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

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

1. TL;DR

I spent six weeks crossing Nepal in the dry post-monsoon window of October and November, splitting time between Kathmandu Valley temples, Pokhara lakes, the Everest Base Camp trail, an Annapurna Sanctuary detour, Chitwan grasslands, and Lumbini's Sacred Garden. For Indian passport holders there is no visa, only a passport or valid Indian ID at the border. For other nationalities, visa-on-arrival costs USD 30 for 15 days. Budget USD 35 to USD 70 per day outside the high mountains.

2. Why Visit Nepal in 2026

Nepal in 2026 feels confident again. Restoration of the Kathmandu Valley monument zones, paused after the April 2015 Gorkha earthquake (7.8 magnitude with a 7.3 May aftershock), concluded in 2023 with the reopening of the last damaged courtyards inside Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares. The Everest Base Camp route received bridge upgrades and waste-management infrastructure between 2024 and 2025.

For Indian travellers the entry friction is close to zero. The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship lets Indian nationals enter on a passport or any valid government photo ID, with no visa, no fee, and no stay limit for tourism. Flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, and Varanasi reach Kathmandu in under three hours, with return fares of USD 200 to USD 400. For other passports, 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 country combines eight of the world's fourteen 8,000-metre peaks, four UNESCO sites covering culture and nature, and the lowland Terai plains where one-horned rhinos walk the riverbanks. Nepal feels small at 147,516 square kilometres, but vertical relief from 60 metres at the southern Terai to 8,848.86 metres at Mount Everest packs every climate zone into a single country.

3. Background and Context

Nepal is landlocked between India to the south, east, and west, and China (Tibet Autonomous Region) to the north. It covers 147,516 square kilometres with a population of about 30.5 million. Kathmandu sits at 1,400 metres in the Bagmati Valley with 1.5 million in the core city and close to 5 million across the metro that includes Lalitpur (Patan) and Bhaktapur.

The official language is Nepali, written in Devanagari, but the country recognises 123 living languages including Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang, Newar, Magar, and Sherpa. The currency is the Nepalese Rupee (NPR), with 1 INR equal to 1.6 NPR and USD 1 trading around 135 NPR in 2026. Nepal Standard Time is UTC plus 5:45, a 15-minute offset that confuses every traveller's phone clock on day one.

Politics shifted in the last two decades. A Maoist insurgency that began in 1996 ended with the Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006. The 240-year Shah dynasty, founded by Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification in 1768, was abolished in May 2008 when the Constituent Assembly declared a federal democratic republic. A new constitution arrived in September 2015. Civil society protests in September 2025 over social media regulation drew crowds in Kathmandu and prompted policy changes; daily travel was disrupted briefly and then resumed normally.

Eight of the world's ten highest mountains sit in Nepal or on its border: Mount Everest 8,848.86 metres (revised in December 2020 by a joint Nepal-China survey, up from 8,848 metres in 1955), Kanchenjunga 8,586 metres on the India border, Lhotse 8,516 metres, Makalu 8,485 metres, Cho Oyu 8,188 metres on the China border, Dhaulagiri I 8,167 metres, Manaslu 8,163 metres, and Annapurna I 8,091 metres.

4. Kathmandu Valley: Seven Monument Zones in One UNESCO Site

I gave the valley four full days and still left feeling rushed. The 1979 UNESCO inscription covers seven monument zones: Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares plus Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, and Changu Narayan.

Kathmandu Durbar Square (Hanuman Dhoka) holds the Kasthamandapa pavilion that gave Kathmandu its name. The 2015 earthquake collapsed the Maju Deval and Trailokya Mohan temples; both were rebuilt by 2022 using salvaged timber and Newar joinery. Entry NPR 1,000 for foreigners, free for Indian nationals with ID.

Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur, five kilometres south, holds the Krishna Mandir from 1637 and the Patan Museum, the single best museum in the country. Bhaktapur Durbar Square sits 13 kilometres east at 1,401 metres. The five-tiered Nyatapola Temple from 1702 survived 2015 with only minor damage and towers 30 metres above Taumadhi Square. Entry NPR 1,800.

Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa west of central Kathmandu, carries legend going back 2,500 years with stupa structures dated to the 5th century CE. The 365 eastern steps climb through rhesus macaques (hence Monkey Temple) to a whitewashed dome painted with the Buddha eyes.

Boudhanath, 11 kilometres northeast of Thamel, holds the largest stupa in Asia at 36 metres tall and 100 metres across. The 14th-century structure became the spiritual home of Tibetan Buddhism after the 1959 exodus. I joined the evening kora at sunset with butter-lamp light along the ambulatory.

Pashupatinath, two kilometres east, is the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal and one of the four primary Shiva temples on the subcontinent. The 5th-century site sits on the Bagmati River where open-air cremations continue daily. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temple but can watch from the opposite bank.

Changu Narayan, 22 kilometres east near Bhaktapur, is the oldest temple in the valley with a 4th century CE inscription. Most travellers skip it; I think they're wrong. The hill setting is calm and the small museum holds Lichchhavi-period sculpture.

5. Pokhara: Phewa Lake, Sarangkot, and the Annapurna Front Range

Pokhara, 200 kilometres west of Kathmandu by road or a 30-minute flight, sits at 822 metres on Phewa Lake (4.4 square kilometres, second-largest in Nepal). The Annapurna massif rises directly north, putting Annapurna I (8,091 m), Annapurna II (7,937 m), Annapurna South (7,219 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), and Hiunchuli (6,441 m) on the horizon from anywhere on the lakefront.

I rented a doonga rowboat from the Lakeside (Baidam) ghats for NPR 800 a day and crossed to Tal Barahi Temple, then continued to the western shore for the climb to the World Peace Pagoda (Shanti Stupa) on a 1,100-metre ridge. The pagoda, completed in 1999 by Japanese Buddhists of the Nipponzan-Myohoji order, gives a clean view of the lake and snow line.

Sarangkot ridge, 15 kilometres northwest at 1,592 metres, is the sunrise viewpoint for the Annapurna range. I left Lakeside at 4:30 a.m. by taxi (NPR 1,500 round trip) and watched first light hit Dhaulagiri before sweeping east across Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, and Annapurna II. Sarangkot is also the launch point for paragliding; tandem flights cost USD 90 to USD 110 for 30 minutes and rank in global top-five lists.

Devi's Fall is a sinkhole waterfall named after a Swiss tourist who died there in 1961. Across the road, Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave runs 200 metres underground past a natural Shiva lingam. The International Mountain Museum (NPR 1,000 entry) covers expedition history and ethnographic detail on Sherpa, Magar, Gurung, and Thakali communities.

6. Everest Base Camp Trek: Twelve Days to 5,364 Metres

EBC is the trek that built Nepal's tourism. The standard itinerary runs 12 to 14 days round trip from Lukla, with acclimatisation days at Namche and Dingboche. I followed the 12-day version in late October.

Day one is the flight to Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport at 2,860 metres. The 527-metre runway slopes 12 degrees and sits 600 metres above the Dudh Kosi valley. Tara, Summit, and Sita Air run the route from Manthali (4-hour drive from Kathmandu in October-November) or directly from Kathmandu in shoulders. Tickets USD 175 to USD 200 one-way. Weather cancellation is routine; build a three-day buffer at both ends.

From Lukla the trail descends to Phakding (2,610 m), then climbs to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m), the main Sherpa town. A full acclimatisation day in Namche includes the hike to the Everest View Hotel (3,880 m) for the first glimpse of the summit pyramid. From Namche the path crosses the Dudh Kosi on the Hillary suspension bridge to Tengboche (3,867 m), where the monastery (rebuilt after fires in 1934 and 1989) holds the most photographed view of Ama Dablam.

Dingboche (4,410 m) is the second acclimatisation stop. From there: Lobuche (4,940 m), Gorak Shep (5,164 m), and Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) on the South Col side. Most trekkers also climb Kala Patthar (5,545 m) at sunrise for the best Everest sightline.

