The short answer
These three treks all start within three hours of Pokhara and all look at the same mountains, but from very different positions. Poon Hill views the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges from a forested hilltop 3,210 m high. Mardi Himal climbs a grassy spur to about 4,500 m, right under the west face of Machhapuchhre. Annapurna Base Camp walks up a river gorge into the Annapurna Sanctuary, a high amphitheatre at 4,130 m enclosed by peaks on every side.
Time is usually the deciding factor. Poon Hill fits a long weekend from Pokhara. Mardi Himal needs about a week. ABC needs ten to eleven days from Kathmandu, or eight from Pokhara if you fly out by helicopter. Fitness comes second: all three are walkable by a healthy adult who prepares, but ABC and the Mardi base camp day ask much more of your legs and lungs.
Side by side: days, height, grade and price
The table uses our own package figures. Daily hours are walking time for an average trekker with short breaks, not including lunch. Prices are per person on twin sharing.
| Ghorepani Poon Hill | Mardi Himal | Annapurna Base Camp | Khopra Danda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package length | 4 days from Pokhara | 7 days from Pokhara | 11 days from Kathmandu | 8 days from Pokhara |
| Highest point | Poon Hill 3,210 m | Mardi Himal Base Camp ≈ 4,500 m | Annapurna Base Camp 4,130 m | Khopra 3,660 m; Khayer Lake ≈ 4,660 m optional |
| Highest sleep | Ghorepani 2,874 m | High Camp 3,580 m | ABC 4,130 m | Khopra 3,660 m |
| Grade | Moderate | Moderate (one long, steep day) | Challenging | Moderate |
| Walking per day | 3–6 h | 3–9 h | 4–7 h | 4–6 h (8–9 h lake day) |
| Crowds in October | Heavy | Moderate, rising | Heavy | Light |
| Lodge comfort | Best of the four | Basic above Low Camp | Good to Chhomrong, basic above | Simple community lodges |
| Price from | US$340 / ₹29,000 | US$530 / ₹45,000 | US$910 / ₹78,000 | US$690 / ₹59,000 |
Ghorepani Poon Hill: short and well serviced
Our 4-day Poon Hill trek leaves Pokhara by jeep for Hile, climbs the long stone staircase to Ulleri at 2,020 m, then walks through oak and rhododendron forest to Ghorepani at 2,874 m. The sunrise walk to Poon Hill takes about 45 minutes uphill in the dark, and from the top you see Dhaulagiri at 8,167 m, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre in a line. You come back via Tadapani and Ghandruk, a large Gurung village.
The hardest part is the 3,300-odd steps between Tikhedhunga and Ulleri, which leave most people with sore calves. Altitude is rarely an issue at this height. Ghorepani has some of the best lodges in the region, a few with attached bathrooms, and the trail is busy enough that you are never far from tea. That busyness is also the drawback: in October and April, a few hundred people may stand on Poon Hill at dawn.
Season makes a bigger difference here than on the higher treks. In late March and April the forest between Banthanti and Ghorepani turns red and pink with rhododendron, Nepal's national flower, though spring haze often softens the far views by mid-morning. In December and January the mornings are the clearest of the year, with frost on the trail and Ghorepani dropping to around −5 °C at night, yet the route rarely closes.
Annapurna Base Camp: inside the sanctuary
ABC is the trek for people who want to stand inside the mountains rather than look at them. From Chhomrong at 2,170 m the trail drops to the Chhomrong Khola and follows the Modi Khola gorge through bamboo and rhododendron forest to Deurali at 3,230 m. The last day passes Machhapuchhre Base Camp at 3,700 m and enters the sanctuary, where Annapurna I at 8,091 m rises about 4,000 m above your lodge.
It is graded Challenging for distance, repeated climbs and height rather than technical difficulty. You gain about 900 m on the day from Deurali to base camp, so some trekkers feel headaches at the top. Lodges are comfortable up to Chhomrong and simpler above, with shared toilets and cold rooms at MBC and ABC. Between January and April, avalanche risk can close the trail above Deurali for a day or two.
The trek also has more variety than the other two. You pass terraced Gurung villages, the Chhomrong bakery stop, bamboo forest, avalanche gullies and finally glacial moraine. On the way down, most itineraries spend a night at Jhinu Danda so tired legs can soak in the hot springs beside the Modi Khola, a 20-minute walk below the lodges.
Mardi Himal: the ridge route
Mardi Himal opened to teahouse trekking around 2012 and is still quieter than its neighbours. From Kande, 45 minutes from Pokhara, you walk through forest to Forest Camp at 2,550 m, then climb above the tree line to Badal Danda and High Camp at 3,580 m. The views open from Low Camp onwards, with Machhapuchhre filling the skyline ahead for two days.
The base camp day is the hard one: an early start from High Camp, about 900 m of climbing on a narrow, sometimes icy ridge to the upper viewpoint near 4,250 m and base camp at about 4,500 m, then a long descent to Low Camp, 8–9 hours in all. Many trekkers turn round at the upper viewpoint, which keeps most of the view. High Camp has only a few lodges, so rooms are shared and basic in peak weeks.
