Plan my trek
Plan my trek
About 1,940–2,010 m
Annapurna, Kaski
ABC, Poon Hill loop
2.5–4 hrs by jeep
Oct–Nov, Mar–Apr
Lodges and homestays
Ghandruk is one of the largest and best-known Gurung villages in Nepal. It spreads across a steep, terraced hillside above the Modi Khola valley in Kaski District, roughly 30 km north-west of Pokhara as the crow flies. Depending on which part of the village you stand in, the altitude is around 1,940 m to 2,010 m, which is low enough that altitude sickness is not a concern for most people.
The setting is the reason most people come. On a clear morning Annapurna South (7,219 m) and Hiunchuli (6,441 m) fill the head of the valley, with the sharp double summit of Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), the “Fishtail”, to the right and Gangapurna (7,455 m) visible from higher points. The mountains feel close here, and you see them from lodge terraces, not from a viewpoint you have to climb to before dawn.
Most residents are Gurung (they call themselves Tamu), with Magar, Chhetri and Dalit families also part of the community. Nepal’s 2021 census counted a little over 5,300 people in the former Ghandruk area, which since 2017 has been part of Annapurna Rural Municipality. Like many Gurung villages, Ghandruk has a long tradition of men serving as Gurkha soldiers in the British and Indian armies. Pensions and remittances helped build the solid stone houses, schools and lodges you see today, and you will meet retired soldiers who speak excellent English.
Ghandruk has a special place in the story of the region. In 1986 the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) began as a pilot scheme covering Ghandruk and its surrounding area, about 200 km², before the wider Annapurna Conservation Area was gazetted in 1992. The idea was unusual for its time: rather than fencing people out, local communities would manage forests, run lodges responsibly and share in the income from trekkers’ permit fees. ACAP still runs an office in the village, and the community forests, micro-hydro schemes and lodge standards you see owe a lot to that early work.
The older, upper part of the village is a maze of flagstone lanes and stone steps between slate-roofed houses, with millet and maize drying on courtyards and buffalo sheds below the homes. The lower part, nearer the road, is busier, with newer concrete lodges and jeep traffic. Weekends and Nepali holidays bring many domestic visitors driving up from Pokhara, so it can be lively. Stay one night at least, and two if you can, so you have a good chance of a clear morning view and an evening in the quiet lanes after the day visitors leave.
Ghandruk suits almost everyone: families, first-time trekkers, people with only a few days, and anyone heading to Annapurna Base Camp or walking the Poon Hill loop. It is also a good place to see a large, working hill village that has changed with tourism and kept much of its character.
Ghandruk is a place to slow down rather than tick off sights. Most of the things below fit easily into an afternoon and the following morning. Fees are small and paid in cash; amounts change, so treat the figures as a guide.
The best show in Ghandruk is free. Mornings are usually the clearest time of day, and in autumn and winter the first sun turns Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre pink and then gold around 6 am. Many lodge terraces face the peaks, so you can watch with a cup of tea.
For a wider view, climb 15 to 30 minutes to the upper (northern) end of the village. Allow about an hour in all. Clouds often build by late morning, especially from March to May, so do not leave photos until after breakfast. Sunset can be good too, but is less reliable.
Ghandruk has two small cultural museums, often called the Old Gurung Museum and the Gurung Cultural Museum. They are in traditional houses in the old village and display farming tools, bamboo baskets, brass and copper cooking pots, weapons, jewellery and traditional clothing, with some English labels.
Entry is a small fee, reported at around NPR 100 (under £1) per museum, payable in cash. Allow 30 to 45 minutes for each. Opening times are informal; if a door is shut, ask at the nearest house or your lodge. Your guide can explain the objects, which brings the displays to life.
Several museums, shops and homestays rent traditional Gurung clothing for photographs. For women this usually means a velvet blouse, wrap skirt, shawl and gold or brass jewellery; for men a bhangra cloth tunic and a khukuri knife at the belt. Nepali visitors love it, and it is a lighthearted way to support local households.
Prices of roughly NPR 300 to 400 (about £2) per hour have been reported. Allow 30 minutes. Agree the price before you start, and ask before photographing other people, particularly older residents.
Give yourself an hour or two to wander the upper village without a plan. The paths are paved with flagstones and lined with stone walls, and you pass courtyards, water taps, small shrines and terraced fields that drop away towards the Modi Khola. The climb from the lower village to the top is about 100 m.
