Today, I’ll be assisting you in reaching the highest point of the Parbat District, Kokhe Danda, located at an elevation of 3,309 meters.
It’s not just about the height. Once you reach the 360-Degree Hill, the panoramic views of Machhapuchhre (Fishtail), the Annapurna Massif, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, and even the Langtang range are sure to mesmerize you.
This hill station makes for a perfect short getaway, especially for sunrise and sunset lovers. After that, you’ll even pass through the scenic trails of Mohare Danda > Poon Hill > Ghorepani.
I’m already excited to take you on this Kokhe Danda trek journey. So, buckle up for this in-depth guide!
Key Facts About Kokhe Danda Trek
| Region | Annapurna Conservation Area, Parbat District, Gandaki Province |
| Altitude | 3,309m (360 Degree Hill) |
| Highest Altitude | 3,313m (Mohare Danda) |
| Trip Duration (From Kathmandu) | 3 to 4 days |
| Trek Duration | 2 days |
| Trek Difficulty | Easy |
| Starting Point | Banthanti |
| Ending Point | Banthanti / Ulleri / Thikhedhunga (ours) / Nayapul |
| Network Availability | Available throughout, Wi-Fi services available in the lodge |
| Best Time to Visit | October – March, April – May (if weather is clear) |
| Permits (for tourists) | Annapurna Conservation Area Permit and TIMS Card |
Kokhe Danda Trek Route Map
3-Day Kokhe Danda Trek Itinieary
The journey to Kokhe Danda, Parbat begins from the tourism capital of Nepal, Pokhara. So, if you’re coming from Kathmandu or any other district, make sure to arrive here a day before your trek.
There are actually multiple routes that lead you to Kokhe Danda’s 360-Degree Hill. My partner and I chose to start our journey from Banthanti, Kaski, and I’ll be emphasizing this particular route in this article.
Even if you take a different path, the Kokhe Danda trek can generally be completed within 2 to 3 days. Here are the routes I know of (comment below if you’re aware of any others):
- Pokhara > Jhilibarang > Taprang > Kokhe Danda
- Beni > Ghorepani > Poon Hill > Mohare Danda > Kokhe Danda (According to an Instagram user, there’s a direct jeep from Beni to Ghorepani, which I am still unaware of.)
- Kushma > Lespar Village > Kokhe Danda
But we’re going for a slightly different route:
Pokhara > Banthanti > Taprang > Kokhe Danda, and then we’ll return via Poon Hill, while also visiting Mohare Danda. Let’s get into the details:
Day 1: Drive From Pokhara to Banthanti & Hike to Kokhe Danda
| Drive Duration | 3 hours |
| Hike Duration | 5 to 6 hours |
| Altitude Shifts | 822m > 2160m > 2717m > 3303m > 3309m > 3303m |
| Elevation Gain | 2487m |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Accommodation Type | Mountain Lodge |
To begin with, there are three modes of transportation to reach the trekking region:
- By Jeep: This is the most expensive option but also the most convenient for those without private vehicles. A jeep from Hari Chowk takes you directly to Banthanti.
- By Bus: There’s a public bus that goes up to Ulleri. From there, you’ll need to hike an additional 1.5 hours to reach Banthanti.
- By Private Vehicle: You can use the Beni route, as mentioned earlier, to reach Ghorepani (though I’m not entirely sure about this one). However, I can confirm that both two-wheelers and four-wheelers can reach up to Nangithanti if you go via the Ulleri road.
Personally, we opted for a jeep after arriving in Pokhara a day earlier. You guys, make sure to reach Hari Chowk a day prior.
If you’re in a larger group, you can directly reserve a private jeep. But for those in smaller groups, keep these things in mind:
- You’ll have to hop on a shared jeep, and the cost gets divided.
- Be friendly with the crew and try to stick together until the end.
- Share contact numbers if they’re heading only to Poon Hill. This helps when returning, as you’ll likely need to share a jeep again.
