Gorkha is a district in Gandaki Province running from the middle hills to the Tibetan border, with its headquarters at Gorkha bazaar. It holds Gorkha Durbar, the fortified palace where Prithvi Narayan Shah was born, the Gorakhnath cave shrine below it, and the southern approach to Manaslu.
Two things make this district disproportionately important. The first is that the campaign which produced modern Nepal started from the ridge above the bazaar, which is why the country's soldiers are still called Gurkhas and why the district's name travelled further than the district ever did. The second is Manaslu, the eighth-highest mountain in the world, whose circuit is now the most serious trek in Nepal that most people can still get on to without a queue.
Where is Gorkha?
Gorkha is a long district running north from the Prithvi Highway corridor to the Tibetan frontier. Tanahun and Chitwan lie to the south, Dhading to the east, Lamjung to the west, and Tibet across the high passes to the north. The Budhi Gandaki drains the northern half, running down from the Manaslu massif through progressively deeper gorge country before joining the Trishuli in the south.
The elevation range is one of the largest of any district in Nepal. The southern valleys sit a few hundred metres above sea level in subtropical farmland; Manaslu, on the northern boundary, reaches 8,163 m. Between them are middle-hill villages, the deep Budhi Gandaki gorge, and the Nubri and Tsum valleys in the far north, which are Tibetan in language, religion and building style rather than Nepali hill.
Gorkha bazaar, the headquarters, sits in the southern third of the district on a spur below the durbar ridge. It is roughly four to five hours from Kathmandu and it is the point almost every visit to the district begins from. Where districts like this sit in the country's structure is set out in our guide to Nepal's 77 districts.
Gorkha Durbar and Gorakhnath
Gorkha Durbar is a fortified palace and temple complex on the ridge above the bazaar, reached by a steep flight of steps that takes most people the better part of an hour. It combines a palace, the Kalika temple and the cave shrine of Gorakhnath, the ascetic whose name the district and the dynasty both carry, and it is one of the finest pieces of Newar-style hill architecture outside the Kathmandu Valley.
Prithvi Narayan Shah was born here in 1723 and became king of Gorkha in 1743. From this ridge he began the campaign that took the Kathmandu Valley in 1768 and produced the state that became modern Nepal. Our longer treatment of that campaign is in the unification of Nepal under Prithvi Narayan Shah, and the military tradition that grew out of it in the history of the Gurkhas.
The durbar was damaged in the 2015 earthquake and has been under restoration since. Access arrangements have changed more than once during that work, so confirm what is open before making the climb specifically for the interior. The view from the ridge, north to Manaslu and Himalchuli on a clear morning, has never been closed.
The 2015 earthquake
The earthquake of 25 April 2015, magnitude 7.8, had its epicentre at Barpak in Gorkha district, which is why it is often referred to as the Gorkha earthquake. Damage across the district was severe, particularly in the northern villages, and Barpak and Laprak were among the worst affected settlements in the country.
A decade on, reconstruction is largely complete in the accessible parts of the district and visibly incomplete in places further north. Rebuilt villages look different from the ones they replaced, with more concrete and less stone, which is a change worth understanding rather than lamenting. Trekking routes through the district reopened years ago and are ordinary now.
Manakamana
Manakamana, in the south of the district, is one of the most visited temples in Nepal. The goddess is believed to grant wishes, and a cable car from Kurintar on the Prithvi Highway carries very large numbers of pilgrims up the ridge, which turns what was once a demanding walk into a short ride. It is busy at weekends and at festivals and quieter mid-week.
For a visitor travelling between Kathmandu and Pokhara it is the easiest stop in the district by a wide margin, and it can be done in a few hours from the highway without deviating into the hills at all. It is a working pilgrimage site, and animal sacrifice is part of the practice there, which is worth knowing before arriving.
Manaslu and the northern valleys
Manaslu, at 8,163 m, is the eighth-highest mountain in the world and was first climbed in 1956 by a Japanese expedition. The Manaslu Circuit runs up the Budhi Gandaki, crosses the Larke La at 5,106 m and descends into Lamjung, and it takes most parties somewhere between two and three weeks depending on the road head and the acclimatisation schedule.
The northern part of the district is a restricted area. That means a special permit, travel through a registered Nepali agency with a licensed guide, and a minimum party size rather than solo trekking, and the same applies to the Tsum Valley, the side valley of Tibetan Buddhist villages and monasteries that branches east off the main route. A Manaslu Conservation Area permit applies alongside the restricted-area permit, and the Annapurna Conservation Area permit is needed for the descent into Lamjung.
The road head has crept steadily up the Budhi Gandaki over the past decade, which shortens the walk in and changes the itinerary from one year to the next. Confirm where vehicles are actually reaching before finalising a day count. Our Manaslu mountain guide covers the route in detail, and the Kaski district guide covers the Annapurna region the circuit descends into.
