Muldai has Poon Hill's panorama, 400 metres higher

3,637 m, one ridge east of the famous viewpoint, with Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I on the same skyline and perhaps a dozen people at dawn.

By Dawa Gurung · 6 min read · Updated 1 August 2026

Every guide in Pokhara knows the Muldai trade-off and most visitors never hear it. Poon Hill is 3,210 m and gets several hundred people at sunrise in October. Muldai is 3,637 m, sits a short distance east, looks at the same mountains from higher up, and gets a dozen.

The cost is one extra day and slightly rougher accommodation. That is the entire trade. We send anyone who mentions crowds here without hesitation.

The loop

The usual shape is a four-day loop: drive to Ghandruk, walk up to Tadapani through the rhododendron forest, on to Dobato, and then the pre-dawn climb to Muldai before dropping to Ghorepani and out.

Done in that direction you get Muldai on the quiet morning and can still add Poon Hill the following dawn if you want to see the famous one for comparison. Most people who do both prefer Muldai and say so.

The Tadapani to Dobato section is the prettiest walking on the route — high forest, mossy and quiet, with occasional gaps that open onto Annapurna South.

The view from the top

Dhaulagiri at 8,167 m to the west, Annapurna I at 8,091 m almost due north, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhre and the whole Nilgiri group. Two eight-thousanders in one sweep.

Because you are 400 m above Poon Hill you look over the intervening ridges rather than along them, which gives a deeper and less foreshortened view. It is a better composition, not just a less crowded one. It is also colder and more exposed at dawn. There is no tea shop at the top and no shelter. Take a flask and a warm layer you would not need at Poon Hill.

Who it suits

Anyone considering Poon Hill who has an extra day. That is the honest recommendation and it costs us nothing to give it.

It also works as a step up for people who did Poon Hill on a previous trip and want the next thing without committing to Annapurna Base Camp.

It is a touch harder than Poon Hill — a little more altitude, longer days, simpler lodges. Nothing that a reasonably fit walker will notice much.

Walk it with us

Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.

Muldai View Point Trek4 days · 3,637 mRs 52,100 · See dates →Poon Hill Sunrise Trek3 days · 3,210 mRs 46,800 · See dates →Ghandruk Gurung Village Trek3 days · 2,012 mRs 30,700 · See dates →

Questions we get asked

Is Muldai better than Poon Hill?

Higher, quieter and a deeper view, at the cost of a day and some comfort. For the view itself, yes, we think so. Poon Hill wins on lodges, food and warmth.

Can I do both?

Easily, and it is the version we usually suggest — Muldai at dawn on one day, Poon Hill the next, then out. You get the comparison and the story.

How high is it exactly?

3,637 m. Poon Hill is 3,210 m, so you are gaining a little over 400 m of extra height and losing most of the crowd.

Do I need to book lodges ahead?

At Dobato in peak season, yes. We handle it. The rest of the route has room.

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Still deciding?

Tell us your dates and how much walking you have actually done, and we will tell you honestly whether this trek is the right one for you.

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