Trek Guide

25 Essential Nepal Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors (2026)

Planning your first trip to Nepal? These 25 essential tips from local guides cover everything from arriving at Kathmandu airport to bargaining in…

By Travel Himalaya Nepal · Jun 5, 2026

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Visa on arrival is easy: USD 30 (15 days) / 50 (30 days) / 125 (90 days) — bring two passport photos and cash. Get insurance that explicitly covers helicopter evacuation to 5,500m+ and names HAPE/HACE — standard policies exclude trekking. Nepal is a cash…

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Quick Reference: Nepal Emergency & Practical Numbers

Nepal Police Emergency: 100 Tourist Police (Kathmandu): 01-4226359 Kathmandu Airport (TIA): 01-4113096 CIWEC Hospital & Travel Medicine: 01-4435232 Himalayan Rescue Association: 01-4440292 Namche ATM daily limit: NPR 70,000 Visa on Arrival: USD 30 (15 days) /…

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Before You Leave Home

1. Visa on Arrival is easy — but bring the right things. Nepal issues Visa on Arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport and most major land borders. The fees are USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, and USD 125 for 90 days — pay in US dollars, euros, or…

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At the Airport and In Kathmandu

5. Ignore every single tout at the arrivals hall — without exception. Tribhuvan Airport arrivals is a gauntlet of very persistent men offering taxis, hotels, trekking agencies, and money exchange. The prices quoted are always two to three times the going…

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Money and Payments

9. Nepal is a cash economy everywhere outside Thamel and major tourist lodges. Credit cards are accepted at a small number of upmarket hotels, large trekking agencies, and perhaps one or two restaurants per city — expect a 3–4% surcharge even where they are…

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On Trek

12. Hire a licensed guide — it is not optional on some routes and it is always worth it on any route. The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and the Nepal government require licensed guides for all trekkers in restricted areas: Upper Mustang, Upper Dolpo…

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Culture and Etiquette

16. Walk clockwise around all stupas, chortens, and mani stone walls — always. This is one of the most important and most overlooked rules for Buddhist areas of Nepal. Stupas and the long mani walls you encounter on every Himalayan trail are sacred objects…

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Health and Safety

20. Stomach troubles are common, usually mild, and easily managed — prepare your kit in advance. Traveller's diarrhoea affects the majority of first-time Nepal visitors at some point. The standard approach: Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) for fluid replacement…

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Practical Tips

24. Book popular treks two to three months ahead if you are travelling in October — and mean it. October is Nepal's peak trekking month : post-monsoon skies are clear, temperatures are ideal from valley to pass, and every tea house on the Everest Base Camp…

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Getting Around Kathmandu and Pokhara

Kathmandu traffic is chaotic by any standard, but getting around is manageable once you understand the options. Metered taxis exist and the meter should always be running — tap it if the driver does not start it, or agree on a price before you get in. A…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Nepal's Most Common Tourist Mistakes to Avoid

Going too fast on altitude. The single most common reason trekkers have to cut a trip short is ascending too quickly above 3,000 metres. A rushed itinerary that skips acclimatisation days is genuinely dangerous. Add the acclimatisation days the itinerary…

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Frequently Asked Questions

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