Poonhill Circuit

Rating the difficulty of the Poon Hill Circuit Trek is subjective and varies from person to person. Generally, however, it is considered an easy to moderate trek, based on its length, daily walking hours, and elevation profile. The trek covers roughly 40 km (25 miles) over four days, with daily walking times ranging from 4 to 8 hours. A reasonable level of fitness is sufficient, although some preparation and regular walking before the trek will certainly help.

Yes, the Poon Hill Circuit Trek is one of the treks we most often recommend to first-time trekkers in Nepal. The highest point is Poon Hill at 3,210m, where the risk of altitude sickness remains low for most people. You stay in comfortable teahouses throughout the trek, and road access is never far away if needed. While a reasonable level of fitness is recommended, the only notably demanding sections are the stone staircase to Ulleri and the trail between Ghorepani and Tadapani.

The climb to Ulleri is one of the most challenging sections of the Poon Hill Circuit Trek. The trail ascends approximately 500 meters via around 3,000 stone steps, making it a steep and continuous uphill walk rather than a technical climb. Most trekkers complete the ascent in 3 to 4 hours with regular breaks. Trekking poles can be particularly helpful, both on the ascent and during descents later in the trek.

Usually around 4:30am (but time can vary depending on season), so you reach the viewpoint before first light. It is a 45-minute to one-hour climb on a well-made path, and your guide carries a torch, but bring a headlamp of your own and a warm layer — the summit is cold before the sun arrives.

The total distance of Poonhill Circuit Trek Trek is 40 km/23 miles. This does not cover the overland and flights.

Altitude sickness is relatively uncommon on the Poon Hill Circuit Trek because the highest point is around 3,210 m, but it is still possible. The best way to reduce the risk is to stay well hydrated, eat properly, get enough sleep, maintain a steady pace, and allow your body time to adjust to the altitude. Most importantly, listen to your body and do not try to push through worsening symptoms. If you develop significant symptoms of altitude sickness, descend to a lower elevation, regardless of how close you are to the viewpoint or how physically fit you are.

Staying well hydrated is important during the trek. You have four main options for drinking water:

1. Purification tablets: The cheapest and easiest option. They are widely available in pharmacies in Kathmandu but may slightly alter the taste of the water.
2. Water filters: A good alternative to tablets, especially if you prefer to avoid the taste of treated water. Portable pump, gravity, and bottle filters are available.
3. Boiled water: Available at most tea houses for around Rs. 200–600 per liter. Make sure your bottle is heat-resistant if you choose this option.
4. Bottled water: Available at tea houses and shops along the trail, generally costing Rs. 100–400 per liter. While convenient, we recommend avoiding bottled water where possible to reduce plastic waste.

What is the food like on Poonhill Circuit Trek Trek?
The Poon Hill Circuit Trek offers a good variety of traditional Nepali and international dishes. While the food is not gourmet, it is generally fresh, filling, and sufficient to meet the needs of trekkers.

1. Traditional Nepali & Tibetan food: Dal Bhat: Rice, lentil soup, and seasonal vegetables, usually served for lunch or dinner. Momos: Steamed or fried dumplings filled with meat or vegetables. Tibetan Bread: Deep-fried bread served with honey, jam, or vegetable curry.
2. International options: Lunch & dinner: Pasta, pizza, burgers, fried noodles, and soups. Breakfast: Porridge, pancakes, chapati, toast, butter, jam, and eggs prepared in different styles. Soup: Garlic soup is particularly popular at higher elevations, although it should not be considered a treatment for altitude sickness.

Accommodation on the Poon Hill Trek is provided in basic but comfortable tea houses and lodges. Rooms generally have twin beds, a small table, and a light, while bathrooms are usually shared and located outside the room.

Tea houses also offer meals, hot showers, Wi-Fi, laundry, and charging facilities for an additional cost. Most have electricity, although charging may not be available in your room. The communal dining areas are often warmed by a stove or chimney in the evening.

Beds usually come with blankets, but we recommend carrying or renting a sleeping bag, especially during the colder months.