Weather matters more on Mardi than on the other two, because there is no shelter on the upper ridge. Cloud often rises from the valleys by 10 or 11 am, so the trek is timed around early starts. From December to February, snow and ice above High Camp can stop trekkers short of base camp, and we carry microspikes on those departures. In return, the forest below Low Camp is quiet, and you may see Danphe pheasants and langur monkeys.
Khopra Danda for quieter trails
If you want to avoid the crowds entirely, Khopra Danda is the one we suggest. Our 8-day trek costs from US$690 or ₹59,000 and runs from Ghandruk via Tadapani and Dobato to a grassy ridge at 3,660 m, facing Dhaulagiri across the Kali Gandaki gorge, one of the deepest valleys on earth. An optional day climbs to Khayer Lake at about 4,660 m, a sacred lake for Hindu pilgrims.
Lodges here are run by village communities and are simple but warm. The trail finishes at Ghorepani with a Poon Hill sunrise on the last morning, so you get the famous view without spending every day in its queue.
Which trek suits you
These are the matches we make most often when people ask us to choose for them.
- First trek, children aged 8 and over, or grandparents who walk regularly: Poon Hill, or our 3-day Ghandruk family trek if steps are a concern
- Only 4–5 days in Pokhara: Poon Hill
- One week and good fitness, happy with basic lodges: Mardi Himal
- Ten days or more and a wish to sleep among the big peaks: Annapurna Base Camp
- Photographers who dislike crowds: Khopra Danda, or our 11-day Poon Hill and Khopra photography trek
- Strong knees are a worry: ABC with the helicopter return, which removes the long descent
- Anyone with heart or lung conditions: Poon Hill, after a doctor's advice, because it stays below 3,300 m
Combining two treks
Poon Hill and ABC link easily. From Ghorepani, a trail runs over the 3,090 m Deurali pass to Tadapani and down to Chhomrong, adding two to three days to the base camp trek. That sequence also helps acclimatisation, because you spend nights at 2,874 m and 2,630 m before heading up the gorge.
Mardi Himal does not connect directly to the other two without returning to the road, so it works better as a separate trip. Our view: do Poon Hill first if you are unsure how you handle trekking, and come back for ABC or Mardi on a later visit.
Places in this guide
Questions travellers ask
Which is better, Poon Hill or Annapurna Base Camp?
Poon Hill is better if you have 4–5 days, want an easy first trek and prefer comfortable lodges; it tops out at 3,210 m. Annapurna Base Camp is better if you have 10–11 days and want to sleep at 4,130 m surrounded by Annapurna I, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre. ABC costs from US$910 against US$340 for Poon Hill.
Is Mardi Himal harder than Annapurna Base Camp?
Mardi Himal is shorter but has one harder day. The climb from High Camp at 3,580 m to base camp at about 4,500 m and back down to Low Camp takes 8–9 hours on a steep, exposed ridge. ABC has more total distance and more days at height. Overall, we grade ABC Challenging and Mardi Moderate with one demanding day.
Which Annapurna trek is best for beginners?
Ghorepani Poon Hill is the best first trek in the Annapurna region. It takes 4 days from Pokhara, stays below 3,210 m, has good lodges and a busy, well-marked trail. Expect 3–6 hours of walking a day and a lot of stone steps around Ulleri. Our package costs from US$340 or ₹29,000 per person.
Can I see Annapurna from Poon Hill?
Yes, but not Annapurna I head-on. From Poon Hill at 3,210 m you see Annapurna South at 7,219 m, Hiunchuli, Annapurna I's summit area, Machhapuchhre and, to the west, Dhaulagiri at 8,167 m. To stand directly beneath Annapurna I's south face, you need to walk into the sanctuary to Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 m.
Is Mardi Himal trek crowded?
Less than Poon Hill or ABC, but it is busier each year. In October and early November, High Camp's few lodges fill up and rooms are often shared. Outside those weeks you may have the ridge to yourself in places. Khopra Danda is quieter still if avoiding crowds is your priority.
How many days do I need for Annapurna Base Camp?
Plan on 7 days of walking from Siwai or Nayapul, which makes 10–11 days from Kathmandu including flights to Pokhara and a spare day. Our trek is 11 days from Kathmandu. With a helicopter return from base camp, 8 days from Pokhara is enough. Shorter itineraries exist but gain height too quickly for most people.
Which Annapurna trek has the best mountain views?
For closeness, ABC wins, because you sleep inside a ring of peaks with Annapurna I about 4,000 m above you. For a wide panorama in little time, Poon Hill shows Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas together. Mardi Himal gives the closest view of Machhapuchhre, and Khopra Danda the best view of Dhaulagiri across the Kali Gandaki gorge.
What is the cheapest trek near Pokhara?
Among our treks, the 3-day Ghandruk family trek is the cheapest at US$220 or ₹19,000, followed by the 4-day Ghorepani Poon Hill trek at US$340 or ₹29,000. Both include guide, permit and teahouse meals. Mardi Himal from Pokhara costs from US$530 and Khopra Danda from US$690 for longer trips.
Can I combine Poon Hill and Annapurna Base Camp?
Yes. From Ghorepani you cross the Deurali pass at 3,090 m to Tadapani and drop to Chhomrong, then follow the normal route to base camp. It adds two to three days, so allow 13–14 days from Kathmandu. The extra nights at 2,600–2,900 m also help your body adjust before the climb to 4,130 m.
