Nepal Complete Guide 2026: Everest, Annapurna, Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan

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Nepal Complete Guide 2026: Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Kathmandu Valley UNESCO, Pokhara, Chitwan, and Lumbini

TL;DR

Nepal in 2026 packs more raw landscape and living religion per square kilometer than almost anywhere I have walked. From the doorway of my teahouse at Namche Bazaar I could see eight peaks above six thousand meters before breakfast, and three hours later I was sharing thukpa with a porter who had carried loads to Everest Base Camp eleven times. That density is the headline. Eight of the world's fourteen mountains above 8,000 meters sit inside Nepal's borders, including Sagarmatha, which the Western world calls Mount Everest. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit on 29 May 1953, and 2026 marks the 73rd anniversary of that first ascent. The country also holds four UNESCO World Heritage Sites that matter for any first visit: the Kathmandu Valley monument zone inscribed in 1979 with seven sites including three Durbar Squares plus Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Changu Narayan; Sagarmatha National Park inscribed in 1979; Chitwan National Park inscribed in 1984; and Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, inscribed in 1997.

The single most important rule change for 2026 trekkers is the mandatory licensed guide policy introduced by the Nepal Tourism Board in April 2023. Foreign trekkers can no longer trek solo inside national parks and conservation areas. You must hire a licensed guide through a registered agency, and you must carry your TIMS card plus the relevant park permit at every checkpoint. ACAP for Annapurna costs NPR 3,000. The Sagarmatha National Park entry permit also costs NPR 3,000. The TIMS card is NPR 2,000. Expect to budget another USD 25 to 35 per day for the guide and USD 20 per day for an optional porter. Lodge beds along teahouse trails run USD 5 to 10 a night at the basic end, with food adding another USD 20 to 30 daily as you climb.

Visas are easy. Visa-on-arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport costs USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, and USD 125 for 90 days. The e-visa portal at nepaliport.immigration.gov.np lets you pre-fill the form to save queue time. The Nepali Rupee, abbreviated NPR, sits roughly at NPR 133 to USD 1 and NPR 1.6 to INR 1. Cash is king on every trekking trail above Lukla or Besisahar. Cards work fine in Kathmandu and Pokhara, including the newer expanded Pokhara International Airport that opened in early 2023.

Time your trip with the weather. October and November give the cleanest mountain views and steady trails. March, April, and May come second with rhododendron blooms above 2,500 meters. December, January, and February are cold but workable for lower hill walks and culture in the valley. June to September is monsoon. Skip trekking then unless you are heading into the rain-shadow of Upper Mustang. This guide walks through five tier-one sites and five tier-two destinations, costs in NPR plus USD plus INR, three sample itineraries from a 7-day classic loop to a 21-day Annapurna Circuit, and the practical permits, gear, and acclimatization plan I now use after three trips through these mountains.

Why visit Nepal in 2026

I came back this season because Nepal is at one of those quiet inflection points where infrastructure has caught up with ambition without losing the texture that made me fall for it in the first place. The 73rd anniversary of the first Everest summit on 29 May 1953 anchors the year for the trekking community. Expedition operators along the Khumbu have planned commemorations at Tengboche Monastery and at the Hillary School in Khumjung. If you want to be in Sherpa country during a meaningful week, late May 2026 is the one.

The post-earthquake rebuild from the 2015 Gorkha quake is essentially complete in the places tourists actually go. Kathmandu Durbar Square has restored its Kasthamandap pavilion. Patan Durbar Square reopened its Char Narayan temple after a careful reconstruction using salvaged timber. Bhaktapur, which lost much of Taumadhi square, has rebuilt with the original brick. Boudhanath's stupa was reconsecrated in late 2016 and looks crisper than I remembered from my pre-quake visit. The valley's seven UNESCO sites are once again photographable in full.

Pokhara's expanded international airport opened on 1 January 2023. The runway can take wide-body aircraft. International routes remain limited as of this writing, but the existence of the airport has cut domestic flight pressure on Tribhuvan and shortened the typical Kathmandu-Pokhara transfer for visitors who fly in via Delhi or Kuala Lumpur. The airport is a fact of life now; whether it ever runs at full capacity is a separate discussion that I will not opine on here.

Currency is stable. The NPR has held a steady peg against the Indian Rupee at roughly NPR 1.60 to INR 1, which makes budgeting from India painless. The USD floats around NPR 133. Inflation on food and lodge stays is modest. Teahouse owners I have visited every year since 2021 raised dal bhat prices by about ten percent over four years, well inside what I would expect anywhere in Asia.

