Small deposit in India. Balance in Nepal.
Most popularEverest Base CampThe classic trek to the foot of Everest
Most popularIsland PeakA classic first 6,000 m climb
Short on time?Everest View Heli Trek7 days, trek up and fly back
Start hereEverest Base Camp guidesItineraries, cost, permits and packing
Trek guides, trip reports and practical advice for the Himalayas, from the people who walk them every season.
The Langtang trek is a good option if you are looking for a relatively short trek with easy access from Kathmandu. The trek has a number of good quality tea houses that are spaced every few hours along the trek making it easy to find a comfortable place to sleep and a good meal. Here are some quick facts about Langtang Tea Houses and a village by village run down.
Most trekkers heading out to Everest or Annapurna save at least one day on the end of their treks for Kathmandu. If you are wondering what are the best sightseeing options here are 6 great ideas to get you started. 1. Swayambhunath or Monkey Temple The Monkey Temple lies on a hill top about 20 minutes walk from Thamel. Walk-up the 365 steps to the stupa at the top which is a important pilgrimage place for Buddhist and enjoy the birds-eye views of Kathmandu. The stairs are home to numerous monkeys that are said to be holy and are quite used to humans. Make sure to keep a safe distant as monkey bites are serious, but you can certainly get some great pictures. It takes no more than a few hours to enjoy the Monkey Temple. When you reach the top of the stairs you need to pay an entrance fee of 200 Rs. If you are coming from Thamel in a taxi the charge should be no more than a few hundred Rupees. 2. Kathmandu Durbar Square and Freak Street The Durbar Square of Kathmandu is one of the easiest places to visit in Thamel and one of the […]
If you are looking for something to do in Kathmandu before heading out trekking the Monkey Temple is a good way to spend a few hours. Laying just to the west of Kathmandu it’s only a 30 minute walk from Thamel. To reach the Monkey Temple it’s a steep climb up a series of 365 stairs. It’s one of the highest points in Kathmandu and offers expansive views across the city. The site itself is situated on a small hill top and consists of a large central stupa surrounded by a myriad of shrines, temples and small shops that specializes in paintings, singing bowls and a variety of religious artifacts. Also known as Swayambhunath the site is a popular pilgrimage spot for Buddhists. If you get up before dawn you might catch a glimpse of the many Buddhists and Hindus alike who climb to the top to make homage.
If you have a few extra days in Kathmandu before your trek to Everest or Annapurna you are probably wondering how to best spend your time. A great option is a day trip to the ancient city of Bhaktapur which lies only about 20km east of Kathmandu and can be reached in 40mins from Thamel by car. Visiting Bhaktapur reminds me of visiting one of Europe’s medieval cities as it’s actually a place of “living history.” Over 200,000 people still inhabit its narrow streets and ancient brick buildings decorated with elaborate carvings. A number of both Hindu and Buddhist shrines can be found in Bhaktapur although the population is 90% Hindu. In practice most of the inhabitants practice both religions with equal intensity. Bhaktapur is the most Hindu of the three main cities of Kathmandu Valley (Patan is more Buddhist and Kathmandu a mixture of both). Bhaktapur was the capital of the Malla Kingdom from the 12th to 15th centuries and after the 15th century became an independent kingdom alongside Kathmandu and Patan. As the capital of the Malla Kingdom it was clearly an important and wealthy city judging by the architectural richness of the many buildings, temples and […]
If you want to experience one of Nepal’s most lively and colorful festivals you can think of planning your trek to Everest Base Camp at the same time as the spring festival of Holi. One of the most important festivals celebrated during the year by Hindus in both Nepal and India. The festival marks the start of spring and the triumph of good will. Nepal is dominantly a Hindu country so this is one of the most important festivals of the year as well as an official holiday. The night before Holi starts with bonfires which are lit right on the city streets. If you are in Nepal you won’t see this so much but if you happen to be in Mumbai or some cities in India these are quite common and quite impressive and some estimates that over 30,000 fires burn across India lighting up the night sky in anticipation of this event. I remember one time taking off on an airplane from Mumbai and seeing the impressive site of all the fires in the streets below and smoke rising from the city. The fire is lit to celebrate the death of Holika a demoness who is said to […]
If you have not been to the Himalayas before you might make the mistake of thinking the climate is the same across the entire mountain range, but nothing could be further from the truth. If you’re planning a trip it is key to understand how the weather changes throughout the year in each part of the Himalayas. The Indian monsoon is the main driver of climate and the impact of the monsoon or lack of it is of key importance for predicting the weather. A monsoon is best described as a seasonally reversing wind system. It works because during the hot part of the year the sun warms up the earth’s surface causing the atmosphere to rise and as it does it pulls in moist air from the ocean. When the sun is no longer heating the surface during the winter this mechanism reverses and a generally dry subsiding air mass dominates. The monsoon first reaches the Himalayas in far eastern India, Bhutan and Nepal in early June and remains over these regions for the longest time. For this reason, the western Himalayas in contrast to the eastern Himalayas are much drier and the monsoon starts later in the year. […]
Wondering how to get the best deal on a flight to Nepal? Here are some suggestions based on where you might be coming from. You can save a lot if you have some flexibility and are willing to plan in advance. Even if you have some fixed dates you should still find some great tips in this article. If you have any questions about getting a cheap flight don’t hesitate to ask us. Caution! Read This if you are going through India: A Visa is required to enter India so if you have luggage this option will not work since you have to go through immigration to collect bags. However if you have an Indian visa already in hand it’s a good bet. Also remember you can’t leave the transit area of the Delhi airport without a visa so doesn’t plan a layover longer than 8 hours. Some countries are eligible for visa on arrival but they still need to process this at least 4 days in advance online. North America Option 1 Via India to Kathmandu : If you’re coming from North America the cheapest flights you will find are out of New York’s JFK airport to Delhi in […]
Are you planning a trek and trying to decide between either Everest Base Camp or Kilimanjaro? I have been to both and wanted to put together a bit of a comparison of the experience on each. This comparison looks specifically at the Kilimanjaro’s Marangu Route which is the quickest and also one of the most popular summit approaches. The other routes to Kilimanjaro’s summit take more time and give trekkers a better chance to acclimatize.
Nishes or Anand will reply within 24 hours.
Plan my trip Call +91 932 595 1234 9am to 7pm IST
Nishes
Anand
Himalayan treks and climbs, booked through Base Camp Hikes and led by local experts in Nepal.
