A tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport and at every open land border, for every nationality except a short excluded list. You fill in a form at a kiosk, pay in cash at a bank counter and walk through. Nobody needs an invitation letter, a hotel booking or a sponsor, and we are not asked for any of those things on your behalf.

Visa	Cost	Notes
15 days, multiple entry	USD 30	—
30 days, multiple entry	USD 50	—
90 days, multiple entry	USD 125	—
Extension	USD 45 for 15 days, then USD 3 a day	At the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu or Pokhara. 150 days is the maximum in one visa year.

15 days, multiple entry
Cost
USD 30
Notes
—
30 days, multiple entry
Cost
USD 50
Notes
—
90 days, multiple entry
Cost
USD 125
Notes
—
Extension
Cost
USD 45 for 15 days, then USD 3 a day
Notes
At the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu or Pokhara. 150 days is the maximum in one visa year.

If you hold	What applies
Indian nationals	No visa and no fee, under the 1950 treaty. A passport or an original voter ID card at land borders; an Aadhaar card, a PAN card or a driving licence is not accepted at an immigration desk.
Other SAARC nationals	A free 30-day visa on arrival, once per visa year. That is Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghan nationals are excluded and need a visa in advance.
Chinese nationals	Gratis tourist visa, no fee, up to 150 days in a visa year.
Everybody else	Visa on arrival at the fees above, or the same visa in advance from a Nepali embassy for the same money.
Not eligible on arrival	Nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Somalia, Eswatini, Syria and Zimbabwe, and anyone travelling on a refugee travel document. These passports need a visa from a Nepali mission before flying.

Indian nationals
What applies
No visa and no fee, under the 1950 treaty. A passport or an original voter ID card at land borders; an Aadhaar card, a PAN card or a driving licence is not accepted at an immigration desk.
Other SAARC nationals
What applies
A free 30-day visa on arrival, once per visa year. That is Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghan nationals are excluded and need a visa in advance.
Chinese nationals
What applies
Gratis tourist visa, no fee, up to 150 days in a visa year.
Everybody else
What applies
Visa on arrival at the fees above, or the same visa in advance from a Nepali embassy for the same money.
Not eligible on arrival
What applies
Nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Somalia, Eswatini, Syria and Zimbabwe, and anyone travelling on a refugee travel document. These passports need a visa from a Nepali mission before flying.

How to actually get it

Before you fly

A passport with at least six months left on it and one blank page. You can fill the arrival form online at the Department of Immigration site within fifteen days of travel and arrive with a printed receipt, which skips the kiosk queue and nothing else. Take two passport photographs anyway; they are for trekking permits rather than the visa.

At the airport

Kiosk, then bank counter, then immigration. The visa fee is cash and the counter takes US dollars, euros, sterling and several other hard currencies but gives change badly, so bring the exact amount in clean notes. Cards work at the counter more often than not and are not something to rely on after a long flight.

How long to buy

Buy the length of the trip, not the length of the trek. An extension costs USD 45 for the first fifteen days, which is more than the gap between the 15-day and 30-day visa, so a 16-day trek on a 15-day visa is a false economy and a morning of your holiday spent in a queue in Kalimati.

What catches people out

The visa is dated from the day you land, not from the day you start walking.
Overstaying is USD 5 a day plus the visa fee for the days overstayed, and it is settled at the airport on the way out.
A tourist visa does not permit any paid work, including volunteering placements that cover your costs.
Land borders with India and China issue the same visa on arrival, but the Nepal-China crossings close at short notice and are not a plan to rely on.

Flying there

Non-stop routes only. Anything with a connection depends on the day and is better answered by a search than by a table.

