Before Booking Your Trek

For most popular treks (Everest, Annapurna, Langtang, Manaslu), we recommend hiring a guide. Even where it’s not strictly required, a guide makes navigation, tea-house booking, and safety much easier.

To know if a trekking company is legitimate before you pay a deposit, ask for the Department of Tourism trekking agency license number and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) registration number, TAAN membership number (and check it on TAAN’s directory), your guide’s full name and government license number, and a physical office address in Kathmandu or Pokhara. This legal document verifies whether the trek agency is legitimate.

Normally, a trek package includes the cost of permits, domestic flights (e.g., Kathmandu–Lukla), guide/porter wages and insurance, teahouse lodging, meals on trek, airport transfers, and basic first-aid/oxygen support.

Common exclusions include international flights, Nepal visa, travel insurance, tips, personal gear, bottled water, extra hotel nights, laundry, and city meals unless listed.

Absolutely. In fact, many people arrange treks locally. But for restricted areas (Upper Mustang, Manaslu, Tsum Valley, etc.), you must book through a registered agency with a licensed guide. In peak season, last‑minute bookings can mean limited flights, guides, or tea-house space, so pre-booking is safer.

When choosing the right trek that matches your fitness level, the best way is to match the trek to your time, altitude comfort, and daily walking ability:

• Easy: up to ~3,500 m, 4-5 hours/day (e.g., Ghorepani Poon Hill, Langtang Valley)
• Moderate: 3,500-4,500 m, 5-6 hours/day (e.g., Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit sections)
• Strenuous: 4,500 m+, long days or high passes (e.g., Three Passes, remote expeditions)

Tell your agency your recent hiking experience, and they should suggest a realistic itinerary with acclimatization days.

Yes. Your policy must explicitly cover trekking up to your trip’s maximum altitude and include helicopter evacuation and medical expenses. Without this, evacuations become very expensive.

The best time to trek in Nepal is Autumn (September to November) and spring (March to May), which give the most stable weather and clear mountain views. Winter is colder, with snow in high-altitude areas, and monsoon (June to August) brings rain and clouds, except in rain‑shadow areas like Upper Mustang.

Carry enough Nepalese rupees for meals, drinks, charging, Wi‑Fi, hot showers, and tips. ATMs are scarce once you leave Kathmandu/Pokhara. Many trekkers budget roughly USD 25 to 40 per day on the trail for personal expenses, depending on comfort level.

During peak trekking seasons (September to November and March to May), book at least 6 to 10 weeks ahead to lock in guides, permits, and domestic flights (especially Lukla). In the off‑season (December to February and June to August), 3-4 weeks can work, but earlier is safer for popular routes.

Yes. At Nepal Alternative Treks, we offer private or tailor‑made treks where you can adjust start dates, daily distances, rest days, and side trips. Tell us your fitness level and what you want to see so we can build a realistic plan.

On the trek, most packages include twin‑share rooms in teahouses (basic but warm). In Kathmandu/Pokhara, you may get 2-3 nights in a tourist‑standard hotel.

Typically, the trek includes three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Drinks (tea, coffee, soft drinks, beer) and snacks are extra, and you have to pay for them yourself; they are not included in the trek package cost.

Many packages include a porter (often one porter for two clients). Usual load limits are around 15-20 kg per porter.