- Even better? Try convincing them to follow this itinerary as well!
Once you reach Banthanti (2,160m), your hike starts. While many stop here for a quick snack, you could choose to keep moving forward instead. I’ll leave that up to you!
Within 2 hours, you should reach Taprang (2,717m), where there’s a cottage available. You can have your snacks here (suggestion: noodles).
Next, keep hiking the uphill trail. You can either walk through the forest or near the cliffs to enjoy the views. Just be careful!
You’ll pass Doya Ple (2,850m), Tutan (2,950m), and Danfe Hill (3,150m) within the next 2 hours. Another hour of hiking from there leads you to the only cottage at Kokhe Danda (3,303m).
Take your time to unwind. If you arrive at the right time, the views will surely mesmerize you. But for us, it was a complete disappointment!
I’m pretty sure you’ll spend a good amount of time appreciating the beauty of this place. And don’t miss the sunset!
Head over to the 360-Degree Hill (3,309m), which is just a 5-minute hike from the cottage. You see national flags lined up, which is a unique idea to promote the place.
Since we had enough time and the entire area was covered in fog, we decided to continue toward Mohare Danda. But you guys: don’t do that!
As per the locals: The views from Kokhe Danda is more breathtaking than that of Mohare Danda.
Day 2: Kokhe Danda to Banthanti or Tikhedhunga via Poon Hill
| Hike Duration | 6 to 9 hours |
| Altitude Shifts | 3303m > 3309m > 3313m > 3210m > 2874m > 2160m > 1480m |
| Elevation Gain | 10m |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Accommodation Type | Village Lodge |
Wake up early and head to 360-Degree Hill once again to witness the mesmerizing sunrise over the Annapurna range.
Now, if you wish to complete the trek on the same day, you’ll need to move quickly. Grab a light breakfast (suggestion: tea and biscuits) and head straight to Mohare Danda (3,313m).
For those of you willing to take an extra day, take your time. Click plenty of photos and videos before returning to the cottage for breakfast.
It takes about 30 minutes to reach Mohare Danda from Kokhe Danda. Don’t forget to stop here to enjoy slightly different views.
Then, continue on the downhill trail to Poon Hill (3,210m). This stretch takes around 3 hours.
Since it’s an iconic location, I’m pretty sure you’ll take a whole lot of pictures here. Once done, descend further to Ghorepani aka Ghode Pani (2,874m), just 30 minutes from Poon Hill.
Have your lunch in this beautiful village, inhabited mostly by Gurungs and Magars. Then, continue down to Nangithanti (2,350m) and back to Banthanti. This takes about 2.5 hours.
Noticed something? You’ve completed a full circuit of the trail!
Now, here’s the thing:
- If you’re in a big group, ask any hotel and they’ll help you arrange a jeep.
- Still with the same group? Great. it’s easier to arrange a shared jeep back to Pokhara.
- Just two or three of you? Don’t bother calling a jeep. It’ll be too expensive.
- So, check the time: if you’re in Banthanti by 1 PM, you can still push ahead to Ulleri (1,960m) by 2 PM, which is when one public bus departs daily.
- Think you won’t make it? Or feeling too tired? Stay overnight in Banthanti. There are plenty of hotels. You can try to find a jeep the next day. But remember: you’ll still need to wait for other groups for the jeep to start, which is unlikely in the early morning.
- If you’re lucky, you might hop onto a local jeep, but that depends entirely on availability.
In our case, we thought waiting for the bus or others for a jeep would just be too time-consuming. We were confident we could reach Nayapul and catch a taxi to Pokhara.
Well, plans don’t always go how you expect. And that’s exactly what happened to us!
My partner’s ankle got sprained while hiking downhill from Ulleri to Tikhedhunga.
Thankfully, we had already decided to spend the night at Tikhedhunga, and somehow managed to reach there by 8 PM.