From	Airlines	In the air	Notes
Doha	Qatar Airways, Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines	4h 45m	The most useful single connection from Europe and North America
Dubai	Flydubai, Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines	4h 15m	—
Istanbul	Turkish Airlines	8h 10m	The longest non-stop route into Kathmandu
Delhi	Nepal Airlines, IndiGo, Air India	1h 45m	The obvious hop for an India and Nepal trip
Bangkok	Thai Airways, Himalaya Airlines, Nepal Airlines	3h 30m	—
Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia Airlines, Himalaya Airlines, Batik Air	4h 45m	—
Singapore	Nepal Airlines	5h	—
Hong Kong	Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines	5h	—
Lhasa	Himalaya Airlines, Sichuan Airlines	1h 35m	The Tibet link. Weekday service, and it needs a Chinese group visa arranged in Kathmandu
Paro	Drukair, Bhutan Airlines	1h	Daily, and the only way in or out of Bhutan from Nepal

Doha
Airlines
Qatar Airways, Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines
In the air
4h 45m
Notes
The most useful single connection from Europe and North America
Dubai
Airlines
Flydubai, Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines
In the air
4h 15m
Notes
—
Istanbul
Airlines
Turkish Airlines
In the air
8h 10m
Notes
The longest non-stop route into Kathmandu
Delhi
Airlines
Nepal Airlines, IndiGo, Air India
In the air
1h 45m
Notes
The obvious hop for an India and Nepal trip
Bangkok
Airlines
Thai Airways, Himalaya Airlines, Nepal Airlines
In the air
3h 30m
Notes
—
Kuala Lumpur
Airlines
Malaysia Airlines, Himalaya Airlines, Batik Air
In the air
4h 45m
Notes
—
Singapore
Airlines
Nepal Airlines
In the air
5h
Notes
—
Hong Kong
Airlines
Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines
In the air
5h
Notes
—
Lhasa
Airlines
Himalaya Airlines, Sichuan Airlines
In the air
1h 35m
Notes
The Tibet link. Weekday service, and it needs a Chinese group visa arranged in Kathmandu
Paro
Airlines
Drukair, Bhutan Airlines
In the air
1h
Notes
Daily, and the only way in or out of Bhutan from Nepal

Getting around inside	Airlines	In the air	Notes
Kathmandu to Lukla	Tara Air, Summit Air, Sita Air	35m	Moves to Manthali at Ramechhap in peak season, which adds a four-hour night drive
Kathmandu to Pokhara	Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, Shree Airlines	25m	The alternative to a six to seven hour drive
Pokhara to Jomsom	Tara Air, Summit Air	20m	Morning only. The valley wind shuts it down by mid-morning
Kathmandu to Bhadrapur	Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines	45m	For Kanchenjunga and for Darjeeling over the Indian border
Kathmandu to Nepalgunj	Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines	1h	The gateway to Bardia, and onward to Dolpo and Simikot

Kathmandu to Lukla
Airlines
Tara Air, Summit Air, Sita Air
In the air
35m
Notes
Moves to Manthali at Ramechhap in peak season, which adds a four-hour night drive
Kathmandu to Pokhara
Airlines
Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, Shree Airlines
In the air
25m
Notes
The alternative to a six to seven hour drive
Pokhara to Jomsom
Airlines
Tara Air, Summit Air
In the air
20m
Notes
Morning only. The valley wind shuts it down by mid-morning
Kathmandu to Bhadrapur
Airlines
Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines
In the air
45m
Notes
For Kanchenjunga and for Darjeeling over the Indian border
Kathmandu to Nepalgunj
Airlines
Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines
In the air
1h
Notes
The gateway to Bardia, and onward to Dolpo and Simikot

Joining it onto the country next door

Half the trips in this catalogue cross a border. These are the links they are built on, and the lead times they impose.