Three more reasons matter for 2026. First, the mandatory licensed guide rule from April 2023 has now had three full seasons to settle, and the early confusion is gone. Second, the new TIMS card system is digital and faster at checkpoints. Third, the rhino population in Chitwan has climbed back above 750 according to the 2021 census, making sightings reliable again. Nepal is ready for visitors who want both mountains and lowland jungle without compromise.

Background

The story of Nepal is the story of the Kathmandu Valley, the high Himalayan trade routes, and the people between them. Human habitation in the valley reaches back several thousand years, but the documented record begins with the Licchavi dynasty around the fifth century, when classical Sanskrit inscriptions started appearing on stone steles. The Licchavis ruled until about the ninth century, leaving the bronze-casting and stone-carving traditions that would feed Newar craftsmanship for a thousand years.

The Malla period from the twelfth to the eighteenth century gave the valley its visual identity. The three Malla kings of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur competed for prestige by commissioning ever more elaborate Durbar Square complexes. Almost every pagoda you photograph on a first visit dates from this competition. The pagoda style itself is credited to the Newar architect Arniko, who carried the form to China in the thirteenth century.

In 1768 the Shah king Prithvi Narayan Shah unified the warring valley kingdoms and surrounding hill states into a single kingdom of Nepal. The Shah dynasty lasted, on paper, until 2008. From 1846 to 1951 actual power sat with the Rana family, who ran the country as a hereditary prime ministership. That arrangement ended in 1951 with the return of the Shah king from exile in India.

Multi-party democracy arrived in 1990. A civil conflict involving Maoist forces ran from 1996 through a peace agreement in November 2006. A constituent assembly in 2008 voted to abolish the monarchy and declare a federal democratic republic. The 2015 constitution established the current seven-province structure.

The 2015 Gorkha earthquake on 25 April measured 7.8. The official death toll reached 8,964 across Nepal, with extensive damage to the Kathmandu Valley monument zone. Reconstruction has been slow in private housing in remote districts but largely complete at the named heritage sites. Political life is peaceful, transport strikes are rare these days, and tourism is treated as a national priority by every party.

Tier-1 destinations

Kathmandu Valley UNESCO seven-site monument zone

The valley is the obvious starting point because every long-haul flight lands at Tribhuvan and because the seven UNESCO sites inscribed in 1979 are clustered within a 25 kilometer radius. I gave myself three full days on my first visit and barely scratched the surface. Plan four if you can.

Kathmandu Durbar Square sits in the old city, a fifteen-minute walk south of Thamel. The pagoda count is what you go for: Taleju Temple's three-tier copper roof, the white Kumari Ghar where the living goddess appears at her latticed window once or twice a day, Kal Bhairav's blackstone fury watching over the square. Post-quake reconstruction has restored Kasthamandap, the timber pavilion that gave Kathmandu its name. Entrance for foreign visitors is NPR 1,000.

Patan Durbar Square, four kilometers south across the Bagmati, is the most photogenic of the three squares to my eye. Tighter, more detailed, with the Patan Museum installed in the old royal palace. The museum's collection of Newar bronze religious art is the best I have seen in South Asia. Entrance NPR 1,000.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square, twelve kilometers east of Kathmandu, asks for a half day at minimum. Pottery Square still has potters spinning clay wheels by foot. Taumadhi Square's five-tier Nyatapola Temple has stood since 1702. Entrance NPR 1,800 because the ticket also covers conservation. I bought a multi-day pass at the gate; that is the move if you sleep in Bhaktapur, which I now do for the cleaner morning light at the temples.

Boudhanath stupa is the largest stupa in Asia, with a dome 36 meters wide. Tibetan Buddhists circumambulate clockwise, spinning prayer wheels at sunset, and the surrounding kora is lined with rooftop cafes that give you the best photographic angle. Entrance NPR 400. Visit between four and six in the evening.

Swayambhunath, called the Monkey Temple for its resident troop, sits on a hill west of central Kathmandu. The painted eyes of the Buddha gaze out from the stupa's harmika in four directions. The site has been a religious destination since at least the fifth century. The climb is 365 steps, and yes, the monkeys will rob you if you carry food in your hand. Entrance NPR 200.

