can take the tourist bus (seven to eight hours) or a 25 minute flight, and we can book either for you at cost. On day 1 we drive to Nayapul, with a short jeep to Kimche where the road needs it. On day 9 your vehicle meets you at Nayapul and drives you back to Pokhara, about 90 minutes. We check road conditions 48 hours before departure. If a road is not open, we move your dates free of charge.
Visa on arrival is USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, and your passport must be valid for at least six months. Read Nayapul: The Trailhead for Poon Hill, Annapurna Base Camp and Khopra Danda for the trailhead. Pokhara flights can be delayed by cloud, so keep a spare day before your international flight.
Safety and altitude
You sleep at 3,174 m at Deurali and 4,130 m at Annapurna Base Camp. Our own guideline is not to raise your sleeping height by more than 300 to 500 m a day above 3,000 m. Two days go beyond it: Chomrong to Deurali (about 1,004 m) and Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp (about 956 m). There is no acclimatisation night on those days, which is why we take them slowly. Drink plenty of water and tell your guide at once about a headache or nausea. Your guide checks everyone's oxygen level every evening with a pulse oximeter. If a reading is low or symptoms appear, we do not go higher, and if they worsen we go down.
The long stone staircases and descents are hard on the knees. Trekking poles help. Buy travel insurance at home that covers trekking to 5,000 m and helicopter evacuation.
What to pack
- Broken-in walking boots (not trainers) and sandals for the lodge
- A down jacket or warm fleece for the base camps, thermal layers and a waterproof jacket
- A warm sleeping bag rated to about -10 C, or ask us to lend one
- A warm hat, gloves, sunglasses and SPF 50 sun cream
- A head torch for the pre-dawn start on Poon Hill
- A day pack of about 25 litres. Your duffel goes with the porter
- Trekking poles for the long descents
- A swimsuit and small towel for the hot springs at Jhinu Danda
- Plasters, blister care and any personal medicines
- Our full list is in Nepal Trekking Packing List: What to Bring, What to Skip, What to Buy in Kathmandu
Budget, Standard or Luxury
All three tiers walk the same route on the same days. What changes is how you sleep, what you eat and who carries your bag.
| Budget | Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms | Shared rooms in simple teahouses | Private twin rooms, attached bathroom where the lodge has one | Private deluxe rooms, ensuite where the lodge has one |
| Porter | None. You carry your own pack. An extra porter is USD 25 per day plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge | One porter for every two trekkers, 20 kg each in total. A solo guest has no porter: the guide carries up to 10 kg | One dedicated porter for every trekker |
| Pokhara hotel (1 night) | Simple hotel, twin share | 3-star hotel, private room | Deluxe hotel, ensuite |
| Meals | Not included on the trek | Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, tea or coffee and seasonal fruit once a day | All meals, fruit and nuts, tea, coffee, soft drinks, juice and water whenever you want |
| Vehicle | Private car or van sized to your group | Private car or van sized to your group | A more spacious private vehicle |
| Guide | Licensed guide, one per group (a second from 13 guests) | Licensed guide, one per group (a second from 13 guests) | Licensed guide, one per group (a second from 13 guests) |
Read before you book
- Annapurna Base Camp in 5, 7 or 9 Days: Which Itinerary Should You Choose?
- How Difficult Is the Annapurna Base Camp Trek? Honest Rating for 2026/2027
- Poon Hill vs Mardi Himal: Which Short Trek Should You Choose? (2026/2027 Comparison)
- Chhomrong: The Last Big Village Before the Annapurna Sanctuary
- Annapurna Base Camp Permits: ACAP and TIMS Explained
- Annapurna Base Camp Teahouses and Food: Where You Sleep Each Night
- Poon Hill & Ghorepani Guide: Sunrise Trek in the Annapurna Region
The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
