All clients travelling to Kathmandu will be met at the airport by a Keen Adventures’s representative who will arrange the transfer to the group hotel. Clients MUST provide the HR office with full details of their flights. Hotel contact details and an emergency number will be provided with your booking confirmation. If you have time, it may be worth considering arriving earlier in Kathmandu. Our trekking holidays are normally designed with minimal ‘down time’ in the city, but Kathmandu is a fascinating place and it is well worth spending extra time here. Arriving a day or two early will have the additional benefit of allowing you time to get over the stress of travelling across time zones, leaving you refreshed and ready for your trek. Note that on this holiday we have a very early start on day 3 to catch the morning flight to Lukla. We can easily arrange for you to spend extra nights in the city and airport transfers are included for all flights.

Whilst in Kathmandu the group will stay in 3-star luxury at either the Hotel Nepalaya or Hotel Moon Light. Located in the heart of the city, each of these excellent hotels offers the best facilities. Staying at either of these hotels, you can be assured of a restful start and finish to your time in Nepal. Whilst on trek there are 10 nights in lodges/tea houses. All accommodation is on a twin sharing basis (note that in some lodges only dormitory beds may be available). If you are travelling by yourself you will join other single clients of the same sex in twin or occasionally, triple rooms. It is not possible to arrange single accommodation in lodges. The Nepalese trekking lodges also are known as ‘tea-houses’ are simple, friendly and atmospheric. As they are far from the nearest road is it not surprising that they are simple establishments as everything must be carried up by porters or animals. Mostly these lodges have heated dining areas which are often attractively decorated. Accommodation is basic in unheated rooms with wooden beds and foam mattress. You will need a sleeping bag. The lodges have shared washing and toilet facilities. Some lodges have solar powered showers (charged at $2 – $3 per shower) and battery charging facilities (also charged at a rate per hour). Staying at the lodges is a great way to meet fellow hikers and the locals. For the 3 nights in Kathmandu single rooms are available for a supplementary cost. Additional hotel nights in Kathmandu are also available.

Typical meals provided in the lodges will include some Nepali dishes but also international cuisine from pizza and chips to apple pie. To ensure that the group can eat together, we order meals in advance and your trip leader will arrange a set menu for the group, which will alternate daily between local and international dishes. Breakfast will usually be porridge, eggs, bread and a hot drink, lunch will be a simple meal with a hot drink, and dinner will be 3 courses consisting of soup, main meal, and a simple pudding. If you wish to order additional dishes and/or snacks, you should budget accordingly. Boiled drinking water will be provided at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All the lodges and tea-houses sell snacks, chocolate bars, soft drinks, and beer. In Kathmandu, we take our meals in the hotel and local restaurants.

While staying in Kathmandu meals will be taken in the hotel or at a local restaurant. On the trek, the group will take their meals at lodges. Normally this will be a set meal for the whole group. Boiled or purified water is available at all the lodges we stay at. Bottled water is also available to purchase (at additional cost) but we do not recommend this on grounds of environmental care.

The group will be led by an experienced English-speaking local leader, and on trek will have the services of porters to carry luggage and local Sherpa guides.

This holiday involves going to very high altitude. During the course of your trip you will be spending at least one night above 4000 meters above. This is not something that you should worry about; the human body is quite capable of adapting to a very wide range of altitudes, but it is important that we follow some simple rules in order to acclimatise successfully. Before coming on this holiday you should read the advice on trekking at high altitude. Unless you have previous experience of trekking above 4000 metres you should consult one of our trekking experts before embarking on this holiday. On this trip, we carry a portable altitude chamber (PAC-bag) and/or bottled oxygen for use in emergencies.

Approximately $250 – $300 (equivalent in others currency .) should be allowed for miscellaneous expenses including porter and trek crew tips, beer, soft drinks etc. It is not necessary to obtain local currency prior to departure. Sterling, Pound, US Dollars and Euros are equally acceptable for exchange in Nepal. We recommend that you carry your travel money in the form of cash since you will exchange the majority of this on the day of your arrival in Kathmandu. If you prefer not to carry all of your spending money in cash, it is possible to withdraw money from ATMs in Kathmandu using your debit or credit card. During the trek, it is possible to buy snacks, chocolate, soft drinks and beer on most days. Please be aware that since everything has to be carried up, these items become more expensive as you gain altitude.

Tipping is the accepted way of saying thank you for good service. Tips do not form part of the wages of your guides, porters and trek crew but they are very much appreciated. It is important to remember that tipping is voluntary and should be dependent on good service. Normally the tips are given at the end of the trek and this is best done as a group. Your trek leader will give you help and advice on this. Most groups will give the tips with a bit of ceremony (or sometimes a party) on the last evening, to mark the end of the trip. As a guide, we recommend that each group member contributes around £50 – 60 (in rupees) to these tips. At the end of a trek, many people also like to donate various items of their equipment to the porters and trek staff who work so hard to make the trip a success. Boots, gloves, hats, scarves and even socks (clean of course) are always warmly received by the porters. Technical clothing and equipment such as head-torches and trekking poles are highly prized by the Sherpa crews. If you think you would like to donate equipment at the end of your trip, your local trip leader will make arrangements for a fair distribution among the trek crew.