Sagarmatha National Park, UNESCO 1979, covers 1,148 square kilometres and was established 1976. Sagarmatha means "head of the sky" in Nepali. Park entry NPR 3,000 (USD 25); Khumbu Pasang Lhamu municipality charges NPR 2,000 at Lukla.

Altitude is the main risk. I took 125 mg acetazolamide twice daily from Namche on doctor's advice. The rule: if symptoms worsen, descend. Helicopter evacuation from Gorak Shep costs USD 3,500 to USD 5,000, covered by most insurance with 6,000-metre endorsements.

7. Annapurna Circuit and Sanctuary: Two Treks in One Range

The Annapurna Circuit, 230 kilometres long, traditionally took 21 days but road construction has shortened the on-foot section to 12 to 17 days depending on how much road walking you accept. The high point is Thorung La Pass at 5,416 metres on day 9 or 10. From Besisahar (760 m) the trail climbs through subtropical forest, rhododendron, pine, and moonscape rock above Manang (3,540 m) before crossing to the Mustang side and descending to Muktinath (3,710 m) and Jomsom (2,720 m).

The Annapurna Sanctuary trek is the shorter alternative at 7 to 11 days, ending at Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m) inside a glacial amphitheatre ringed by Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machhapuchhre. I did the Sanctuary in 9 days from Nayapul; the hot springs at Jhinu Danda on the descent are worth a half-day stop.

Annapurna Conservation Area covers 7,629 square kilometres, the largest protected area in Nepal. Permits: ACAP at NPR 3,000 and TIMS at NPR 2,000, both bought at the Nepal Tourism Board offices in Kathmandu or Pokhara.

Annapurna I, at 8,091 metres, was the first 8,000-metre peak ever summited. Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal of the 1950 French expedition reached the top on June 3, 1950, three years before Everest. The descent cost both climbers fingers and toes to frostbite. The story sits in the International Mountain Museum.

8. Chitwan National Park: Rhinos, Tigers, and the Terai

Chitwan, UNESCO inscribed 1984, covers 1,032 square kilometres of subtropical Terai lowland south of the Mahabharat range. Established in 1973 from former royal hunting reserves, it protects one of the largest populations of greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) at over 700 individuals (2021 census).

I based out of Sauraha village, two hours by tourist bus from Kathmandu via Bharatpur. Packages run two or three nights at USD 120 to USD 250 per person including entry, lodging, full board, jeep safari, canoe trip, and a guided walk.

Royal Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) number 125 to 200 based on the 2022 survey, though sightings are uncommon. Gharial crocodiles (about 200 adults in the Rapti and Narayani rivers) are visible from the canoe section. I also recorded sloth bears, leopards, sambar deer, spotted deer, gaur, wild boar, smooth-coated otter, and over 540 bird species across two safari days.

A 45-minute dugout canoe ride at dawn passed gharials on sandbanks. The afternoon jeep safari covered grasslands and sal forest, where I watched a mother rhino and calf cross the road 30 metres ahead.

The Tharu community, indigenous to the Terai, runs cultural programmes in Sauraha with stick dances and tours of mud-and-thatch homesteads. The Tharu Cultural Museum explains malaria resistance, land tenure under the Rana regime, and conservation partnerships.

9. Lumbini: Buddha's Birthplace

Lumbini, UNESCO inscribed 1997, sits in the Rupandehi district near the Indian border, 280 kilometres southwest of Kathmandu. This is the recorded birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha, in 563 BCE. I flew Kathmandu to Bhairahawa (Gautam Buddha International Airport, opened 2022) and drove 22 kilometres to the Sacred Garden.

The Maya Devi Temple, named for the Buddha's mother, sits at the centre of the site. Inside the protective shelter, archaeologists in 1996 uncovered a marker stone dated to the 3rd century BCE that pinpoints the exact birth location. The 6-metre Ashoka Pillar from 249 BCE stands outside with a Brahmi inscription confirming Emperor Ashoka's visit. Beside the temple sits Maya Devi's pond.

