FAQs

Nepal is an enchanting kingdom, nestled in the Himalayas between People’s Republic of China to the north and Republic of India to east, west and south. Occupying only 0.03% of the Worlds land and 0.3% of the Asia; Nepal has a unique landscape that stretches from the peak of Mount Everest- the highest mountain in the world to the Terai plains and offers immense diversity in terms of ethnicity, language, culture, geography and bio-diversity.

To enter Nepal by Air, you will need to land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The airlines like Royal Nepal Airlines, British Airways, Biman Bangladesh, China South West Airlines, Druk Air, Gulf Air, India Air, Thai Airways, Qatar, Pakistan Air, Jet Air, Korean Air and Singapore Airlines operate scheduled flight to Nepal. Else if you are coming to Nepal via land then, you can enter through the entry points at India- Nepal border: Kakarvitta, Raxaul, Sunauli, Nepalgunj, Dhangadi, Mahendranagar; and Kodari, Kerung from the Tibetan Border.

All the foreign nationals (except Indian nationals) are required to obtain Visa while entering Nepal. Nepalese Visa can be obtained either at Nepalese Embassy of the respective country or can be obtained during your arrival at the International Airport in Kathmandu or from the Nepal’s border entry point.

Nepal offers a diversified geographical regions and so as the climatic condition differs from the Himalayas to the plains. The climate varies as per the season. Nepal generally offers 4 seasons amongst which autumn and spring are the two most favorable ones for visiting Nepal.  Having said that there are many places that you can visit even during the winter and the summer (monsoon). It is always wise to know about the weather and climatic condition of the place you visit. The best time to travel really depends on your destination, activities and season of travel. Our destination specialists will recommend certain travel times after learning more about your preferences. The favorable months  for trekking and climbing are usually September – November and February – April. The monsoon season is June – August.

Immunizations are not required to visit Nepal. (Exception: if you are traveling from an area infected with Yellow Fever, you must have a certificate.) Depending on the season and region of travel, certain vaccinations and/ or medications are suggested and we will recommend preventative measures. We do encourage all travelers to be current on routine immunizations. Also, we recommend the vaccines for polio, Diphtheria, Tetanus, typhoid, yellow fever, hepatitis A/B, Influenza (Flu), Japanese encephalitis, and Tuberculosis. Meantime, it is better to consult your professional doctor about your travel and he might recommend you properly. You can also take suggestion of local travelers who have travelled Nepal before and know more about the required precautions. Please note that the protection that can be gained from vaccines varies from 50% to almost 100%. So remember that even if you have taken a vaccine you might still get the disease, although you will have greatly reduced your chances of getting ill.

You can use the taxi for moving around in the city. You can find one right from the time you arrive at the Kathmandu International Airport. For the cheaper options, you can use the public buses and micro bus that leaves from nearest bus stops. You can also take a rickshaw ride to travel to the short distances. Meanwhile, for easy accessibility, you can also ask your agency for private transport.

In the main cities including Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, you can easily charge the batteries at the hotel you are staying. However, during trek, you may charge some extra amount by the lodge’s owner for charging your electronic devices. The electricity in Nepal is 220-240 volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. A voltage converter is needed for a device that does not accept 220-240 volts at 50 MHz. Sockets in Nepal accept only round three or two pins. So, if your electrical device uses flat pins, we would suggest you to kindly bring a universal electric plug adaptor.

To withdrawal cash by ATM, you can easily get ATM machines in the cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara Valley. Likewise, ATM machines are slowly being introduced to other cities like Bhuwtal and Dharan. You can use both Debit and Credit Cards and the most popular cards accepted are VISA, MASTERCARD and American Express.

Yes, there is tourist police located near the Nepal Tourism Development Board’s Office. Also, there are complaint counters at the airport and Basantapur Durbar Square. Tourist police are specially trained in English and have detailed local knowledge to assist tourists. For security and travel related assistance, you can reach any of the officers from telephone 4-247041, 4-4268969 during 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nepal is +5 hours 45 minutes ahead to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT: +0545). For example when it is noon in Kathmandu, standard time of London is 6.15am, 4.15am in Sydney, 1.15am in New York and 10.15 pm the previous night in San Francisco. The strange 15-minute difference is said to be a reflection of the exact time at the summit of Mt. Gaurishankar.

Nepal is rich in cultural diversity. Meal habits of the Nepalese vary with the ethnicity and the geographical differences. Normally, the local have habit of taking milk/black tea in the morning, before noon take lunch, after mid-day take light snacks as Khaja and Dinner in the evening. The lunch and dinner comprises Dhido, Dal, Bhat, Tarkari, Achar (Lentil, Rice, Curry and Pickles). However, you can have a choice of Indian/Continental/Italian food even in some trekking regions.

In the major cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara, you can easily find the various numbers of restaurants offering different kinds of cuisines from around the world. Where as in the remote areas basic tea houses are available.

On FOT or Fully Organized Trek yours eating and sleeping arrangements will be fully organized by the support crew. FOTs are also known as CAMPING TREKS. On camping trek, you will be sleeping in tents. A trekking crew consists of one sirdar, one cook, and kitchen crew, Sherpa assistants and porters depending on the size of the group. Under the leadership of the sirdar (the local trek leader), the crew consists of several Sherpa assistants who will ensure you don’t take the wrong path, a cook, and kitchen crew to keep you well fed with delicious and nutritious meals and the porters to transport all the gear from camp to camp. Our main aim is to make the trek as hassle-free and enjoyable as possible. The ratio of both Sherpa guides and kitchen crew to group members is generally 1:4 and the ratio of porters to group members is around 3:1 at the beginning of the trek, but this decreases as food is eaten and loads become smaller. For bathroom facilities, we carry a toilet tent. Your camping staffs dig a deep hole in the ground for excrement and cover the hole with soil after the business is done.