General FAQs
Nepal sits in South Asia, wedged between China to the north and India on the other three sides. It is a small country by area but holds eight of the world's fourteen mountains over 8,000m, including Mount Everest, the highest point on earth at 8,849m.
No other country packs this much vertical variety into such short distances. You can walk from subtropical rice terraces at 1,000m to glacial passes above 5,000m in under two weeks. The trail infrastructure is also unusually developed for high mountain terrain: tea houses, local guides, and porter support exist on routes that would otherwise require full camping logistics.
Most trekkers fly into Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Nepal offers visa on arrival for most nationalities, or you can apply in advance through a Nepali embassy or consulate. Your passport needs at least six months validity from your entry date.
Not without a guide anymore. Since April 2023, Nepal requires all trekkers to be accompanied by a licensed guide, enforced at checkpoints such as Monjo on the Everest route. You can still trek without a group. What you cannot do is trek without a guide. Madcap Adventure arranges licensed guides for solo travelers, and female trekkers can request a female guide.
Kathmandu itself sits at about 1,400m and has a mild climate: warm days and cool nights most of the year, with the monsoon bringing daily rain from June through August. Conditions change fast once you head into the hills, which is covered separately in question 31.
Standard tea house treks need a reasonable base fitness: the ability to walk 5 to 7 hours a day on uneven terrain, day after day, without needing technical climbing skill. Regular cardio training in the months before you go (hiking, running, stair climbing) makes a real difference. Higher, longer routes like Everest Three High Passes demand considerably more prior trekking experience, and we'll say so directly if a route isn't a fit for your background.
Road transfers use private tourist vehicles or jeeps depending on group size and road conditions. Routes that start from Lukla or other remote airstrips use domestic flights instead of road transport.
In Kathmandu, you'll stay in a comfortable hotel, typically 3-star standard, with a private bathroom and hot water. On trek, tea houses offer twin-share rooms, generally with shared bathrooms, and standards get simpler the higher you go.
Yes, you book your own international flights in and out of Kathmandu. Airport pickup and drop-off within Nepal are arranged by us as part of your package.
Yes, most nationalities can get a visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport. You'll need a passport photo and the visa fee, best paid in cash USD.
Yes, travel insurance is mandatory for every trekker with us. It needs to cover high-altitude trekking specifically, including helicopter evacuation up to the maximum altitude of your route. Standard travel insurance policies often exclude this, so check the altitude cover before buying.
Yes, most tea houses offer battery charging for a per-device fee, and the fee increases the higher you go since power is often solar or generator-based at altitude. A power bank is a reasonable backup for camera-heavy trekkers.
Beyond your package cost, budget for wifi, battery charging, snacks, hot showers where they're not included, and any souvenirs.
Your guide contacts our Kathmandu office immediately, and your travel insurance covers helicopter evacuation from trail to hospital if needed. On higher or more remote routes, guides carry communication devices specifically for this.
Bring your passport with at least six months validity, passport-sized photos for permits and visa, your visa, printed or digital copies of your permits, proof of travel insurance, and your flight itinerary.
Yes, most itineraries can be extended with additional days at extra cost, whether that's more time on trail, extra acclimatization, or added days elsewhere in Nepal.
Chitwan National Park for wildlife and a jungle safari, Pokhara's lakeside for a slower few days with mountain views without the walking, or extra time in Kathmandu Valley for its temples and heritage sites all pair well with a trek.
For someone with no high-altitude experience, the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek is a solid starting point: shorter duration, lower maximum altitude, and tea houses with real beds and hot showers most nights. If you want mountain views without the full commitment of Everest or Annapurna Circuit, this route delivers that at a fraction of the days and cost.
Trekking means multi-day walking through mountain or hill terrain, usually overnighting in tea houses or tents rather than returning to a base each night. It's different from a day hike in that you're carrying (or having a porter carry) supplies for several days, and different from mountaineering in that no technical climbing gear or skills are required on standard routes.
We've operated in Nepal since 2004, with government-licensed guides on every trek. Pricing locks in once your deposit is paid, so nothing changes on you later. You get a free Nepal SIM card on arrival, and our Kathmandu office is reachable 24/7 while you're on trail.
Every guide is Nepal Government licensed and trained in wilderness first aid, including recognizing early signs of altitude sickness. Itineraries are built with acclimatization days at the right points, not compressed for speed. Guides carry communication devices on remote routes, and our Kathmandu office coordinates evacuation if it's ever needed. Insurance with helicopter evacuation cover is mandatory for every trekker.