Day 3: Return to Pokhara
| Drive Duration | 1 – 3 hours (depends on starting point) |
| Hike Duration | 3 – 4 hours (if you’re heading to Nayapul) |
| Altitude Shifts (from Banthanti) | 2160m > 1480m > 1070m > 822m |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Accommodation Type | Hotel |
Since our story had a bit of a sad ending, we sought help from the lodge. And luckily, we found a local jeep!
All we had to do was hike about 20 minutes to reach the road (which was still a challenge with the sprained ankle!).
The silver lining? We passed by the beautiful Tikhedhunga waterfall. It was a perfect little highlight before heading back to Pokhara.
As for you guys, if everything goes smoothly, you can continue onwards to Nayapul, which takes about 2.5 hours from Tikhedhunga.
For those staying in Banthanti, you’ll just have to wait until a jeep arrives and there are enough passengers to get going.
And if you’re from Kathmandu, you may return the same day. However, I still recommend spending one more night in Lakeside, Pokhara, to relax.
Maybe even try kayaking on the Phewa Lake. That’s exactly what I did!
Best Time & Season to Visit Kokhe Danda
You’ve seen the pictures. They look awful, I know. And not because we did the trek in the off-season. It was April, but the weather just didn’t clear up. All the blame goes to global warming!
Basically, what I want to tell you is: don’t chase the “right season,” but rather, be aware of the right timing.
It’s simple. Most places in Nepal are best visited during Spring (March through May) and Autumn (September through November). The same goes for Kokhe Danda, Mohare Danda, and Poon Hill.
But we’re all aware of climate change these days. Things are shifting, and they’ll continue to change in the future too.
So, what should you do? Since you’re here for the views, the weather needs to be clear at all times or you’ll end up in our shoes!
Contact someone who has recently done the trek. Ask them about the weather and plan accordingly, immediately.
Hesitant to find someone? Just message us on our social media, and we’ll be at your service!
Just remember:
- Spring = rhododendrons and great views, but unpredictable weather
- Monsoon = a big no!
- Autumn = good and clear weather, but early September can still be unpredictable
- Pre-winter = just as good as autumn, but colder
- Winter = chances of snow and a higher probability of bad weather
Kokhe Danda Trek Budget Breakdown
Here, I’ll be focusing only on the trek costs, excluding the expenses in Pokhara. This is how we managed to complete the 3-day Kokhe Danda Trek for under NPR 5000, on a per-person basis:
| Jeep to Banthanti | 1150 |
| Noodles in Taprang | 175 |
| Black Tea in Kokhe Danda | 50 |
| Mohare Danda Hotel Package | 1250 |
| Noodles in Ghorepani | 150 |
| Tea & Biscuit in Banthanti | 75 |
| Hotel in Tikhedhunga (Stay + Noodles + Tea) | 750 |
| Jeep to Pokhara | 1150 |
| Extra Snacks | 150 |
| Total | NPR 4900 |
I truly hope my bookkeeping record will help you plan your budget accordingly.
Of course, the details provided are primarily for Nepali readers. For those outside Nepal, there are additional factors to consider, such as permit costs, travel insurance, agency fees, extra hotel charges, and more.
At TNT, we understand that travel can be expensive. However, we want everyone on this planet to experience the beauty of Nepal. Our mission with this website is to help you make that happen.
That said, we’ll soon publish a dedicated article specifically for international travelers. Until then, feel free to connect with us on social media, where we can stay in touch and communicate directly.
Final Words
Ready to explore Kokhe Danda followed by Mohare Danda and Poon Hill on your return journey? If so, share this article with your travel buddies and start planning your adventure right away!
Once you complete the trek, don’t forget to tag us in your social media posts. And please use the phrase ‘Travel Nepal Today‘ wherever you go. It’s catchy and could be a great way to promote Nepal, right?
Happy traveling to Parbat!
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