In order to provide you with the best possible price and to get as much money as possible directly to the people who are actually doing the work, we do not charge you in advance for teahouse lodging and food. The guide will be able to book accommodation for the group in advance during high season. However, you will pay the teahouse owner directly for food and lodging. Budget at least $25 a day for food and lodging to be paid in cash directly to the teahouse.
TransportationFor 'Guide & Permit Only' treks we do not include transportation to/from the trail head. Your guide will help you arrange transportation to the trail head in the case where public bus tickets or a hired private vehicle is required. In addition to your own fare, please pay the fare of your guide and porter (if you have hired one) for public buses and public jeeps. In the case of flights, a fee for the guides transportation is included in the price. You have the option of allowing us to also book your flight this ensures that your guide can be on the same flight. You are also free to book your own flight with the airlines directly if you wish please let us know your flight information if you book your own tickets. If you are on trek in which multiple trekkers have joined we will provide you with the contacts of other members of your trek so that you can arrange your transportation together.
TipsIt is customary in Nepal to tip trekking staff, they work hard and if you feel they have provided you with good service please reward them appropriately. Please insure you have enough cash to tip your guide and porter (if you hired one). Suggested tipping: Approximately 12%-15% of the guide and porters wages but more for larger groups and if your guide went above and beyond you expectations then please reward him or her accordingly. For a guide, generally the equivalent of $2-$4 USD per day per person is good if there are multiple people if only one person then the equivalent of $3-$5 USD per day. For a porter the equivalent of $3-$4 per day total (between all the people using the porter) or if one person has hired a porter the equivalent of $2-$4 USD per day. If you need to cut your trip short for any reason the guide and porters will receive the wages for the full booked time but it is appropriate to tip based on the amount of days actually completed.
- view answerIf you and your guests are the only members of the trek, we will offer a full refund (minus flight cancellation fees if applicable) up until two days prior to the trek's departure. After that, up until the departure date a 50% cancellation fee will be charged in order to compensate the guide for lost business and processed permits.
Joined Treks
If others have joined the trek, a 20% cancellation fee will be charged up until two days prior to the trek's departure.
A refund will not be given for cancellation made within two days of the trek's departure when others have already
joined the trek. These fees are to offset the cost of the other trekkers who joined the group expecting a lower cost.
Flights
If flights were booked on your behalf the flights are subject to an extra 15% cancellation fee in addition to any
cancellation fee above.
You can contact us via our contact form:
Contact
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- view answerThe guide will do his/her best to get rooms for you. We can't guarantee it but we have never had any trips where the guide has not been able to secure rooms for their clients. For small trekking groups, lodge owns sometimes do not honor reservations if they even take them. However, the guides usually know some of the lodge owners and operators and are able to call ahead and get rooms in the few places where there is sometimes a short supply. The best way to guarantee rooms is to leave early and/or send a porter ahead to hold rooms. You will definitely have a place to sleep, worst case you would need to sleep in a dining area. Again, that has never happened with any of the trips run by guides booked on our site, and is more common with independent trekkers who arrive late in the day to places where there is an under supply of rooms.
More about lodging on treks can be found at our blog: Teahouses & Trekking Lodges in Nepal
- view answerIf your trek requires a flight to Lukla make sure you have a few extra days built in to your time in Nepal. Especially in September and early October or in the late spring flights to Lukla are often canceled due to weather. Keep in mind that because the runway in Lukla is built into the mountainside if there is any cloud cover it is too dangerous for flights to land. So even if it is sunny in Kathmandu flights can get canceled due to weather.
If your flight gets canceled. Our ticketing agent will rebook the ticket, but seats are allocated with preference for the passengers that were originally booked on that day, so passengers from previous days cancel flights get lower priority. If several days of flights get canceled because of weather this can lead to a backlog of people trying to get on a limited number of flights to Lukla.
If you are short on time it is often possible to get a shared flight on a helicopter, if you opt for a helicopter flight we will refund the price of your ticket and you will need to pay separately for the helicopter usually about 2-3 times the cost of the airplane ticket.
- view answerThe $25 per day is what the guide gets paid for 2 clients or less the rate goes up slightly with more trekkers. In addition to wages, other charges include: insurance for the guide ($30 per trip), Sherpana Fee (per day charge that varies slightly with number of people + 20% of the permit cost). For treks that require flights a transport fee is included (currently $90 each way for Lukla flights).
You can see a breakdown of the fees for the trek by going to the itinerary page. Click the button to see a breakdown of the price. Sherpana fees are included in the guide rate per day and the permits. Before you pay you will be able to see an exact breakdown of all the fees, wages, ect, so you know exactly where the money is going.
To adjust the price to a different number of people click the ‘trekkers’ button at the top of the page and set the number of trekkers in your group. The prices will be automatically updated for the number of trekkers entered. It is required that your browser ‘cookies’ must be enabled to use this feature.
- view answerThere are many very good hotels in all price bracket in Kathmandu this isn't meant to be a list of all options but just some ideas to get you started.
