Poon Hill Trek Cost

Poon Hill is one of the best short trekking destinations in the Annapurna Region. The beauty of the mountains as well as the sunrise from Poon Hill often leaves you astounded. In order to complete this picturesque trek, you also need to consider the cost of trekking as well.

Poon Hill trek takes place inside the premises of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). So there will be costs of entering this sanctuary. Besides, there will be costs related to traveling to and from Pokhara.

Besides, you also have to consider buying the trekking gear, make arrangements for accommodation as well as food. You might also consider hiring a guide which costs some money. Finally, there are always miscellaneous expenses you have to take into account.

As the Poon Hill region lies in the low altitude regions of the Annapurna region, the cost of trekking to Poon Hill is not as high as trekking to Annapurna Base Camp or Annapurna Circuit.

Poon Hill trek can be completed in a various number of days depending upon the trekking route you take.

So all these factors determine the cost of the Poon Hill trek. Let us look at all these factors in detail in order to see the cost of Poon Hill trek.

1. Length of the Poon Hill Trek

The length of the Poon Hill trek depends on the places you want to see during this trek. Some people also look forward to completing the Annapurna Base Camp as well as the Annapurna Circuit trek while they go to Poon Hill.

The classic Poon Hill trek with Annapurna Base Camp trek lasts around 14 days in total. If you want to do the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek with Ghandruk, it lasts for 9 days. If you want to start from Pokhara and want to visit Ghorepani and Poon Hill only, you can complete it in just 3 days.

You can contact us to know how we can merge the Poon Hill trek with the Annapurna Circuit Trek or Annapurna Circuit Trek with Poon Hill trek so that you can catch the beauty of the Annapurna region at its best.

2. Food and Accommodation

Almost all types of accommodation during the Poon Hill trek are the same. You will find basic tea houses or lodges in various villages like Ghorepani, Tadapani, and Ghandruk.

However, during your stay in Pokhara and Kathmandu, you can choose a variety of hotels you can stay in. You can stay in either 5-star hotels, 3-star hotels or basic lodges. Your choice of stay brings a change in the cost of your trek to Poon Hill.

Besides this, the cost of the accommodation is also determined by what kind of rooms you choose for yourself. Common rooms cost lower than single, double, or triple bedrooms cost.

You can find accommodations for US$ 10 - US$ 20 per day. Without advanced booking, you might have to share your rooms with other trekkers in peak seasons. You can also contact us to reserve your accommodation for the Poon Hill trek.

You can get some off-season discounts on accommodation inside the ACAP region during your Poon Hill trek. The cost of accommodation increases with altitude.

The cost of food during the Poon Hill trek varies US$ 5 - US$ 20 per meal. Different types of food cost differently. Continental and American food generally cost higher than typical Nepalese food.

3. Cost of Permits

Various permits will be needed for you to trek to Poon Hill. Here’s a list of all trekking permits for Poon Hill trekking:

ACAP try permit fee for foreigners: 2,000 NPR (the US $20 approx.)
ACAP entry permit fee for SAARC nationals: 200 NPR
TIMS permit: 1,000 NPR (US $10 approx.)

You can obtain these permits in Nepal Tourism Board, Kathmandu. You can also get them in Nepal Tourism Board located in Damside, Pokhara. ACAP entry permit counter in Besisahar, Lamjung is another place where you can get the permits. You can purchase TIMS cards from the TAAN Lakeside office in Santi Patan, Pokhara.

4. Transportation

There are 2 ways of getting to Pokhara from Kathmandu. You can either take a bus or a flight. A tourist bus will cost you anywhere between 700 NRs to 2200 Nrs depending upon the type of bus you want to travel in.

Flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara takes about 35 minutes. It costs around 3100 NRs which is equivalent to approximately US$ 30.

From Pokhara, you can take a local bus to either Nayapul or Ghandruk. There are several ways of doing this.

