Nepal trekking permits and rules
What a foreign trekker needs in 2026: the guide rule, restricted area permits, park and conservation fees, and TIMS. Each fact links to its source and the date we checked it. Where sources disagree, we say so.
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Contents: Guide rule · Restricted areas · Park and local fees · TIMS · Where sources disagree · Agency licence vs TAAN · Insurance · Sources
Do you need a licensed guide?
| Where | Status | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted areas (Upper Mustang, Manaslu, Tsum, Nar Phu, Dolpa, Kanchenjunga and others) | Official | A licensed guide and a registered trekking agency are required. Since 22 March 2026 you may go as a single trekker with your own guide. (immigration.gov.np, checked 2026-10-23)(kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-30) |
| National parks and conservation areas outside the Everest region (Annapurna, Langtang, Manaslu and the other trails the rule lists) | Official | Under Nepal Tourism Board guidelines in force since 1 April 2023, foreign trekkers may not enter national parks or conservation areas without a guide or porter for the whole trek, arranged through a registered trekking company. The guidelines list 44 trails and set a fine of NPR 12,000 for a trekker found without a guide or TIMS card. The board cited Section 7 of the Tourism Act 1996. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23)(thehimalayantimes.com, checked 2026-10-23) |
| Everest region (Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality) | Unclear | Contested. The Nepal Tourism Board's 2023 guidelines list Everest trails, but the local municipality said solo trekkers are allowed with its own trek card, and in November 2025 The Kathmandu Post still described the guide rule as applying in all trekking areas except Everest. Many agencies now write that guides are enforced everywhere. We found no official notice settling it. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23)(kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23)(thehimalayantimes.com, checked 2026-10-23)(kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-30) |
"Official" means a government body issued the rule. The national park guide rule comes from Nepal Tourism Board guidelines, not an act of parliament, and enforcement has been reported as uneven; the Everest region's local government has disputed it.
Restricted area permits
- Restricted area permits are issued by the Department of Immigration only through a registered trekking agency, online through its Nepali Port system. The agency must upload each trekker's passport and visa, the trekkers' insurance documents, the guide's and porters' insurance and a signed itinerary. (immigration.gov.np, checked 2026-10-23)
- Since a Department of Immigration decision on 22 March 2026, a single trekker can get a restricted area permit; before that, permits went only to groups of two or more. A licensed guide and a registered agency are still required, and one guide may lead at most seven trekkers. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-30)
- Applicants who are not yet in Nepal can pay the permit fee in advance with an Application Submission ID; those already in Nepal apply with their Nepali visa number. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-30)
- Fees are charged in US dollars. For Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpa, a mountaineering expedition whose royalty is lower than the trekking permit fee pays the difference. (immigration.gov.np, checked 2026-10-23)
- Restricted areas also sit inside conservation areas or national parks, so their entry fees apply too (for example ACAP for Upper Mustang and Nar Phu, MCAP for Manaslu). (epermit.ntnc.org.np, checked 2026-10-30)
Fees by area (per person, in US dollars)
| Area | Fee | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Mustang | USD 50 per person per day | Lomanthang RM (wards 1 to 5), Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda RM (wards 1 to 5), Baragung Muktichetra RM (ward 3 and Satang village, ward 5) |
| Upper Dolpa | USD 500 per person for the first 10 days, then USD 50 per day | Dolpo Buddha RM (wards 4 to 6), Shey Phoksundo RM (wards 1 to 7), Charka Tangsong RM (wards 1 to 6) |
| Gorkha: Manaslu | Sep to Nov: USD 100 per week, then USD 15 per day. Dec to Aug: USD 75 per week, then USD 10 per day | Chumnubri RM (wards 1 to 4) |
| Humla | USD 50 per person per week, then USD 10 per day | Simikot RM (wards 1, 6, 7), Namkha RM (wards 1 to 6), Changkheli RM (wards 3 to 5) |
