Is the Ghandruk Village Trek Affected by the 2026 Nepal Floods?
No — Ghandruk is a Gurung village in the Annapurna foothills, a short drive from Pokhara on the far side of Nepal from the Rasuwa flood, and it is running normally. Here is the honest status, plus the one late-monsoon road note.
📍 Developing story — live updates
The 2026 Nepal floods are a nationwide, still-developing emergency and the figures are rising. For the latest verified death toll, missing and rescued numbers and region-by-region trek status, follow our continuously updated Nepal Floods 2026: Live Updates.
Last updated: 29 August 2026. If the flood headlines have you wondering whether your Ghandruk trip is still on, here is the plain answer first, then the detail you actually need.
Is the Ghandruk village trek affected by the 2026 Nepal floods? No — Ghandruk is a Gurung village in the Annapurna foothills above Pokhara, on the far side of the country from the flood, and it is running completely normally. The flash flood of 26 August 2026 hit Rasuwa district in north-central Nepal, on the Bhote Koshi river above the Langtang valley. Ghandruk sits roughly 200 km to the west on the Modi Khola side of the Annapurna region, reached by a short drive from Pokhara. Pokhara is normal, the ACAP permit is being issued as usual, and the Ghandruk trail and its teahouses are open. The only thing worth planning around here has nothing to do with the flood — it is the ordinary late-monsoon state of the jeep road, and it clears by October.
Ghandruk village trek — the honest status
- Affected by the flood? No. The flood was in Rasuwa, on the Bhote Koshi. Ghandruk is in the Annapurna region above Pokhara, drained by the Modi Khola into the Kali Gandaki — a completely separate river system, hundreds of kilometres away.
- It is one of the lowest, easiest treks in Nepal. Ghandruk village sits at about 2,000 m — no pass, no glacier, no altitude to worry about. This is a trek we happily send families and first-timers on.
- Access is from Pokhara. Around 55 km and 3–4 hours by road to Nayapul or Kimche, then a short walk up. Pokhara itself is entirely unaffected by the Rasuwa flood.
- One honest, seasonal caveat. In the tail of the monsoon (through mid-September) the rough jeep road above Kimche can be muddy or briefly blocked by ordinary small landslides — so we simply drive to wherever is safe and walk the last stretch. That is normal monsoon road behaviour on this hill, not flood damage.
- Best season is right ahead. October to May is prime, with October and November giving the clearest views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. That window is weeks away and well outside the affected area.
Why the Annapurna foothills are a world away from Rasuwa
Nepal is not one small place where a single flood touches everything. Its trekking regions are separated by great ranges and drained by rivers that never meet in the mountains. The 26 August flood came down the Bhote Koshi out of Tibet into Rasuwa, hitting Timure and Syabrubesi hardest according to reporting collated by Wikipedia's running summary and outlets including CNN. Syabrubesi is the road-head for Langtang treks — a long day's drive north of Kathmandu, and much further still from Pokhara.
Ghandruk lies in the Annapurna Conservation Area, reached from Pokhara in the centre-west of the country. Its streams drain into the Modi Khola and on into the Kali Gandaki — not the Bhote Koshi or the Trishuli. A flood in Rasuwa has no physical route to this valley. They are on opposite sides of Nepal, and nothing about the emergency in the north-east changes conditions on this trail.
The Ghandruk trek, stage by stage
Here is the whole short trek, checked stage by stage against the flood zone.
| Region / stage | Where it is | Status & what to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pokhara (start point) | Central-west Nepal, Annapurna gateway | Normal — unaffected |
| Drive Pokhara → Nayapul / Kimche | Modi Khola side, Annapurna foothills | Running; in late monsoon we drive to the safe point and walk the rest |
| Kimche / Nayapul → Ghandruk (~2,000 m) | Gurung village, ACAP | Trail open, teahouses running |
| Ghandruk village & viewpoints | Annapurna South & Machhapuchhre views | Open — not in the flood zone |
| Optional extension to Ghorepani / Tadapani | Bhurungdi & Modi Khola side | Open |
| Permit: ACAP + TIMS | Issued in Pokhara / Kathmandu | Issued normally |
The trek uses the ACAP permit plus the TIMS card, both issued in Pokhara or Kathmandu — not in Rasuwa, and not affected by the flood. Nepal's permit desks are open and processing as usual; we cover the paperwork in full in our Annapurna ACAP & TIMS guide.
How we run Ghandruk this autumn
This is about the most forgiving trek in Nepal, and autumn only makes it better. Once the monsoon clears in October the trails dry out, the leeches vanish, the small landslide risk on the approach road drops away, and Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre come out sharp above the village. We keep the plan honest and simple: a sensible drive from Pokhara, a start on foot from wherever the road is safe if late-monsoon rain has churned it up, comfortable Gurung-run teahouse nights, and a guide who knows the village. It is short enough that even a two- or three-day window from Pokhara is worth it. As on any trek, decent travel insurance is worth having even though this one is gentle.
A local guide's take
I have walked into Ghandruk more times than I can count, so let me be straight with you: this trek is fine, and it is one of the easiest, friendliest walks in the whole country. The flood was on the other side of Nepal, on a different river, above Langtang — it does not reach here. Ghandruk is a couple of hours from Pokhara and tops out around 2,000 metres. The only thing I ever adjust is the drive when late-monsoon rain loosens the road above Kimche, and then we just walk the last hour up the stone steps, which is the prettier way in anyway. Come in October or November and the mountains stand right over the rooftops.
What you can book for autumn
Ghandruk departures running normally this October and November
This is the exact trip we are putting people on right now, priced from the per-person rate a small group pays:
- Ghandruk Village Trek — 3 days · from US$255 per person in a group of eight (US$359 solo). The classic short Gurung-village trek from Pokhara — low, easy and open.
Want a longer version linking Ghandruk with Ghorepani and the Poon Hill sunrise, or just want to check a start date? Message us on WhatsApp or use the contact form. If this is your first trek in Nepal, I am happy to just talk it through — no pressure.
Related reading
- Nepal trekking conditions right now: region-by-region status after the 2026 floods
- Is the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek affected by the 2026 floods?
- Bhote Koshi flash flood, 26 August 2026: what happened in Rasuwa district
- Nepal Floods 2026: live updates, death toll and trek status
Sources: Wikipedia — 2026 Nepal floods; CNN live coverage. Road-access notes reflect normal late-monsoon conditions on the Pokhara–Kimche approach and should be reconfirmed on the day of travel.
Cover photo: Bijaya2043 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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