Pashupatinath is Nepal's holiest Hindu temple, dedicated to Shiva, sitting on the Bagmati river. Public cremation ghats line the river. Photograph respectfully and never of mourners directly. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temple but can watch from the opposite bank. Entrance NPR 1,000.

Changu Narayan, the seventh and least-visited inscribed site, sits on a ridge above Bhaktapur. The Vishnu temple dates from the fourth century, possibly the oldest Hindu shrine in Nepal. Entrance NPR 300.

Everest Base Camp trek and the Khumbu region

I had been postponing Everest Base Camp for three trips before I finally booked it, and I am here to tell you it more than earns the hype. The classic route runs twelve to fourteen days door to door from Lukla, and at no point does the magic dip.

The trek begins with one of the most talked-about flights in aviation. Lukla airport, properly Tenzing-Hillary Airport, sits at 2,860 meters with a runway 527 meters long pitched at an 11.7 percent gradient. Pilots get one approach. The flight from Kathmandu takes 35 minutes. I have flown it three times without incident, but I always pad my Kathmandu departure date by two days to absorb the inevitable weather cancellations between October and December.

Day one walks down to Phakding at 2,610 meters. Day two climbs to Namche Bazaar at 3,440 meters, the Sherpa trading capital and the only town on the route with bakeries, ATMs, and pool tables. The standard acclimatization plan calls for two nights here. Day four reaches Tengboche Monastery at 3,867 meters; the morning view of Ama Dablam framed by prayer flags is one of the great rewards of any trek I have done. Day five lands at Dingboche at 4,410 meters for a second acclimatization stop.

Day seven climbs to Lobuche at 4,940 meters. Day eight reaches Gorak Shep at 5,164 meters and pushes to Everest Base Camp at 5,364 meters. Most trekkers turn around at base camp and return to Gorak Shep for the night. Day nine, before dawn, you climb Kala Patthar at 5,545 meters for the postcard view of Everest itself, which from base camp is largely obscured by Nuptse. After Kala Patthar you begin the descent.

Acclimatization decides whether you finish. Above 3,000 meters, gain no more than 500 meters of sleeping altitude per day and take a rest day every 1,000 meters. I have watched fit thirty-year-olds turn back at Dingboche because they ignored the rule. Diamox at 125 milligrams twice daily starting two days before Namche is standard among the guides I have worked with; talk to your doctor.

Permits: Sagarmatha National Park entry NPR 3,000 plus Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry NPR 2,000, paid in Lukla. No TIMS card is required inside Sagarmatha National Park. You do, since April 2023, need a licensed guide.

Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Sanctuary

Annapurna is the trek that built Nepal's trekking economy in the 1970s, and despite a road that now reaches deep into the Manang valley, the route remains a worthy expedition. There are three classic Annapurna products and you should pick one.

The Annapurna Circuit runs counterclockwise from Besisahar at 760 meters up to Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters, the highest trekking pass in the world that walkers cross routinely, then down to Muktinath, Jomsom, and Pokhara. Full circuit is fourteen to twenty-one days. The road has eaten the first four days on the east and the last three on the west, so most trekkers jeep-in to Chame or Manang and jeep-out from Jomsom for a ten-to-fourteen-day version focused on the high country and the pass.

The Annapurna Sanctuary trek, also called Annapurna Base Camp, runs from Nayapul outside Pokhara up the Modi Khola valley to ABC at 4,130 meters in seven to twelve days. I now recommend this ahead of the full circuit for first-time trekkers because the trail rises through different ecological zones cleanly. You start in rice paddies, climb through rhododendron forest, pass through bamboo, and end in a glacial cirque ringed by Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, Annapurna I, and Gangapurna.

The Poon Hill trek is the short option, four to five days from Nayapul via Ghorepani to a 3,210-meter sunrise viewpoint above the Annapurna range. Poon Hill is what I recommend to first-time trekkers, families with teenagers, or anyone with limited time who still wants a real Himalayan dawn.

Permits for all three: ACAP at NPR 3,000 and TIMS at NPR 2,000. The mandatory guide rule applies. Manang remains the magical acclimatization stop on the circuit, with the monastic settlement of Braga close by.

Pokhara and Phewa Lake

Pokhara is the rest day everyone needs after a trek and the on-ramp for anyone who has not yet started one. The town sits at 822 meters on the eastern shore of Phewa Lake, looking north at a 7,000-meter wall of mountains. Machhapuchhre, called Fishtail, dominates the view at 6,993 meters and remains a closed peak that climbers are not permitted to summit.