You stay in local lodges along the route, called tea houses, run by families in the villages you pass through. Rooms are typically twin-share with shared bathrooms, and hot showers are usually available for a small fee, more so at lower altitude than higher up. Meals are ordered from a set menu at each tea house.
On routes without tea house infrastructure, a support crew carries and pitches tents, and a kitchen crew cooks meals at camp. This is more logistically heavy and typically used on remote or less-trekked routes where no lodge network exists yet.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the two reliable windows. Autumn gives the clearest mountain views after the monsoon clears the air. Spring brings rhododendron blooms lower down but can have more haze at altitude. Winter is possible on lower routes but brings snow risk on high passes. Monsoon season (June to August) means limited visibility and leech-heavy lower trails, though it works for rain-shadow regions like Upper Mustang.
Yes. A Madcap Adventure representative meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport arrivals with a name board, and arranges your transfer to the hotel in Kathmandu.
Yes. Vegetarian food is widely available at tea houses, and dal bhat, the staple meal of rice, lentil soup, and vegetable curry, is naturally vegetarian at most stops. Let us know in advance so your guide can flag it at each tea house.
Group sizes vary by package.
Yes. We build custom itineraries for private groups, with your own guide and porter arrangement, independent of any other trekkers' schedule.
Yes. Nepal Government licensed guides are trained and tested in English as part of certification. If you need a guide fluent in another language, let us know when booking and we'll arrange it where possible.
A porter carries your main duffel bag up to 20kg, at a rate of USD 20 per day, shared between up to two trekkers. You carry a daypack yourself with water, layers, camera, and anything you want access to during the day.
Yes. Every Madcap Adventure guide holds a Nepal Government trekking licence and has completed wilderness first aid training that covers recognizing and responding to altitude sickness.
Mornings start early with breakfast at the tea house, followed by the day's main walking session before the afternoon cloud usually rolls in. You'll stop for lunch on the trail or at a village along the way, then continue to the next tea house by mid to late afternoon, leaving time to rest before dinner and a short briefing on the next day.
Yes. The Everest Base Camp Luxury Trek, Annapurna Base Camp Luxury Trek and Manaslu Circuit Luxury Trek are examples, built around upgraded lodges and more comfortable rooms along the same route as the standard package.
Dal bhat is the reliable staple at every altitude: rice, lentil soup, and vegetable curry with unlimited refills at most tea houses. You'll also find momos, noodle soups, porridge, and simple pasta dishes. Menu variety narrows and prices rise the higher you climb, since everything above road access is carried in by porter or mule.
This depends heavily on altitude and season, and it can shift fast within a single day. Nights at higher camps drop well below freezing even in peak season, while lower valley sections stay mild.
Most tea houses offer wifi for a small fee, and the free Nepal SIM card you receive on arrival gives you mobile data in lower and mid-altitude areas. Coverage gets patchy and can drop out entirely at higher elevations and on the more remote sections of a route.
Kathmandu hotels, restaurants, and shops generally accept cards. Once you're on trail, it's cash only. Carry enough Nepali rupees before you leave the last town with an ATM, since this point varies by route.
Signal strength depends on carrier and altitude. Lower and mid-altitude villages usually get decent coverage from major Nepali networks, while higher camps and passes often lose signal entirely. This is separate from tea house wifi, covered in question 33, which relies on satellite or local internet rather than mobile towers.
Tap and tap-stand water on trails is not safe to drink untreated. Bring purification tablets or a filter, or buy boiled water at tea houses. This also cuts down on plastic bottle waste on routes with no proper disposal system.
Tipping is customary and expected, though there's no fixed legal rate. A rough guide: USD 20 to 30 per day for your guide, and USD 10 to 20 per day per porter, given as a single amount at the end of the trek rather than daily. Longer or higher-altitude routes sit toward the top of that range.
There's no universally mandatory vaccine for entry into Nepal, but this depends on your home country and travel history. Trekkers should consult a travel clinic or doctor for current recommendations rather than rely on general guidance here, since advice varies by individual health and season.
Yes, usually the day before your trek starts. You'll meet your guide, go through a gear check, and get a full briefing on the itinerary, safety protocol, and what to expect day by day.
Send us your dates and group size, and we'll return a quote within 24 hours. A 20% deposit confirms your booking, with the balance due before departure.
Yes, our guides and porters are covered under company insurance.
Send us your dates and group size for a quote within 24 hours, then confirm with a 20% deposit. For cancellations: full refund 60 or more days before departure, 50% refund 30 to 59 days out, no refund inside 30 days or for mid-trek exits. You can send a substitute trekker with 30 days notice at no rebooking fee, or change your dates with 45 days notice at no charge. Force majeure cancellations get full credit toward a future departure or a refund minus already-committed costs.