Frequently asked questions

Before you arrive

  • The people of Nepal are famous for their kindness and hospitality. Politically, Nepal has started to bounce back from the “Gen Z protests” in September 2025. See our latest security assessment for more information. Nepal lies in a seismically active region and tremors are not uncommon. Our treks will consider detours if landslides are encountered. We do not recommend high-altitude treks during the wet summer months.

  • By private vehicle, you travel to the start of your trek. While on the trek, expect to walk 5-6 hours on average each day, excluding breaks and lunch stops. There will be both inclines and declines. All trekking routes are well-marked.

  • There are treks for all seasons! But treks involving crossing 5,000-metre mountain passes should be avoided in the middle of winter. For most treks, spring (from early March) and autumn (from mid-September) are the best months. Winter (after Christmas Day) is out for high places. In summer from June to early September, monsoon rains obscure mountain views, cause travel chaos and bring on the leeches in lowland forests.

    Read about climate change and our adaptation measures.

  • All our treks are teahouse treks. No camping required. A teahouse trek is a popular form of trekking where trekkers stay in family-run lodges or homestays. Lodges provide a room, meals (there are menus), and a communal area where guests relax or interact with other hikers. In a homestay, travellers have their meals seated on the floor around a warm wood-burning stove.

  • There are no “hidden” costs. All our trekking and tour packages are inclusive of all government taxes and trekking permit fees. Read our trek itineraries on what is specifically excluded.

  • Absolutely. Travel insurance is more than just making claims for a flight delay. If there is a medical emergency, evacuation by helicopter is expensive, for instance. Ensure that your insurance coverage includes outdoor activities at elevations of up to 5,500 metres (18,000 feet), the ceiling of most treks.

  • Not at all. Most trekkers travel in Nepal with friends and family. Some are couples. Many are solo travellers. However, if you would like us to add you to a group to help lower costs, or help assemble one with other trekkers, just let us know in advance!

On Arrival

  • Upon landing at Tribhuvan International Airport, apply for your tourist visa at one of many electronic booths in the immigration hall. Most nationalities are allowed to obtain their visas on arrival. After filling an electronic visa application form at a booth, save it and take a screenshot. At nearby visa counters, pay for your visa. The cost of the visa varies, depending on the number of days you plan to stay in Nepal: 15 days ($30), 30 days ($50) or even 90 days ($125). Some lucky few, such as Chinese nationals, do not need to pay for their visas, and can skip this step and head to the Gratis Visa immigration counter directly. For the majority of visitors, join the regular immigration queue. An immigration officer will paste the visa in your passport. Make sure you have at least one free page. Your passport should also be valid for at least six months. 

    More information on visas: https://immigration.gov.np/en/page/tourist-visa

  • After collecting your check-in luggage and before exiting the airport, there are ATMs and foreign exchange counters where you can exchange your home currency for Nepali rupees. U.S. dollars and other major currencies are widely accepted in Kathmandu as payment. In rural areas, rupees and U.S. dollars are preferred. There are also bank ATMs in downtown Kathmandu. Outside of the capital, especially in relatively remote areas, it will be difficult to find an ATM that accepts foreign bank cards.

  • Before arrival, clients must pay a 20% deposit through an international bank wire transfer to secure their booking. On arrival, the vast majority of clients prefer to pay us in cash to avoid international bank transfer surcharges. We accept cash in major currencies including U.S. dollars, euros, Japanese yen and Chinese renminbi.

  • At the airport. In Nepal, 4G SIM cards are very cost-effective. After collecting your luggage at the airport, there are counters where you can buy local SIM cards. A passport photo is required. If you are visiting rural and mountainous areas, buy a SIM card from state-owned NTC. Coverage by privately run Ncell is limited to urban areas or major villages.

While on the trek

  • Nepal is a very poor country, with people earning on average just $1,400 a year. In the autumn of 2025, overworked nurses earning as little as $100 a month took to the streets demanding fairer wages. Thousands of young Nepalis leave the country for jobs overseas each day. Yes, each day. Those who can’t leave try their best to get by with what local jobs they can find. Many work in Nepal’s tourism sector. Some are porters during the peak trekking seasons. With their help, hikers can travel at higher altitudes with a lighter and safer load while contributing to local incomes and economic stability.

  • There is 4G signal across Nepal except for very remote and sparsely populated regions. Some teahouses even have Wifi, but do not expect blistering speeds.

  • We encourage you to be vegetarian while on the trek! Fresh meats are hard to come by in rural places, and most are kept in refrigeration. In small quantities, meat is safe to eat when it is cooked. Yak burgers are not advised… Vegetables are often grown locally, so they are fresh and taste out-of-this-world. If you are vegetarian or vegan, just tell the restaurant to skip the meat and dairy and other animal-derived products.

  • Pizza and pasta are often on the menu, even in remote areas! But made with whatever ingredients teahouses can find locally, the pizza and pasta will inevitably disappoint. Why not try dal bhat - a delicious and fortifying dish of steamed rice, lentils, vegetables and potatoes? Thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup), light curry served with rice, and momos (steamed or fried dumplings) are equally excellent options.

