Nepal travel guides

Autumn from September to November and spring from March to May are the best seasons, offering clear Himalayan views, stable weather, and strong thermal conditions for aerial sports like paragliding. The June to September monsoon brings heavy rainfall and most paragliding operations close, while winter is cold but offers clear mountain views and fewer crowds. Autumn also coincides with major festivals such as Dashain and Tihar.

Plan at least four to five days for Kathmandu and its valley, which holds UNESCO sites like Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, and the medieval towns of Patan and Bhaktapur, then add seven to ten days if trekking. Popular add-ons include Pokhara about six hours away by bus, Chitwan National Park for wildlife, and Nagarkot for sunrise Himalayan views. The overland journey from Kathmandu to Lhasa along the Friendship Highway takes seven to ten days on its own.

Kathmandu is generally a safe city, with main tourist areas safe at night and professional, helpful police, though visitors should be cautious of informal guides and taxi scams. Tap water is not safe to drink, so bottled water is recommended, and travel insurance is advised. For high-altitude journeys such as the route toward Tibet, altitude sickness is the main risk and gradual acclimatization with plenty of water is essential.

Nepal is known as a Himalayan adventure hub, with paragliding from the 2,093-meter Nagarkot ridge above Kathmandu Valley offering views of Langtang, Ganesh Himal, and on clear days even Everest. It is also the starting point of the roughly 800-kilometer Kathmandu to Lhasa overland route across passes above 5,000 meters, and its capital serves as the classic gateway for trekking, with Thamel famous for its trekking gear shops.

Nepal is very affordable, with average daily budgets in Kathmandu of about 5,000 to 15,000 Nepalese rupees, roughly 40 to 120 US dollars, covering accommodation, food, and transport. A tandem paragliding flight costs around 12,000 to 15,000 rupees, about 90 to 115 dollars. Cash is essential, as cards are accepted mainly in hotels and upscale restaurants, and visas on arrival are available for most nationalities.