On to	How	How long	Notes
Tibet	Fly Kathmandu to Lhasa, or drive to the Kerung/Rasuwagadhi border	1h 35m flying, or two days overland	Needs a Chinese group visa issued in Kathmandu, which is why a Tibet leg has to be booked well ahead
Bhutan	Fly Kathmandu to Paro on Drukair or Bhutan Airlines	1h	Daily, and on a clear morning the left-hand window is the best mountain view in commercial aviation
India	Fly Kathmandu to Delhi, Varanasi or Kolkata, or cross by land at Sunauli, Birgunj or Kakarbhitta	1h 20m to 1h 45m flying	—

Tibet
How
Fly Kathmandu to Lhasa, or drive to the Kerung/Rasuwagadhi border
How long
1h 35m flying, or two days overland
Notes
Needs a Chinese group visa issued in Kathmandu, which is why a Tibet leg has to be booked well ahead
Bhutan
How
Fly Kathmandu to Paro on Drukair or Bhutan Airlines
How long
1h
Notes
Daily, and on a clear morning the left-hand window is the best mountain view in commercial aviation
India
How
Fly Kathmandu to Delhi, Varanasi or Kolkata, or cross by land at Sunauli, Birgunj or Kakarbhitta
How long
1h 20m to 1h 45m flying
Notes
—

Permits and entry fees

Separate from the visa, and payable whether or not you are trekking. Checked in February 2026; these change by notice and without a notice period.

Permit	Fee	Who needs it	Notes
Sagarmatha National Park entry	NPR 3,000 plus 13% VAT, about USD 25	Everest region	SAARC nationals NPR 1,500. Under-tens free.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality	NPR 2,000, about USD 15	Everest region	Issued at Lukla. This replaced TIMS in the Khumbu in 2018; do not buy a TIMS card for an Everest trek.
Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP)	NPR 3,000, about USD 22	Annapurna region, including Upper Mustang	—
Langtang National Park entry	NPR 3,000, about USD 22	Langtang region	SAARC nationals NPR 1,500.
Manaslu Conservation Area (MCAP)	NPR 3,000, about USD 22	Manaslu region	—
Manaslu restricted area permit	USD 100 for 7 days in Sep to Nov, USD 75 in Dec to Aug, then USD 15 or USD 10 a day	Manaslu, above Jagat	—
Upper Mustang restricted area permit	USD 50 per person per day	Upper Mustang, above Kagbeni	Decided by cabinet on 18 November 2025, replacing a flat USD 500 for ten days plus USD 50 a day beyond it. Most operator pages still quote the old figure.
TIMS card	NPR 2,000, about USD 15	Most trekking regions, but not the Khumbu	Issued only through a registered agency since April 2023. SAARC nationals NPR 1,000.

Sagarmatha National Park entry
Fee
NPR 3,000 plus 13% VAT, about USD 25
Who needs it
Everest region
Notes
SAARC nationals NPR 1,500. Under-tens free.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality
Fee
NPR 2,000, about USD 15
Who needs it
Everest region
Notes
Issued at Lukla. This replaced TIMS in the Khumbu in 2018; do not buy a TIMS card for an Everest trek.
Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP)
Fee
NPR 3,000, about USD 22
Who needs it
Annapurna region, including Upper Mustang
Notes
—
Langtang National Park entry
Fee
NPR 3,000, about USD 22
Who needs it
Langtang region
Notes
SAARC nationals NPR 1,500.
Manaslu Conservation Area (MCAP)
Fee
NPR 3,000, about USD 22
Who needs it
Manaslu region
Notes
—
Manaslu restricted area permit
Fee
USD 100 for 7 days in Sep to Nov, USD 75 in Dec to Aug, then USD 15 or USD 10 a day
Who needs it
Manaslu, above Jagat
Notes
—
Upper Mustang restricted area permit
Fee
USD 50 per person per day
Who needs it
Upper Mustang, above Kagbeni
Notes
Decided by cabinet on 18 November 2025, replacing a flat USD 500 for ten days plus USD 50 a day beyond it. Most operator pages still quote the old figure.
TIMS card
Fee
NPR 2,000, about USD 15
Who needs it
Most trekking regions, but not the Khumbu
Notes
Issued only through a registered agency since April 2023. SAARC nationals NPR 1,000.