One of the ways of getting to Nayapul is to book seats on a Mini Bus. You can do this at any tourist shop in Lakeside, Pokhara. The cost of this Mini Bus ride is around 700 rupees per seat.

The other way is to first get a taxi (700 rs) to the Baglung Bus station in Pokhara. From there, you can take a bus to Nayapul which costs around NRs. 200. You can also take a taxi from Lakeside Pokhara to Nayapul. This might take you NRs. 3000-5000.

The price of getting to Ghandruk from Pokhara is also similar to the price of getting to Nayapul from Pokhara.

5. Guides and Porters

Guides and porters are not compulsory while trekking to Poon Hill. However, for your safety, physical comfort, and to get a chance to get close to the culture of the region, we recommend you to hire a guide and a porter.

We can help you hire a guide and a porter. Hiring a guide will cost around the US $ 30 -US$ 40.

There are a few strenuous uphills on your way to Ulleri or the Annapurna Base Camp during the Poon Hill trek. So you can hire a porter which will cost you US$ 20 - US$ 30 per day.

6. Trekking Gear

Clothing

You will need multi-layered, high-quality and comfortable clothing in order to trek to Poon Hill. These are all the clothing you will need:

A Baselayer of clothing (for the higher altitude of the Annapurna region).
An insulation layer (to wear on top of the base layer)
The outermost layer (this layer of clothing will protect you from the wind and cold)
underwear, trekking trousers and shorts, trekking shirts, a Waterproof Shell jacket, and trousers.

Headgear

A hat, a beanie, and a neck gaiter

Gloves

Inner gloves
Outer gloves

Footwear

Sturdy, comfortable hiking boots
Trekking shoes and sandals
Hiking socks, thermal socks, and gaiters

Backpack

A large spacious and compartmentalized backpack of 50 - 65 liters
If you hire a porter to carry your backpack, you will still need a daypack that you will carry and contains items that you will regularly use.
A rain cover.

Others

Sleeping bags, trekking poles, sunglasses and moisturizers
Water bottle, pee funnel, basic first aid kit, toiletries, and towels.
Camera, books, and chargers (to pass your free time easily).
mosquito repellents and ointments

You can visit this page for a detailed guide to the packing list for trekking to Poon Hill.

There are various ways in which you can arrange your trekking gear. You can buy all of these equipment brand new in case you don’t have them. You can also rent them in a trekking shop in Thamel, Kathmandu or in Pokhara.

7. Travel Insurance

The chances of altitude sickness while trekking to Poon Hill are quite low. However, there might be some trekking related injuries. So it is always better to be prepared for the worst-case scenarios.

You can choose either of the following trusted names in the field of Travel Insurance to get travel insurance for your Poon Hill trek.

Typically, 30-day travel insurance costs US$ 150. You can consult the trekking agency to know the expenses covered for your insurance. Also, ensure that your travel insurance covers evacuation of up to 5000 meters.

Miscellaneous Expenses

The following is a list of some miscellaneous expenses you might encounter during your trek to Poon Hill.

Charging

Poon Hill trek route is quite busy almost all year round with trekkers. During off-seasons, you can charge your devices for free.

But the cost of charging your device in peak seasons during the Poon Hill trek is between USD 2 - USD 5. Despite paying for charging, you might have to wait in a queue to charge your devices. It is indispensable for you to carry a charger or a power bank while trekking to Poon Hill.

Tips

As your bond with your guide increases during the trip, you might be tempted to tip your guide. The same goes true for your porter or waiters. There is no bound to how much you want to tip. The choice is all yours.

Wifi

WiFi is not for free while trekking to Poon Hill. The price increases as you trek to the high altitude regions. The cost of connecting to a WiFi might be US $ 2 - US $ 5 per device.

Conclusion

Now that you have a clear idea of your possible expenses during your trek to Poon Hill, you should plan your trip accordingly to have a good trip with the least amount of expenses. In order to avoid all the trouble of managing your trek to Poon Hill, you can contact us to have a delightful trek to Poon Hill.