6 Days in Nepal: Kathmandu, Pokhara & the Poon Hill Trek
A first Himalaya trip without the multi-week commitment: Kathmandu's temples and stupas, Pokhara's lakeside calm and a Poon Hill sunrise over Annapurna.
A first Himalaya trip without the multi-week commitment: Kathmandu's temples and stupas, Pokhara's lakeside calm and a Poon Hill sunrise over Annapurna.
Most international flights land at Tribhuvan International Airport by mid-morning or afternoon; the tourist hub of Thamel, a tangle of narrow lanes packed with gear shops, bakeries, and guesthouses, makes the easiest base for the whole trip, with an easy walk to Durbar Square.
✈️ International arrivals into Tribhuvan International Airport 💵 Airport transfer ~$8-12 by taxi 🕐 Check in and rest a couple of hours before heading outThe former royal square is a dense cluster of carved wooden temples, courtyards, and the old Hanuman Dhoka palace complex, still a working center of Newar religious life; a licensed local guide at the entrance is genuinely worth hiring for an hour to explain what's in front of you.
🚶 A short, flat walk from most Thamel guesthouses 💵 Foreign entry fee ~$10-15 🕐 Mid-to-late afternoon, before the light softens for photosDal bhat, a refillable plate of lentil soup, rice, vegetable curry, and pickle, is the backbone of Nepali eating and the fuel that gets trekkers up mountains; a Thamel restaurant terrace is a relaxed place to try it before the trip gets busier.
🍽️ Thamel has restaurants at every price point 💵 ~$4-8 for a full dal bhat set 🕐 Early night, there's a full day ahead tomorrowBoudhanath is a genuinely significant site for Tibetan Buddhist culture, its huge whitewashed dome ringed by monasteries, incense shops, and pilgrims; walk the kora clockwise with the crowd, as tradition requires, and take time on a rooftop café terrace to watch the stupa from above.
🚕 ~20-30 min taxi from Thamel 💵 Entry ~$4-5 🕐 Morning, when the kora is at its most activeA steep staircase (or an easier side road) climbs to Swayambhunath's hilltop stupa, genuinely one of the oldest religious sites in the valley, with resident monkeys and a sweeping view over all of Kathmandu; keep food and loose bags zipped, the monkeys are opportunistic.
🚕 ~20 min taxi from Boudhanath 💵 Foreign entry fee ~$3-4 🕐 Late afternoon for the best valley viewsNepal's other signature dish, steamed or fried momo dumplings filled with buffalo, chicken, or vegetables and served with a spicy tomato achar, make an easy, cheap dinner; Thamel has dozens of solid momo spots within a five-minute walk of most guesthouses.
🥟 Momos are sold everywhere, from street stalls to sit-down restaurants 💵 ~$2-5 for a plate 🕐 Pack for the trek tonight, tomorrow moves fastPashupatinath is one of the most sacred Hindu sites in the world and a working temple, not a museum; non-Hindus can't enter the main golden-roofed shrine but can view the complex and the riverside ghats from across the water. The site includes active cremation ghats, observe quietly and respectfully from the designated viewing areas, and never photograph funeral rites up close.
🚕 ~15-20 min taxi from Thamel 💵 Foreign entry fee ~$10 🕐 Late morning, allow at least an hourA 25-minute domestic flight is the fastest way to Pokhara and often clears mountain views over the foothills; a scenic but much longer tourist bus (6-7 hours along the Prithvi Highway) is the budget alternative if flights are full or the schedule allows for it.
✈️ ~25 min flight, or ~6-7 hr tourist bus 💵 Flight ~$90-130 one-way, bus ~$8-15 🕐 Book an early-afternoon flight to leave the evening free in PokharaPokhara's lakeside district faces Phewa Lake with the sharp fishtail summit of Machapuchare and the Annapurna range rising directly behind it, on a clear evening the peaks catch the last light while reflecting in the water; a relaxed lakeside dinner is the right way to end the city portion of the trip.
🚶 Lakeside is compact and walkable 💵 Dinner ~$6-12 🕐 Sunset, then an early night before the trek beginsA short boat ride across Phewa Lake reaches the trail up to the white-domed World Peace Pagoda, a genuinely worthwhile couple of hours with the Annapurna range as a backdrop; keep it low-key, the guide and driver will collect you from your hotel by early afternoon for the drive to the trailhead.