When to come

When		What it is like
March to May	Best	The spring trekking season. Warm, stable, rhododendron in flower low down, and hazier as May goes on.
June to August	Closed	Monsoon. We do not run the high treks. It is the right season for Upper Mustang and Dolpo, which sit in the rain shadow.
September to November	Best	The main season. October is the clearest and the busiest month of the year, and it books out months ahead.
December to February	Hard	Cold, clear and very quiet. The lower treks are excellent; the high passes are snowed up and some lodges shut.

March to May
What it is like
The spring trekking season. Warm, stable, rhododendron in flower low down, and hazier as May goes on.
Best
June to August
What it is like
Monsoon. We do not run the high treks. It is the right season for Upper Mustang and Dolpo, which sit in the rain shadow.
Closed
September to November
What it is like
The main season. October is the clearest and the busiest month of the year, and it books out months ahead.
Best
December to February
What it is like
Cold, clear and very quiet. The lower treks are excellent; the high passes are snowed up and some lodges shut.
Hard

Money on the ground


Rate	The rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee at 1.60 NPR to 1 INR. Against the dollar it floats with it.
Cards	Fine in Kathmandu and Pokhara hotels and restaurants. Useless on any trail.
ATMs	Everywhere in the cities. On the treks, the last one is at Namche in the Khumbu and Jomsom in Mustang.
Cash to carry	USD 300 to 500 in small notes for a two-week trek, for tea, showers, charging and tips.
Indian rupees	Accepted in the border towns. Notes of INR 500 and above are not legal tender in Nepal and will be refused.

Rate
The rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee at 1.60 NPR to 1 INR. Against the dollar it floats with it.
Cards
Fine in Kathmandu and Pokhara hotels and restaurants. Useless on any trail.
ATMs
Everywhere in the cities. On the treks, the last one is at Namche in the Khumbu and Jomsom in Mustang.
Cash to carry
USD 300 to 500 in small notes for a two-week trek, for tea, showers, charging and tips.
Indian rupees
Accepted in the border towns. Notes of INR 500 and above are not legal tender in Nepal and will be refused.

Arriving

One international airport, and a new one that is not a plan yet

Almost everybody arrives at Tribhuvan International in Kathmandu (KTM). Gautam Buddha at Bhairahawa (BWA) and Pokhara International (PKR) are both built and both handle a thin and unreliable trickle of international traffic; neither is a sensible way to start a trek. Assume Kathmandu unless we tell you otherwise.

There is no direct flight from Europe or the Americas

Nothing flies non-stop to Kathmandu from further west than the Gulf. In practice you connect through Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Delhi, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Hong Kong. From London it is one stop and about fourteen hours in the air; from the US east coast it is one or two stops and the better part of a day.

Book the return with a day in hand

Every itinerary that depends on a mountain flight, which is most of the Everest ones, needs a spare day at the Kathmandu end. Cheap tickets that leave the morning after you are due back are the single most expensive saving in Himalayan travel.

Health and safety

No vaccination is required to enter Nepal unless you are arriving from a yellow fever country.
A licensed guide is compulsory for foreign trekkers in the national parks and conservation areas, in force since April 2023. This is a legal requirement, not an upsell.
Travel insurance covering trekking to the altitude on your itinerary and helicopter evacuation is a condition of booking with us. A rescue flight is USD 3,000 to 5,000 and will not lift without a guarantee.
The Himalayan Rescue Association runs volunteer-staffed aid posts at Pheriche in the Khumbu and Manang on the Annapurna Circuit through both trekking seasons.
Drink boiled or purified water rather than bottled. A trekker on a two-week trek gets through around forty plastic bottles that were carried into a national park on somebody's back.

Still not sure the paperwork works?

Tell us your passport and your dates and we will tell you plainly whether the trip is possible, before you have paid anything.

Ask us