Go in the late afternoon, when people return from the fields and the light is softer. Stay on the paths, close gates behind you, and remember that these are homes, not a museum. A greeting of “namaste” goes a long way.
The Meshram Baraha temple, dedicated to the boar incarnation of Vishnu, is the village’s best-known shrine and gives its name to the local secondary school. There are also small Buddhist and Hindu shrines around the village, reflecting the mix of Buddhist, Hindu and older Gurung shamanic traditions here.
Reaching the temple from the old village is a walk of roughly 45 minutes to an hour each way, with some climbing, so it makes a good short hike on a rest afternoon. Remove shoes and leather items if asked, walk clockwise around Buddhist shrines, and ask before taking photos inside.
Lodges and the local mothers’ groups (aama samuha) sometimes put on evenings of song and dance, especially in the busy seasons or for groups. Donations go to community funds, often for school or trail repairs. Ask your lodge on arrival if anything is planned.
Try the local food while you are here: dhido (a stiff porridge of millet or buckwheat flour), gundruk (fermented greens) soup, local chicken curry and sel roti. Local chicken is expensive compared with dal bhat, because it is a whole bird cooked to order. Order it in Ghandruk if you want meat, because higher up the Sanctuary trail menus become vegetarian.
Landruk is Ghandruk’s neighbour across the Modi Khola gorge, a smaller Gurung village on the opposite slope. The path drops steeply through terraces to a suspension bridge at the river and climbs the far side, a total of about 2 to 3 hours one way with roughly 400 to 500 m of descent and a similar climb.
It is a good walk if you have a spare day, or the first leg of a loop back to Pokhara via Dhampus and Phedi. Carry water and snacks. The steps are hard on knees, so poles help. Check locally after heavy rain, as landslides affect paths on this side of the valley.
The trail north-west from Ghandruk climbs through oak and rhododendron forest to Tadapani (about 2,630 m), a ridge-top hamlet with lodges facing Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. It is about 3 to 4 hours up, gaining roughly 650 m, and is the link between Ghandruk and Ghorepani on the Poon Hill loop.
Walking only the first hour or two and returning makes a good half-day outing, especially in March and April when the rhododendrons are flowering. If you continue to Tadapani, stay the night for a second sunrise. Go with your guide; paths through the forest can be confusing and slippery.
The natural hot pools at Jhinu Danda, on the banks of the Modi Khola below Chhomrong, are a popular half-day or overnight trip from Ghandruk. The usual route crosses the Kimrong Khola and the long suspension bridge near New Bridge, roughly 3 to 5 hours depending on the path.
Most people combine the springs with the ABC trek, either on the way up or as a reward on the way down. A community fee of around NPR 150 to 300 is charged. See our Chhomrong village guide for more on the pools. Bring swimwear: nudity is not acceptable.
Ghandruk sits at a crossroads of the main trails south of the Annapurna Sanctuary. Roads now reach the village from the Pokhara–Baglung highway, so it is often both a starting point and an end point. Because it is low, it has no real acclimatisation role. What it offers is an easy first night, a chance to sort out kit, and a cultural highlight on routes that are otherwise mostly about mountains.
| Trek | Typical day in Ghandruk | Role of the village |
|---|---|---|
| Annapurna Base Camp trek | Day 1 on the trail (after the drive from Pokhara), or the last night on a loop | Common first night before the walk to Chhomrong |
| Ghorepani Poon Hill trek | Day 3 or 4 of a 4–5 day loop | Last night or finishing point before the jeep to Pokhara |
| Poon Hill to ABC combination | Around day 4 | Link between Tadapani and Chhomrong |
| Short Ghandruk trek | Day 1 or 2 of a 2–3 day trip | The destination itself; often paired with Landruk or Australian Camp |
Walking times below are for an average trekker with stops. Altitudes vary by tens of metres between maps.
Most people now drive from Pokhara to Kimche (about 1,640 m) or the jeep stand just below Ghandruk, then walk the last stretch: around 30 minutes from the upper stand, or 1 to 2 hours on the stone steps from Kimche, gaining 300 to 400 m.
The traditional walk from Nayapul (about 1,070 m) via Birethanti, where permits are checked, and Syauli Bazaar is about 5 to 6 hours, gaining roughly 900 m. Much of it now shares the road, so few groups walk it all.