| Taplejung (Kanchenjunga) | USD 20 per week for the first 4 weeks, then USD 25 per week | Phantanglung RM (wards 6, 7), Mikwakhola RM (ward 5), Sirijunga RM (ward 8) |
| Lower Dolpa | USD 20 per person per week, then USD 5 per day | Thulibheri and Tripurasundari municipalities, Dolpo Buddha RM (wards 1 to 3), Shey Phoksundo RM (wards 8, 9), Jagdulla, Mudkechula and Kaike RMs |
| Dolakha (Rolwaling) | USD 20 per person per week | Gaurishankhar RM (ward 9), Bighu RM (ward 1) |
| Gorkha: Tsum Valley | Sep to Nov: USD 40 per week, then USD 7 per day. Dec to Aug: USD 30 per week, then USD 7 per day | Chumnubri RM (wards 3, 6, 7): Sirdibas, Lokpa, Chumling, Chekampar, Nile, Chule |
| Sankhuwasabha (Makalu) | USD 20 per week for the first 4 weeks, then USD 25 per week | Bhotkhola RM (wards 1 to 5), Makalu RM (ward 4) |
| Solukhumbu | USD 20 per week for the first 4 weeks, then USD 25 per week | Khumbu Pasang Lhamu RM (ward 5) |
| Rasuwa | USD 20 per person per week | Gosaikunda RM (ward 1 and part of ward 2) |
| Manang: Nar and Phu | Sep to Nov: USD 100 per week, then USD 15 per day. Dec to Aug: USD 75 per week, then USD 15 per day | Narpa RM (wards 1 to 5), Nasho RM (wards 6, 7) |
| Bajhang | USD 90 for the first week, then USD 15 per day | Saipal RM (wards 1 to 5) |
| Mugu | USD 100 per person per week, then USD 15 per day | Mugumakarmarong RM (wards 1 to 9) |
| Darchula | USD 90 per person per week, then USD 15 per day | Vyas RM (ward 1) |
Source: (immigration.gov.np, checked 2026-10-23). RM = rural municipality.
National park, conservation area and local fees
| Permit | Fee and conditions |
|---|---|
| Sagarmatha National Park entry permit | NPR 3,000 per person per entry for foreigners; NPR 1,500 for SAARC nationals; NPR 100 for Nepali citizens. (snp.gov.np, checked 2026-10-30) |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry fee (trek card) | NPR 3,000 per person for foreigners; NPR 2,000 for SAARC and Chinese nationals; children under 10 free. Set for the fiscal year that began on 16 July 2024. (en.himalpress.com, checked 2026-10-30) The municipality's own website did not load when we checked; this fee comes from press reports. |
| Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit (ACAP) | NPR 3,000 for foreigners and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, tax included. Single entry. Children under 10 need no permit. Double fee if bought at a check post. Online payment by card adds 2.9%. (epermit.ntnc.org.np, checked 2026-10-30) |
| Manaslu Conservation Area entry permit (MCAP) | NPR 3,000 for foreigners and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, tax included, on the same NTNC e-permit system as ACAP. Double fee if bought at a check post. (epermit.ntnc.org.np, checked 2026-10-30) |
| Langtang National Park entry permit | NPR 3,000 per foreign national, according to agency guides. (nepalhikingteam.com, checked 2026-10-23) The park's own website did not load when we checked. Sagarmatha National Park charges the same NPR 3,000, but we have not confirmed Langtang's fee from an official page yet. |
TIMS card
| Permit | Fee and conditions |
|---|---|
| TIMS card (Trekkers' Information Management System) | NPR 2,000 for foreign trekkers and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals under the Nepal Tourism Board guidelines in force from 1 April 2023. Not needed with a restricted area permit or a mountaineering expedition permit. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23) Whether TIMS is still collected on every route is unclear: the Everest region's municipality says TIMS is not needed there, and some agencies say it is no longer issued separately. Your agency arranges it if it applies. |
Where sources disagree
Upper Mustang permit fee
- USD 50 per person per day (Department of Immigration fee table, last updated 2026-10-18). (immigration.gov.np, checked 2026-10-23)
- USD 500 for the first 10 days, then USD 50 per day (TAAN's fee page, checked 2026-10-30). (taan.org.np, checked 2026-10-30)
What we show: We show the Department of Immigration's figure: it issues the permit, and the Kathmandu Post reported the cabinet decision to move to USD 50 a day in November 2025.
TIMS card fee
- NPR 2,000 for foreign trekkers (NPR 1,000 SAARC) under the guidelines in force from 1 April 2023. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23)
- TAAN's About TIMS page still lists the older two-tier fees: Rs 1,000 for group trekkers and Rs 2,000 for independent trekkers. (taan.org.np, checked 2026-10-23)
What we show: We show the 2023 guideline fee. Independent (FIT) TIMS cards were stopped when the guide rule began.
