Poon Hill in 3, 4 or 5 days, here's which version actually fits your fitness and your calendar

Choose the 3-day Poon Hill trek if you are fit, short on time and have walked at altitude before. Choose 4 days if this is your first trek. Choose 5 days if you want a slower pace, or if you are over 55, travelling with children, or nervous about altitude. The summit viewpoint is 3,210 m on all three, so the view is the same and the pace is what you are paying for.

Which Poon Hill length suits a first-time trekker?

The 4-day version suits most first-timers. It gives you one more night than the 3-day trip to settle in, without the cost of a fifth day. People who have never slept above 2,500 m usually enjoy it more when the stone steps up to Ghorepani, which sits at roughly 2,870 m, are not squeezed into a single afternoon.

What does the altitude rule say about a short trek?

The US CDC advises that above about 2,750 m (9,000 ft) you should raise your sleeping altitude by no more than about 500 m (1,600 ft) a day, with an extra rest day for every 1,000 m (3,300 ft) climbed. Poon Hill stays only just above that line, so most healthy people do fine on any version. The trek is short, which means it leaves little room for a bad day. A headache or a slow stomach is easier to absorb on day 5 than on day 3.

The CDC also says the body adjusts best when you spend 2 to 3 nights around 2,450 to 2,750 m before going higher. A 3-day trip does not give you that, and that is why we do not recommend it for anyone who has never been above 2,500 m.

What does each extra day actually buy you?

The extra days buy slack, not scenery. Day 4 gives you a slower first day and a margin for rain on the sunrise morning, which matters because cloud decides whether you see Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South at dawn. Day 5 adds a gentler descent and more time in Ghorepani and the villages, and it is the one to pick if you are older, carrying a niggle or walking with a child.

Who should pick which?

Pick 3 days if you have trekked before, are in good shape and have a single free long weekend. Pick 4 days if you are a first-timer, travelling as a couple or small group, or want a margin for weather. Pick 5 days if you are over 55, bringing teenagers or younger children, or flying in the same week from sea level and want the gentlest ramp. If you want a higher goal and more crowd-free walking, Poon Hill is the wrong trek altogether, and you should look at Annapurna Base Camp instead.

You can see the three options and book the version you want on our 4-day Poon Hill itinerary, with the 3-day and 5-day versions alongside it.

Who this suits, and who it doesn't

Poon Hill suits first-time trekkers, families and anyone who wants a Himalayan sunrise without a long commitment. It does not suit someone who wants to feel remote, because the route is busy in October and November, or someone who wants a high-altitude challenge, since 3,210 m is not that.

Cover photo: Damien Dufour via Pexels (Pexels License). Section photos: Mark de Jong via Pexels (Pexels licence); Clinton Weaver via Pexels (Pexels licence); Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto via Pexels (Pexels licence); Roshan Pokharel via Pexels (Pexels licence); Namal Siriwardana via Pexels (Pexels licence).