Ghandruk in Two Days: The Gurung Village, the Museum and the Annapurna View

Last updated 9 October 2026.

Short answer: yes, Ghandruk works well as a two-day trip from Pokhara. You drive to the start of the trail, climb for about three hours on stone steps, sleep in a Gurung village at 1,940 m, and drive back the next day after the museum and a walk through the lanes. Altitude is not a concern for most people at this height.

Most trekkers walk through Ghandruk on the way to Annapurna Base Camp or Poon Hill and do not stop. This trip is for the people who want to stop. You can see the plan on our Ghandruk Village Tour, 2 Days from Pokhara page, and a licensed guide explains what you see.

Is Ghandruk worth two days?

Ghandruk is a large Gurung village on a south-facing ridge above the Modi Khola, with slate-roofed stone houses and paved lanes. Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre fill the sky above it. It is one of the easier ways to feel life in the Annapurna foothills without a long trek, which is why I suggest it to families, first-time walkers and anyone with only a couple of days.

If you want the cultural background first, my longer guide to Ghandruk, the cultural heart of the Annapurna foothills covers the village in more detail.

Quick facts

What does each day look like?

Day 1. We leave Pokhara after breakfast and drive to Nayapul, where the trail begins beside the Modi Khola. A short jeep ride takes us on to Kimche, which saves about 90 minutes of road walking. From there the path climbs through terraced farmland and Gurung homesteads on stone steps. We check your permits at the checkpoint before the village. You sleep in a Gurung-run lodge, and in the late afternoon you can watch the sunset from the flat rock above the village.

Day 2. If the sky is clear, you can see the first light on the Annapurna range from the lodge. After breakfast we walk through the lanes with your guide, visit the Gurung Museum, and then drive back to Pokhara.

What is Gurung village life like?

The houses face south and are built in terraces. The animals live on the ground floor, the family cooks and sleeps on the floor above, and the grain is kept in the attic. Many Gurung men have served in the British and Indian Gurkha regiments, and your guide can tell you what that has meant for the village.

For a wider picture of the Gurung and Magar people of the hills, read my guide to the Gurung and Magar hill tribes.

What is the Gurung Museum?

The Gurung Museum is run by the local community. We visit it on the second morning with your guide, who explains what you are looking at. I would not rush it. It is the best way to understand the lanes you have just walked.

What can you see from Ghandruk?

Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre are the two big peaks above the village. You can watch the sunset in front of the range from the flat rock above the village, and on a clear morning the first light is on it again. Cloud and haze can hide the mountains, and no view can be promised. If the sky is grey, you still have the village, the lanes and the museum.

Food and festivals

At the lodge you eat Gurung food such as gundruk soup and dhindo, where the lodge cooks them. Dashain falls in October, Tihar in November, and the Gurung New Year, Tamu Lhosar, in December to January. All three bring dances and special food to the village, so tell me if you want to plan around one.

When is the best time to go?

October and November give clear skies, and March and April bring rhododendrons. December to February is cold, clear and quiet. The monsoon months bring rain and cloud, and I would not choose them for the views.

How is it different from a trek?

A trek asks you to keep moving, day after day, towards a high point. This trip asks you to stay put. You climb once, you sleep in one village, and the second morning is yours to walk slowly. That makes it a gentler first taste of the Annapurna foothills, and it leaves you free to decide later whether you want something longer.

Who is it for?

It suits families, first-time walkers, older walkers who are happy on steps, and anyone short of time. You need to be able to walk for several hours a day on steps and uneven ground. If you want a longer walk from the same village, Ghandruk is on the way to the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, 7 Days and the Poon Hill Trek, 4 Days. Chomrong is the next village on the Base Camp route.

What is included and what is not?

The trip includes a licensed guide, the permit and TIMS card, a private vehicle from Pokhara to Nayapul and from Ghandruk back to Pokhara, lodge, meals, and a first aid kit with a pulse oximeter. On Standard there is one porter for every two trekkers, and on Luxury a dedicated porter for each trekker. A solo Standard trekker has no porter, and the guide carries up to 10 kg. Budget has no porter. Hotel nights in Pokhara and Kathmandu are not included. Buy your travel insurance at home, and make sure it covers trekking to 5,000 m, including helicopter rescue.

Group size is 2 to 20, and you can also travel solo. The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, with no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 72 hours notice, to any date within one year. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu, in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash in Kathmandu carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients. We tell you your guide's name after you book.

Questions people ask

Is the climb hard? It is about three hours on stone steps. Walk at your own pace.

Do I need a guide? A licensed guide walks with you on every trip we run.

Can I add more days? Yes. Ghandruk is the first night on our 7-day Annapurna Base Camp trek, so a longer trip is easy to plan.

What should I bring? A day pack, warm layers for the evening, good walking shoes, a rain jacket and a head torch. We send a full packing list when you book.

Is it good in winter? December to February is cold but clear and quiet. Bring warm layers for the evenings.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.