Place

Ghandruk

How locals move

Getting around Ghandruk the local way

Ghandruk used to be a two-day walk from the nearest road and is now a jeep ride from Pokhara. Shared jeeps leave Hari Chowk from before dawn until early evening and take about two hours; the cheap local bus leaves Baglung Bus Park and takes three to five. Both stop at the ACAP check post at Nayapul, and both stop below the village, so the last ten minutes are stone steps whatever you arrive in. Walking is still the point for most people: Nayapul, Kimche and Landruk are all trailheads into the same village, and above Ghandruk towards Chhomrong and Annapurna Base Camp there is no road at all.

01
Pokhara Baglung Bus Park bus to Ghandrukminibus
Baglung Bus Park, Pokhara, out on the Baglung highway to Nayapul, then up the Modi Khola road through Syauli Bazaar and Kimche to the lower end of Ghandruk
Where
Baglung Bus Park is the local-bus yard north of Pokhara at the start of the Baglung highway, a different place from the tourist bus park. Buses run through the day. They stop at the ACAP check post at Nayapul, where everyone gets out and shows their permit, and again below Ghandruk, from where it is a walk uphill on stone steps into the village.
When
Through the day; Travelling Mandala found buses and jeeps running all day between Pokhara and Ghandruk
Fare (2025)
NPR 450 per person
Takes
3–5 hours, depending on how bad the upper road is
Season
Year-round, but the upper section is unsealed and during the June to August monsoon parts of it wash out in landslides. Buses turn back at Nayapul or Kimche when that happens
Booking
None. Pay on the bus
Sources: travellingmandala.com (2026-05) · travellingmandala.com (2026-05) · nepalhikingteam.com (2026-02) · confidence medium
02
Pokhara – Ghandruk shared jeep from Hari Chowkshare jeep
Hari Chowk, Pokhara, direct to Ghandruk via Nayapul and Kimche, about 57 km by road
Where
The jeeps gather at Hari Chowk in Pokhara, not at Baglung Bus Park. They are shared, they leave when the seats fill, and they run from about 05:00 to 18:00. Take an early one if you want to walk on from Ghandruk to Chhomrong the same day. The jeep stops at the Nayapul check post for permits and drops you at the lower end of Ghandruk.
When
From about 05:00 to 18:00, leaving as soon as each jeep fills
Fare (2025)
NPR 5,000 for the whole jeep, split between passengers. With eight aboard that is about NPR 625 each. Nepal Hiking Team puts shared transport from Pokhara to Ghandruk, Nayapul or Siwai at USD 10–30 per person in 2026
Takes
About 2 hours; some operators quote 3–4 hours, which is closer to the truth after rain
Season
Year-round. Slower and less reliable in the monsoon; in winter the road is fine but cold and the last stretch can ice up
Booking
None needed. Turn up at Hari Chowk and take the next jeep. Pokhara guesthouses will phone ahead and reserve a seat
Sources: travellingmandala.com (2026-05) · travellingmandala.com (2026-05) · nepalhikingteam.com (2026-04) · confidence high
03
Private jeep charter Pokhara – Ghandrukprivate hire
Anywhere in Pokhara to Ghandruk, or to the other Annapurna road heads at Nayapul, Siwai, Jhinu Danda and Hile
Where
Any Pokhara guesthouse or trekking agency books one, and the Hari Chowk drivers will take a charter rather than wait for a full jeep. Worth it for a group, for an early start, for luggage, or when you want to be dropped at Siwai instead of Ghandruk. Confirm whether the price is one way or return, because return pricing is common and the driver may wait.
When
On demand, any hour, though drivers avoid the upper road after dark
Fare (2026)
USD 80–150 and up per vehicle. Eco Nepal Trekkers quotes around USD 100 for a private jeep
Takes
About 2 hours to Ghandruk
Season
Year-round, subject to the same monsoon landslides as the bus
Booking
Through a Pokhara guesthouse or agency the day before, or directly with a driver at Hari Chowk
Sources: nepalhikingteam.com (2026-04) · econepaltrekkers.com (2026-02) · nepalhikingteam.com (2026-04) · confidence medium
04
Nayapul and Birethanti to Ghandruk on footwalking trail
Nayapul on the Baglung highway, over the bridge to Birethanti, then up the Modi Khola through Syauli Bazaar and Kimche to Ghandruk, about 3–5 hours of steady ascent
Where
Take any Baglung Bus Park bus or a shared jeep as far as Nayapul, about 1.5 hours out of Pokhara, clear the ACAP check post at the bridge in Birethanti, and start walking. Be aware of what this trail is now: most of it follows the jeep road, and with jeeps running all day it is dusty and not especially pleasant. Travellers who know the route mostly ride to Kimche or to Ghandruk and start walking there instead. A separate village footpath exists but is unmarked and hard to follow.
When
Walk when you like; the transport to the trailhead runs through the day
Fare (2026)
Free to walk. The bus or jeep leg to Nayapul is the same service and fare as the Ghandruk runs above
Takes
3–5 hours Nayapul to Ghandruk. Some itineraries still split it over two days with a night in Birethanti or Syauli Bazaar
Season
Year-round. Leeches and mud from June to August, ice on the stone steps in January and February
Booking
None, but the ACAP permit is checked at Birethanti and Ghandruk
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · travellingmandala.com (2026-05) · magicalnepal.com (2025-08) · confidence high