Lakeside, the tourist strip along Phewa, has more cafe seats per resident than seems possible. I take a wooden doonga rowboat across to Tal Barahi Temple on the small island near shore, then a longer paddle to the World Peace Pagoda on the far hill. The pagoda is one of 80 around the world built by the Japanese Nipponzan Myohoji order. The walk down through forest to the lake on the south side is well worth doing on foot.

Sarangkot at 1,592 meters is the standard sunrise destination above Pokhara. You can drive most of the way or hike up the previous evening. From the viewing platform you see Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I, Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Annapurna IV, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, and Lamjung Himal across a single sweep. On a clear November dawn this is one of the great mountain panoramas in Asia.

Pokhara is the paragliding capital of South Asia. Launches from Sarangkot land on the lakeshore after twenty to thirty minutes of thermalling. A tandem flight runs USD 70 to 120. Ask to see the Nepal Air Sports Association credential before booking.

The expanded Pokhara International Airport at Chinnedanda opened in January 2023. International scheduled services remain limited so far. Domestic flights from Kathmandu cost USD 90 to 130 one way.

Chitwan National Park UNESCO

Chitwan is the lowland counterweight to the mountains. The 952-square-kilometer park, inscribed by UNESCO in 1984, occupies the Terai grassland and sal forest along the Indian border. I treat it as an essential third leg of any Nepal itinerary that includes Kathmandu and Pokhara.

The wildlife is the draw. The 2021 census counted 752 greater one-horned rhinoceros in Chitwan, a recovery from the 2011 low point of around 503. I have seen rhino on every visit; they are common along the Rapti and Narayani rivers, especially at dawn and dusk. Bengal tigers number around 128 in the most recent count, distributed across Chitwan and the connected Parsa reserve. Tiger sightings are luck-based. I have been twice rewarded and three times skunked.

The park also holds Asian elephants, sloth bears, gharial and mugger crocodiles, leopards, sambar, chital, and over 540 bird species. Spring is bird season; winter is cat season when vegetation thins.

You enter via Sauraha on the east or Meghauli on the west. Jeep safaris of four or six hours are the main format. Canoe rides on the Rapti at dawn are essential for bird life and the chance of rhino on the bank. Walking safaris with an armed park guide give the adrenaline option. Elephant-back safaris have been phased out; I do not recommend operators who still offer them.

The Tharu indigenous community provides much of the local culture. The Tharu cultural museum at Sauraha is worth a quiet hour. Park entry is NPR 2,000 per day; most lodges roll it into a three-day package.

Tier-2 destinations

Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha

Lumbini, on the Terai plain near the Indian border, was inscribed by UNESCO in 1997 as the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, in 563 BCE. The Mayadevi Temple stands over the marker stone that the third-century BCE Mauryan emperor Ashoka placed to commemorate his pilgrimage. An Ashokan pillar with the original inscription stands beside it.

The master plan designed by Kenzo Tange in the 1970s divides the site into three zones: the sacred garden around the Mayadevi Temple, the monastic zone with national monasteries built by Buddhist countries from Thailand to Germany, and a cultural center. Walk slowly. Bicycle hire from the main gate is the smartest way to cover the four-square-kilometer site in a half day. Entrance NPR 500.

Upper Mustang restricted area

Upper Mustang, the former kingdom of Lo north of Jomsom in the Annapurna region, sits in the rain shadow of the Himalayas and preserves a Tibetan Buddhist culture that the rest of Tibet has largely lost. The walled capital Lo Manthang has the king's palace and three fifteenth-century monasteries with murals that scholars compare to the best of western Tibet.

Upper Mustang remains a restricted area. The permit costs USD 500 for the first ten days and USD 50 per day after. You must travel with a licensed guide through a registered agency, and a minimum of two trekkers. The trek runs ten to fourteen days from Jomsom and Kagbeni. I flag this as a tier-two destination because of the cost and complexity, not because of any deficit of interest. If you have done EBC or the Annapurna Circuit and want something different, Upper Mustang is the answer.

