Is the Annapurna Base Camp Trek Safe After the 2026 Floods?

Short answer: yes, the trek itself is open and walkable. One access road took real damage in July and is running on a temporary fix rather than a full repair. Here’s the actual state of things, road by road and trail segment by segment.

Two Different Floods, One Trek Gets Asked About for Both

Nepal had two separate flood events in 2026, and ABC comes up in searches for both of them even though only one actually touched its route. Sorting out which is which is the whole answer here.

The One That Doesn’t Affect ABC: The August 26 Rasuwa Flash Flood

A glacial collapse on the Tibetan side of the border sent a debris flow into the Bhote Koshi River, which surged down the Trishuli River corridor north of Kathmandu, devastating Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and parts of Gorkha and Chitwan. The death toll continued climbing through early September, later confirmed above 460 with well over a thousand injured. This was a northern-corridor disaster on the Kathmandu side of the country. The Annapurna region, including the ABC trailhead system near Pokhara, was explicitly confirmed unaffected by TAAN and the Nepal Tourism Board.

The One That Actually Does Affect ABC: The July 13 Kimrung Khola Flood

This is the real story for anyone booking ABC. Heavy overnight monsoon rain sent the Kimrung Khola surging into the Modi Khola, and the floodwaters tore out a stretch of the Nayapul–Birethanti–Ghandruk road near Syauli Bazaar, destroyed a suspension bridge, and swept away two riverside restaurants. Around 300 tourists were briefly stranded in Ghandruk when the road went out. Local authorities reopened it for one-way traffic within about a day, with a full two-lane repair still pending as conditions allow.

The trail itself, as opposed to the access road, was never closed. Trekkers on foot kept moving through Ghandruk via rerouted paths while the vehicle road was being fixed, and guided groups have been completing the full ABC circuit throughout.

ABC Trail Status, Segment by Segment

What This Actually Means for Your Booking

• If you’re driving to Nayapul or Ghandruk, expect possible one-way traffic control and delays near Syauli Bazaar rather than a closed route. Build in extra time on day one.
• If you’re trekking on foot from Nayapul, the flood has essentially no effect on your itinerary — the walking trail through Birethanti, Ghandruk, and Chhomrong was never closed.
• Above Chhomrong, nothing changes. Sinuwa, Deurali, Machhapuchhre Base Camp, and Annapurna Base Camp itself are outside both flood zones entirely.
• Confirm same-week road status with your operator, since repair work at Syauli Bazaar is ongoing and traffic rules can change with rainfall.

FAQ

Is Annapurna Base Camp trek open right now?

Yes. The full trekking route from Nayapul to ABC and back is walkable. The only disruption is vehicle access on one road segment near Syauli Bazaar, not the trail itself.

Can I still drive to Ghandruk?

Yes, on a temporary one-way basis. The Nayapul–Birethanti–Ghandruk road reopened within about a day of the July 13 flood, though full repair is still in progress. Expect possible delays rather than a closure.

Did the August Rasuwa flood affect ABC?

No. That flood hit the Trishuli River corridor north of Kathmandu, an entirely different part of the country from the Annapurna region. Pokhara and the ABC trailhead were confirmed unaffected.

Is it safe to trek to ABC during the current monsoon tail-end?

Yes, with normal monsoon-season precautions. Trails below 3,000m can be muddy with leech activity into late September, and saturated slopes carry the usual seasonal landslide risk on any Nepal trek — this is standard for the time of year, not specific to either 2026 flood.

Should I change my ABC itinerary because of the floods?

Not for the trek itself. If you’re arriving by private vehicle rather than trekking in on foot from Nayapul, ask your operator for the current status of the Syauli Bazaar stretch before departure.

ABC remains one of the most walkable treks in Nepal this season — the only real disruption from this year’s floods is a single access road running on a temporary fix, and it doesn’t reach above Ghandruk. If you’re deciding between routes, our Mardi Himal Trek safety update covers the shorter neighboring trek in the same region, and our Nepal trekking safety update breaks down every trekking region after this year’s floods. For current on-the-ground road conditions near Ghandruk, GetawayNepal and Nepal Tours both publish local trail updates worth cross-checking. For a route planned around your dates, talk to our team directly.

This article reflects information available as of September 14, 2026. Confirm current road status at Syauli Bazaar and Ghandruk with your operator before departure.