Trekking in Nepal

Nepal has a developed tourism infrastructure - there are many hotels, mountain shelters, equipment stores, there is enough transport and all kinds of catering. The local population is friendly, many speak English, everyone is happy to make money and, most importantly, they don’t ask too much for their services.

Thanks to this, trekking in the Nepalese Himalayas is much easier than it might seem at first glance. Here you can and should travel with a light backpack, carrying a minimum of things on the track and enjoying the scenery, and not your carrying capacity:)

Upcoming trekking tours to Nepal

Main features of trekking in Nepal

Lodge Shelters

When traveling along the main trekking routes, you do not need to carry a tent and food with you, you only need a sleeping bag. Every 3-4 hours, and sometimes more often, there are lodges on the trail - small mountain shelters where you can stay overnight, order food and take a shower. For the most part, the lodges are far from the glamor and European comfort - tiny rooms with plywood walls and amenities on the floor. But the prices are encouraging - from 2 to 5 dollars per night. Sometimes, during the height of the tourist season, the lodges are overcrowded. But don’t worry - our instructors know the most comfortable shelters well and book places for the group in them 1-2 days in advance.

Meals on the track.

Thanks to the abundance of restaurants along the route, there is no need to carry food with you. Three full meals a day + a few intermediate tips cost an average of $20 per day. The instructor will help you understand the local menu and organize taking orders from the group.

Sherpa porters.

For a trip in Nepal you don’t need a lot of things - you can easily “invest” in 10-12 kg of luggage. But if you want to go very light, or plan to take a lot of photographs and carry a lot of equipment, then for about $15 a day you can hire a porter (porter). It will carry your luggage (up to 20 kg) from overnight stay to overnight stay, and you will only have a light backpack (documents + warm jacket + camera). You can take one porter for two.

Popular trekking routes in the Nepalese Himalayas.

To the Heart of Annapurna - a very interesting and at the same time easy trekking to Annapurna Base Camp. Along the way we pass through all climatic zones - from the jungle to alpine meadows and glaciers. This tour will be suitable even for people with minimal hiking experience. I highly recommend starting your acquaintance with Nepal with this trek.

Everest Base Camp is a difficult route, recommended for those who already have high altitude experience. Newbies are not allowed here. Although the trails on the way to Everest are excellent, it is not difficult to walk, but due to a long stay at high altitude, there is a high probability of developing mountain sickness (headache, nausea, freezing, shortness of breath, rapid pulse, eternal weakness). But despite all the dangers, trekking to Everest Base Camp is the most popular route in Nepal.

Getting to know Nepal - an extremely simplified program for those who want to admire the Himalayas without climbing too high into the mountains. A short trekking in the Annapurna region (the highest point of the route is the very simple three-thousander Poon Hill), and then a trip to the jungle of the Chitwan Nature Reserve. Pensioners and parents with children can come here.

Everest + Gokyo Lakes - an even more difficult and lengthy option for trekking to Everest. Includes a visit to the Gokyo Valley, with a climb to the top of Gokyo Ri (5330m), an assault on the difficult Cho-La pass (5367m). In the end, there is often enough time to go to the Chitwan jungle for a day, to warm up after the eternal cold of the glaciers.

Annapurna Trek Trek around Annapurna - Includes an assault on a five-thousandth pass, and therefore more difficult than trekking to the Annapurna base camp. But this route gives you the opportunity to see archaic high-mountain villages and Buddhist monasteries, visit the gates of the mysterious kingdom of Mustang, and see yaks grazing. In short, feel like you are in Tibet:)

Answers to questions about trekking in Nepal

How to get to Nepal?

Most often, our tourists from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus fly to Nepal with a transfer in the Emirates (Sharjah or Dubai). AirArabia or FlyDubai airlines have flights from Kyiv, Moscow, Kazan, Rostov, Ufa, Yekaterinburg. On average, a flight costs $700 (round trip). Tourists buy tickets to Nepal on their own (on the airline’s website) - but if difficulties arise during the purchase, we will, of course, help you.

How to get a Nepal visa?

A visa to Nepal is issued directly at Kathmandu airport. To do this, you only need a foreign passport, two 3*4 photographs and some money. A Nepal visa for 15 days costs $25, and for 30 days - $40. The visa application form can be completed on site (we have samples).

How much does trekking cost in Nepal?

The minimum amount with which you can plan a trip to Nepal is approximately $1,700 per person. Of these, 700 will be spent on tickets, 700 on tour fees, 200 on food, 25 on visas, 75 on accommodation, transfers and attractions.

What level of training is required for trekking in Nepal?

Depends on the route. The Himalayas have routes for every taste - for beginner tourists with no hiking experience, for avid adventurers, and for retirees. Write to us about yourself and we will help you choose a suitable tour.

When should you go to Nepal?

The high season in the Nepal Himalayas is October-November and March-April, early May. During these months the weather is most suitable for trekking - Nepal is relatively dry and warm. In the summer there is a rainy season and the mountains are simply not visible because of the clouds. In winter, the mountains are cold and the passes are often covered with snow - although you can walk if you want, there are even New Year treks.

I don't speak English. What should I do?

Knowledge of English is not required to participate in the hike. During trekking, all organizational issues (housing, food, transportation) are decided by the instructor. And in order not to get lost on the plane, you can team up with other tour participants and fly together. And no one has canceled sign language. Many of our tourists managed to bargain excellently in shops in Kathmandu using only their hands and a calculator:)

Altitude sickness or mountain sickness.

Most often, altitude sickness in the Himalayas makes itself felt at altitudes of about 4000m. In the Caucasus this happens much earlier and more severely. If you check your health before the hike and run a lot, and during the trek you strictly follow the proven acclimation plan and take the recommended vitamins and medications, then everything will be fine - you will cope.

Why OutdoorUkraine?

Now many travel agencies are selling “trip packages” to Nepal. What are the differences between OutdoorUkraine tours?

• We are not intermediaries - when you sign up for our group, you communicate directly with the leader of the trip. There is no “damaged phone”, no markups and commissions.
• Experienced guides - when we write that the group will be led by a Russian-speaking instructor, this means that OUR instructor will fly to Nepal with the group. And this will not just be an intermediary-translator, but a real experienced instructor who has been to Nepal and other mountain treks many times.
• Safe routes - high mountains it is extremely important to adhere to the acclimatization schedule that has been proven over the years - to gain altitude smoothly and leisurely. We care about safety and therefore do not “compact” high-altitude tour programs in order to artificially squeeze them into the framework of a standard vacation.

Sights of Nepal.

Himalayas. Everything is simple here. Although Nepal is a small country, the main peaks of the Himalayas are concentrated here. 8 of the 14 eight-thousanders on our planet are located in the Nepalese Himalayas. Moreover, it is in Nepal that it is easiest to see the Himalayas - in China (Tibet) it is too high and monotonous + you need a visa and permits, in India the mountains are very remote from civilization and there is no developed infrastructure.

Jungle (Chitwan Game Reserve). In the southern part of Nepal, on the border with India, the Terai is located - a swampy lowland overgrown with jungle. You can get acquainted with this tropical exotica by visiting the Chitwan Nature Reserve. There are all the classic activities here - watching rhinoceroses from the back of an elephant, canoeing on a river with crocodiles, walking forays into the jungle.

Palaces and temples of Kathmandu. In the suburbs of Kathmandu, a large number of exotic medieval buildings (pagodas, towers, palaces) have been preserved. There are Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries and stupas here. The inhabitants of these places look no less exotic - monks, pilgrims, wandering yogis.