Dhampus and Pothana, the ridge villages above Pokhara
Twenty minutes past the viewpoint where everyone stops, two working Gurung villages sit on a ridge with the whole Annapurna wall in front of them.
By the Lakeshore team · 5 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Australian Camp is the meadow with the view. Dhampus is the village twenty-five minutes beyond it, Pothana is the one above that, and few of the people who walk up from Kande go to either.
They're the reason to make it a full day instead of a morning. You get the same trail and the same view, with people living in it. This is the walk I recommend more than any other to visitors who have one free day.
Dhampus
Dhampus is a long Gurung village of stone and slate, strung along the ridge at around 1,650 m, with the path running through the middle. Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre fill the northern sky from almost anywhere in it.
This is a working village, with buffalo, maize drying under the eaves and children walking to school, not a row of lodges. The guesthouses are quiet, and a night in one is one of the cheaper good nights you'll find in Nepal. The best hour is early. Dhampus at dawn, with the mountains catching the light and the village waking up around you, is the reason to sleep there instead of passing through.
Pothana and the trail beyond
Above Dhampus the path climbs into forest toward Pothana, a smaller settlement at around 1,900 m where the Mardi Himal and Annapurna Base Camp routes split.
Standing at that junction is a good way to understand the geography of the whole region. One path goes up the ridge to Mardi, and the other drops into the Modi Khola valley toward the Sanctuary.
Pothana is also the practical answer for anyone thinking about Mardi. Walk to Pothana, look at the ridge, and decide. Our Mardi Himal trek goes up that ridge.
The loop
Drive to Kande, walk up through Australian Camp to Dhampus, then take a different path down to Phedi and a taxi home. Allow five to six hours with the stops. There's no backtracking.
Done in reverse, up from Phedi and down to Kande, the climb is steeper and the descent gentler, which suits some knees better. Tell your driver which way you're going.
Add Pothana and it becomes a full day. Add a night in Dhampus and it becomes a small trek.
Why we keep sending people here
The ratio of effort to reward. Ninety minutes of climbing gets you an unobstructed 8,000-metre skyline, a working village, and the start of a trekking route instead of a purpose-built path.
It also works as a test. This is the first section of Mardi Himal, so if you're wondering whether you'd enjoy a multi-day trek, this is the same terrain, and one day tells you. And Dhampus is close. You can leave Lakeside at seven and be back for a late lunch, which isn't true of anything else with a view like this. Our Australian Camp hike comes back through Dhampus for lunch, with private transport from your Lakeside hotel.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Do I need a permit?
For the day walk to Australian Camp and Dhampus, generally not. Going on beyond Pothana into the conservation area does need a permit. Tell us your plan and we'll confirm.
Can I stay overnight?
Yes. Dhampus has simple guesthouses and they're rarely full. That's how we'd do it ourselves.
How hard is it?
About 400 m of climbing on stone path and steps, which takes ninety minutes at a relaxed pace. Children manage it comfortably.
Is it the same as the Mardi Himal trek?
It's the first section of it, which is why it works as a trial run.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates and how much walking you've done, and we'll tell you whether Australian Camp Sunrise Hike is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830