05
Kimche to Ghandruk, the bus-plus-walk combinationwalking trail
Kimche, the last road village below Ghandruk, up the stone staircase to the village, 1–2 hours
Where
This is the cheap way in and the one most budget trekkers use. Take the Baglung Bus Park bus or a shared jeep and get off at Kimche rather than paying through to Ghandruk, then walk up. The path is short, steep and unmistakable, through forest and terraced fields. It puts you into the top of the village rather than the bottom, so if you are staying at one of the upper lodges you save the internal climb.
When
Same services as the Ghandruk bus and jeep; anything going to Ghandruk passes Kimche
Fare (2026)
Free to walk; the ride to Kimche costs a little less than the ride all the way to Ghandruk
Takes
1–2 hours uphill, about 45 minutes coming down
Season
Year-round; slippery in the monsoon
Booking
none
Sources: magicalnepal.com (2025-08) · econepaltrekkers.com (2026-02) · nepalhikingteam.com (2026-02) · confidence high
06
Landruk, Tadapani and Chhomrong: the trails that are the transportwalking trail
Landruk to Ghandruk across the Modi Khola; Ghandruk on to Tadapani and Ghorepani; Ghandruk on to Chhomrong and the Annapurna Sanctuary; Ghandruk down to Jhinu Danda and its hot spring
Where
Above and around Ghandruk there is no road, so these paths carry everything: trekkers, villagers, school children and supplies. They are signposted and stone-paved in places, and every junction has a teahouse. The Landruk link drops from Ghandruk to the Modi Khola, crosses a suspension bridge and climbs steeply up the far side. Tadapani is the way to Poon Hill; Chhomrong is the gateway to Annapurna Base Camp and everything beyond it is carried in on backs.
When
On foot, any daylight hour
Fare (2025)
Free to walk. Teahouse rooms in Ghandruk and the neighbouring villages ran around NPR 1,300 for room, dinner and breakfast in 2025
Takes
Landruk 2–3 hours; Jhinu Danda 4–5 hours; Tadapani 3–4 hours uphill; Chhomrong 5–6 hours; Ghorepani 6–7 hours via Tadapani
Season
Best October to November and March to April. June to August is wet, muddy and cloudy. December to February is clear and cold, and the higher links towards Chhomrong and the Sanctuary carry snow
Booking
None for the trails. ACAP permit checked at village posts
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · magicalnepal.com (2025-08) · travellingmandala.com (2026-05) · confidence high
07
Porters and guides hired in Pokharaporter
Pokhara or the trailhead, up to Ghandruk and on into the Annapurna Sanctuary
Where
Porters and guides are hired through a registered trekking agency in Pokhara or Kathmandu, which is also the legal route: a foreigner on a tourist visa cannot employ trekking staff directly. One porter normally carries a duffel shared by two trekkers. On the Ghandruk approach itself a porter is barely needed because the jeep goes to the village, but above Chhomrong, where there is no road, porters and their loads are the whole supply chain and are why a bottle of water costs several times the Pokhara price at Annapurna Base Camp.
When
Arranged the day before; agencies can usually produce someone the same evening in season
Fare (2026)
Porter USD 15–20 a day, about NPR 2,000–2,500. Guide USD 25–35 a day, about NPR 3,000–5,000. A tip of 5–10 percent of the trek cost at the end is customary
Takes
Engaged by the day for the length of the trek
Season
Year-round; rates and availability tighten in the October–November and March–April peaks
Booking
Through a registered agency. Check that the agency insures its porters and guides for medical care and evacuation
Sources: nepalhikingteam.com (2026-04) · nepalhikingteam.com (2026-04) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high
08
ACAP permit and TIMS card, the gate on the trailpermit
Checked at Birethanti and Nayapul on the way in, and again in Ghandruk
Where
Ghandruk is inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so the permit is needed even for a day trip by jeep. Buy the ACAP entry permit online through the NTNC e-permit system, which issues it by email, or in person at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, or the permit counter at Damside, Pokhara. Bring your passport. It can be issued at the Birethanti check post but at double the fee. The TIMS card is bought online at tims.ntb.gov.np, which replaced the counter system on 1 April 2023. Reports from the Annapurna Base Camp route say TIMS is not consistently checked there, but carry it.
When
One permit per trip; ACAP is single entry
Fare (2026)
ACAP NPR 3,000 for foreigners, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, tax included, plus 2.9 percent if you pay online. Double at a check post. TIMS NPR 2,000 for an independent trekker and NPR 1,000 for a group trekker; SAARC rates are lower. Children under 10 need no ACAP permit
Takes
Online ACAP is issued by email within minutes; the Pokhara counter takes under an hour
Season
Year-round
Booking
epermit.ntnc.org.np for ACAP with Visa or Mastercard, tims.ntb.gov.np for TIMS, or a registered agency for both. Since March 2023 trekkers in remote regions must also hire a licensed guide or join a group
Sources: epermit.ntnc.org.np (2026-09) · epermit.ntnc.org.np (2026-09) · taan.org.np (2026-09) · confidence high