On the budget end, I like the area of Paknajol which is near the northern end of Thamel but not in Thamel (the main tourist area in Kathmandu with lots of restaurants, hotels, and shops catering to tourists). Most guesthouses there have gardens and are much quieter than Thamel. This is the area I used to stay in when I first started coming to Nepal. Some of the hotels include: Nirvana Peace Home, Kathmandu Garden House, Yellow House, and Kathmandu Peace Guest House.
In the mid-range people seem to like Hotel Ganesh Himal, though I haven't personally been there.
The Yak and Yeti and Sharkar Hotel are popular hotels on the higher end and are close to Thamel (a 10 minute walk or so). Kathmandu Guest House, another popular high-end hotel, is in the center of Thamel.
- view answerVisa fees are:
You can extend the visa for $2 per day with a minimum of 15 days at the immigration office in Kathmandu or Pokhara. You can fill out the form online like you do for the visa at the same website.
For the most up to date information on Nepal visas go to: http://www.nepalimmigration.gov.np/page/visa - view answerThere are ATMs where you can get extra cash only in a few places on certain trekking routes, such as Jomsom in the Annapurna Region and Namche Bazaar in the Everest Region. However, it's best not to rely on these ATMs since they tend to run out of money or are sometimes out of service due to network connection problems. If you are desperate, there are lodges and shops that will change major currencies at a poor rate along the trail. There are also a few places on major routes (Annapurna and Everest Base Camp) that give cash advances on credit cards for a fee. If you are planning to take out money from an ATM in Kathmandu for your trek, make sure you check with your bank to find out how much money your bank allows you to withdraw in a day. Most Nepal ATMs only allow withdrawals of no more than 35,000 NPR per transaction (many less than that), so you may also need to make multiple transactions to reach your bank's limit.
More about changing money and ATMs in Nepal can be found on our blog: ATMs and Changing Money in Nepal
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We recommend that you have insurance covering helicopter evacuation if necessary. Keep in mind that some travel
insurance companies require you to pay for supplementary ‘adventure sports rider' insurance to cover trekking.
Many treks take place in remote places that are inaccessible to vehicles. While we do everything possible
to ensure our clients will have safe trips, with itineraries are designed to provide adequate acclimatization,
accidents do happen and people react differently to altitude. In the case of altitude sickness, the only guaranteed
cure is to descend to lower elevation immediately. Below are a couple options for reasonably priced trip and medical
insurance:
Get a Travel Insurance Quote through World Nomad
Covers hiking/trekking up to 6000 m under standard plan.
Quote/Purchase Patriot Travel Medical Insurance® through IMG
Requires Adventure sports rider
Weather changes abruptly in the mountains; it can be hot in the morning, and later in the day you can be trekking in a cold rain or snow. Because of this variation, layers are usually the best option when it comes to clothing. It is useful to have one layer that is at least water-resistant if not waterproof. Good rain gear is recommended at any time of the year but especially if you are trekking in May-June. During this pre-monsoon period, it is useful to have an umbrella as well as good rain gear or at a minimum a rain poncho. Sample layers: short-sleeve t-shirt, long-sleeve shirt, fleece, warm jacket, rain/wind layer. Convertible pants (that zip off into shorts) are nice but not necessary, also, tights or long underwear for higher elevations may make your nights and early mornings more comfortable. Clothes made with materials that dry quickly are preferable. If you are going above 4000 m, or trekking in the winter then gloves and a warm hat are highly recommended. If you are trekking in the winter December to March then they are essential in addition a down jacket is highly recommended during those colder months. Good shoes are a must. Waterproof hiking boots are preferable. Just make sure you have sufficiently broken in your new boots before heading off on a trek, or you may be in for a painful foot full of blisters.
Another piece of gear many people find useful is a walking stick or trekking poles. These are especially handy in wet conditions where the trail may be slippery. Cheap Chinese made trekking poles can be found at many stores around Thamel in Kathmandu. These poles are usually sufficient for a trek or two but tend to wear out quickly.
Though some may find the blankets from the lodge are sufficient, a sleeping bag is more sanitary and makes for a better rest at night and a more comfortable trek overall.
A refillable water bottle is also recommended. While bottled water is available for purchase at most lodges, these disposable bottles are a huge burden on the environment. Lodges will provide drinkable boiled water for a fee. Many people also prefer to bring their own filters and water treatment system. Remember: no matter how pristine the mountain stream looks, don’t drink it without treating the water!
The sun is very intense at high altitudes, bring sun block (preferably a water/sweat proof one), sunglasses, and chapstick or lip balm (with spf).
A head lamp or at least a flashlight / torch is highly recommended. This can help with early morning ascents, unexpectedly late arrivals, power outages in the lodge, or nighttime trips to the toilet (often an outhouse).
While not necessary if you would like to carry some snacks to eat along the trail you will find both the prices and selection better if you bring them from Kathmandu or Pokhara. Of course, the downside is you will need to carry them if you want to have them accessible to you while you hike.
You will need Nepali Rupees for all transactions in Nepal including guide/porter's tips, food, and lodging at teahouses. You can change money pretty easily. There are money changers all over the Thamel area of Kathmandu that have late hours. There are also some teahouses and shops on the trek that will change money but for a far worse rate than you will find in Kathmandu.
More about changing money and ATMs in Nepal can be found on our blog: ATMs and Changing Money in Nepal
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