Langtang Valley

Langtang is the closest serious trekking region to Kathmandu. The drive from the capital to Syabrubesi takes seven hours; the trek up the valley to Kyanjin Gompa at 3,870 meters takes four to five days; you can add Tserko Ri at 4,985 meters as a day climb. Langtang village was destroyed by a landslide triggered by the 2015 earthquake and rebuilt slightly uphill. The community-run lodge there is among the most moving places I have stayed in Nepal because of what its existence represents. Permits are Langtang National Park at NPR 3,000 plus TIMS at NPR 2,000.

Bandipur

Bandipur is the historic Newar trading town on a ridge between Kathmandu and Pokhara at 1,030 meters. Cars are banned from the main bazaar; the architecture is intact eighteenth and nineteenth century. I stop here for one night on every overland Kathmandu-Pokhara trip. Tundikhel viewpoint gives the Annapurna and Manaslu ranges on a clear day. Permits not required.

Sagarmatha National Park

Sagarmatha National Park, inscribed by UNESCO in 1979, encompasses Mount Everest and most of the Khumbu region. The park boundary begins above Monjo on the EBC trek. It supports snow leopards, Himalayan tahr, musk deer, and 200 bird species. Most visitors experience it incidentally on the EBC trek; for the park itself, the visitor center at Monjo and the Sherpa Cultural Museum at Namche deserve dedicated time.

Cost table

All prices in NPR with USD and INR equivalents at NPR 133 to USD 1 and NPR 1.60 to INR 1, accurate for early 2026. Treat as a planning guide, not a quote.

Item	NPR	USD	INR
Visa on arrival 15 days	3,990	30	2,490
Visa on arrival 30 days	6,650	50	4,150
Visa on arrival 90 days	16,625	125	10,400
TIMS card	2,000	15	1,250
ACAP Annapurna permit	3,000	23	1,875
Sagarmatha NP permit	3,000	23	1,875
Langtang NP permit	3,000	23	1,875
Khumbu Rural Municipality entry	2,000	15	1,250
Chitwan NP entry per day	2,000	15	1,250
Upper Mustang permit 10 days	66,500	500	41,500
Licensed guide per day	3,500	25-35	2,200
Porter per day	2,650	20	1,650
Teahouse bed basic	665-1,330	5-10	415-830
Dal bhat at teahouse	530-800	4-6	330-500
Domestic flight Kathmandu-Lukla one way	23,000	175	14,375
Domestic flight Kathmandu-Pokhara one way	13,000	100	8,125
Tourist bus Kathmandu-Pokhara	1,500	11	940
Paragliding tandem 30 minutes	12,000-16,000	90-120	7,500-10,000
Patan Durbar Square entry	1,000	8	625
Bhaktapur Durbar Square entry	1,800	14	1,125
Kathmandu Durbar Square entry	1,000	8	625
Boudhanath entry	400	3	250
Pashupatinath entry	1,000	8	625
Mid-range hotel Kathmandu per night	6,000-12,000	45-90	3,750-7,500
Chitwan 3-day lodge package	30,000-55,000	225-415	18,750-34,375
Travel insurance with high-altitude evacuation	varies	80-200 per trip	6,650-16,625

Planning your trip

When to go

October and November are the textbook trekking months. Post-monsoon skies are clear, temperatures are comfortable from low altitude to 4,500 meters, and trails are dry. December through February are cold above 3,500 meters with potential snow at Thorong La and possible passes closed for short periods, but the lower hill walks like Poon Hill remain doable. March, April, and May are the second peak window with rhododendron blooms and warmer nights at altitude, traded against more haze by midday. June through early September is monsoon. Trails turn to mud, leeches show up, mountain views vanish behind cloud, and roads in the lower hills collapse. Skip those months for trekking unless you specifically want to walk into Upper Mustang, which sits in the rain shadow and stays dry. For Chitwan, the cooler dry months from October to March give the best wildlife visibility. For the Kathmandu Valley, any month works.

Visas

Most nationalities receive visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport. USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, USD 125 for 90 days, paid in cash or by card at the airport kiosk. The e-visa portal at nepaliport.immigration.gov.np lets you pre-fill the form, generate a barcode, and save fifteen to thirty minutes at the queue. Indian nationals do not need a visa. Visa extensions up to a maximum of 150 days in a calendar year are available at the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Children under ten enter free. A small number of nationalities require a pre-approved visa rather than visa on arrival; check the official portal before you book your flight.