Not yet confirmed: Mule and pony trains were not confirmed by any source found. Every operator page describes supplies above Chhomrong as carried by porters, not by animals, and none of the Ghandruk or Annapurna Base Camp pages mentions mules on this side of the range. Mule trains are well documented on the Annapurna Circuit and the Jomsom road; whether they work the Ghandruk–Chhomrong trail could not be verified. Ask at a Ghandruk lodge.; No helicopter charter to Ghandruk itself could be confirmed. Operators sell an Annapurna Base Camp helicopter tour out of Pokhara, and insurance-funded medical evacuation from the trail is routine, but no published charter route or fare for a Pokhara–Ghandruk landing was found.; The two published times for the Pokhara–Ghandruk jeep disagree. A 2026 first-hand account says about 2 hours; several trekking operators say 3–4 hours and the Nepal Tourism Board page says 4–5. The difference is probably road condition and season rather than any change of route.; TIMS fees are quoted differently by different arms of the same system. TAAN's English page still gives the old group and individual split of NPR 1,000 and 2,000 with SAARC rates of 300 and 600; TAAN's own 2023 Nepali notice gives NPR 1,000 for SAARC and NPR 2,000 for non-SAARC through the online system. Confirm at tims.ntb.gov.np before paying.; Whether TIMS is actually enforced on the Ghandruk and Annapurna Base Camp route is unclear. Nepal Hiking Team states that implementation on this route is inconsistent and that the card is not always issued or checked.; Winter snowline on the Ghandruk approach is not documented precisely. Ghandruk at 2,012 m sits below normal winter snow and December temperatures run about minus 3 to 8 degrees; the snow problem starts higher, above Chhomrong towards Machhapuchhre Base Camp. No source gives an elevation.; The brief describes the Baglung Bus Park buses as running to Nayapul and Kimche. They now run through to Ghandruk itself for NPR 450, because the road reaches the village. Nayapul and Kimche remain useful places to get off and start walking..

The field note on Ghandruk reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.

We have no description for this place yet. The planner still knows how to get there.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.