Visit the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods on a trek to K2 Base Camp in 2026.
Visit the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods on a trek to K2 Base Camp in 2026.
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Up until the middle of the 20th century, Nepal was a mysterious Himalayan kingdom that very few westerners had explored. It was not until the historical first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay that Nepal really shined on the world stage.
These days, Nepal is one of the world leaders when it comes to adventure tourism. The country is extremely well set up to accommodate foreign groups, making it an ideal place to get into long-distance trekking or mountaineering.
From the fascinating mix of cultures in Nepal to the awe-inspiring Himalayan peaks – Nepal is just one of those destinations that needs to be on every adventurer’s bucket list.
Epic has teamed up with some of the best Nepali Sherpas in the industry to get our clients out into the Himalayas to experience this beautiful country first hand.
The best time to visit Nepal is Spring and Fall.
The spring climbing season begins towards the end of March and ends towards the end of May, when many mountaineering expeditions are trying to summit Mount Everest.
The spring is when the mountains are best for climbing and trekking, though the fall season is also known for having similar ideal conditions.
Fall season begins towards the start of October and goes until the end of November. The weather can be colder, but the winter snows have not yet started.
Summer – June – August is monsoon season in Nepal, meaning the mountains get quite cloudy, while the lower elevations see a lot of rain fall.
ACCOMMODATION
Aloft Kathmandu Thamel is a gorgeous hotel and will be our base when we are in the city. This is also the same hotel most major climbing expeditions base out of – which means that it is not uncommon to run into a few mountaineering legends over breakfast. The hotel is equipped with a pool on the top floor, a gym, sauna, fast wifi, two different hip bars, and one of the best breakfast buffets in town.
Single room supplement in Kathmandu is $90 USD per night.
What is a Tea House?
The accommodation along the trek will be in the famous Khumbu tea houses. These are run by local families and are often simple, but very comfortable facilities. For expedition members in the tea houses, this is where many life-long friendships and memories have been made! Expect to eat a lot of tasty food and play a lot of cards. Usually in most tea houses, hot bucket showers, wifi, and alcohol are available at an extra charge.
Single room supplement for tea houses is $150 per person for all trekking days if you want to have a private room (not sharing).
There are several major cell networks in Nepal, with the most popular being NCell and Nepal Telecom (NTC).
You can buy a SIM card in Kathmandu with a data package for around 500 rupees for 7 gb of data.
When buying a SIM card, you will need to fill out a registration form, give a copy of your passport, and usually a passport sized photograph of yourself.
Depending on where you are in the mountains, these days there is actually pretty good cell coverage, especially in the Everest region / Khumbu Valley. You might not be able to stream YouTube, but sending a Whatsapp message or email should be no problem in most places.
Wifi in the Tea Houses and hotels
Most Tea Houses in the mountains cell little Wifi cards that you can use for 24 hours at a time. Prices for these cards range, but expect to pay between $3-5 per card.
Our hotel in Kathmandu has fast, 4G wifi internet free of charge for guests.
Is Nepal Safe?
Nepal is one of the safest countries in South Asia when it comes to crime against foreigners. The people of Nepal are very welcoming and our proud for foreign visitors to expereince thewir culture and way of life.
Tourism is a huge source of income for many local communities so the population has a vested interest in keeping Nepal as safe as possible for locals and foreigners alike.
That said, we advice our guests to not wander around Kathmandu in the middle of the night, drunk, and alone – this is just common sense really!
In the mountains, there are inherent risks that come with trekking and Himalayan climbing. We do our best to mitigate these risks by giving thorough briefings of the terrain expected each day, what hazards may lay ahead, and by planning our trips during the time of year when the weather gives us the best chance for success.
We also have a professional staff trained in first aid and emergency rescue. Our staff also had the ability to call emergency first responders from anywhere in Nepal in the event of an injury or emergency.
Being a part of an adventure or trekking tour in Pakistan requires a lot of energy output each day and a big part of our job is keeping everybody well-nourished, happy, and energized.
Here’s what you can expect from daily meals:
Breakfast – Typically includes omelet/fried eggs, fried Pakistani bread (paratha), jam, butter, and chai/coffee. Sometimes we have a delicious hot porridge as well. Want to win the heart of your guide? Bring a pound of your favorite coffee from your country to share with the group.
Let your guide know if you are able/keen to bring some coffee 🙂
Lunch – We typically provide a hearty lunch. Usually a mix of daal, mixed vegetables, a meat dish, salad, chapati, rice, etc.
Dinner – Is always the main event of the day and will be a mix of vegetables, rice, noodle dishes, daal, meat (mutton or chicken), chapati, and local specialties depending on where we are.
Technically, alcohol is illegal in Pakistan. In 99.9% of the country, alcohol is not available or sold anywhere. However, for non-muslims and foreigners especially it is legal to buy and drink alcohol. Your EBT guide can advise you on the proper way to import and consume alcohol in Pakistan if needed.