The direct route drops to the Kimrong Khola (about 1,800 m) and climbs to Chhomrong (about 2,170 m). It takes about 5 to 6 hours with a long descent and a tiring climb, and is the standard day 2 on many ABC treks.
The suspension bridge over the Kimrong Khola was swept away by a flash flood in July 2026. A temporary crossing was in place by early October 2026, but some groups used a reroute via Samrong and Jhinu Danda that adds half a day or more. Check the current crossing with your guide.
Heading west, the trail climbs through forest to Tadapani (about 2,630 m) in 3 to 4 hours. From there, Ghorepani (about 2,860 m) and Poon Hill are another day via the Deurali ridge. This is the Poon Hill loop walked anticlockwise.
The climb is steady rather than steep, but it is a gain of around 650 m in one morning, so take it slowly. Lodges in Tadapani are simpler than in Ghandruk.
On the way home, it is downhill all the way: about 30 minutes to the upper jeep stand or 1 to 1.5 hours to Kimche, then 2.5 to 4 hours by road to Pokhara. If you have time, walk down through the terraces towards Syauli Bazaar and pick up transport lower down.
Many people prefer to finish their trek in Ghandruk rather than start there: a hot shower, a cold drink and a mountain view are a good way to end.
Ghandruk has the best choice of accommodation on the lower Annapurna trails. Local sources count more than 50 lodges and homestays with beds for over 1,000 people, ranging from simple family rooms to comfortable stone lodges with attached bathrooms. Outside the October and Nepali holiday peaks, you can usually find a room on arrival, though your guide will normally phone ahead. Prices below are typical ranges at the time of writing and vary by season and room.
The standard choice for trekkers. Expect twin rooms with foam mattresses and a blanket, shared or attached toilets, a dining room with a stove, and a long menu of dal bhat, noodles, pasta, momos and pancakes.
Prices: rooms roughly NPR 500 to 1,500 (about £3 to £9) a night, often cheaper if you eat dinner and breakfast at the lodge. Some lodges quote a package of room, dinner and breakfast at around NPR 1,000 to 2,500 per person. Dal bhat costs around NPR 450 to 650 (£3 to £4), with free refills.
Several Gurung families run registered homestays, usually in the older part of the village. You sleep in a simple room in the family house, eat home-cooked dal bhat, dhido and seasonal vegetables with the family, and see daily life at close quarters.
Prices: often a per-person rate covering dinner, bed and breakfast, in a similar range to lodges or a little less. Facilities are more basic: shared bathrooms, fewer charging points and cooler rooms. Some homestays charge extra for dress hire or cultural programmes.
A small number of upmarket stone lodges offer en-suite rooms, proper beds with duvets, hot water and garden terraces facing the mountains. They are mostly booked through tour operators as part of comfort-level lodge treks.
Prices: considerably higher than teahouses, often quoted in US dollars and including meals. Worth it for families or anyone who wants a soft landing before or after a trek.
Ghandruk is well served. Most lodges have Wi-Fi (often free here, unlike higher up), hot showers by solar or gas, and charging in the room or dining room, frequently free of charge. There are small shops for snacks, toiletries and basic trekking items, and a few cafés with real coffee and cakes.
Rooms are unheated, and from December to February nights can drop to around freezing, so bring or rent a sleeping bag even if blankets are provided.
Tip: rooms in the upper village are quieter and closer to the old lanes. Rooms near the road and jeep stand are handier for early departures, but busier at weekends.
Every trip to Ghandruk starts in Pokhara. From Kathmandu, Pokhara is a 25 to 30-minute flight or a 6 to 9-hour tourist bus journey. From Pokhara you drive west on the Baglung highway to Nayapul, then turn up the Modi Khola valley on a rougher road past Birethanti and Syauli Bazaar to Kimche and the jeep stands below Ghandruk.
