Getting Here and Away

There are few direct flights to Nepal, which means most travelers from Europe, North America and Australia have to change aircraft and/or airline en route. Kathmandu is connected direct from Vienna, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Moscow, Sharjah, Dhaka, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Paro, Lhasa, New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Varanasi by Royal Nepal Airlines, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, China South-West Airlines, Druk Air, Indian Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Lauda Air, Transavia, Gulf Air, Qatar Airlines and Thai International. Nepal's only international airport is Kathmandu's Tribhuvan Airport. If you want to see the mountains as you fly into Kathmandu, make sure you sit on the right-hand side of the plane. The departure tax for international flights is US$15, or US$10 to destinations on the Indian subcontinent.

The classic overland routes between Nepal and India are still popular. Buses are usually the quickest and easiest form of transport between Nepal and India. There are three main crossing points: Sunauli-Bhairawa, Birganj-Raxaul Bazaar and Kakarbhitta-Siliguri. The Sunauli border crossing is the best one from Varanasi, the Birganj crossing is the easiest from Kolkata, and Kakarbhitta is the obvious choice from Darjeeling. A trickle of travelers enter Nepal at the Mahendrenagar-Banbassa border crossing in the extreme west of Nepal, which is handy for travelers coming overland from Delhi who do not want to visit Varanasi. The crossing between Nepal and Tibet via Kodari is open to organised groups but not to individual travelers heading north. Be prepared with alternative plans if you're thinking about using this route, because landslides regularly make it impassable during the monsoon.

Please contact us for more details.

Visa

All foreigners (except Indian nationals) require visas, which can be obtained in advance or on arrival with one passport photo and payment in cash (US dollars are best). Single-entry tourist visas cost US $30.00 for up to 60 days, or US $80.00 if you require multiple entry. You can extend tourist visas up to a maximum stay of 150 days (each additional 30-day period costs US $30.00) at the immigration offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Note that the final extension from 120 days to 150 days is only possible in Kathmandu.

Visas allow travel to most parts of Nepal, with the exception of certain remote trekking areas, which may require an additional permit. Visitors to national parks must also pay national park entry fees - typically 500.00 to 1000.00 Rs. This includes trekkers visiting the Annapurna Conservation Area, Langtang National Park and Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park. Permits can be obtained in Kathmandu or through trekking agencies, while national park fees can be paid in Kathmandu or Pokhara, or sometimes at the entry checkpoints for the national parks. Your paperwork will be checked along the route and there's a hefty fine if you get caught without the necessary permits. Trekking permits are included in all of our treks.

Getting Around

We strongly advise you allow us to pre-book internal flights. Whoever you fly with, be aware that flights are routinely cancelled due to bad weather, security problems or industrial action. It's advisable to book domestic flights a week in advance and keep re-confirming your ticket just to make sure you don't slip off the passenger list if the flight is full. Also, airlines only accept payment in hard currency from visitors.

Tourist buses are by far the safest way to travel by road, as the local buses, although incredibly cheap, are incredibly uncomfortable and tediously slow. You cannot hire self-drive cars, but you can hire a car with a local driver, which is probably safer anyway. Small motorcycles can be rented in Kathmandu and Pokhara but the roads can be deadly. Bike-riding is quickly gaining popularity with visitors for short jaunts; mountain bikes can be rented in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Lumbini and cycling can be quicker than getting around by local buses, especially in the Kathmandu Valley.

Walking is still the most important and most reliable method of getting from A to B and for moving cargo. In most of Nepal walking is the only option. More goods are carried by human porters than by every other form of transport combined.