A standard tourist visa is all you need.
Most nationalities including USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and EU countries can simply fly into Nepal and get a tourist visa on arrival at the airport.
The cost of the Nepali tourist visa depends on how long you want to stay. They have an option for 30, 60, and 90 days.
It is a good idea to bring USD cash with you to pay for your visa at the airport upon arrival.
The visa prices (in USD) are as follows:
15 Days – 30 USD
30 Days – 50 USD
90 Days – 125 USD
The official currency of Nepal is the Nepali Rupee.
In Kathmandu, there are many ATM machines and money changer kiosks for you to get local currency.
While it is possible to pay for some things in Kathmandu by credit card, Nepal is largely a cash-based economy, so having some Nepali Rupees in your pocket is a must for small day-to-day purchases like snacks, souvenirs, or beer.
Staff also like to be tipped in cash, though tipping staff through PayPal or something similar at the end of the trip is also an option. We recommend bringing more cash than you think you need for personal spending money and tips.
Important note: Make sure the foreign currency bills you bring to Nepal are in good shape, free of tears, markings, or folds. They really want new bills even though the state of some of the rupees they give you in return might leave something to be desired.
The following plug types can be found in Nepal:
In our experience, Type C plugs are the most common in Nepal.
Nepal’s Electricity is 220-240 Volts and 50 HZ (some countries like U.S and Canada are 110-120 volts/60 HZ).
Note that power outages are common in the more mountainous communities, including in the capital Kathmandu – though our hotel has a backup generator in the event of a power outage.
While on a trekking tour in Nepal, you can charge your electronics (for a fee) available at each tea house we stay at.
Prices tend to increase for charging electronics the higher we go – but expect to pay no more than $5 to charge a power bank and roughly $2 to charge an iPhone.
Nepal for us in like coming home. Something about the rich culture, tea houses, and big mountains just hit in a place few other destinations do.
Nepal is the perfect country for all things adventure and if this is your first time considering a trip to the Himalayas, what lies in store for you here is something beyond compare.
You can expect the following when trekking on almost any of our Nepal adventure tours:
When we are at Aloft Kathmandu in Thamel, there is an epic breakfast buffet with many different options including custom omelettes and made-to-order pancakes.
While in the tea houses:
You get to order (usually the night before) off of their menu. Here are something you can expect:
Breakfast: Eggs any style, Tibetan bread, porridge + coffee/tea.
Lunch: We usually stop at a tea house along the trekking route and order from their menu. Many options are available including Daal Bhat (national Nepali dish of rice and lentils), soups, momos (Tibetan dumplings), pasta dishes, pizza, and local Yak steak.
Dinner: The main event!
Same as lunch in terms of options and you are able to order 1 main dish of your choosing. Daal Bhat is best because it is usually all-you-can-eat.
Note: Vegetarians/vegans/gluten/lactose free can be accommodated as well! There are always plenty of options on the menu.
Despite their sheer proximity to one another, the Karakoram and Himalaya mountain ranges are quite different from one another.
The Himalaya, which are many adventurers’ first forway into big mountain territory, are generally broader, more dispersed, and more vegetated (at lower elevations). Crucially, the Himalaya have two main trekking seasons, post and pre-monsoon (spring and fall)
The Karakoram, which many people mistake for the Himalaya (they’re actually geographically separate) are much more dramatic on the other hand. The topography is far more rugged and features more sheer, often precarious profiles, giving the Karakoram a more “mangled” appearance overall. There is only one trekking season, the summer, and temperatures can swing wildly during this period.
Crucially, there is little to no teahouse-style trekking in Pakistan, which is a staple of the Nepalese Himalaya. Trekkers in Pakistan must self-sufficient and be able to make camp for long periods of time.
Even though different itineraries entail different levels of physical demand, being in decent shape is usually enough to take part in one of our Nepali trekking or climbing tours.
Participants should be able to do the following:
We have unique packing lists for each one of our adventure tours in Nepal. Refer below for a link to our most popular:
Our team members are experts on all things adventure!
If you’re interested in traveling to Nepal but still have unanswered questions, feel free to give us a shout anytime. We’re ready and able to assist you in any way possible when it comes to planning your next big trip.
So ask away!
Trip Leader
Noemi grew up in the mountains of German-Speaking Switzerland where she naturally developed a deep love and respect for mountain environments.
She is a talented photographer, aspiring climber, and speaks at least 5 languages fluently including Arabic (and probably a few more that we don’t know about), which she taught herself in a matter of months by watching YouTube videos.
Noemi has spent the last several years traveling, hiking, and photographing her way around many different countries in the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and Europe, and we could not be more stoked to welcome her to the Epic team!
Meet her during : Discover the Celestial Mountains | Island Peak Climbing Expedition
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Our flagship Pakistani adventure tour. Road trip with some hiking and cultural immersion.
A trekking-style tour that features some very remote locations, inlcuding a K2 viewpoint.
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