Language

Nepali is the official language and shares a script with Hindi. English is widely spoken in tourism contexts in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and along the major trekking trails. In the Kathmandu Valley you will also hear Newari, the language of the indigenous Newar community, which uses the same script but is unrelated to Nepali grammatically. In the Sherpa regions of the Khumbu you will hear Sherpa, a Tibetic language. Tharu is the dominant language around Chitwan. Learning ten Nepali words is the polite thing to do; it goes a long way.

Money

The Nepali Rupee, NPR, is the currency. ATMs in Kathmandu and Pokhara dispense up to NPR 35,000 per withdrawal with a fee of NPR 500. Cards are accepted at hotels, restaurants, and trekking shops in the two big cities but rarely above Lukla or Besisahar on the trails. Carry cash on trek. USD is accepted for big-ticket items like visa fees and lodge packages but is not the everyday currency. Indian Rupees of denomination 100 or less are widely accepted near the Indian border and in Pokhara; INR 500 and 2,000 notes are technically not legal tender in Nepal due to Reserve Bank of India rules, so do not bring them. Tipping is appreciated at trekking guides at five to ten percent of the trek package.

Connectivity

Both major mobile carriers, NTC and Ncell, sell tourist SIM cards at the airport and in Thamel. Bring your passport and a passport photo. Data packages run NPR 200 to 500 for a week of moderate use. 4G coverage is strong in Kathmandu, Pokhara, the Terai, and the lower Annapurna and Everest trails. Coverage thins above Namche Bazaar and disappears entirely above 4,500 meters except at a few teahouse hotspots that resell satellite WiFi. Plan for offline navigation by downloading Maps.me or the Gaia GPS Nepal layer before you fly out of Kathmandu.

Safety

Nepal is among the safer countries I travel in. Violent crime against tourists is rare. Petty theft and bag-snatching are not. The two real safety topics are altitude sickness and the mandatory guide rule. Acute mountain sickness can affect anyone above 3,000 meters regardless of fitness. The symptoms begin with headache, loss of appetite, and poor sleep, and progress to ataxia, confusion, and pulmonary or cerebral edema. Acclimatize, hydrate, and descend at the first hint of escalation. Diamox at 125 milligrams twice daily prophylactically starting 24 hours before exposure is now widely used; talk to your doctor.

The April 2023 mandatory guide rule means foreign trekkers cannot legally trek solo inside national parks and conservation areas. Hire a licensed guide through a registered agency. Earthquake awareness matters in the valley; the buildings have been rebuilt to better standards since 2015 but you should still memorize the doorway-or-table-of-cover drill for any region of seismic activity.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 2023 mandatory guide rule and does it really apply to me?

The Nepal Tourism Board introduced the rule in April 2023. Foreign trekkers may not enter national parks or conservation areas without a licensed guide hired through a government-registered trekking agency. The rule applies to ACAP and Sagarmatha NP, which means Annapurna and Everest. Solo trekking is still possible on a handful of unrestricted trails like Mardi Himal in the buffer zones, but the major routes require a guide. I have walked since 2023 and the rule is enforced at checkpoints. Budget USD 25 to 35 per day plus tips.

How do I prevent altitude sickness?

Walk up slowly. Above 3,000 meters, gain no more than 500 meters of sleeping altitude per day. Take a rest day every 1,000 meters. Drink three to four liters of water daily. Diamox at 125 mg twice daily starting 24 hours before exposure is the standard prophylaxis; consult your doctor before using it. The cardinal rule is descent at the first sign of escalation. A headache is normal; ataxia, confusion, or breathlessness at rest are emergencies. Carry a pulse oximeter. Most teahouses now have one and will check guests.

Which trek is best for a first-time trekker, Poon Hill, ABC, or EBC?

Poon Hill if you have four to five days and want a guaranteed dawn over the Annapurna range without going above 3,300 meters. ABC if you have nine to twelve days and want a serious sanctuary trek with peak views all around but moderate altitude. EBC if you have fifteen days including weather buffer at Lukla and you want the full high-altitude experience. I would not start with EBC unless you have prior altitude exposure or unusual fitness; it is a serious undertaking.

What does Upper Mustang cost and is it worth it?

The Upper Mustang permit is USD 500 for ten days plus USD 50 per day after. Total trip cost with guide, transport, and lodging typically runs USD 2,000 to 3,500. It is worth it if you have already done a major Nepal trek and want a culturally distinct experience that resembles old Tibet more than the rest of Nepal.

Is Nepal vegetarian-friendly?

