The study of peristaltic transport of a nanofluid in a vertical channel under long wavelength and low Reynolds number approximation is reported in the present work. The analytical expressions are obtained for velocity, temperature distribution, nanoparticle concentration, pressure rise per wavelength and stream function. The influence of Brownian motion parameter and thermophoresis parameter on flow characteristics have been discussed with the help of graphs. It is observed that there is an appreciable change in the temperature distribution and nanoparticle volume fraction profiles with increase in Brownian motion parameter and thermophoresis parameter. The trapping phenomenon is also discussed. © 2017 by American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved.