Yes, you need passport and visa to enter to Nepal. You can get on arrival visa on your passport at any border / entry – exit points including TIA, the airport in Kathmandu or Bhairahawa.
To get an on arrival visa:
Please fill up the ‘Tourist Visa application form’ either online prior to your arrival or on the Kiosk machines at the airport. Print the receipt, that is valid only for 15 days.
Fill up the ‘Arrival Card’ given to you either by the flight crew or at the entry point.
Pay your on arrival visa fee (recommended cash) at the visa fee collection counter and get the payment receipt.
USD 30 - For 15 Days
USD 50 - For 30 Days
USD 125 - For 90 Days
Proceed to the Immigration desk with your online application submission receipt, visa fee payment receipt and passport.
Upon the satisfaction of the immigration officer, your visa will be processed and approved.
Usually it doesn’t take longer than half an hour but sometimes during the peak tourist season, it may take quite longer depending on the queue.
Special Cases:
Indian nationals don’t need to get visa on passport. But they need an identity.
Non Resident Nepalese (NRN) card holder (issued by MoFA or Nepalese diplomatic missions) get visa for free.
Chinese Nationals get visa for free.
Children except US citizens) below 10 years get visa for free
SAARC (South Asian Countries except Afghanistan) citizens get up to 30 days visa for free for the first time in the given visa year.
Afghan citizens can get visa for free on arrival if they request the inviting institution in Nepal to arrange paper works and get an recommendation letter from Department of Immigration.
Officials from countries with ‘reciprocal visa waiver agreement’ (China, Brazil, Russia, Thailand) don’t need to get entry visa.
Unfortunately, nationals (except the diplomatic and official passport holders) of the following countries are not issued on arrival visa from any immigration points. So, they are requested to apply for and obtain visa from a Nepalese Embassy or Consulate service nearby their country.
Nigeria Ghana Zimbabwe Swaziland
Cameroon Somalia Liberia Ethiopia
Iraq Palestine Afghanistan Syria
And the refugees who are travelling with their travel document.
For visa extension or changing visa category, please contact at Department of Immigration Offices either at Kathmandu or Pokhara.
Definitely yes. Just look at a glance why Nepal is really one of the most popular, fascinating and authentic tourist destinations in the world.
Adventure travelers ask us about the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest and the country with eight highest mountains out of ten in the world. They ask us about Buddhism, Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism and his birthplace, Lumbini. Their questions list long, about the Himalaya and the Sherpa people, the yaks and yetis, the city of centuries-old temples and monasteries including the most famous Pashupatinath and Bouddhanath, very beautiful city squares with ancient and medieval arts, architecture and culture, excellent natural reserves with thousands of floras and faunas including one horned rhinos, tigers, wild elephants and hundreds of most beautiful bird species. Many people remember world famous brave Gurkha people and so on. Our travelers love to visit Nepal for all these things.
Interestingly, everyone knows China and India and wonders about the small country located in between these giants. When they know that is Nepal, then there begins their dream of visiting this Himalayan country at the soonest.
No doubt, travelers make their different travel destinations based on their interests. But the country of Himalaya, Nepal, is a dream holiday destination that offers one of the largest ranges of holiday activities. ‘Things to Do’ in Nepal include trekking and hiking around the foothills of Himalaya, mountain peak climbing and expeditions, luxury sightseeing tours around the ancient and medieval cities, cultural tours around the villages of diverse ethnic peoples, pilgrimage for Hindus and Buddhists, nature and wildlife safari, river rafting in the rivers from Himalaya, world’s highest bunjee jumps, paragliding, helicopter sightseeing, mountain flight along the scenic mountains and so on. If you want to mountain bike along a real mountain, then Nepal is the best destination.
Among all, Everest Base Camp trekking, Annapurna circuit trekking, Annapurna Base Camp Trekking, Manaslu Trekking, Langtang Trekking, Island peak climbing, Mera peak climbing, Chitwan National Park / jungle safari, Pokhara / Fishtail sightseeing, Lumbini Buddhist Tour, Nagarkot Sunrise/Sunset View, Annapurna mountain biking, etc are the most popular trips.
Don’t these attractions prove that Nepal is definitely a fascinating holiday destination that you should choose for your next holiday?
Yes, it’s true that this Himalayan country, Nepal, is most popular and praised for trekking, mountain peak climbing, cultural and nature tours. Let us explain why these travel activities in Nepal are most popular.
Trekking in Nepal
No country in the earth houses more world-highest mountains than Nepal. Imagine you are standing among and walking along eight of the ten highest mountains in this planet. Not to mention, the landscape offers outstandingly unique and fascinating trekking trails to match according to the trekkers’ experience, age, fitness and interests. As all travelers cannot or do not plan for a months-long or year-long summit expeditions, trekking in Nepal is an easy, short and best value holiday activity with thrilling adventure. That’s why Nepal has been a globally acclaimed trekking destination.
If your interest is to wander along into wilderness, wilderness trekking in Nepal is a very good fit for you. But, if you want to trek through the villages and tea-houses in the well marketed trails with luxury and adventure together in mountains admired by millions of trekkers, trekking in Nepal is the best fit for you. If you want to be surrounded by the highest snow-capped peaks or see the largest glaciers in the Himalayan region (Ngozumpa, Khumbu), cinematic panoramas, delightful villages, and colourful culture, fascinate yourself sitting aside the lakes at highest altitude, and realize the eternal peace, Nepal is the best trekking destination in the world. Short trekking and hiking along the hills around major cities may also be enough for you if you have limitations to go to the mountains. A hassle free backpacker’s paradise, Nepal trekking trails offer innumerable trekking possibilities from Mount Everest to Mount Annapurna region, easy to extremely difficult, short to long and luxury to wilderness. Whatever you choose, it will be a worth spending vacation time.
Peak Climbing in Nepal Himalaya
For anyone fond of adventure beyond trekking and hiking in the Himalaya, there are more than 1300 mountain peaks higher than 6000 meters in the Himalayan region of Nepal among which a few hundred peaks are open for climbing and a few dozen are most popular among climbers ranging from beginners to highly professional mountaineers. Most of the travelers may think that the peaks in the Himalaya are very high and thus are mysterious and impossible to climb. But the reality is almost of the highest mountains in Nepal have already been conquered. And the smaller peaks with the height of 5587 to 6500 meters are taken as Trekking Peaks. That means those peaks are also for trekkers who have good health and stamina with keen interest to climb. But it is quite beyond trekking, so it needs basic mountaineering skills to use a few equipments and follow the experienced and professional climbing guide.
Nepal offers excellent snow-capped mountain peak climbing experience which can be the introductory taste to prepare for climbing higher mountains as well. Those peaks and mountains also introduce the climbers to the natural setting and beauty that gave birth to Himalayan culture. After the first successful summit of the world’s highest Mount Everest (8848 meters / 29029 feet) in 1953 by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, small peak climbing and high mountain expedition in Nepal have been more renowned among extreme adventures all over the world.
Mountain Expedition in Nepal Himalaya
Most probably, there is no ultimate adventure in this planet beyond having the 360 view of the world below standing on the top of Mount Everest and feel the conquest. Since New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepali Tenzing Norgay successfully climbed Mount Everest in 1953, mountain expedition in the Himalayan region, especially in Nepal, has been very popular adventure aspiration. Of course, there are mountains in other parts of the world too, but it is very worth mentioning here that eight out of ten highest mountains are in Nepal. And it may not be justice to the breathtakingly beautiful and huge mountains of Nepal to compare with the mountaineering expeditions in other parts of the world.
As the most adventurous and the most demanding activity, climbing the highest mountains in Nepal has been the ultimate aspiration of professional mountaineers. It is the blessings for all the mountaineers that the Himalayan people, Sherpas, are there to boost your confidence, guide you and make you secure up to the summit. And Ace Holiday Treks has a team of professional Sherpas, guides, cooks, porters and helpers for our expedition operations.
Everybody loves his / her cultural legacy carried by the physical arts, architecture, monuments and other intangible characteristics like language and traditions continuously inherited, developed and transformed through generations. While we love our own cultural heritage the most, we are also very curious to see different cultures of people from other groups and places. Because of sociopolitical and economic / industrial development and transformation, many cultural groups have lost their original attributes. This has led travelers to be nostalgic and feel alienated in own place. That’s why our focus here is to fascinate our travelers with some natural and authentic taste of culture and traditions developed, preserved and practiced by different Nepalese ethnic groups and communities untouched by the materialistic life styles. We encourage our travelers to validate their past memories with the authentic cultural heritage and request not to touch or destroy any aspect of those properties which are meant to be transferred to the future generations.
Nepal is one of the few countries in the world with so large number of ethnic communities and native languages (about 120 ethnic groups and languages) offering the colourful cultural diversity. Our cultural heritage tours and sometimes trekking, are designed to present our travelers the most popular and authentic cultures of the wonderful ethnic communities residing in different parts of Nepal. Starting from Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur (Kathmandu valley) where we see very rich ancient and medieval architectures and religious monuments, we can continue to the hills and the Himalayas where we can revive our sense of love of any unique and authentic culture like that of Sherpas, Tamangs, Gurungs, Buddhists, Hindus and so on. Many of those cultural artifacts have been recognized as the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Our cultural / heritage trips are interesting for travelers with different interests, tastes and plans ranging from very short to weeks-long holidays and luxury seekers to adventurous.
Here is the place where you know how natural environment shapes or contributes to the society and culture and how society and culture influence nature. One of the landlocked countries in the world, Nepal has surprisingly the vast diversity in nature. From as low as 59 meters from sea level, Nepal rises up to the world’s highest altitude of Mount Everest. The Terai belt of low land of Nepal, mostly covered with tropical jungle along the river basins, is very rich with diverse floras and faunas. An ideal destination for nature and wildlife tour, Nepal’s low land national parks offer excellent opportunities for very adventurous wildlife / jungle safari, elephant ride, bird watching, hunting, jungle / nature walks, cultural village tours around and so on. May you be walking or carried by an elephant or a jeep through the dense forests, the thrilling beauty of wilderness embraces your soul during the whole safari ride as you encounter endangered wild lives including one horned rhinos, royal Bengal tiger, red panda, Himalayan musk deer, wild water buffalo, Asiatic elephant, leopards, to name only a few.
Your excitement will go extra miles with the authentic taste of local cultures around the national park areas through cultural shows and performances with the luxury of eco resorts in the wilderness. Better to have a best value experience, most of the travelers choose to customize their nature and wildlife tours joining with other tour / trekking packages. Thus, most of our packages include Kathmandu or Pokhara luxury tours before having the glimpses of wilderness. Among all, Chitwan National Park, Bardiya National Park, Koshi Tappu Wild Life Reserve and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve are the world famous nature and wildlife destinations among nature travelers.
Where is the Himalaya? Is there any easy access to Himalaya if I go to Nepal?
The Himalaya (Himalayas) means the ‘home of snow’. It is the highest and one of the longest mountain ranges in the world and it separates the Tibetan plateau from the plains of the Indian subcontinent. It stretches from Afghanistan to Pakistan with a major share of length in Nepal, China and India, ultimately sprawling to Bhutan and Myanmar. Mount Everest, the highest mountain in this planet (8848 meters) is located in Nepal Himalaya. Moreover, eight out of ten highest mountains in the world are located in Nepal Himalaya. There are more than 1300 identified mountain peaks too in Nepal.
For the adventure travelers who want to trek along the Himalayas, there is no doubt that Nepal is the main gateway and most accessible point to explore. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal is the starting point to the highest mountains in mid-eastern Nepal. And the wonderful city Pokhara is the starting point to the highest mountains in western Nepal.
So, ‘exploring the Himalaya’ is mostly all about ‘going to Nepal’ and starting your journey to the Himalaya from one of the cities of Nepal. Coupled with the natural scenery of the Himalaya, the amazingly authentic culture of the Himalayan people will definitely make you love your Himalayan journey for your lifetime.
If you start gathering information about Nepal and the touristic attractions, then the first thing you will know is this small country is actually more than a rainbow in terms of geography, nature, ethnic groups of people, culture, language, festivals, arts and architecture, religion, and everything. Definitely, the more diversity, the more ‘places to visit’ and the more ‘things to do’. Though it can never be a comprehensive list of tourist attractions in Nepal, let’s start from the most popular and ‘not to miss’ ones in Kathmandu here.
KATHMANDU VALLEY (7 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES)
Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal. And the whole valley is comprised of three cities, Kathmandu, Lalitpur (Patan) and Bhaktapur.
The most popular places to visit are the historic temples and monasteries from the ancient time, city squares, palaces and statues from the medieval period and the tourist hub of Thamel. There are many UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kathmandu Valley including:
Pashupatinath Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Most popular among Hindus all over the world, this very old and sacred temple of Pashupatinath (Temple of the god Shiva) is located on the bank of Bagmati River in the heart of Kathmandu. According to the legends, this temple exists since 4th century B.C. and the new temple was built during the 14th century. Now Pashupatinath temple area has dozens of other temples and monuments to see or worship.
Bouddhanath Stupa (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
On the eastern part of Kathmandu, there is one of the largest stupas in the world, Bouddhanath Stupa which dates back to 6th century or earlier. A sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists and those who praise Buddhism, Bouddhanath is very famous for meditation too.
Swayambhunath Temple / Stupa (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
In the mid-west of the bowl shaped Kathmandu valley, there is a conical hill and on the top of the hill is a holy shrine most popular among tourists as the Monkey Temple.
Kathmandu Durbar Square (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
This is a royal palace square of one of the three Kingdoms in Kathmandu Valley during the medieval period. Later it was taken over by the first King of modern Nepal who unified the whole country as it is now. Kathmandu durbar square is very rich in arts and architectures showcased in the palaces, temples, courtyards and the statues.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Next to the Kingdom of Kathmandu was the Kingdom of Bhaktapur and the Bhaktapur Dubar Square is the royal palace of Bhaktapur Kingdom with many temples around. Bhaktapur is also much more popular for arts and craftsmanship and as a handicrafts shopping market among the tourists.
Patan Durbar Square (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
The centre of Lalitpur city (then Lalitpur Kingdom) is the Patan Durbar Square. The Royal palace with marvelous Newari arts and architecture and the temples are the most prominent attractions in Patan Durbar Sqare.
Thamel
Thamel is the most popular tourist hub in Nepal where almost every tourist arrives on the first day of their Nepal visit and departs from on the last day of their trip. There is everything a tourist needs like hotels, restaurants, pubs, cultural shows, curio shops, travel and trekking companies, courier and cargo companies, spas and saunas, vehicle hires, and everything.
There are dozens of other temples, monasteries, stupas and day hiking trails in Kathmandu that you can choose from.
NAGARKOT
Close to Kathmandu, Nagarkot is the most accessible and popular sunrise and sunset viewpoint with stunning views of the Himalayas. You can drive an hour or go for a short trek along the pine forests and villages to get to Nagarkot.
POKHARA VALLEY
A city 200 kilometers west from Kathmandu, Pokhara is the second largest but very beautiful city with amazing natural surroundings of lakes, forests, mountains, rivers and trekking routes. Pokhara is also the gateway and centre for the trekkers to Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu. Praised by the tourists for the cleaner environment and quietness than in Kathmandu, Pokhara is not only the trekkers hub but also the centre for the luxury travelers to spend some days with relaxation there. Most popular in Pokhara are:
Phewa Lake and Lake Side
Mahendra Gufa (dark but spacious cave on the north of the city)
Davi’s Falls
International Mountain Museum
Gorkha Museum
World Peace Pagoda
Seti River Gorge
Gupteshwar Mahadev Cave
Pokhara Regional Museum
Bindhya Basini Temple
Bhimsen Temple
Machhapuchchhre (Fishtail) Mountain
Varahi Temple
Tibetan Refugee Camp
Sarangkot View Point
Chitwan National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
This is an amazing reserve of nature and wildlife. At the altitude of about 100 meters above sea level, with tropical monsoon climate, Chitwan National Park is usually an unexpected destination for travelers. Elephant safari (rides), Jungle safari (Jeep Safari), cultural village tours and wild lives are the most prominent attractions in Chitwan National Park.
Lumbini (Unesco World Heritage Site)
The birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (Lord Buddha - the founder of Buddhism), Lumbini is a world famous pilgrimage site located about 250 kilometers west from Kathmandu. The Major attractions are:
Maya Devi Temple with ancient stone relief from 2nd century AD
World Peace Pagoda
Ashoka Pillar
Buddhist temples
the Japan Peace Stupa
Bodhi Tree
Lumbini Museum
Lumbini International Research Institute
Great Drigung Kagyud Lotus Stupa
Royal Thai Buddhist Monastery
Tibetan Rabten Monastery
Myanmar Golden Temple
Lumbini Crane Sanctuary
Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery
Panditarama International Vipassana Meditation Centre
Drubgyud Choling Gompa
Dhama Janami Vipassana Centre
Mother Temple of the Graduated Path to Enlightenment
Korean Buddhist Temple
Vietnam Phat Quoc Tu temple
Nepal Vajrayana Mahavihara Temple
Manag Samaj Stupa
Sri Lankan Monastery
Gautami Nun’s Temple
Sokyo Gompa
Linh Son Monastery
For more information, you can access our page - All Adventure Activities in Nepal and have comprehensive information about your possible holiday activities according to your interest.
EVEREST REGION
Not to mention, Mount Everest region has the world’s best trekking trails where trekkers experience devotion, prayers, adventure and everything. From Everest View Trek, Everest Base Camp Trek, Everest Best Camp - Three Pass Trek to Everest Gokyo Lake Trek, there are from easy to extremely difficult options you can choose from.
