Poon Hill Trek in December and January: Cold, Short Days and What to Expect

Last updated 2 October 2026. This is a planning post written before the season. The route was reported open on 29 September, with one road problem on the way to Pokhara's trailheads, set out below. I give weather figures only where I have a published source, and I say where I am using our guides' experience instead.

The short answer: yes, Poon Hill works in December and January. It is the lowest and mildest of our Annapurna treks, the highest night is Ghorepani at 2,860 m, and Pokhara, where you start and finish, is mild in winter. It is not warm. Expect cold nights, short days and possible snow on the upper trail, so I recommend it for a first winter trek, in early December if you can choose. January is colder, and from mid-January the cold deepens further.

Is the Poon Hill trek open in December and January?

The trek itself is open in winter in a normal year, and the trail was reported open as at 29 September 2026. I cannot tell you about December and January yet, and nobody can. What I can give you is the road position, with dates:

• The Pokhara to Baglung road lost about 150 m at Sahasradhara on 27 September (Kathmandu Post, 28 September).
• Repair work began from both directions on the Pokhara to Korala route on 29 September (ekantipur).
• On 1 October the Maldhunga bridge approach linking Baglung and Parbat was still washed away (Kathmandu Post, 1 October).
• I found no report that Sahasradhara has reopened, so that is last reported on 29 September.

Our route starts from Pokhara and Nayapul, so it is the least exposed of the big treks to these road problems, but it is not immune. We confirm the road to the trailhead 48 hours before you go. If it is shut, we find you an alternative route or starting point and tell you before you travel. The dated detail is in Trekking Nepal in November 2026 and Trekking Nepal in December 2026.

How cold is it?

I have no weather-station reading for Ghorepani or Poon Hill, and I could not find a published one, so I will not invent one. The nearest published figures are for Pokhara, 827 m, where you start and finish. These are monthly averages from Wikipedia's climate box, which names the WMO 1991 to 2020 normals, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the FAO.

Pokhara is mild, and that is part of the appeal: the first and last nights are in a hotel, in a town where the daytime is pleasant. It is a poor guide to the upper trail, which is more than 2,000 m higher. Wikipedia's page on the Annapurna Conservation Area says snow accumulates between 2,000 and 3,000 m, and that in the winter of 1999 to 2000 (one season of measurements) the ground above 3,000 m was snow-covered until the end of March. Ghorepani at 2,860 m sits inside that 2,000 to 3,000 m band, and Poon Hill at 3,210 m is above it. So expect cold nights at Ghorepani and the possibility of snow on the trail above Ulleri, and plan for a sunrise at Poon Hill that is cold and often windy. That last point is our guides' experience, not a measured figure.

How many hours of daylight do you have?

About 10 hours 30 minutes in December. In Kathmandu the sun rises at 6:35 and sets at 17:09 on 1 December, and rises at 6:48 and sets at 17:14 on 21 December (sunrise-sunset.org, as used in our December post). I have no separate figure for Poon Hill, which is further west, so use these as a rough guide. The climb to the viewpoint starts in the dark with a head torch, because you want to be on top before sunrise. Our itinerary days are short, 3 to 6 hours of walking, so the short days cost you less here than on a long-day trek.

What does the 6-day itinerary look like?

This is our live plan. Distances and times are those printed on the itinerary.

Wikipedia gives Ghorepani at about 2,874 m and our itinerary says 2,860 m. The difference does not change the plan. Day 5 prints "52.1 km" in our itinerary, which looks like the road distance to Pokhara and not the walk, so I have not used it. For the full distances and effort, see the Poon Hill distance guide.

Is December better than January?

Early December is the better half of the winter. Our December post puts it this way: colder nights and emptier lodges than November, but the settled weather has not gone. Late December has the shortest days and the coldest nights of the month, and from mid-January the cold deepens further. This is our guides' judgement, not a counted figure. If your dates are flexible, aim for early December. If you must go in January, go early in the month and keep a spare day in Pokhara in case the weather turns.

Will the mountains be visible?

The view from Poon Hill takes in the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges and Machhapuchhre (Wikipedia, Poon Hill). Whether you see them depends on a clear dawn, and I have no statistics for how often December and January dawns are clear, so I will not promise it. The itinerary has one sunrise at Poon Hill. If cloud covers it, there is no second chance on the schedule, and your guide will tell you before you set out whether it is worth the cold start.

Are the lodges open?

I have no published list of which lodges at Ulleri, Ghorepani and Tadapani are open in December and January, and I have not been able to check them since the September rains. I will not guess. We call the lodges before we confirm your dates, and I would tell you the answer before you pay a balance. In our guides' experience the dining room is the warm room and the bedrooms are cold, which is why we provide a sleeping bag and a down jacket (check the inclusions on the package page for your tier).

What does it cost?

The 6-day trek is from US$499 Budget, US$749 Standard and US$1,111 Luxury per person for one traveller, and less per person for larger groups. On Budget you carry your own bag and meals are not included. On Standard you have all meals and one porter for every two trekkers, so a solo Standard trekker has no porter and the guide carries up to 10 kg. On Luxury you have a dedicated porter and all meals with fruit and nuts. Kathmandu hotels are not included on any trek tier, but the two Pokhara hotel nights are part of the itinerary. I have no seasonal price list and I would not promise a winter discount. A 10 per cent deposit holds your dates and the balance goes in Kathmandu. A card payment of the balance carries a 3.5 per cent charge, and we take US dollars or card, not Nepali rupees, from foreign guests. The deposit is non-refundable. If you need to move, you can reschedule free with at least 72 hours' notice to any date within one year. If we cannot run the trip, we refund what you paid less taxes, bank and card charges and money already spent. Insurance must be bought at home. The Annapurna Conservation Area fee is NPR 3,000 and the TIMS card is NPR 2,000, and we arrange both. We do not list fixed December or January departures, so contact us for dates.

Who should not do it in winter?

Anyone with a condition made worse by cold, such as Raynaud's disease, should talk to a doctor first. Anyone who needs to be sure of a mountain view on a fixed day. Anyone with a tight onward flight, because a road delay on day 5 or 6 can cost a day. If you want a higher trek and accept the cold, the ABC distance guide and the Mardi Himal guide cover the options, but both have colder nights, and Poon Hill is the one I would pick for a first winter trek. For the other seasons, see autumn, spring and Poon Hill versus Mardi Himal. The general guide is here.

Tell me your dates on WhatsApp, +977 9810351300, or email [email protected], and I will tell you the road position that day.

Notes and sources

Itinerary, altitudes, distances, times and prices: our live 6-day Poon Hill itinerary, 2 October 2026. Climate: Wikipedia, Pokhara (WMO 1991 to 2020, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, FAO). Snow band and the 1999 to 2000 snow cover: Wikipedia, Annapurna Conservation Area. Peaks and Poon Hill height: Wikipedia, Poon Hill. Road status: Kathmandu Post 28 September and 1 October 2026 and ekantipur 29 September 2026, as logged in our November 2026 post; nothing newer found on 2 October. Daylight: sunrise-sunset.org figures for Kathmandu as used in our December 2026 post. Winter advice: our December 2026 post. Fees: our permit fee file.

About The Everest Holiday

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Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday and third-generation Himalayan guide. TAAN Member #1586.