Why Nepal Is Unlike Anywhere Else on Earth
Go for the mountains, but stay for what sits beneath them. Eight of the world's ten highest peaks stand in Nepal, among them Everest, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and Annapurna. That is the headline, and it is true. It is also the least interesting thing about the country. Kathmandu's Durbar Squares are medieval royal complexes of temples, palaces and courtyards that have outlasted earthquakes and political upheaval, and they are not museums: rituals are still performed in them every day. Lumbini, about 250km / 155 mi south-west of the capital on the flat Terai plain, is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, and its grounds hold monasteries built by Buddhist communities from more than twenty countries. In the south, Chitwan National Park is one of the better places in Asia to look for one-horned rhinoceros, gharial crocodiles, Asian elephants and, with real luck, a Bengal tiger. Do not count on the tiger.
The trekking is easier to organise than almost anywhere else in the high mountains, and that is a statement about logistics, not about difficulty. The Everest Base Camp trek takes roughly 12 to 16 days return from Lukla. The full Annapurna Circuit takes 14 to 21 days, the Annapurna Sanctuary (Base Camp) route 7 to 12, and there are dozens of shorter walks. All of them run through networks of teahouses: simple guesthouses with a bed and a kitchen, typically $5 to $15 (about £4 to £12) a night per person, usually on the understanding that you eat your meals there. You carry no tent and no stove. The trails are well used, and English is widely spoken along the main routes. A person of moderate fitness with two or three free weeks can reach serious altitude here without being an expert.
Now the honest part. Easy to organise is not the same as easy. Days at altitude are long, mornings are cold enough to make you reconsider the whole idea, and the thin air slows everyone, fit or not. Annapurna Base Camp sits at about 4,130 metres, in a ring of peaks including Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre, and getting there from the trailhead at Nayapul takes most people a week or more. Build in spare days. Walk slowly. The reward is real, but you pay for it in effort, not money.
Current Safety Situation: Read Before You Book
- Monsoon (June to September) is the risk season. Flooding, landslides and trail closures are common, and in recent years landslides in districts such as Kaski, Sindhupalchok and Manang have caused deaths and damaged roads and bridges. Unless you have a specific reason, plan around it
- Read the current FCDO (UK), US State Department and DFAT Smartraveller advisories, linked above, immediately before you travel and again before you fly. As of October 2026 they describe Nepal as a country requiring caution, not one to avoid, but they change, and the wording above may already be out of date
- October to November (post-monsoon) and March to May (pre-monsoon) are the safest and clearest trekking windows. They are also the busiest, so book flights and rooms early
- Political demonstrations and strikes have disrupted roads and flights in Nepal before. Check the news and your advisory the week you leave, keep a spare day or two in Kathmandu, and carry insurance that covers delays
- Altitude sickness is a genuine risk above about 3,000m, and it can affect anyone regardless of fitness. The usual guidance is to add no more than 300 to 500m to your sleeping height each day above that, and to take a rest day every few days. Acetazolamide (Diamox) can help some people, but speak to a doctor or travel clinic before you go. If symptoms worsen, descend. Do not argue with it
Permit System: What You Need
- TIMS card (Trekkers' Information Management System): required on many routes. As of October 2026 the cost is roughly $15 (NPR 2,000; ≈ €13 / £12) for SAARC nationals and $30 (NPR 4,000; ≈ €25 / £25) for everyone else. Buy it in Kathmandu or Pokhara through the Nepal Tourism Board or a registered agency, and check the current price and rules before you pay
- Sagarmatha National Park permit (Everest region): about $23 (NPR 3,000; ≈ €20 / £18). Local municipality fees on the Everest route have been added in recent years, so ask your agency for the full list
- Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP): about $23 (NPR 3,000; ≈ €20 / £18)
- Restricted Area Permits (Upper Mustang, Dolpo and others): from about $500 (≈ €450 / £390) to well over $1,000 (≈ €890 / £790), and only through a registered trekking agency
- Visa: most nationalities can buy one on arrival at Kathmandu airport. The estimated fees are $30 (≈ €25 / £25) for 15 days, $50 (≈ €45 / £40) for 30 days and $125 (≈ €110 / £100) for 90 days. Bring a passport photo and a little cash, and confirm the current fees on the official Nepal immigration site before you fly
Daily Budget (Nepal)
- Kathmandu guesthouse: $8 to $20 a night (about £6 to £16). Mid-range hotel: $40 to $80 (≈ €35–70 / £30–65). Thamel has the densest cluster of choices, and is as noisy as that suggests
- Dal bhat, the national dish of rice, lentils and vegetable curry, with refills: $3 to $5 (≈ €2.68–4.46 / £2.36–3.94) at a local restaurant. It is the cheapest sensible fuel for a day's walking
- Teahouse on a trekking route: $5 to $15 (≈ €4.46–13 / £3.94–12) a night per person. Prices rise with altitude, because everything is carried up on backs or by mule
- Kathmandu to Lukla flight (the usual start for Everest Base Camp): about $180 to $220 (≈ €160–195 / £140–175) each way. Book early and leave slack at both ends, as weather cancellations are common
- Guided trek: about $30 to $60 (≈ €25–55 / £25–45) a day for a guide and $15 to $25 (≈ €13–20 / £12–20) for a porter. Rules on whether independent trekkers need a guide have been changing, so check with the Nepal Tourism Board or your agency. Even where it is optional, a guide is the sensible choice for navigation, safety and altitude judgement