Poon Hill Trek with Chitwan Jungle Safari in 8 Days: Route, Cost and Who It Suits (2027)

Last updated 16 October 2026.

Short answer: Our Poon Hill Trek with Chitwan Jungle Safari, 8 days starts with two nights beside Chitwan National Park, then drives to Pokhara for the four-day Poon Hill trek and ends with a short flight back to Kathmandu. The highest point is the Poon Hill sunrise at 3,210 m, and you sleep no higher than 2,860 m. For two to four people it costs USD 1,460 per person on Budget, USD 1,850 on Standard and USD 2,765 on Luxury. It suits first-time visitors and families with fit children who want animals and mountains in one week.

I am Shreejan. The question I hear most from first-timers is simple: can we see wildlife and the Himalaya without a long flight in between? This is my answer to it. Here is how the eight days run, what each tier gives you and what it really costs.

How do the eight days run?

I put the jungle first on purpose. Chitwan is flat and warm, and two easy days there give your legs a rest after the long flight before the stone steps of Ulleri. Day 4 climbs a long staircase, and day 6 is the longest day, because you are up before dawn for the sunrise and then walk on to Tadapani. More on the trek itself is in our Poon Hill itinerary guide.

What do you do in Chitwan?

You go out in a jeep with a naturalist, float down the Rapti river in a dugout canoe, walk in the forest with a guide and watch birds in the early morning. On the first evening there is a Tharu cultural show with the stick dance. The rhinoceros is the animal you are most likely to see from the jeep. Tigers live in the park, but they are rarely seen, and I would rather tell you that now than have you count on it. Sightings are never guaranteed.

We do not sell animal rides. Our Chitwan days are a jeep, a canoe, a walk with a naturalist, Tharu culture and birds. If you want to know more first, read what you actually do in Chitwan.

What does it cost?

Prices are per person, read from our booking system on 16 October 2026. The full price list is on the trip page.

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. Children pay the adult price.

What does each tier give you?

Budget gives you a simple jungle lodge and a simple Pokhara hotel, twin share, and shared rooms in the lodges on the trek. Breakfast is included in Chitwan; meals on the trek are your own, ordered and paid at the lodges. There is no porter on Budget, so you carry your own pack, and an extra porter can be added.

Standard gives you a 3-star jungle lodge and a 3-star Pokhara hotel with private rooms, private rooms on the trek where the lodge has one, and breakfast, lunch and dinner from the first lunch to the last breakfast. You get one porter for every two trekkers. The government limit is 20 kg per porter, so that is 10 kg each. A solo Standard trekker has no porter, and the guide carries up to 10 kg instead.

Luxury gives you a deluxe jungle lodge and a deluxe Pokhara hotel with ensuite rooms, the best lodges on the trek, all meals with fruit and nuts, and tea, coffee, soft drinks, juice and water whenever you want them. Every trekker has a dedicated porter, carrying up to 15 kg for you.

Included on every tier: airport pick-up and drop-off, a licensed English-speaking guide for all eight days, a private vehicle for every road leg, the flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu, the jeep safari, canoe, jungle walk and Tharu evening, the Chitwan National Park fee, the Annapurna Conservation Area permit and TIMS card, a first aid kit with a pulse oximeter, and all taxes. Not included: Kathmandu hotel nights before and after, international flights, the Nepal visa, insurance, tips, drinks outside meals and personal spending. An extra porter is USD 25 a day plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge.

What permits and fees are in the price?

These are the published Nepal Tourism Board figures. All three are in the price on every tier.

When is the best time to go?

For the trek month by month, read our Poon Hill best-time guide, and for the jungle, the Chitwan seasons guide.

How hard is it, and can children do it?

It is graded easy. The jungle days are flat. The four trekking days are 3 to 6 hours on stone steps and uneven ground, and no technical skill is needed. The trip is built for children from about 8 who can walk four to five hours a day. Tell us each child's age when you book, and tell us about any heart, lung or blood-pressure condition. If you want to compare it with the ridge trek, read Poon Hill or Mardi Himal for a family.

How do you get there and back?

We collect you from your Kathmandu hotel on day 1 and drive you to Chitwan in a private vehicle sized to your group. On day 3 the same kind of vehicle takes you to Pokhara, and on day 4 to the trailhead at Nayapul. After the walk out to Ghandruk on day 7 you drive back to Pokhara, and on day 8 you fly to Kathmandu. Keep at least one spare day before your flight home, because Pokhara flights can be delayed.

What insurance do you need?

Your policy should cover trekking to 3,500 m and helicopter evacuation, because the highest point is Poon Hill at 3,210 m. Buy it at home before you travel. We do not recommend insurance bought in Nepal.

Questions people ask

How much does the Poon Hill and Chitwan trip cost? For two to four people it is USD 1,460 per person on Budget, USD 1,850 on Standard and USD 2,765 on Luxury. A solo traveller pays USD 2,355, USD 2,750 or USD 4,700.

Will we see a tiger in Chitwan? Probably not. Tigers are rarely seen. Rhinos are common on a jeep safari, and the birdlife is rich, but no sighting is guaranteed.

Is the Poon Hill trek hard for beginners? No. It is one of the easiest treks in Nepal, but the steps up to Ulleri are long. Read the distance and difficulty guide.

Can we add white-water rafting? Yes. Our 8-day version with Trishuli rafting adds a day on the river.

Are Kathmandu hotels included? No. Two Chitwan nights and two Pokhara nights are included. We can book Kathmandu for you, or you can stay at our family homestay for USD 15 per person per night, which supports the learning centre.

What if we only want the trek? Take our 6-day Poon Hill trek from Kathmandu.

What if we only want the jungle? Take our 3-day Chitwan jungle safari.

What are the booking terms?

Group size is 1 to 20, and solo travellers are welcome; a solo price covers the whole cost for one person, so it is higher per person. The deposit is 10 per cent. It is non-refundable and there is no refund if you cancel, but you can move your trip free of charge to any date within one year with at least 72 hours notice. If we cannot run the trip ourselves, we refund what you paid, less taxes, bank or card charges and any money already spent, such as permits and flights. The balance is paid when you arrive, in US dollars or euros, cash or card. Card carries a 3.5 per cent bank charge and cash carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign guests.

How do you plan this with us?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates and how many of you there are. I will check the dates and send you the exact quote.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.