Meta description: Trek from Nayapool to Mohare Danda (3,310 m) and Poon Hill (3,210 m) through Gurung and Magar villages in Nepal’s Annapurna Conservation Area. A beginner-friendly 5-day circuit in Parbat District with ACAP-certified eco-lodges.
Intro Nestled between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs in Nepal’s Gandaki Province, the Mohare Danda and Poon Hill Trek is a five-day Himalayan circuit that rewards trekkers with panoramic ridge-top views, immersive encounters with Gurung and Magar communities, and consecutive nights in ACAP-certified community eco-lodges – all without the crowds of the classic Ghorepani–Poon Hill route. Beginning at the Nayapool trailhead on the Baglung Highway and rising through Parbat District’s rhododendron forests to a high point of 3,310 m at Mohare Danda, this moderate Nepal trek is graded accessible for families, children, and senior trekkers seeking an authentic Annapurna Conservation Area experience.
| Detail | Info |
| Duration | 5 days |
| Start / End | Nayapool (900 m) → Pokhara (822 m) |
| Highest Point | Mohare Danda, 3,310 m |
| District | Parbat, Baglung, Myagdi, Kaski |
| Difficulty | Beginner / Family-friendly |
| Best Season | March–May (rhododendron bloom), Oct–Dec |
| Permits Required | ACAP entry permit |
| Accommodation | ACAP-certified community eco-lodges |
Day 1 – Pokhara → Nayapool → Lespar (1,700 m) The trek opens with a 40 km drive along the Baglung Highway from Pokhara – the lakeside gateway city of Gandaki Province and Nepal’s primary Annapurna-region hub – to Nayapool (900 m), the established trailhead for both the Mohare Danda Trek and the wider Annapurna Circuit. A well-paved stone trail climbs steadily northeast through terraced farmland and dense lower-montane rhododendron forest in Parbat District. After approximately 8 km and seven hours of moderate ascent, trekkers reach Lespar village (1,700 m) – a peaceful mid-hill settlement between the Gurung community of Purna Gaun and the pioneering eco-village of Nangi. The manageable 800 m elevation gain from Nayapool makes this an ideal opening stage for families trekking in Nepal.
Day 2 – Lespar → Nangi Village (2,300 m) Departing Lespar through oak and rhododendron canopy and traditional Parbat District settlements, the trail covers roughly 9 km over six hours before arriving at Nangi village (2,300 m) within the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) boundary. Nangi holds international recognition as a community-led rural connectivity model, pioneered by Mahabir Pun – the MacArthur Fellow, Ramon Magsaysay Award laureate, and social entrepreneur whose Nepal Wireless Networking Project brought broadband internet to remote Himalayan villages. Evenings in Nangi deliver authentic Gurung cultural immersion: traditional dal bhat, local raksi, village conversation, and starlit skies undimmed by resort lighting.
Day 3 – Nangi → Mohare Danda (3,310 m) The circuit’s centrepiece ascent winds through ancient rhododendron forest – among the Annapurna region’s finest seasonal displays between March and May – on stone-paved pathways rarely walked by mainstream trekking groups. Mohare Danda ridge (3,310 m) stands as one of the finest 360-degree Himalayan viewpoints accessible on a short Nepal trek, with a sunset panorama spanning Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m), Annapurna South (7,219 m), Nilgiri North (7,061 m), and Machhapuchhre (6,993 m). All overnight accommodation is in ACAP-approved community lodges managed by local Magar village cooperatives; lodge revenues directly fund children’s education and village infrastructure – responsible trekking with a measurable community impact.
Day 4 – Mohare Danda → Poon Hill (3,210 m) → Ghorepani (2,860 m) An alpine pre-dawn departure from Mohare Danda delivers a private Himalayan sunrise before the Ghorepani–Poon Hill circuit traffic arrives at the viewpoint. The descent follows an ancient ridge-to-forest pathway – one of the quietest stretches in the entire ACAP zone — to Poon Hill (3,210 m), Nepal’s most celebrated family-friendly sunrise viewpoint and the signature landmark of the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek. Arriving from the Mohare Danda side secures unobstructed sightlines to Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, and Machhapuchhre ahead of the dawn crowds. A 45-minute descent on well-maintained stone trail reaches Ghorepani (2,860 m) – the Annapurna foothills’ largest teahouse settlement – for a warm dal bhat lunch and a comfortable teahouse overnight.
Day 5 – Ghorepani → Ulleri → Pokhara (822 m) The final morning descends from Ghorepani ridge (2,860 m) through mature rhododendron and oak forest – still within the Annapurna Conservation Area Project boundary – before the trail drops sharply onto the celebrated Ulleri stone staircase, a 3,000-step descent that is one of the most iconic trail features in the Annapurna foothills and a recognised landmark of the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek circuit. The 8–9 km walk to Ulleri village (2,050 m) takes four to five hours, with widening views over the Modi Khola valley and the terraced mid-hill farmland of Myagdi and Kaski districts as altitude falls steadily away. From Ulleri, a 45–50 km road transfer along the Kali Gandaki and Seti River corridor – approximately three to four hours depending on monsoon-season road conditions on the Baglung Highway – returns trekkers to Pokhara (822 m) on the eastern shore of Phewa Tal lake. The arrival in Pokhara closes a circuit that has climbed from 900 m at Nayapool to 3,310 m at Mohare Danda, traversed four Himalayan districts – Parbat, Baglung, Myagdi, and Kaski – passed through two indigenous communities, and visited two of the Annapurna Conservation Area’s most rewarding viewpoints.