Know before you go
Practical guides to travelling in Nepal, written from official sources and marked with when they were last checked.
Before you go
Permits, seasons, visas, money and safety.
- Nepal trekking permits explainedWhich permits you need for each major trek in Nepal, who issues them, where to get them, and how the 2023 licensed-guide rule affects you.
- Best time to visit NepalNepal's seasons month by month: when the mountains are clearest, when it rains, and how festivals and trekking conditions change through the year.
- Nepal visa on arrivalHow the Nepal tourist visa works: visa on arrival, the online form, the standard fees, extensions, and who needs to apply in advance.
- Altitude sickness in NepalGeneral information on acute mountain sickness, HAPE and HACE: how they happen, the warning signs, how to reduce the risk, and what to do if someone is unwell.
- Money and SIM cards in NepalHow to handle cash, ATMs and cards in Nepal, how much cash to carry on a trek, and how to get a local SIM card from Nepal Telecom or Ncell.
- Kathmandu to Pokhara: how to get thereThe options between Kathmandu and Pokhara compared: tourist bus, local bus, private car and flight, with approximate times and places to break the journey.
- Trekking gear for Nepal: what to bring and what to rentA packing list for teahouse treks in Nepal: what to bring from home, what you can rent in Kathmandu or Pokhara, and what you should always buy new.
Culture
Festivals, food, heritage and a few words of Nepali.
- Etiquette and customs in NepalHow to greet people, dress, visit temples and homes, eat, take photographs and bargain in Nepal, with the reasons behind the customs.
- Nepali phrases for travellersUseful Nepali words and phrases for greetings, shopping, food and trekking, written in Devanagari with a simple romanisation and the meaning.
- Nepali food: ten dishes to tryTen dishes that tell the story of Nepal's kitchens, from dal bhat and momo to Newari feasts, Thakali sets and Bhaktapur's juju dhau.
- Nepal's heritage: history, faith and World HeritageThe stories behind Nepal: the lake that became the Kathmandu Valley, the unification of the country, its peoples and faiths, and its four UNESCO World Heritage properties.
- Festivals in NepalA calendar of Nepal's main festivals, from Dashain and Tihar to Holi, Indra Jatra and Buddha Jayanti, with what happens and how they affect travel.
Guides and porters
How hiring works and what to ask.
Stories
Travellers write about the moments that stayed with them. Read Unspoken.