Before you go

Plan your Nepal trip

You bring the curiosity, and we’ll help with the rest. Here’s how to sort out what you arrange yourself: travel insurance, flights, your visa and what to pack.

Travel insurance Flights to Kathmandu What to pack Ask a question

Travel insurance

Required for Nepal

Nepal is beautiful and also remote. The best hospitals are in Kathmandu, and getting someone there from the mountains can mean a helicopter. Good insurance makes sure a problem never becomes a financial disaster.

Your policy must include

Emergency medical care abroad, including hospital stays
Medical evacuation, including helicopter rescue, to the nearest good hospital and home if needed
Hiking at altitude, up to at least 3,500 m (11,500 ft). Many policies cap altitude, so check the wording
A 24/7 emergency assistance line

Strongly recommended

Trip cancellation and interruption. Repays non-refundable costs if illness or an emergency stops or cuts short your trip. Buy it soon after booking, since some benefits require it
Baggage and travel delay for the long journey there
Check your credit card and health plan to see what they already cover abroad. It’s often less than people expect

How high do we go?

Our standard journeys stay below about 2,100 m (6,900 ft), the high point near Dhampus and Australian Camp at Pitam Deurali. Custom trips that include Poon Hill reach 3,210 m (10,530 ft). A policy that covers hiking to at least 3,500 m (11,500 ft) covers both, with room to spare.

Where to compare plans

Squaremouth lets you compare plans side by side, filter by medical evacuation and trip cancellation, and read real customer reviews. Choose Nepal and enter your full trip dates.

Compare plans

Step 1

Buy your policy soon after booking your trip.

Step 2

Send your policy details through our secure traveler form at least two weeks before departure.

Step 3

Save the emergency number in your phone. In an emergency, call it yourself.

Flights to Kathmandu

There are no nonstop flights from the U.S. to Kathmandu (airport code KTM). From San Francisco, plan on one connection in Asia or the Middle East.

1 stopNo nonstop flights from the U.S.

22–30 hrsTypical door-to-door time from SFO

$1,100–1,450Typical economy round trip from SFO

2–4 monthsBest time to book ahead

Cathay Pacificvia Hong Kong · most popular from SFO

Qatar Airwaysvia Doha

Singapore Airlinesvia Singapore

Turkish Airlinesvia Istanbul

Air Indiavia New Delhi · often the shortest layover

Korean Airvia Seoul

Search on Google Flights

Turn on price tracking for your dates, then book directly with the airline when you can.

Buy one ticket to Kathmandu

If your first flight is late, the airline must rebook you. With two separate tickets, a missed connection is your cost.

Arrive the day before

We meet you at Kathmandu airport. Add your flight to the traveler form once you book.

Leave room for connections

Allow at least 2 to 3 hours between international flights.

Entering Nepal

U.S. travelers need a passport valid for at least six months after arrival and a Nepal tourist visa, which you get on arrival at Kathmandu airport. Three steps, and the first one saves you a long line:

Before you fly, fill in the online visa form. Print the receipt with its barcode, or save it on your phone. It’s valid for 15 days, so do it within two weeks of your flight. Travelers who skip it fill the same form on airport kiosks, often after a long wait.
Pay the visa fee at the bank counter in the arrival hall. Bring the fee in cash, in clean U.S. dollar bills. Cards are accepted at times, but cash is the safe bet.
Go to the immigration desk with your passport, form receipt and payment receipt.

Fill in the online visa form Official visa information

Use only official .gov.np websites. Look-alike sites charge extra service fees.

Tourist visa	Fee
15 days	$30
30 days	$50
90 days	$125
On-arrival fees from Nepal’s Department of Immigration. Our 10-day trips need the 15-day visa; choose 30 days for the 14-day trip or if you stay longer. Bring cash in U.S. dollars.

What to pack

Light hikes and mountain nights

You don’t need to be a trekker, but the right shoes and a few warm layers make the mountain days comfortable. Days in Kathmandu and Pokhara are mild in February and March, while nights in the hills can drop close to freezing.