Gorkha at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Province | Gandaki Province |
| District headquarters | Gorkha bazaar, below the durbar ridge |
| Area | Around 3,610 sq km |
| Highest point | Manaslu, 8,163 m, the eighth-highest mountain in the world |
| Terrain | Subtropical valleys in the south, middle hills through the centre, Tibetan-influenced high valleys in the north |
| Main river | The Budhi Gandaki, draining the Manaslu massif southward |
| Restricted areas | The upper Budhi Gandaki and the Tsum Valley: special permit, registered agency, licensed guide, minimum party size |
| Highest pass on the circuit | Larke La, 5,106 m |
| From Kathmandu | Roughly four to five hours by road to Gorkha bazaar, turning off the Prithvi Highway at Abu Khaireni |
| Best months | October to November and March to May |
How to reach Gorkha
Gorkha bazaar is off the Prithvi Highway. Take any Kathmandu to Pokhara bus, get off at Abu Khaireni and continue north, or take a direct bus, which several operators run daily. The journey from Kathmandu is roughly four to five hours in normal traffic and longer during festival weeks. From Pokhara it is a shorter run east.
For the Manaslu trek, transport continues north from Gorkha bazaar or, more commonly now, runs direct from Kathmandu to the current road head on the Budhi Gandaki. Because that road head moves, agencies plan around whatever is reachable in the season you are travelling, and the walk in has shortened considerably over the last decade. What a trip like this costs across the year is set out in our guide to Nepal travel costs by season.
Best time to visit Gorkha
October to November and March to May for the high country. Autumn is the most reliable stretch for the Manaslu Circuit, with stable weather and clear views, and it is also the busiest. Spring is warm lower down with rhododendron in flower and more variable weather at altitude.
The Larke La is a genuine high pass and it can close with snow, which is the main risk to a circuit itinerary in either shoulder season. The monsoon between mid June and September makes the Budhi Gandaki gorge unpleasant and landslide-prone, and winter shuts the pass. The durbar and Manakamana in the south are visitable year round, and the clearest mountain views from the durbar ridge come in the weeks after the monsoon ends.
Where to stay and practical notes
Gorkha bazaar has a reasonable range of hotels for a district headquarters, including a few genuinely comfortable ones, because the durbar draws domestic tourism. On the Manaslu Circuit the lodge network is real and improving, less developed than Annapurna or Everest but far beyond anything in the Karnali, and rooms in the high season fill in the smaller settlements.
Banks and ATMs in Gorkha bazaar are dependable. On the trek, carry cash from Kathmandu for the whole route. Permits for the restricted section are arranged in Kathmandu through the agency you are travelling with, not on arrival, so this is not a trek that can be decided on at short notice in the way an Annapurna route can.
For the southern half of the district none of that applies. The durbar, Manakamana and the hill villages around the bazaar need no permit, no guide and no advance arrangement, and they fit into a two-day stop on the way between Kathmandu and Pokhara. That is the version of Gorkha most visitors should actually plan: a short, cheap, historically dense detour off a road they were driving anyway, rather than a three-week expedition they were never going to book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Gorkha district in Nepal?
Gorkha is in Gandaki Province, running north from the Prithvi Highway corridor to the Tibetan border, with Dhading to the east and Lamjung to the west. Its headquarters, Gorkha bazaar, is roughly four to five hours from Kathmandu.
Why is Gorkha historically important?
Prithvi Narayan Shah was born at Gorkha Durbar in 1723 and launched from there the campaign that took the Kathmandu Valley in 1768 and created the state that became modern Nepal. The Gurkha soldiers take their name from the district.
Can you visit Gorkha Durbar?
Yes. It sits on the ridge above Gorkha bazaar, reached by a steep stair that takes most people the better part of an hour. The complex was damaged in the 2015 earthquake and has been under restoration, so confirm what is open before climbing specifically for the interior.
Do you need a permit for the Manaslu trek?
Yes. The upper Budhi Gandaki and the Tsum Valley are restricted areas, requiring a special permit arranged through a registered Nepali agency, a licensed guide and a minimum party size. Conservation area permits apply on top of that.
How high is Manaslu?
Manaslu is 8,163 m, the eighth-highest mountain in the world. It was first climbed in 1956 by a Japanese expedition, and it stands on the northern boundary of Gorkha district.
Was Gorkha the centre of the 2015 earthquake?
Yes. The 25 April 2015 earthquake, magnitude 7.8, had its epicentre at Barpak in Gorkha district, which is why it is commonly called the Gorkha earthquake. Barpak and Laprak were among the worst affected settlements in the country.
When is the best time to trek the Manaslu Circuit?
October to November is the most reliable window and also the busiest. March to May works with more variable weather at altitude. The Larke La can close with snow in either shoulder season, and winter shuts it.
