Nepal Travel Guide

The essentials for a first trip to Nepal on one page. Each section links to a fuller guide.

Nepal at a glance

Capital	Kathmandu
Language	Nepali; English in tourist areas
Currency	Nepalese Rupee (NPR)
Time zone	UTC +5:45
Electricity	230 V, plugs C, D, M
Visa	On arrival for most nationalities
Main airport	Kathmandu (KTM)
Trekking	Licensed guide required

Visa fees, the online arrival form, and which permits each trek needs.

Flights into Kathmandu, land borders, domestic flights and drive times.

Month by month for trekking, culture and wildlife.

Change money at banks or licensed money changers, and keep the receipt.
ATMs work in Kathmandu, Pokhara and larger towns, and in a few trek hubs such as Namche. Most trails have none, so carry rupees for the whole trek.
Cards are accepted in tourist hotels and some shops, often with a surcharge.
Bring US dollars in clean, recent notes for the visa fee on arrival.

Travel insurance must cover helicopter evacuation for any trek. Restricted-area permits are checked against it.
Our itineraries build in acclimatisation days. Tell your guide early about headache, nausea or poor sleep.
Drink treated or boiled water. Refill stations along main trails cut plastic waste.
Ask your doctor about vaccinations at least six weeks before travel.

Walk clockwise around stupas, prayer wheels and mani walls.
Take off shoes before entering temples and homes.
Non-Hindus may not enter the main temple at Pashupatinath. You can view it from the far riverbank.
Ask before photographing people, rituals or cremations.
Dress modestly at religious sites, with shoulders and knees covered.

Buy a local SIM (Ncell or Nepal Telecom) at the airport with your passport and a photo.
Wi-Fi is common in city hotels. On treks many tea houses sell Wi-Fi, but it is slow above 3,500 m.
Mobile data coverage is good on the main Everest and Annapurna trails and patchy in remote valleys.

Tipping is customary but not required. Many restaurants already add a 10% service charge.
On treks, guests usually tip at the end. As a guide: US$10–20 per day for your trek guide and US$5–10 per day for each porter.

Our office at Boudhanath is open Mon–Fri 10am–5pm and Sun 10am–1pm. Drop in on arrival to meet your guide.