Guide required in the Everest region
- The Nepal Tourism Board's 2023 guidelines include Everest trails. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23)
- The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality allows solo trekkers who buy its trek card. (thehimalayantimes.com, checked 2026-10-23)
What we show: Unclear. If you plan Everest without a guide, check with your Kathmandu hotel or the Lukla permit counter on arrival, and have a plan B.
TAAN membership vs a trekking licence
Two different records are often confused:
- Department of Tourism licence. The government licence a trekking agency needs to operate. The Department of Immigration's permit system requires an agency to have uploaded it before it can apply for restricted area permits. (immigration.gov.np, checked 2026-10-23)
- TAAN membership. Membership of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, the trade association. Its public directory is what our agency directory is built from. We found no public online copy of the Department of Tourism's licence register, so membership is the best public check we can offer, but it does not prove a current licence.
Ask any agency for its Department of Tourism licence number, and check that the company name and registration number match its TAAN profile.
Insurance
- Restricted area permit applications must include the trekkers' insurance documents. (immigration.gov.np, checked 2026-10-23)
- SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Essential (version effective February 2026) covers hiking up to 4,500 m on certified, official paths; its Adventure Sports add-on extends this to 6,000 m. Helicopter search and rescue from a mountain is excluded. (intercom.help, checked 2026-10-23)
- World Nomads says its policies can cover hiking and trekking up to 6,000 m, and helicopter evacuation in Nepal may be covered when its medical team finds it medically necessary; you must call its emergency team before any evacuation. (worldnomads.com, checked 2026-10-23)
Travel insurance for trekking in Nepal
Check three things in the policy wording before you buy:
- Trekking is covered up to the highest point of your trek (Kala Patthar on the Everest Base Camp trek is 5,644 m).
- Helicopter rescue or evacuation from the mountains is covered, and what you must do first (most insurers want a call to their emergency line before a helicopter is sent).
- Any conditions about using a licensed guide or staying on official trails.
We do not link to any insurer yet. When we do, we will show each policy's altitude limit and rescue terms next to the link.
Get quotes from TAAN-verified agencies
Tell us your dates and group once. Only agencies we have checked against TAAN's member directory will see it, and only to send you a quote. Free, and no account.
Sources
- Department of Immigration, Nepal: Trekking route and permit fee (page last updated 2026-10-18). Checked 2026-10-23; official page.
- Department of Immigration, Nepal: Trekking permit (page last updated 2026-06-08, in Nepali). Checked 2026-10-23; official page.
- TAAN: Trekking permit fees. Checked 2026-10-30; press or trade association.
- The Kathmandu Post, 2026-03-22: Immigration eases rules for solo trekkers in restricted areas. Checked 2026-10-30; press or trade association.
- The Kathmandu Post, 2025-11-20: Nepal scraps $500 upper Mustang trekking fee for foreigners, sets $50 daily. Checked 2026-10-30; press or trade association.
- NTNC e-permit (Annapurna and Manaslu Conservation Areas). Checked 2026-10-30; official page.
- Sagarmatha National Park: Citizen charter (in Nepali). Checked 2026-10-30; official page.
- Himal Press, 2024-07-23: Entry fee to Everest region hiked by Rs 1,000. Checked 2026-10-30; press or trade association.
- Nepal Hiking Team (agency): Langtang Valley trek cost, updated 2026-05-25. Checked 2026-10-23; agency guide.
- The Kathmandu Post, 2023-03-31: Nepal Tourism Board has issued new guidelines for trekkers. Checked 2026-10-23; press or trade association.
- The Kathmandu Post, 2023-03-14: Nepal ends solo trekking era. Everest region is an exception. Checked 2026-10-23; press or trade association.
- The Himalayan Times, 2023-03-28: Solo travellers allowed to trek without a guide in Everest region. Checked 2026-10-23; press or trade association.
- TAAN: About TIMS. Checked 2026-10-23; press or trade association.
- SafetyWing help centre: Nomad Insurance Essential (version effective February 2026), hiking in high altitudes. Checked 2026-10-23; official page.
- World Nomads help centre: Trekking in Nepal and helicopter evacuation (updated 2026-10-14). Checked 2026-10-23; official page.
- Nepal Hiking Team (agency): Manaslu Circuit trek cost. Checked 2026-10-23; agency guide.
Found something out of date? Rules here change often. We re-check these sources on a schedule and record what changed.