The wider Lumbini Development Zone, designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange in 1978, spans 6 square kilometres and holds an international monastic zone where Buddhist communities from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Germany, France, and China have built temples in their national styles. I rented a bicycle at the gate (NPR 300 a day) and rode the 4-kilometre central canal between the East and West Monastic Zones over a half day.

10. Bandipur: Newari Hilltop Village

Bandipur sits at 1,005 metres on a ridge 143 kilometres west of Kathmandu, three hours by tourist bus on the Prithvi Highway. The pedestrianised main street, paved in stone, runs along the ridge with Newari-style houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. The town was a major India-Tibet trading post before the Prithvi Highway bypassed the ridge in 1973. Restoration since 2002 has preserved timber facades and banned heavy vehicles. I stayed two nights at the Old Inn Bandipur (USD 80 per night), walked to Thani Mai Temple on a 1,400-metre summit for a 360-degree view of Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Langtang, and toured the Siddha Gufa cave system, the largest in Nepal at 437 metres long.

11. Tansen and Palpa: Newari Trade Town

Tansen, headquarters of Palpa District, sits at 1,370 metres about 280 kilometres west of Kathmandu and 100 kilometres south of Pokhara. The town developed as a Newari trading centre under the Sen dynasty in the 16th century. The Rani Mahal palace on the Kali Gandaki River, built in 1893, is a curious Indo-European mansion reached by a steep 90-minute walk down from town. Tansen works well as a 2-night stop between Lumbini and Pokhara. Dhaka cloth, the handwoven fabric used for Nepali topi caps, is produced in local workshops; a topi from a weaver costs NPR 800 to NPR 1,500.

12. Janakpur and Mithila Culture

Janakpur, in the southeastern Terai near the Indian border, is the birthplace of Sita in the Ramayana and the location of her marriage to Rama. The Janaki Mandir, completed in 1911 in a Koiri-Mughal-influenced style with three storeys and 60 rooms, is the spiritual centre. I attended Vivaha Panchami in early December when thousands of pilgrims commemorate the Ram-Sita wedding. Mithila culture, shared across the Nepal-Bihar border, produces some of the most distinctive folk art in South Asia. Mithila paintings, traditionally made by women on home walls during weddings, sell as paper works through cooperatives like the Janakpur Women's Development Centre.

13. Upper Mustang and Lower Dolpo: Restricted Trekking

Upper Mustang, the former Kingdom of Lo, sits in the rain shadow north of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. The region was closed to foreigners until 1992 and still requires a restricted-area permit at USD 500 for the first 10 days, USD 50 per day after. The walled capital Lo Manthang, at 3,840 metres, holds 15th-century monasteries and a Tibetan-Buddhist culture closer to Lhasa than to Kathmandu. Treks run 10 to 14 days from Jomsom; permits cap visitors below 2,500 per year.

Lower Dolpo, west of Mustang, requires a USD 20 per day permit and rewards a 12 to 15-day loop with Phoksundo Lake (deepest in Nepal at 145 metres), Bon villages, and snow leopard habitat made famous by Peter Matthiessen's 1978 book. Upper Dolpo: USD 500 for 10 days, similar to Mustang.

14. Costs in 2026 (NPR, USD, INR)

Cash budgets for the main travel categories in early 2026:

Item	Budget	Mid-Range	High-End
Hotel per night (Kathmandu, Pokhara)	USD 8 to 15	USD 25 to 60	USD 80 to 200
Trek tea-house bed per night	NPR 300 to 800	NPR 1,000 to 2,500	n/a
Dal bhat thali (unlimited refill)	NPR 350 to 600	NPR 700 to 1,200	NPR 1,500+
Local meal (momos, thukpa)	NPR 150 to 300	NPR 400 to 700	n/a
Tourist bus Kathmandu to Pokhara	NPR 1,000	NPR 1,800	NPR 3,500 (Greenline)
Domestic flight (Pokhara, Bharatpur)	n/a	USD 110 to 130 one-way	n/a
Lukla flight (Manthali)	n/a	USD 175 to 200 one-way	n/a
EBC trek package, all in	USD 1,000	USD 1,400 to 1,800	USD 2,500+
Annapurna Circuit/Sanctuary package	USD 800	USD 1,200 to 1,600	USD 2,000+
Chitwan 2-night package	USD 120	USD 180 to 220	USD 300+
Tribhuvan airport taxi to Thamel	NPR 800 (prepaid)	NPR 1,200 (hotel pickup)	n/a