| Option | Time | Approximate cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private jeep, Pokhara to Ghandruk | 2.5–4 hours | NPR 6,000–10,000 per vehicle (about £34–£57) | Easiest option; fits 4–6 people with bags. Usually arranged by your agency. |
| Shared jeep | 3–4 hours | Roughly NPR 650–1,000 per seat (£4–£6) | Leaves from Pokhara when full; crowded and less predictable. |
| Local bus to Ghandruk or Kimche | 3.5–5 hours | Around NPR 450–500 (about £3) | From Pokhara’s Baglung bus park area; slow and crowded. |
| Bus to Nayapul, then walk | 1.5–2 hours, then 5–6 hours on foot | NPR 200–400 to Nayapul | The traditional approach; much of the walk now follows the road. |
The road is paved to Nayapul and mostly rough beyond, with single-track sections, hairpins and landslide-prone slopes. In July and August 2026, floods on the Modi Khola and Kimrong Khola washed out sections of the Nayapul–Birethanti–Ghandruk road at Syauli Bazaar and Birethanti, and the road was closed to traffic from mid-August. After repairs it reopened fully on 22 September 2026, and by early October jeeps were again running to Ghandruk. The local municipality still advises checking conditions before you travel, because rain can bring new blockages.
At around 2,000 m, Ghandruk is accessible all year. The main question is whether you will see the mountains. Our guide to the best season to travel in Nepal covers the wider picture; here is how it plays out in Ghandruk.
| Months | Weather in Ghandruk | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| October–November | Clear, dry, mild days around 15–20°C; cold mornings | Best views and busiest season, plus Dashain and Tihar holidays. Book ahead. |
| December–February | Often clear; nights near or below freezing | Quiet, crisp mountain views; occasional snow higher up. Bring warm layers. |
| March–April | Warm days, rhododendrons in flower | Lovely forests, but afternoon haze and cloud are common. |
| May | Warmer and hazier; pre-monsoon showers | Fewer views; good for culture and walks. |
| June–September | Monsoon rain, cloud, leeches | Green and quiet; road disruption likely, as in 2026. Views are rare. |
Tamu Lhosar, the Gurung New Year, usually falls around late December and is celebrated with dancing, gatherings and traditional dress. Dashain and Tihar (usually October or November) bring families home from the cities and abroad, and Ghandruk fills with domestic visitors. Dates follow the lunar calendar, so check the year’s dates before planning around them.
Ghandruk is easy and safe, but a few practical points will make your visit smoother. Fees and rules change often, so check the latest position before you go.
Ghandruk is inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so foreigners need an ACAP permit: NPR 3,000 (about £17) including tax, or NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals. Children under 10 are free. You can buy it at the Nepal Tourism Board counters in Kathmandu or Pokhara, or online through NTNC’s e-permit system. If you arrive without one, the fee is doubled at the checkpoint.
Permits are checked at Birethanti on the road in. Sources disagree on whether a TIMS card is currently checked in the Annapurna region, so ask your agency.
Since April 2023, Nepal’s rules have required foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas to trek with a licensed guide arranged through a registered agency, and the UK FCDO repeats this. Enforcement on the lower Annapurna trails has been reported as uneven, but plan on having a guide. On a short trip a guide also helps with transport, lodge bookings and understanding the village.
Bring enough Nepali rupees from Pokhara for your whole stay and beyond. Ghandruk has bank branches, and an ATM has been reported, but foreign cards may not work and machines can be out of cash or offline. Card payments are rare outside upmarket lodges. Budget around NPR 3,500 to 6,000 (£20 to £34) per person per day for a teahouse room, three meals and drinks.
Mobile coverage from Nepal Telecom and Ncell is generally good, with 4G in much of the village, and most lodges have Wi-Fi. Electricity is reliable for a mountain village, with grid power and local hydro, though cuts happen in storms. Bring a power bank for the trail beyond.
Do not drink untreated tap water. Use a filter or purification tablets, or refill from filtered water stations where available, rather than buying plastic bottles. Altitude is not usually an issue at Ghandruk, but the steps are steep: bring poles and good shoes. Ghandruk has a small health post for minor problems. Make sure your insurance covers trekking and helicopter evacuation; our guide on travel insurance for trekking explains what to look for.
Dress modestly in the village: shoulders and knees covered, no swimwear or bare chests outside the shower. Ask before photographing people, especially older women, and before entering a house or kitchen. Take off your shoes when entering homes and shrines. Use your right hand to give and receive things. Our guide to culture in Nepal explains more about local customs.