For this holiday you should take one piece of luggage (duffel bag will provide by HR) and a daypack. Your bag on the trek will be carried by porters or pack animals and should not weigh more than 15kg. For all flights to and from STOL airstrips in Nepal the maximum allowance, for hold baggage AND hand baggage combined, is 15kg. This weight allowance is strictly enforced and excess baggage will be charged. It is possible to leave items not required on trek at the hotel in Kathmandu. For international flights please check your baggage allowance with your airline.

A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required for visits to countries outside the EU. The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. Please check the relevant embassy or consulate for other nationalities. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Visa requirements and charges are subject to change without notice. If you are travelling outside the EU you should have at least 2 blank pages in your passport for each country that you visit.

If you are travelling via India (Delhi or Calcutta) to your destination you may also require a visa for India. This may apply even if you are not leaving the airport unless your baggage has been checked all the way through to your destination. Generally, if you use the same carrier for both legs of your journey, you will not need an India Visa. Please download the detailed information document: Visa PDF India.

All nationalities require a visa. The visa fee is $25 for 15 days, $40 for 30 days, $100 for 90 days and is obtainable on arrival. Payment must be made in cash and USD, GBP or Euros are accepted. You will require 2 passport photos.

For treks in the Everest region – EBL, EVL, EHW, EHP, EJB, EJL, ENF, ELL – we need your passport details and we need you to take with you to Nepal 2 passport photographs. You will hand these over to your local leader on Day 1.

For treks in the Annapurna region – ASL, ACL, UAT, ATC, ANL – we need your passport details and we need to send through to Nepal ahead of your departure a scan of a passport-style photograph of yourself. Please send this to us once your holiday is guaranteed.

For treks which combine the Everest and Annapurna regions – AEL, AEB – we need your passport details and we need to send through to Nepal ahead of your departure a scan of a passport-style photograph of yourself. Please send this to us once your holiday is guaranteed. We also ask that you take with you to Nepal 2 passport photographs. You will hand these over to your local leader on Day 1.

For these Conservation Area treks – KAN, DLG, MAK – we need to send through to Nepal ahead of your departure a scan of the information pages of your passport. We also need you to post to us 2 passport-style photographs of yourself which we will send on to Nepal. Please send these to us once your holiday is guaranteed.

For these treks requiring Special Permits – NAP, NTM, MUS – we need to send to Nepal ahead of your departure, a scan of a passport-style photograph of yourself and a scan of the information pages of your passport. Please send these to us once your holiday is guaranteed.

For those trips requiring Climbing Permits – MER, ETP, CTL – we need to send to Nepal ahead of your departure, a scan of a passport-style photograph of yourself and a scan of the information pages of your passport. Please send these to us once your holiday is guaranteed.

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations or other preventive measures. You should be up to date with routine courses and boosters as recommended in the UK e.g. diphtheria-tetanus-polio and measles-mumps-rubella, along with hepatitis A and typhoid. Malarial prophylaxis is not usually required for trips in the mountains, however, if you are visiting rural and remote low lying areas then they might be necessary. On holidays to more remote areas, you should also have a dentist checkup. A good online resource is Travel Health Pro.  Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes, like malaria. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

It makes a lot of sense to spend some time before coming on a trekking holiday getting some additional exercise. The fitter you are, after all, the more enjoyable you will find the experience. Although the trekking on this trip is not difficult or sustained, hiking at altitude is more demanding than similar terrain at lower elevations. We suggest that you adopt a weekly exercise regime leading up to your trip. Regular hiking in hilly country is the best training but any regular exercise such as cycling, running or swimming is also good for developing cardiovascular fitness and stamina. Before coming on the trip we recommend that you make time for some long walks in the hilly country. It is also a good idea to do some reading about the culture of Nepal and of the Sherpa people who live in the Everest region. There are many books on this subject and some are listed here.

Keen Adventures treats the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe. Should the FCO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation. We receive regular updates direct from the FCO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground. If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

October through to May is the best time for trekking in Nepal. These months outside of the summer monsoon season offer the best conditions for trekking. Pre-monsoon from March to May is the main climbing season for Everest and at this time there will be many expeditions at basecamp. This is also the time to see the colourful blooms of the rhododendron at lower elevations. The post-monsoon months usually offer the clearest skies and the most settled weather. You will encounter a wide range of daytime temperatures during your holiday. In October/November and April/May this will range from approximately 25C in Kathmandu to approximately 14C at 3000 metres, and approximately 3C at 5000m. From December to early April, temperatures will average around 5C lower than this but at any time of the year the real feel temperature in the middle of the day will be much warmer. At night in the rarefied air the temperatures plummet. You can expect to experience overnight temperatures below freezing once above approximately 4200 metres. (above 3000 metres from mid December to February) and at our highest overnight stops, outside temperatures may drop as low as minus 15C. Extended periods of rain or snow are very unlikely outside of the monsoon period but short-lived storms can and do occur.

• Lonely Planet Guide to Nepal. Lonely Planet
• Rough Guide to Nepal. Rough Guides
• Trekking and Climbing in Nepal. Steve Razzetti
• Everest: A Trekkers Guide. Kev Reynolds. Cicerone
• Into Thin Air. Jon Krakauer
• The Climb. Anatoli Boukreev
• The Ascent of Everest. John Hunt & Edmund Hillary
• Sherpas & Himalayan Mountaineering. Sherry Ortner
• A History of Nepal. John Whelpton
• Field Guide to Birds of the Himalayas. Bikram Grewal
• Everest the Old Way. John Driskell