Permits in 2026: Sagarmatha NPR 3,000 (USD 25); Khumbu Pasang Lhamu NPR 2,000; ACAP NPR 3,000; TIMS NPR 2,000; Chitwan NPR 2,000 per day; Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpo USD 500 for 10 days. INR conversion at 1 INR equals 1.6 NPR: dal bhat at NPR 500 is INR 313; bus seat at NPR 1,000 is INR 625; USD 30 visa fee is INR 2,500.

15. Planning the Trip

The premier trekking window is October to November (post-monsoon air dry, skies clear, mountain views reliable). March to May (pre-monsoon) is second-best with rhododendrons up to 3,500 metres. June to September is monsoon; lowland Nepal floods, trails turn to mud, leeches infest forest sections, Lukla flights cancel for days. December to February is dry but cold; EBC tea houses close above 4,500 metres.

Visa: Indian nationals need neither visa nor passport (voter ID, Aadhaar, or driver's licence works), though I recommend a passport to avoid argument at immigration. All other nationalities receive visa-on-arrival at Tribhuvan, Gautam Buddha, Pokhara airports or major land borders for USD 30 (15 days), USD 50 (30 days), or USD 125 (90 days).

Flights from India run on Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, Nepal Airlines, and Buddha Air, 1.5 to 3 hours from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, and Varanasi. Return fares 2026: USD 200 to USD 400 regular, USD 450 to USD 600 around Diwali, Dashain, and Christmas. The Sunauli-Bhairahawa land border from Gorakhpur is the most common overland crossing; allow 5 to 6 hours.

Internal flights on Yeti, Buddha, and Shree Airlines serve Pokhara, Bharatpur, Bhairahawa, and Janakpur, 25 to 40-minute hops at USD 100 to USD 130 one-way. Tara, Summit, and Sita Air fly Lukla. Buses on the Prithvi and Mahendra Highways: 6 to 8-hour drives between major destinations.

Climate by elevation. Kathmandu sees 15 to 30 degrees Celsius March to May and 5 to 25 October to November. The Terai runs 20 to 38 in spring and 10 to 28 in autumn. Above 4,000 metres, nights drop to minus 10 in October-November and minus 20 in December at Gorak Shep.

Dress modestly at religious sites. Remove shoes at temple entrances. Leather items cannot enter Pashupatinath. Cover shoulders and knees at Boudhanath and Pashupatinath. Walk clockwise around stupas; never point feet at religious images.

16. Frequently Asked Questions

Do Indian passport holders need a visa? No. The 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty allows visa-free entry on passport or government photo ID, with no stay limit for tourism. Carry a passport when possible to speed up immigration.

How do I get cash and is INR accepted? ATMs in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Bharatpur, and Bhairahawa dispense NPR up to NPR 35,000 per transaction. INR notes in denominations of 100 and below are widely accepted; INR 200, 500, and 2,000 notes are banned and will be confiscated. USD cash is the most useful foreign currency for visa fees and permits.

How serious is altitude sickness on EBC? Real. Above 3,500 metres, about 25 percent of trekkers experience mild AMS, with severe AMS in 1 to 2 percent. Take acetazolamide on doctor's advice, drink 3 to 4 litres daily, never sleep more than 500 metres higher than the previous night, and descend if symptoms worsen. Travel insurance with a 6,000-metre trekking endorsement is mandatory.

Annapurna or EBC first? Annapurna Sanctuary (7 to 9 days, max 4,130 m) is gentler, cheaper, and better for first trekkers. EBC (12 to 14 days, max 5,545 m) demands more acclimatisation and costs more (Lukla adds USD 350 round trip). Annapurna Circuit at 12 to 17 days with Thorung La at 5,416 metres falls between them.