Ghandruk itself is very safe. The main risks are road travel, slippery steps and monsoon landslides, as the July–September 2026 floods showed. The UK FCDO does not advise against travel to Nepal; its advice (last updated 1 October 2026 at the time of writing) highlights flood and landslide risk after the late-August 2026 floods and warns that protests can start at short notice, following the serious unrest in Kathmandu in September 2025 and the March 2026 elections. It advises trekkers not to walk alone and to avoid night road travel. Check the latest FCDO advice before you go and read our safety tips for trekking in Nepal.
Ghandruk was built on community-led tourism, so support it: stay in local lodges and homestays, eat local food, and pay community fees for museums and cultural shows without haggling. Carry your rubbish back to Pokhara, especially batteries and plastic. Use the lodges’ toilets rather than the open hillside, and stick to paths to protect terraces and crops.
Ghandruk is a hub, so it combines easily with other places in the Annapurna Region. These are the most popular next steps.
A day’s walk north, Chhomrong (about 2,170 m) is the last permanent village before the Annapurna Sanctuary and the gateway to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m). Most ABC itineraries pass through Ghandruk on the way in or out. Read our guide to Annapurna Base Camp or see our Annapurna Base Camp trek.
West through the forest via Tadapani, Ghorepani (about 2,860 m) is the base for the famous Poon Hill sunrise at 3,210 m. Ghandruk is the usual finish of the 4 to 5-day Poon Hill trek.
Across the Modi Khola, Landruk links to a gentle ridge walk via Tolka and Pothana to Dhampus and Australian Camp, finishing at Phedi or Kande on the Pokhara–Baglung road. Combined with Ghandruk, it makes a 2 to 4-day trek with good views and no high altitude, ideal for families.
Lakeside Pokhara is two to four hours away by road and the base for every trek in the area. Allow a day there before and after your trek, for permits, last-minute kit and a rest by Phewa Lake. For more ideas, see our list of the best treks from Pokhara.
Want to include Ghandruk in a trek, or spend a few quiet nights in a Gurung village before or after Annapurna Base Camp? Tell us your dates and interests and we will put together a plan that fits. Plan your trip with Get Lost Forever.
Most people take a private or shared jeep from Pokhara, which takes about 2.5 to 4 hours via Nayapul, Birethanti and Kimche. Private jeeps cost roughly NPR 6,000 to 10,000 per vehicle; shared seats and local buses are much cheaper but slower. From the jeep stand it is a 30-minute to 2-hour walk up, depending on where you are dropped.
Yes. A rough road runs from Nayapul up the Modi Khola valley to Kimche and jeep stands just below the village. It was damaged by floods in July and August 2026 and reopened fully on 22 September 2026. The old lanes of the village itself are footpaths only.
Ghandruk is about 1,940 m to 2,010 m depending on the part of the village. That is well below the height at which altitude sickness usually becomes a concern, so most visitors have no problems. Altitude matters more if you continue to Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 m.
Yes. Ghandruk is in the Annapurna Conservation Area, so foreign visitors need an ACAP permit (NPR 3,000, about £17, or NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals). Buy it in Kathmandu, Pokhara or online in advance; at the checkpoint the fee is doubled.
Nepal’s rules since April 2023 require foreign trekkers in conservation areas to use a licensed guide through a registered agency, and the UK FCDO advises the same. Enforcement on the lower trails has been reported as uneven, but we recommend planning on a guide, both to stay within the rules and to get more from the visit.
One night is enough for a quick visit, but two nights give you a better chance of a clear sunrise and time to walk the old village and visit the museums at a relaxed pace. As part of a trek, one night is usual.
On a clear day you see Annapurna South (7,219 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m) and Machhapuchhre (6,993 m) most clearly, with Gangapurna (7,455 m) visible from higher points. Mornings are clearest, especially from October to February.
Ghandruk has bank branches, and an ATM has been reported, but do not rely on it accepting foreign cards. Bring enough cash in Nepali rupees from Pokhara for your whole trek.
Yes, if you want big mountain views without high altitude and a real sense of Gurung village life. It is busier and more developed than it was, but the old village is still atmospheric, and it is one of the easiest places in Nepal to see the Himalaya up close.
Walking from Ghandruk to Chhomrong takes about 5 to 6 hours, dropping to the Kimrong Khola and climbing to around 2,170 m. In 2026 the Kimrong Khola bridge was washed away and replaced by a temporary crossing, so check the current route with your guide.
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