Trip Info

• Accommodation & meals

  • Pre and post trek three star hotel accommodations in Kathmandu.  

  • 04 nights at three star hotel in Kathmandu on twin sharing basis

  • 15 nights’ accommodation in the local teahouses on twin sharing basis during the trek

  • Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided during the trek period.

  • Only breakfast will be provided in Kathmandu.

• Transportation

  All transfers will be conducted on a private vehicle.

• Visa & documentation

  A visa for Nepal can be obtained on arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu and at border entry points in Kakadvitta, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Gaddachowki on the Nepal-India border and Kodari on the Nepal-China border.

  Outside of Nepal, A visa can also be obtained at the nearest Nepal Embassy or Diplomatic Mission. To renew a Visa you can go to the Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan, Kathmandu.

  Your passport must be valid for at least six months and you will need a blank page on your passport for visa.

  Visa Facility   Duration    Fee

  Multiple entry   15 days      US$ 25 or equivalent convertible currency

  Multiple entry   30 days      US$ 40 or equivalent convertible currency

  Multiple entry   90 days      US$ 100 or equivalent convertible currency

• Clothing & Equipment

  Successful trek require proper clothing for ease, comfort & safety. Read along to find the checklist of items which are essential for a typical multi-day trek in Nepal.

   

  Clothing

  • Heavy down jackets  (can be rented in Kathmandu)
  • Lightweight down jackets
  • Hiking boots (well broken in)
  • Woolen socks (a few pairs of different thickness)
  • Slippers
  • Walking sneakers
  • Lightweight trekking pants/trousers
  • Lightweight thermal legging
  • Trekking shorts
  • T-shirts (long sleeve & short sleeve)
  • Under garments
  • Waterproof jacket and trouser/raincoat
  • Sun hat
  • Woolen/fleece hat 
  • Scarf
  • Warm gloves
  • Sweaters
  • Ear warmer

   

  Trekking Gears & Accessories

  • Backpack 
  • Hiking poles
  • Sleeping bag (can be rented in Kathmandu)
  • Sleep liner
  • Sunglasses
  • Water bottles 
  • Head lamp with extra batteries
  • Camera and extra batteries and lenses
  • Waist bag
  • Daypack and cover
  • Dry packs (essential for keeping your valuables dry)
  • Water purification (pump, tablets or steripen)
  • Maps (can be brought in Kathmandu)
  • Reading materials

   

  Personal supplies

  • Sun screen
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Toiletries
  • Wet wipes & tissues
  • Feminine hygeine products
  • Anti-itching cream/powder
  • Medications (don't forget to carry adequate supply of your prescription medicines)
  • Deodrants 
  • Moisturizers 
  • Energy bars

• Insurance Policy

  We personally don’t recommend or advertise any particular insurance organization but we can help you figure out what kind of insurance company you should make a deal with. We kindly advise our guests that travel insurance is mandatory before any other travel and trek agreements.

  Ways of triggering your insurance:

  • There are actually two ways that your insurance fund can be triggered and brought into action. The first type is where you will have to use your own money if any injuries occurs or any medical attention is needed. Then the insurance company will pay you later when you return home and show them the documentation of insurance as proof.

  • Another type is where if any medical attention is needed and your insurance needs to be triggered the insurance company will cover all the cost up front and you won’t have to spend a single penny that is not meant for such incident.

  Personally we recommend you to pick an insurance company who are willing to pay you while you need medical attention in Nepal during the time of evacuation and other medical emergencies and not after you return from Nepal.

   

  Main conditions to look for in an insurance policy:

  General insurance only offers medical evacuation up to 4000m but we will attain maximum height of more than this, so we advise our clients to search for a company that provides medical insurance and evacuation plans up to 6000m. If you are planning to climb any peak along with trekking please make sure your policy also pays for “Climbing” as an option.

  You will need to find a policy where your insurance is activated only for the days that you are trekking. If you suffer from altitude sickness and have to be evacuated in an instant you will have to trigger your insurance. These insurance can cost up to $5000. Although these kinds of evacuations are very rare we still need to be prepared for it. So to make any insurance claim you firstly need to get a medical report from a hospital of Nepal as proof before triggering your insurance claim. You will be charged about $150 as a medical fee by the hospital to get your medical reports and documentations before claiming your travel insurance. Some insurance also cover for minor interference and obstacles like flight cancellations to Lukla or even from Kathmandu to your home.