Can vegetarians eat well? Yes. Nepali cuisine is largely vegetarian. Dal bhat (lentils, rice, vegetables, pickle) is the unlimited-refill national dish at NPR 350 to 600. Newari food adds bara, chatamari, and yomari. Tea houses serve dal bhat, fried rice, fried noodles, momos, and Tibetan bread.

What about the monsoon? Avoid trekking mid-June to mid-September. The Terai gets waterlogged, mountain visibility drops to near zero, leeches cover lower trails, and landslides close roads. Mustang and Upper Dolpo lie in the rain shadow and remain accessible.

What if my Lukla flight cancels? Build a 3-day buffer at both ends. Weather and fog cancellations are routine. Beyond 2 days, helicopter shares from Kathmandu to Lukla run USD 500 per person (5 passengers minimum).

What are tea-house lodges like? Twin rooms with two beds, wool blankets, and a shared squat or Western toilet. Hot showers NPR 300 to 500. Wi-Fi NPR 600 per day. Charging NPR 200 to 400 per hour. Above 4,500 metres: plywood walls, no room heating (dining-room stoves run on yak dung), rising prices as supplies arrive by porter or yak.

17. Useful Nepali Phrases

English	Nepali	Pronunciation
Hello	Namaste	nah-mas-tay
Thank you	Dhanyabad	dhan-ya-baad
Yes	Ho	ho
No	Hoina	hoy-naa
Please	Kripaya	kri-pa-ya
Sorry	Maaf garnuhos	maaf gar-nu-hos
How much?	Kati ho?	ka-ti ho
Too expensive	Dherai mahango	dhe-rai ma-han-go
Water	Pani	paa-ni
Tea	Chiya	chi-yaa
Food	Khana	khaa-na
Delicious	Mitho	mee-tho
Where is the toilet?	Charpi kaha cha?	char-pi ka-haa cha
Goodbye	Pheri bhetaula	phe-ri bhe-tau-la
Slowly	Bistaarai	bis-taa-rai
The guest is god (cultural greeting)	Atithi devo bhava	a-ti-thi de-vo bha-va

Cultural Notes

Nepal recognises 125 ethnic groups across the Indo-Aryan southern Terai and Tibetan-Mongoloid northern hills. By population: Chhetri 16 percent, Brahmin (Bahun) 12 percent, Magar 7 percent, Tharu 6 percent, Tamang 5 percent, Newar 5 percent, plus Muslim, Yadav, Kami, Rai, Gurung, Limbu, Sherpa, Sunuwar, and Thakali.

Religion in the 2021 census: Hindu 81 percent, Buddhist 9 percent, Muslim 4 percent, Kirat 3 percent, Christian 1.5 percent. Practice is syncretic: many families worship Hindu deities and Buddhist bodhisattvas at the same shrine, and festivals like Buddha Jayanti, Dashain, and Tihar cross religious lines.

Newari culture is specific to the Kathmandu Valley and produced most of the architecture, sculpture, and metalwork in the UNESCO monument zones. The Newar language (Nepal Bhasa) is Tibeto-Burman. Newari food is the most refined regional cuisine in the country.

Sherpa culture, centred in Solukhumbu district at the foot of Everest, traces to Tibetan migration in the 1530s. The community of roughly 150,000 maintains Tibetan Buddhism, language, and high-altitude pastoral practice. The first ascent of Everest on May 29, 1953 by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary opened the modern climbing era.

Political timeline: Prithvi Narayan Shah unified Nepal in 1768. The Rana family ruled as hereditary prime ministers from 1846 to 1951. The Maoist insurgency (1996 to 2006) ended with the Comprehensive Peace Accord. The 240-year Shah monarchy was abolished on May 28, 2008. The new constitution was promulgated September 20, 2015. The September 2025 social media protests resolved within weeks via policy changes.