  • Of course not! But you would have to pay extra if you want your own room. Please let us know. Unless you are travelling alone, our packages are priced on the assumption of twin rooms with two single beds. During high peak seasons, it might be hard to find a room at teahouses all for yourself, especially in places with limited supply of rooms. Talk to your guide in advance.

  • You can have hot showers every hour at a hotel in a city in Nepal. While trekking in Nepal in the 21st century, it is likely you can have a hot shower in either a common bathroom (one-person use) or a private bathroom in your room. Many teahouses depend on solar energy for heating, so hot showers may range from lukewarm to piping hot, depending on the weather! Some teahouses do not have shower facilities at all, due to scarcity of water. Many travellers come to Nepal prepped with talc-free bathing powder for “dry baths”.

fitness & health

  • Many trekkers use porters to carry the bulk of their luggage (and benefiting locals in that way) and just carry a 30-litre daypack for essentials, dramatically lightening the load on their shoulders. An average person would be able to walk comfortably on an easy trek (flat). Some basic fitness is needed for moderate treks (some uphill walks). Stamina is required for strenuous treks (uphill for many hours). Most treks are a combination of the three, with most a mix of uphill and downhill walks. You must be able to walk for at least 5 hours a day.

  • For most people, the effects of the altitude will start to kick in from 3,200 metres (10,500 feet). Lethargy and a slight headache in the evening on the first day at such an elevation is common. Most feel much better on the second day. Sharp ascents will aggravate the symptoms. Many trekkers use acetazolamide to prevent the onset of symptoms, but consult your doctor. But no drug will help if you want to rush up Everest in one day.

    Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/environmental-hazards-risks/high-altitude-travel-and-altitude-illness.html

  • Never drink water directly from a stream or from the tap. Drinking water must be either boiled or filtered or purified with purification tablets. The cost of bottled mineral water rises on a trek in step with the altitude. A LifeStraw will be helpful, as well as old-fashioned purification tablets. Purification also reduces the amount of plastic we carry into the hills.

  • You should talk to your doctor about what typical travel medicines you can bring to Nepal. The majority of travellers have no issues with cooked meals in Nepal, but bring diarrhea medicines just in case. Some suffer from motion sickness. Bring paracetamol for any mild headaches. Eye drops are useful if you tend to have dry eyes (and if you depend on contact lenses). Travel medicine is highly dynamic, depending on the individual, so please consult your family doctor before travel.

  • Never too old. While on the trail, it is very common to bump into older hikers in their late 50s and 60s. This demographic is a hardy bunch who can adhere to a Nepal trekking schedule as well as more youthful hikers. If you are asking yourself this question, perhaps it’s a question more about fitness or mobility.

  • Children below the age of 12 on the trail are rare. If your children are used to long walks, they are likely to be fine on low-altitude routes. But treks at higher elevations will be more complex and risky, because young children may not always be able to tell you how they are adjusting to the altitude.

What to bring

  • No, not unless it’s really required. Tents are needed for camping treks, not for treks that are 100% supported by teahouses along the route. Read the trek description of each trek for more information.

  • Probably not. The bulk of your luggage will be carried by a porter, so a rain-proof duffle bag should do the trick. If you are supported by a jeep throughout the trip, you can consider a hard-shell case. There will be bumps, scratches and dust, however!

  • While on a trail with the possibility of encountering 2 or more seasons within a day, hikers in Nepal dress in layers - a base layer, a middle insulating layer, and an outer layer to brave the elements.

    Check out our starter gear list.

  • Should they use sticks, most hikers use a pair of telescopic trekking poles that can be shortened when walking on an incline, and lengthened when going downhill. Some hikers use a pair, some just take one pole (and leave the other hand free). While practically useless on flat terrain, even one walking stick is a god-send as you navigate a slippery slope. It might even save your life.

  • An absolute must. For any extended outdoor activity in the mountains of Nepal, use a sunscreen rated SPF 50 and above, and remember to reapply every 2 hours. Don’t forget your sunglasses to protect your eyes from glare or even snow blindness during a sudden white-out. A wide-brimmed hat also shields your face from the heat of the sun if you are out in the open.

  • While you certainly do not need a headlamp in the city or even in teahouses in remote places, a headlamp would be most useful if your hike happens to stretch into the evening for whatever reason, or very early in the morning for sunrise views. Most importantly, it frees up your hands should you need to use a communal toilet in the middle of the night.

The Unexpected

  • Send us an email or a WhatsApp message. If the delay is a serious one, we can always push back the start of the trip.

  • If you suddenly find yourself unable to get away from the daily grind, we can always reschedule your trip anytime over a two-year period.

  • Your guide is a master problem-solver, and would be able to navigate the trekking party through most delays. On treks that might encounter weather disruptions, we sometimes build in spare or buffer days, depending on the time of the year.

  • A small personal first-aid kit is quick to pack and could be a god-send when you need to. Pack at least Band-Aid and moleskin for blisters and small cuts. Antiseptic wipes, wound dressings and micropore tape to treat grazes and scrapes. A tweezer might be useful.