After six days of trekking through the incredible mountains of the Himalaya we arrived in Ghandruk – a traditional Garung Village with some of the best mountain backdrops we’ve ever seen!
We’d just completed the Mardi Himal Trek, our legs were definitely feeling the pain and Ghandruk was the final pit-stop along our route. A perfect place to finish-up our trek, where we could relax and and enjoy the cultural offerings of a more traditional setting, and with breathtaking views of the mountains we’d just climbed.
Only in Nepal can a village situated 2000 metres above sea level be referred to as a hilltop village. Ghandruk is perched over 600 metres higher than the tallest mountain in the UK, but Nepal is a land full of majestic mountains, many of which are over 7000 metres high – “I guess you can see why anything below 3000 metres is simply referred to as a hill” our guide explained.
The Attraction Of Ghandruk Village & Things To Do
Ghandruk is a fascinating place to explore and along the narrow, winding-pathways you’ll find friendly locals and a seemingly preserved way of life. Corn and other vegetables hang, drying in the sun from many traditional homes, there’s people working the fields, mules ferrying supplies around the village, and the views of the Annapurna Mountain Range are nothing short of spectacular! It’s a great place to casually explore, but if you’re looking for specific things to do in Ghandruk, we’ve listed these below.
Visit The Old Gurung Museum
There is a very small museum in an old, traditional style house featuring customary Gurung belongings of the local villagers. There are weapons, tools, religious items, dress and home-wares with small notes in English to explain what the different belongings are. It’s an interesting insight into the villagers lives and livelihoods and only costs a small fee to enter.
Dress In Traditional Gurung Clothing
For a small fee many of the guest houses will provide traditional Gurung clothing for you to dress up in. There are colourful outfits for women complete with jewellery and ornate head pieces and the outfits for men include a traditional Gorka knife.
We hired this outfit at Asish Aama Hotel, which is also where we stayed. It cost 100 NPR (~$0.90 USD) to hire the outfit.
Visit the Buddhist Monastery
Before you even see the monastery, you’ll likely hear the Buddhist chants fill the air with a calming delight. The outside of the monastery can be instantly recognised from its light yellow and orange colour, and the brightly coloured prayer flags that stream from the roof.
At certain times you may enter the inside of the small, beautiful monastery, and with our guide we were also allowed to go up onto the roof. As the sun started to set we were able to take in the views of the village below with the mountains in the distance.
Watching the mountains change colour during the fading sun as it set behind the horizon whilst listening to the tranquil chanting of prayers, and reflecting on our unforgettable trek was a moment we will always remember.
Watch A Short Documentary About The Ghandruk Area
At the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Office in Ghandruk you can watch a short documentary about the history of Ghandruk and the work ACAP have done to ensure the area is preserved and protected. It’s interesting to learn more about the area and the people who live there. The documentary is on a few times throughout the day. There is also information on the walls all around the room, such as the different mountain ranges in Nepal and the animals and birds that are found throughout the country.
Take In The Views
The whole village has incredible views of the mountains. Annapurna South (7219 metres), Machapuchare (6993 metres) and Hiunchuli (6441 metres) mountains can all be seen from Ghandruk. As you wander round you’ll find some spots where you can enjoy views of the village below with many traditional houses and the mountains providing a picture-perfect landscape in the background.
How To Get To Ghandruk
Due to the location of Ghandruk Village it can be added to the beginning or end of many of the treks in the Annapurna Mountain Range. We added it to the end of our Mardi Himal Trek, which meant going to another smaller village called Landruk first for 1 night and then to Ghandruk for our final night.
If you’re looking for a short, less demanding trek in Nepal you can also do a 3 night trek to just include Ghandruk, Landruk and Pothana, which are all at lower altitudes. If you’re using a guide you can discuss your options and tailor make the trek to suit your needs as there are many different ways to include Ghandruk on your trek.
Buses from Pokhara can take you to the many of the different starting points of the treks, such as Pedhi, Kimche or Nayapul. You can even take a bus all the way to the Ghandruk bus park from Pokhara.
From Ghandruk bus park you will need to walk up steep steps for around half an hour to reach Ghandruk Village. If your accommodation is even higher up into the village it may take even longer to reach. As the whole village sits on the edge of a mountain vehicles can’t get higher than the bus/jeep park.
Getting To Pokhara From Ghandruk
As we stayed in Ghandruk for the last night of our trek and needed to get back to Pokhara we opted to take the bus. There was conflicting information as to when the bus left as there is no set timetable. We went down to the bus park just before 9:00 am and got on the next available bus to Pokhara. This left as soon as it was full, which was pretty quickly. The ticket price wasn’t a set fee so be prepared to barter or pay more as a foreigner. We paid 600 Nepalese Rupee (NPR) (~$5.40 USD) each and 300 NPR (~$2.70) for our guide.
The bus ride from Ghandruk to Pokhara or vice versa takes around 5 hours, is extremely bumpy and is the most hair raising bus ride we have ever taken. The road down from Ghandruk is set on a cliff edge and although the bus takes it slowly down the narrow, winding road, it can leave you holding your breathe when another car or bus comes the other way.
Shared jeeps are also available, but these are considerably more expensive and from what we could see you don’t get much more room than on the bus. The jeeps take the same road as the bus, so will not get you to Pokhara much quicker than the bus, but you may feel more comfortable being in a smaller vehicle.
Best Time To Visit Ghandruk
As with many of the treks in Nepal the best season coincides with the best weather and clearest conditions, which is October to December and March to May. Due to the lower altitude of Ghandruk you could still visit in January and February, but the summer months of June, July and August are not recommended as the rainfall is extremely high.
Where To Stay In Ghandruk
There are many different accommodation options in Ghandruk and although the area is popular, it’s unlikely you will need to book in advance. If you’re with a guide they will arrange accommodation for you. If you’re trekking independently and you do wish to book in advance many of the hotels and guest houses can be booked online.
We stayed at Asish Aama Hotel where we had the choice of a room with a shared bathroom or for a slightly higher price, a larger room with our own bathroom and mountain views from the balcony. We choose the later as it was the last night of our trek and we had been sharing bathrooms for 5 nights. We highly recommend a stay at this hotel as it has a lovely courtyard with stunning views, friendly owners and delicious food.
Do You Need A Permit To Go To Ghandruk?
As Ghandruk is situated in the Annapurna Conservation area, you need an ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) entry permit to visit the region. You also need a TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System) card which helps to keep track of all the trekkers entering the area.
The ACAP permit and TIMS card can be obtained from Nepal Tourism Office in Kathmandu or Pokhara or if you’re using a guide they will obtain these for you. Whether you apply yourself or through your guide you will need a photocopy of your passport and 2 passport sized photos per person. If you apply yourself the process will take 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- The current fee for the ACAP permit for foreigners is 3000 Nepalese Rupee (around $27 USD).
- The current fee for a TIMS for foreigners is 2000 Nepalese Rupee (around $18 USD) if your trekking independently, so not using a guide and 1000 Nepalese Rupee (around $9 USD) if your using a guide.
- The fees can also be paid in US Dollar, but the price will be a set amount and slightly higher than the exchange rate.
- If you’re from a SAARC country the cost will be less.
- The permit and card can only be used once per entry into the ACAP region.
If you’re looking to visit another traditional village in Nepal, we highly recommend spending a couple of nights in Bandipur.