Extremely. Hindu cultural norms make vegetarian food the default in much of the country. Dal bhat, the national dish of lentils, rice, and seasonal vegetable curries, is almost always vegetarian on teahouse menus and refills are usually included. Momos come in vegetable, paneer, buff, and chicken varieties. Pokhara and Kathmandu have full vegan menus at most lakeside and Thamel cafes.

Are the 2015 earthquake rebuilds finished?

At the named UNESCO heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, yes. Kasthamandap, Char Narayan, and the major Bhaktapur shrines are reconstructed. Private housing in some remote districts of Sindhupalchowk and Dhading is still partially rebuilt. The trails to Manaslu and Langtang were repaired within two years.

Can I use Indian Rupees in Nepal?

Yes, but only INR 100 notes and below. INR 500 and 2,000 notes are not legal tender in Nepal under current Reserve Bank of India rules. Bring USD or take NPR from an ATM in Kathmandu.

What kind of travel insurance do I need?

A policy that explicitly covers high-altitude trekking up to your maximum planned altitude, with helicopter evacuation cover of USD 50,000 to 100,000. Standard travel insurance often caps coverage at 4,000 meters or excludes "mountaineering," and EBC plus Thorong La both exceed that line. Read the policy. World Nomads, Global Rescue, IMG Travel Insured, and a number of trek-specific policies cover the Himalayas; verify against your own nationality and the year you travel.

Useful Nepali phrases

Nepali uses the Devanagari script. Romanizations vary; the spellings below match common tourist usage.

Namaste, the universal greeting, hands together at chest level. Use it on arrival and on parting.
Dhanyabad, thank you. Used sparingly in Nepali culture but always appreciated by trekking staff.
Kripaya, please.
Sanchai chha?, how are you?
Tapaiko naam ke ho?, what is your name?
Mero naam Saikiran ho, my name is Saikiran.
Kati ho?, how much is it? Indispensable in markets.
Mahangho cha, that is expensive. Pair with a smile to negotiate.
Pani, water. Tato pani, hot water.
Ramro chha, it is good or this is good.
Dal bhat ek plate, one plate of dal bhat.
Subhakamana, good wishes or cheers when toasting.

Cultural notes

Nepal is constitutionally secular, but daily life is shaped by Hinduism for roughly 81 percent of the population, Buddhism for about 9 percent, Islam for about 4 percent, with smaller communities of Kirat, Christian, and others. The two great religions are syncretic in practice. Many shrines hold both Hindu and Buddhist deities, and most Newar families keep both Hindu and Buddhist family priests.

Pashupatinath is the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal, dedicated to Shiva. Public cremations on the ghats are part of the daily rhythm; photograph the temple from across the river, never the mourners, and never the corpse itself. Treat the area with the same respect you would extend to a Christian funeral.

Buddhist sites include Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, Lumbini, and most of the monasteries above 3,000 meters in the Khumbu and Mustang regions. Walk clockwise around stupas and prayer wheels. Do not point your feet at images of the Buddha when you sit. Remove shoes before entering monastery interiors. Photography is generally permitted in courtyards and prohibited in inner sanctums; ask.

The cow is sacred and protected by law. You will see cows on busy Kathmandu streets and you will not see beef on most menus. Buff, which is water buffalo, is the local substitute and is delicious in momos.

Greetings are made with hands together at chest level and a slight bow. Avoid using the left hand for handing money or food.

Dal bhat is bottomless; trekking staff will refill rice and lentils until you stop them. Momos come with achar pickle and chili sauce. Thukpa noodles are the trekker's cold-day comfort food.

Women travelers should dress modestly at religious sites with shoulders and knees covered. The Sherpa, Tamang, Tharu, Newar, Magar, Gurung, and Rai communities each have their own festival calendar; Dashain and Tihar in October-November are the biggest national festivals.

Pre-trip preparation

Build your acclimatization plan into your booking. For EBC, that means a fourteen-day window minimum including two nights at Namche and a second acclimatization stop at Dingboche. For Annapurna Circuit with Thorong La, that means at least two nights in Manang at 3,540 meters before crossing the pass. Do not let an agency sell you a compressed schedule that violates the 500-meter-per-day rule above 3,000 meters.

Consult your doctor about Diamox prophylaxis. The current standard is 125 mg twice daily starting 24 hours before reaching 3,000 meters and continuing until two days after maximum altitude. Side effects include tingling in the fingers and an increased need to urinate. Test the medication on a low-altitude day before you travel.

