Five days turns Pokhara from a stop into a base. Keep the three-day core, then go up a ridge for a night and finish beside the quieter lake.
At a glance
- Nights
- 5
- Nights out
- 1 (Australian Camp)
- Permit
- ACAP for day 4
- Walking
- ~4 h over 2 days
Days 1–3 — The core
Follow the three-day itinerary: lake and pagoda, Sarangkot and paragliding, then the city. On day 3, sort your ACAP permit at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Damside for tomorrow (passport, photos — TODO confirm requirements), and pack an overnight bag; leave the rest at the hotel.
Day 4 — Up to Australian Camp
Lodges on the Australian Camp meadow with prayer flags and the ridge line
Morning. Taxi to Kande on the Baglung highway (about an hour). Walk up the stone path through forest and villages for 1.5–2 hours to the Australian Camp meadow at about 2,060 m.
Afternoon. Lunch at a lodge, then a short walk along the ridge. The mountains come and go behind afternoon cloud; that's fine, they're for tomorrow.
Night. Simple lodge, dal bhat, an early night in the cold, clean air. Under the 2023 conservation-area rules a licensed guide is expected here; a local day-guide is cheap and worth it. TODO: confirm current enforcement.
Day 5 — Ridge sunrise, then Begnas
Dawn. Step outside. Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre light up in front of you with nobody else there.
Morning. Walk down through Dhampus to Phedi (1.5–2 hours), taxi back to Pokhara.
Afternoon. Taxi on to Begnas Lake, 30–45 minutes east. Hire a boat or don't; eat lake fish at a shoreline kitchen; sit. Back to Lakeside for a final dinner — or stay the night at Begnas and take the bus or flight from there in the morning.
Questions I get asked
Could I do a short trek instead of days 4–5?
Poon Hill needs four to five days, so not in this window. Australian Camp is the honest one-night version of that experience. For real treks, see the trekking gateway guide.