Nepal Trekking Packages

Which Nepal trekking region should you start with?

The Everest and Annapurna regions absorb most first-time trekkers, and the logistics explain why: dense teahouse networks, daily transport from Kathmandu or Pokhara, and permits that cost NPR 5,000 rather than hundreds of dollars. Everest trekking packages center on the 12-day walk to base camp at 5,364 m, while Annapurna trekking packages run from the 4-day, 3,210 m Poon Hill loop to the 10-day Circuit over the 5,416 m Thorong La.

Three quieter regions reward a second look. Manaslu offers what the Annapurna Circuit was before its roads, a 14-day restricted-area circuit over the 5,106 m Larkya La. Langtang starts a 7 to 8 hour drive from Kathmandu with no mountain flight involved. Upper Mustang sits in the rain shadow north of the main range and stays dry through the monsoon months, June to September.

We also operate in three of Nepal's least-trekked regions as our route network there expands: Dolpo, a restricted trans-Himalayan region behind Dhaulagiri holding Shey Phoksundo, Nepal's deepest lake; Kanchenjunga, circling the world's third-highest mountain in the far east at the lightest restricted-permit fee in the country; and Far West Nepal, covering Rara Lake, Nepal's largest lake, and the remote Limi Valley near the Tibet border.

What do all Nepal treks share in 2026?

A TIMS card (NPR 2,000) is the baseline permit on standard routes, joined by a national park or conservation area entry of NPR 3,000 in most regions; the full system is mapped in the Nepal trekking permits master guide. Nepal's 2023 rule requiring a licensed guide on most routes still stands in 2026, with the Khumbu as the main exception, and the details sit in the solo trekking guide requirement page.

Seasons behave the same way across regions: October-November and March-May carry the classic weather windows, while December-February now shows the fastest arrivals growth in Nepal Tourism Board data. Every region hub below states its own best months, checkpoint list, and cost range, so start with the region and the rest of the planning follows.

How do Nepal's eight trekking regions actually compare?

Duration, altitude, and permit type are the three variables that split one region's trip from another, and they don't move together the way a rough sense of "harder regions cost more" would suggest:

Duration here is each region's flagship route, not every itinerary it runs; Annapurna alone spans 4 days (Poon Hill) to 10 (the Circuit), and Manaslu extends to 21-24 days combined with Tsum Valley.

Everest and Annapurna carry no restricted-area status despite reaching Nepal's highest trekked altitudes, because their national park and conservation area systems are old and well-established; Manaslu, Mustang, Dolpo, and Kanchenjunga sit in more recently opened zones near international borders, which is what actually triggers the restricted-permit requirement, not altitude or difficulty on its own.

Which region fits your available time?

A single week rules out most of the classic circuits but still covers real Himalayan trekking: Poon Hill in the Annapurna foothills, or the Rara Lake Trek in the Far West, both run 6 days including Kathmandu transfer time. Two weeks opens Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, and the Langtang Valley, the three routes most first-time Nepal trekkers actually book. Manaslu (14 days) or the Upper Dolpo Circuit (18 days) are what a longer restricted-area circuit needs, since both add acclimatization days and remote approach transport on top of the trekking itself; the Annapurna Circuit itself now runs a leaner 10 days from a Dharapani road-head start, with the classic Besisahar walk-in as a 13 to 14 day option for anyone who wants those extra days on trail instead of in a jeep.

Budget follows a different logic than duration does. Langtang and Annapurna's shorter routes stay cheapest because neither needs a mountain flight or a restricted permit; Everest costs more primarily because of the fixed USD 360 to 440 Lukla fare, not because the trekking itself is harder; Manaslu, Mustang, Dolpo, and Kanchenjunga add a restricted-area fee on top of everything else, which is the real reason those regions carry Nepal's highest trek prices even when their duration matches a cheaper region.