Buy travel insurance that covers helicopter evacuation from above 5,000 meters with a policy limit of USD 50,000 to USD 100,000. Standard travel insurance frequently excludes high-altitude trekking; verify the policy explicitly names trekking to your maximum planned altitude. Carry the insurance card and the evacuation hotline number on your person, not in your trekking bag, in case the bag stays behind on a porter when you descend on horseback.

Hire trekking gear in Thamel or Pokhara rather than shipping it from home if you do not already own quality cold-weather kit. Down jackets, sleeping bags rated to minus 20 degrees Celsius, trekking poles, and crampons are available at fair prices and high-quality replicas. Buy or hire boots that you have already broken in over at least 50 kilometers at home; do not show up at Lukla in new boots.

Train at home with weighted day-pack hikes for a minimum of eight weeks. Aim for two long sessions of three to four hours per week with a fifteen-percent body weight pack. Stair climbing supplements well. Cardio is more important than strength; you want resting heart rate to drop because acclimatization correlates with cardiovascular fitness.

Pack pulse oximeter, ibuprofen, rehydration salts, two water bottles with filter or tablets, headlamp, category 4 sunglasses, SPF lip balm, and a power bank because teahouses charge by the hour at altitude.

Photocopy your passport, visa, and insurance card. Keep one set in your trek bag and one set with your agency in Kathmandu.

Three recommended trips

Seven-day classic, no trekking, Kathmandu plus Pokhara plus Chitwan

This is the trip I recommend for first-time visitors who want the headline sites without altitude or long walks. Three nights in Kathmandu cover the seven UNESCO sites. Day one and two: Durbar Squares of Kathmandu and Patan, Pashupatinath at sunset. Day three: Bhaktapur full day plus Boudhanath at dusk. Drive to Pokhara on day four via Bandipur for lunch. Day five: Sarangkot sunrise, Phewa Lake boat, World Peace Pagoda walk. Day six: fly or drive to Chitwan. Day seven: jeep safari and canoe at Chitwan, transfer to Bharatpur for the flight back to Kathmandu or directly to Delhi. Budget USD 1,400 to 2,200 per person excluding international flights.

Twelve to fourteen day Everest Base Camp trek

The full classic. Two nights Kathmandu on arrival including the valley UNESCO sites. Fly Lukla day three. Phakding overnight. Two nights Namche Bazaar 3,440 meters. Tengboche 3,867 meters. Two nights Dingboche 4,410 meters. Lobuche 4,940 meters. Gorak Shep 5,164 meters with EBC visit at 5,364 meters. Kala Patthar predawn at 5,545 meters. Descend over three days back to Lukla. Fly to Kathmandu. Buffer day at Kathmandu. Budget USD 1,500 to 2,800 per person for the trek inclusive of flights, guide, porter, permits, and teahouse stays, before international airfare.

Fourteen to twenty-one day Annapurna Circuit

For trekkers with more time who want the geographic and cultural variety of crossing a major pass. Two nights Kathmandu. Drive to Besisahar then jeep to Chame. Walk over Pisang, Manang with a two-night acclimatization stop, Yak Kharka, Thorong Phedi, Thorong La 5,416 meters pass day, Muktinath, Jomsom, Marpha. Fly Jomsom to Pokhara or continue walking through Tatopani and Ghorepani with the Poon Hill sunrise as a bonus. Two nights Pokhara recovery. Budget USD 1,800 to 3,500 per person.

Ten-day mixed Lumbini, Kathmandu, Chitwan, Pokhara

A non-trekking alternative that goes deeper than the classic seven-day loop. Two days Kathmandu. Fly to Bhairahawa, drive to Lumbini, two nights at the master plan zone. Drive or fly to Chitwan, two nights with safari and Tharu village. Drive to Pokhara, three nights including Sarangkot, paragliding, and a short Sarangkot or Australian Camp day walk. Fly back to Kathmandu for the international connection. Budget USD 1,800 to 2,800 per person.

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External references

Nepal Tourism Board official portal: welcomenepal.com
Nepal e-visa and immigration: nepaliport.immigration.gov.np
UNESCO World Heritage Centre Nepal page: whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/NP
US Department of State Nepal travel advisory: travel.state.gov, Nepal country page
Wikipedia entry for Mount Everest at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest

Last updated: 2026-05-13