Shoes and bags

Broken-in hiking shoes or boots with good grip. The trails have long stone staircases and can be muddy. Wear new boots for a few weeks before you fly, or they’ll give you blisters.
3–4 pairs of wool or synthetic hiking socks, not cotton
Easy slip-on shoes or sandals for temples, where you take your shoes off
A day pack of 20–30 L with a rain cover, for the trek and sightseeing. On the trek days you carry only this, so fit two nights of essentials in it.
One main bag, ideally a soft duffel or travel backpack rather than a hard suitcase. Keep it to about 15 kg for the domestic flight.

Layers for cold nights

A warm insulated jacket (down or synthetic) for evenings at Dhampus and Australian Camp
A fleece or warm sweater and a thermal base layer
A light waterproof jacket
A warm hat, light gloves, plus a sun hat and sunglasses
Comfortable clothes for daily yoga
Clothes that cover shoulders and knees for temples and monasteries

Trek and health kit

A refillable water bottle and purification tablets or a filter bottle
A headlamp and a power bank. Power in the villages can cut out.
Sunscreen (SPF 50) and lip balm. The sun is strong at altitude.
Trekking poles (optional), a big help going down stone steps
Blister plasters, a small first-aid kit and your own medicines with prescriptions
Hand sanitizer, tissues and a quick-dry towel

Documents and money

Your passport, valid for 6 months after arrival, with a blank page
U.S. dollars in cash for the visa on arrival
Your insurance policy number and 24/7 emergency line, printed and saved on your phone
Some Nepali rupees for tips and small purchases. There are ATMs in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
A plug adapter. Nepal uses type C, D and M sockets at 230 V.

Adding the Poon Hill trek? It climbs to 3,210 m (10,530 ft), and sunrise there is cold. Bring proper trekking boots and warmer layers, and make sure your insurance covers trekking to 3,500 m.

Questions? Ask us anything.

Insurance, flights, visas, fitness or packing: we read every message ourselves and usually reply within one to two days.

Already booked?

Send your travel documents

We recommend these sources because we trust them, not because they pay us. Insurance is a contract between you and your insurer, so read your policy and ask them about anything you’re unsure of.
Smart Ocular Studio LLC, doing business as Ocular Travels · CA Seller of Travel CST# 2156105-40

Plan your Nepal trip

Travel insurance

Your policy must include

Strongly recommended

How high do we go?

Where to compare plans

Flights to Kathmandu

Entering Nepal

What to pack

Shoes and bags

Layers for cold nights

Trek and health kit

Documents and money

Questions? Ask us anything.

Awaken Your Spirit, Transform Your Life: Spiritual Journeys to Sacred Places.

Address

Smart Ocular Travels

Contact

415.484.0073

Best Travel Theme

Elementor Demos

City Tour

Travel Agency

Holiday

Sports

Cruise

Mountain

gastronomic

SNOW

WILD

Best Travel Theme

Elementor Demos

City Tour

Travel Agency

Holiday

Sports

Cruise

Mountain

Plan your Nepal trip

Travel insurance

Your policy must include

Strongly recommended

How high do we go?

Where to compare plans

Flights to Kathmandu

Entering Nepal

What to pack

Shoes and bags

Layers for cold nights

Trek and health kit

Documents and money

Questions? Ask us anything.

Awaken Your Spirit, Transform Your Life: Spiritual Journeys to Sacred Places.

Address

Smart Ocular Travels

Contact

Sign Up for the Ocular Newsletter and get your 75% promo code emailed to you.

Sign Up For Tour infoSession

Our Contacts

Location

Smart Ocular Travels

email Address

Give us a call

Follow us

Best Travel Theme

Elementor Demos

Best Travel Theme

Elementor Demos

Our Contacts

Address

Smart Ocular Travels

Email

Phone

Follow us