Mobile network and internet access are available on most parts of the Poonhill Circuit Trek Trek. Both Ncell and NTC work well in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and the entire sections of the trail. Most teahouses offer Wi-Fi for an additional charge, but speeds are often slow and service cannot be guaranteed. For the best chance of staying connected during the trek, we recommend using an NTC SIM card with a data package. However, trekkers should be prepared for occasional periods without internet or mobile service, particularly in the higher and more remote sections of the trail.

Please bring a maximum of 10 kg. per person to ensure porters are not given more than 20 kg to carry in total. If you are solo then you can bring a maximum of 20 kg.

You can store your excess luggage at the hotel free of cost. Fill up the luggage storage and bring it back on collecting.

Yes. While we carefully plan every itinerary, unforeseen circumstances may sometimes require changes to the itinerary and result in additional costs. These costs are generally the responsibility of the guest.

Possible situations include:

1. Flight delays, cancellations, or airport closures
2. Extreme weather or natural disasters
3. Landslides, road closures, damaged bridges, or accidents
4. Political unrest, strikes, or demonstrations
5. Health issues or common trekking accidents, such as slips, falls, or sprains
6. Other circumstances beyond our control

We recommend carrying a reasonable emergency fund or access to a backup payment method to cover unexpected expenses.

The Poon Hill Circuit trek is an easy to moderate trek with a mix of gradual trails and some steep ascents and descents. To prepare, focus on light to moderate cardio activities such as hiking, running, cycling, or stair climbing 2–3 times per week. Short hikes carrying a light backpack can also help build endurance and confidence on the trail.
In the weeks leading up to the trek, maintain a balanced diet, stay well hydrated, and gradually increase your activity level. We also recommend choosing vegetarian meals as often as possible during the trek, as they are generally fresher and easier to digest at higher altitudes.

Yes, you can do a solo trek to Poonhill Circuit Trek but we highly recommend hiring a guide or at least a porter for support and managing logistics. During the high season, tea houses can fill up quickly due to their limited capacity, and you may find yourself moving from one tea house to another, struggling to secure a room. A guide can handle this for you. If you fall ill or need assistance, or if you're unsure about what to do, your guide can advise you on the best course of action. Even in the high season, weather conditions can disrupt flight schedules, potentially leaving you stranded for days.

The best time for Poonhill Circuit Trek Trek is Spring and Autumn. Both seasons are around the monsoon.

• Spring: Spring is considered the best time because of its warmer temperature, longer days and rhododendron flower that adds extra flavour. Trekking to Everest in the spring season offers good weather, creating favorable conditions for internal flights and stunning views.

• Autumn: Autumn is another great season to trek to Everest region because of clear sky and stable weather, favourable temperature, and festive atmosphere. Since Autumn is followed by monsoon, trekking in early autumn offers green, fresh and colorful landscapes.

You can rent a sleeping bag and a down jacket for around $2 per day per item.

Nepal uses the Nepalese Rupee as its currency. It is viable to carry NPR (Nepalese Rupees) to pay for the meals and other services you use along the way because all the prices for the services, meals, drinks, etc are quoted in NPR.

You can bring US$/GBP/AUS $/Euro and exchange them at an exchange booth on every street in Thamel. However, they don’t follow the rate published by the Central Bank of Nepal.

Make sure that the foreign currency notes you bring are not old, torn, or faded as it is difficult to exchange them.
For better rates, you can go to the local bank in Kathmandu with your passport and it may take between an hour to hour and half, and they only do cash service till 3 pm local time. Saturday is a bank holiday and Friday is a half holiday.

Getting cash out of an ATM usually gives the best exchange rate but they will charge around $5 on each transaction. In a single day, you can withdraw NPR 100000 only but not more than NPR 35000 in one transaction. This means you have to make multiple transactions and on each transaction, you will be charged around $5. If you are planning to use cards to withdraw cash from an ATM booth, make sure to inform your card issuer that you will be using it outside Europe/America/Australia.