There are two main seasons for visiting the Himalayan regions, when you'll have the best conditions. The first is Spring, from March to early May and the second is Autumn from the end of September to the end of November.
Outside of these months it's still very possible to have a great visit, but it does depend on where you go and what you plan to do. For example December, January and February are great times to visit but some of the more remote and high altitude routes will not be possible at this time.
For most of the Himalayan regions the summer season (from end of May to end of August into early September) are not so suitable for travel as it becomes very hot and in some places, also humid and when the monsoon (rainy season) arrives the roads and trekking trails become muddy and slippy and not enjoyable or safe to travel on. Some treks are still possible but it's not the ideal time of year to visit. However the summer months are the perfect time to visit Tibet and also Ladakh in India.
So to some extent it depends on where you want to visit and what you plan to do with Spring and Autumn seasons generally best for most places. If you're not sure what the best options are, we are always happy to discuss options and share our recommendations and advice on when and where is best to travel.
Yes, most travellers will require a visa to enter Nepal. More information on the visa application process and required fees is listed elsewhere in the FAQs section.
There are a few exceptions, mostly for Official representatives from specific countries who do not need a visa, based on reciprocal visa waiver agreements.
In some cases, a Gratis (Free) Visa will be issued. This only applies to the following applicants:
There are a number of ways to obtain your visa for entering Nepal, including through the Nepalese Embassy or Nepalese Diplomatic Missions in your home country or on arrival to Kathmandu. For UK travellers, more information is available on the Nepalese Embassy in London website here
The easiest method for most travellers is to obtain a visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu. Please note that nationals of some designated countries must obtain their visa before arriving in Nepal and will not be granted a visa on arrival. We advise checking your eligibility and the full visa requirements on the Nepalese Embassy website via the link here.
On Arrival Tourist Visas
The 'On Arrival' tourist visa procedure is quick and simple. During the peak tourism seasons, it can get busy with some queues to use the kiosks and to pay the visa fees, so you may need to be a little patient but the queues are usually processed fairly quickly without too long a wait at any point.
If you want to avoid the queues, then consider getting your visa in advance from your nearest international Nepalese Diplomatic Missions prior to your arrival. If you do choose to apply for your visa in this way, please be aware you must enter Nepal within 6 months from the issue date of the visa. The number of days you can stay is counted from the first day you enter Nepal.
Visa fees
Fees for on arrival visas are paid at the Visa Fees Collection Counter in the arrivals hall of the airport. You can pay by card or cash and there is an ATM in the hall. Just in case the ATM is not working we advise you to carry some cash, at least enough for your visa fee, just to be sure.
The fees are as follows:
15 Days – 30 USD
30 Days – 50 USD
90 Days – 125 USD
Gratis Visa (Free Visas)
Gratis Visa is issued free of cost for the following categories of Visa applicants:
Getting your visa on arrival to Kathmandu - how it works
When you arrive at Kathmandu airport you will need to do the following 3 steps:
1. Complete the Arrival Card
Complete the online Tourist Visa form using one of the Kiosk machines in the Arrivals Hall of the airport. You can also do this in advance, which is recommended, using the official Department of Immigration website. Go to https://nepaliport.immigration.gov.np/ Select your point of arrival which will be Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and the complete the form with your passport and other details as requested.
If you complete the form online, you will receive a confirmation of submission receipt with a barcode. You will need to print this out and bring it with you in order to obtain your visa. The online submission is valid for 15 days from completion. If you arrive in Kathmandu more than 15 days from completion it will be invalid and you will ned to complete a new form.
If using the kiosk terminals at the airport to complete the form, you should be able to print it out once completed but we advise taking a photo on your phone of the final confirmation screen showing the bar code. If it does not print out for you, you can show the photo as confirmation at the Visa Fee Payment Counter.
2. Pay for your visa
Once you have a printout or photo of your completed visa form, you need to pay for your visa at the Visa Fee Payment Counter. This is in the same arrivals hall area where you first arrive and close to the kiosk terminals. You’ll be given a receipt which you must keep as you will need it when you go through the Immigration desks.
3. Proceed to the Immigration Desks for visa processing
The final stage is to proceed to the Immigration Desk area with your online form, payment receipts and passport where your application will be processed by an Immigration Officer who will then issue your visa.
Currently, passengers travelling to Nepal by air or land routes are no longer required to provide proof of COVID Vaccinations (COVID pass) or a negative PCR test report of COVID-19. However, this advice is subject to change and we do advise you check before travel. It is your responsibility to ensure you have a valid passport and comply with all the necessary requirements to enter Nepal or any of the other destinations where we operate.
Yes. More info to go here...
Yes, you will need a visa and entry permit in order to visit Bhutan. This is something we organise on behalf of our clients and in order to do so, we request a copy of the photo page of your passport and a colour passport size photo, before your arrival to Nepal or India, from where you then fly to Bhutan.
Bhutanese visas and entry permits are issued by the Department of Immigration, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs in Bhutan, and tourist visas can only be requested through licensed tour operators in Bhutan. Once approved and issued, we will provide a copy of the visa to you to use for travel to Bhutan.
When you arrive in Bhutan you must present your passport, 2 passport colour photographs and the visa fee of USD$20 to receive your visa sticker. The actual visa is only issued on arrival in Bhutan but must be applied for in advance through a tour operator and you must receive visa approval before you travel to Bhutan.
Your passport must also be valid for at least 6 months after your departure date from Bhutan.
Bhutan Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
As well as needing to have a Bhutan visa and entry permit, all travellers to Bhutan must pay a Sustainable Development Fee. More information on this is listed separately in the FAQs section.
Bhutan's SDF, or Sustainable Development Fee, is a policy that was introduced by the Kingdom of Bhutan in 1999 to support Bhutan’s commitment to protecting the environment and to promoting sustainable development.
It is an environmental levy on all tourists visiting Bhutan and is implemented as a daily fee paid by tourists, with the revenue generated mainly used to support infrastructure development and conservation, healthcare and education initiatives.
The aim is to promote smaller scale sustainable tourism, to reduce negative impacts of tourism and at the same time maximise the benefits for local communities.
Yes, you will need a visa and travel permit to visit Tibet. We arrange this on behalf of our clients and will request the necessary information and explain the process to you.
As of January 2024 the rules for visiting Tibet have changed. The Chinese Government controls all travel to and within Tibet as well as the issue of visas and travel permits. The recent changes to this mean that visiting Tibet for foreigners is not as easy as previously, particularly for groups smaller than 5 (all travelling together) or for solo travellers. However it is still possible and we believe it's important and a great experience to visit Tibet and learn more about this beautiful region and culture. Groups of 5 or more travellers can enter Tibet via Nepal or solo travellers must now enter via China. We will be updating the Tibet Destination page of our website and writing a blog with more details on the current rules for visiting Tibet so please check those for the latest information or contact us for details.
We will be resuming trips to Tibet - including visits to Lhasa and overland tours via Everest Base Camp (North side in Tibet) from Spring 2024.