One of the most popular trekking trails in the world and specially in the Himalaya region, Annapurna region offers a varieties of trekking options from short to long and easy to moderate and difficult ones. Some of the most popular trekking options are Annapurna Circuit Trekking (Apple Pie Circuit named after the fried apple pie along the route), Annapurna Base Camp Trekking, Ghorepani Poonhill Trekking, Jomsom Muktinath Trekking, Tilicho Lake Trekking and Upper Mustang Trekking. Available activities are trekking and tour, peak climbing and mountain expedition.
RARA LAKE AND NATIONAL PARK
Rara is the biggest lake in Nepal. It is located in Mugu district at the altitude of 1990 meters from the sea level. Rara National Park, surrounding the beautiful Rara Lake, is an home to a vast reserve of floras and faunas. Off the beaten pat Trek to Rara Lake is one of the most ‘Authentic Cultural and Natural Travel Experience’ in Nepal.
LANGTANG REGION
Langtang region is an amazing trekking region with beautiful landscapes, mountains, monasteries, rhododendron forests and culturally authentic villages.Available activities are trekking and tour, peak climbing and mountain expedition.
MANASLU REGION
Manaslu region, the home to the thnic Gurung and Tamanag people, offers myriads of options of trekking and cultural tours. The beautiful trail along the Budhi Gandaki River bank extends upto the Larkya la Pass and makes a circuit around the villages from where the world famous Gurkha warriors come from. Available activities are trekking and tour, peak climbing and mountain expedition.
OTHER TREKKING REGIONS
Kanchenjunga Region
Dhaulagiri Region
Ganesh Himal Region
Upper Mustang Region
Dolpo Region
Makalu Region
Whenever we talk about the cultural and natural heritage, we consider ‘authenticity’ as the most important characteristic of the destination. Though Nepal is not immune to liberal economy, increased connectivity and modern trends of development, there are many areas in Nepal where the travelers can experience really authentic tastes of nature and culture. Traditional village settlements, pilgrimage sites, ethnic people, their culture and costumes and the natural environment surrounding the villages make travelers feel tranquil and amused at the same time. Travel to these authentic places can be both luxurious and quite adventurous according to the needs and preferences of the individual traveler or group.
Please go through ‘ACTIVITIES’ for detailed information on all activities possible and the trip packages available. If you didn’t find activities, places, trips or other information you need, contact us for very personalized travel solutions.
Here is a very short list of activities and services we have here in Ace Holiday Treks.
Luxury Tours Sightseeing
Cultural Heritage Tours
Pilgrimage / Religious Tours
Nature and Wildlife Tours
Mountain Peak Climbing
Mountain Expedition
Multi-Activities tours
Helicopter Tour along Himalaya
Mountain (Everest) Flight
Adventure Sports
Rafting
Bunjee Jumping
Paragliding
Zyp flying
Mountain Biking( Cycling)
Special Interests
Village tours
Home stay
Educational (school/college) excursions
Volunteering
Internships
Company Incentive Holidays
Honeymoon tours
Cororporate / business tours
Yoga and Meditation
Photography and Videography, etc.
A camping trek simply is a trekking during which you depend on tents / camps and all your own logistics. In the areas where there are no teahouses (lodges, hotels), camping trek is the only alternative. And even in some areas with teahouses, you can prefer camping to escape from the busy and crowded hotels and interact with nature and local culture. For camping treks, you need to be an organized group with our field staffs (trekking guide, Sherpa, cook, porters, etc). Our field team supports for and arranges all the logistics including necessary camping equipments and gears, cooking stoves, foods and water and fuels. It is a different experience for trekkers as they stay and dine under the tents and use mattresses and sleeping bags for their bed.
Different from teahouse treks, as we have to carry the necessary logistics and also your belongings, we need more staffs and preparation. They fix the camps / tents at safe, secure and beautiful places with necessary comfort to camp. As said many times, Nepal is a very safe place to trek and travel, camping trek is also very safe and secure way of adventure.
During the camping treks, trekkers wake up early in the morning, drink a cup of tea / coffee and have breakfast and start the trek. After 3-4 hours trek, they have lunch and again continue for another 3-4 hours trek to reach to the next camp.
It is a type of camping trek in the regions in which there are no teahouses, lodges or hotels and the difficulty level is very high in terms of walking, arranging and outsourcing logistics like trekking gears, fuels, food and water. Wilderness or off the beaten path treks are for the trekkers who prefer to win over the way through commonly unseen, unspoiled and unexploited off the beaten paths to high mountains and glaciers, hidden valleys and extreme remoteness and unbelievably diverse ecosystems of those areas.
Characterized by the perfection of extreme adventure, demanding much more permission and logistic supports than in a normal camping trek, this kind of trekking is supposed to be the ultimate way to feel the thrilling experience of embracing truly beautiful nature offered by the earth.