🚣 Rowboat rental ~$8-10/hr 💵 Pagoda access is free once across the lake 🕐 Keep it to the morning, the trailhead drive leaves after lunchA roughly hour-long drive from Pokhara reaches the trailhead at Nayapul, where the ACAP and TIMS permits are checked at the entry gate; the trail follows the Modi Khola river before climbing a long, genuinely steep run of stone steps through rhododendron and oak forest toward the overnight stop.
🥾 ~5-6 hrs walking, climbing roughly 1,000m over the day 💵 Included in a guided trek package 🕐 Depart Pokhara by early afternoonGhorepani's teahouses are basic but warm, a simple room, a wood-stove common room, and a menu built around dal bhat and noodle soup; turn in early, tomorrow's summit push to Poon Hill starts well before sunrise.
🏠 Teahouse rooms ~$3-8/night, meals expected in return 💵 Dinner ~$5-8 🕐 Lights out by 8-9 PMA 4-4:30 AM wake-up and a headlamp-lit, roughly 45-minute climb reach the 3,210m summit of Poon Hill in time for sunrise over an unbroken wall of peaks, Annapurna South, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, and Machapuchare among them; it's genuinely one of the most rewarding short treks anywhere, and far more accessible than a high-altitude expedition.
🥾 ~45 min climb, ~300m gain, in the dark 💵 Included in the trek package 🕐 Departing camp around 4-4:30 AM for sunrise near 6 AMAfter breakfast back in Ghorepani, the trail drops through more rhododendron forest and past small Magar and Gurung farming hamlets on the long walk down to Ghandruk, a well-preserved Gurung village with stone-paved lanes and its own Annapurna views.
🥾 ~6-7 hrs walking, mostly descending 💵 Included in the trek package 🕐 Full day, arriving by late afternoonGhandruk's lanes pass mani walls and strings of prayer flags, always walked and passed on the left, clockwise, a genuine local custom worth observing rather than cutting through; a Gurung heritage museum in the village is worth a quick stop before a last teahouse dal bhat.
🏠 Ghandruk has some of the trek's most comfortable teahouses 💵 Dinner ~$5-8 🕐 A well-earned early night after the day's climaxA final few hours of walking, mostly downhill through forest and farmland, retraces part of the route back to Nayapul, where the guide and driver are waiting; it's a quieter, more reflective walk after the previous day's sunrise high point.
🥾 ~3-4 hrs walking, mostly downhill 💵 Included in the trek package 🕐 Depart Ghandruk after breakfastA short drive returns you to Pokhara for a hot shower and a real bed, tip the guide and porter here if they haven't been already; from there it's the same choice as Day 3 in reverse, a quick flight or a longer scenic ride back along the Prithvi Highway to Kathmandu.
✈️ ~25 min flight, or ~6-7 hr tourist bus 💵 Flight ~$90-130 one-way, bus ~$8-15 🕐 Aim to be back in Kathmandu by early eveningA final evening in Thamel is the moment for pashmina scarves, singing bowls, and trekking-gear souvenirs, with plenty of room to bargain; close out the trip with one more round of dal bhat or momos before an early flight out the next morning.
🛍️ Bargaining is expected in Thamel's shops 💵 Farewell dinner ~$6-12 🕐 Confirm your departure transfer time before turning inThe Kathmandu-Pokhara tourist bus costs a fraction of the flight and, on a clear day, offers genuinely scenic views along the Trishuli River valley; save the flight for whichever leg you're more time-pressed on.
The same scarves, singing bowls, and trekking gear sell for noticeably more at the airport departure shops than in Thamel, where bargaining is expected.
Dal bhat is usually refillable at no extra cost and is a fraction of the price of pizza or Western food on trekking-route menus, where every imported ingredient has to be carried in.
The main platform gets crowded fast once the bulk of trekking groups arrive; walking a short distance along the ridge finds a quieter spot with the same unobstructed Annapurna and Dhaulagiri panorama.
The evening kora, when butter lamps are lit and the stupa is floodlit against the darkening sky, is quieter and more atmospheric than the busier midday hours.
Most itineraries treat Ghandruk as just an overnight stop; its small Gurung heritage museum and stone-paved upper lanes reward a slower look most trekkers skip in favor of pushing on.