Dal bhat tarkari, the national dish of dal (lentil soup), bhat (steamed rice), and tarkari (vegetable curry) with achar (pickle) and often a small meat or paneer portion, is served with unlimited refills in tea houses. It is the practical choice on long trek days.

Pre-Trip Prep Checklist

Indian passport: no visa required, carry passport and one government photo ID
Other passports: USD 30 cash for visa-on-arrival (15 days), USD 50 (30 days), USD 125 (90 days)
Travel insurance with trekking coverage to 6,000 metres and helicopter evacuation
Currency: USD cash for visas and permits, INR 100 notes only (200, 500, 2,000 banned)
Withdraw NPR from ATMs in Kathmandu or Pokhara; rural areas are cash-only
Trekking gear: layered clothing, down jacket to minus 15, sleeping bag to minus 10 for EBC and Annapurna
AMS medication (acetazolamide 125 mg) on doctor's advice, ibuprofen, ORS
Plug adapters: types C, D, and M (round-pin), 230V 50Hz
Vaccinations: routine plus typhoid, hepatitis A and B, Japanese encephalitis for Terai
Avoid trekking June to September (monsoon, leeches, landslides, Lukla cancellations)
Paper copy of passport and visa for trek checkpoints
Ncell or Nepal Telecom SIM at Kathmandu airport (NPR 500 with 10 GB data)

Sample Itineraries

5-Day Cultural Loop (Kathmandu Valley)

Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu. Thamel orientation. Boudhanath sunset kora.
Day 2: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath sunset.
Day 3: Bhaktapur Durbar Square full day.
Day 4: Patan Durbar Square morning, Pashupatinath afternoon.
Day 5: Changu Narayan early, return for departure.

12-Day Everest Base Camp Trek

Day 1: Kathmandu to Lukla, trek to Phakding (2,610 m).
Day 2: To Namche Bazaar (3,440 m).
Day 3: Acclimatisation, hike to Everest View Hotel (3,880 m).
Day 4: Namche to Tengboche (3,867 m).
Day 5: Tengboche to Dingboche (4,410 m).
Day 6: Acclimatisation, hike to Nangkartshang (5,083 m).
Day 7: To Lobuche (4,940 m).
Day 8: Gorak Shep (5,164 m), EBC (5,364 m), back to Gorak Shep.
Day 9: Kala Patthar sunrise (5,545 m), descend to Pheriche.
Day 10: Pheriche to Namche.
Day 11: Namche to Lukla.
Day 12: Lukla to Kathmandu.

18-Day Annapurna Circuit

Days 1 to 2: Kathmandu to Besisahar by bus, jeep to Chame (2,670 m).
Days 3 to 5: Chame to Pisang to Manang (3,540 m), acclimatisation day.
Days 6 to 7: Manang to Yak Kharka to Thorung Phedi (4,525 m).
Day 8: Thorung La (5,416 m) to Muktinath (3,710 m).
Days 9 to 10: Muktinath to Jomsom to Marpha.
Days 11 to 13: Marpha to Tatopani to Ghorepani (2,870 m).
Day 14: Poon Hill sunrise (3,210 m), descend to Tadapani.
Days 15 to 17: Tadapani to Ghandruk to Nayapul, drive to Pokhara.
Day 18: Pokhara to Kathmandu, departure.

Related Guides

Tibet 2026: Lhasa, Kailash, and the high plateau (cross via Gyirong)
Ladakh and Sikkim 2026: India's Himalayan corners
Bhutan 2026: Tiger's Nest and the thunder-dragon kingdom
Bangladesh and the Sundarbans 2026: mangrove tiger reserve
Yunnan and Shangri-La 2026: Tibetan China across the eastern border
Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar: the Buddhist circuit across India and Nepal

External References

Wikipedia, "Nepal" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal)
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Nepal: Kathmandu Valley, Sagarmatha, Chitwan, Lumbini (whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/np)
Nepal Tourism Board (welcomenepal.com)
Wikivoyage, "Nepal" (en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nepal)
Lonely Planet, Nepal (lonelyplanet.com/nepal)

Last updated 2026-05-18.

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