Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m) and Annapurna I (8,091 m) stand about 35 km apart with the Kali Gandaki gorge between them, and from Poon Hill both fit in a 24 mm frame. We aim to be on top 30–40 minutes before sunrise, when blue hour light shows the shape of the ridges and the lights of Ghorepani still glow below. A tripod is useful at this stage; the tower shakes when crowded, so set up on the ground.
For sunrise, a telephoto of 100–200 mm isolates the summit glow on Dhaulagiri and the fluted face of Annapurna South. Expose for the snow, not the foreground, and bracket if your camera's dynamic range is limited. Best months are late October to December, when air is driest. Spring brings haze but adds red rhododendron in the foreground, which many photographers prefer for colour, especially on the trail just below the summit.
The best light often comes after the crowd leaves, around 7 am, when side light picks out texture on the glaciers and the tower is empty. Our Poon Hill and Khopra photography trek builds in two Poon Hill mornings in case the first is cloudy. Drones need permission from Nepal's civil aviation authority and local approvals, and flying them over crowds is not acceptable; check current status before you travel.
Good for
- Photographers
- Solo
- Couples
Questions travellers ask
What lens should I bring to Poon Hill?
A wide zoom around 16–35 mm covers the full panorama from Dhaulagiri to Machhapuchhre, and a 70–200 mm telephoto lets you isolate single summits and sunrise glow. Phone cameras do well with the panorama mode. Bring a small tripod for blue hour shots before the sun rises.
Can I fly a drone at Poon Hill?
Drones in Nepal need permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and, inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, local approvals as well. In practice few trekkers obtain them, and flying over the sunrise crowd is unsafe and unpopular. The rules are revised from time to time, so check current status before you travel.
Which month has the clearest view from Poon Hill?
November and December usually have the clearest, driest air, with sunrise visible on most mornings. October is also good after the monsoon clears, typically from the second week. March and April bring more haze and afternoon cloud but add rhododendron colour to the foreground.