  As mentioned before, please look for an insurance policy that pays you during the time of emergency while trekking and not after you get back to your country.

  What you need to know:

  We inform you that any kind of medical fees that your insurance does not cover will be your responsibility. So we want you to have a very good and thorough look at the insurance policy before applying for it. We do not take any kind of responsibilities for insurance related payments and fiscal managements but we will help you get required documentations and reports for the insurance.

   

  Examples of insurance companies:

  Bigcattravelinsurance.com, WorldNomads, travelguard.com, Squaremouth.com

   

  Important highlights to remember:

  1. Makalu travels do not hold any kind of insurance related financial management work but we will help you acquire important documentations needed for processing your insurance policies.
  2. Choose an insurance policy where you don’t have to pay your own money while trekking in Nepal while in need of medical attention. In other words look for a policy where your insurance company will cover all the money related process if you need any kind of medical attention.
  3. Choose policy with evacuation plan up to 6000m and with an option “climbing” if you are climbing any peak as well as trekking.
  4. Some companies like WorldNomads have a policy where clients have to pay their own money while trekking if they need any kind of medical attention and you will be payed once you return home. So please make sure you have a very good understanding of what type of insurance policy you are agreeing to.

   

• Flights delays in Kathmandu & Lukla

  Our normal route for flying to Lukla is always a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and for returning its Lukla to Kathmandu. But during the time of repairment, renovation and uncontrolled air traffic in airport in Kathmandu we take flight from Ramechhap airport after we take a drive of 4 hours from Kathmandu to Ramechhap. While returning from Lukla to Kathmandu if it’s not possible to directly fly to Kathmandu, we will fly from Lukla to Ramechhap airport and then take a ride from Ramechhap to Kathmandu. For this ride we will take responsibility and no extra payment should be done by our guests.

  During unforeseen bad weathers there are no other option except to wait for weather to get better. If we can fly in the same day we will do accordingly. If not then the flight will have to rebooked for the next day. You can also fly in a chartered helicopter if needed but you will have to pay for this on your own which will cost $400 extra approximately (price varies according to availability & group size). We will refund the flight ticket fare if you decide to take helicopter.

  Here are the answers to some of the most frequent queries we get about flight delays and fare:

  • Helicopter ride queries

  If you decide to ride by helicopter omitting the chance of travelling in a flight then you will have do it in your own expense. We will manage a helicopter for you but financial roles are all up to you. The price of helicopter rides might vary according to it demands and the time you are booking for. We can give you an outline of the price but it is not an exact value. We can also book you a helicopter ride in advance if you pre inform us. 

  The other option for helicopter ride is that if limited helicopters are available they provide seats only for shuttle guests to Phalpu which is very near to Lukla. If you are in a hurry our very last option is a 14 hour jeep ride can bring you to Kathmandu from Phalpu which is off-road.

  • Flight queries

  If there is any kind of cancellation we will rebook tickets for the next day. Accommodation fees will be your responsibility. As your tickets were booked in advance, months before you arrived in Nepal. The next day when we book tickets after cancellation of our originally booked ticket we will have low priority seats. This applies to both ways either from Lukla to Kathmandu or Kathmandu to Lukla flight.

  Important Notice:

  • We will need to book flights to Lukla in advance so after you make payments for any travel package please send us your passport details in your earliest convenience.
  • The price of helicopter ride is not fixed, it will vary according to demand, weather and season that you are travelling. So, if pre booking is needed to be done for our clients we expect pre information for booking convenience.
  •  if any changes or modification in route, timing or other updates are made by the helicopter and airplane companies we will inform our guests and guides about it.

• Altitude Sickness & Trekking Policies

  For these kinds of emergencies we suggest our guests to add extra days to their schedule. If there is any symptom of altitude sickness our first step is to descend down without wasting time. Our guides have professional certificates and trainings to handle these kinds of situations (WAFA certification). Basic first aid kit is always carried by our guides. Our guides also check your oxygen levels make sure you are hydrated throughout the trek. If you need a rescue operation or emergency health service our guides are completely ready and trained to take care of it by contacting responsible health offices.

  There are two ways things can pan out if you suffer from altitude sickness. You can either continue your trek after some rest or you will not continue your trek at all.

  If you want to continue the trek even after the altitude sickness you will firstly have to descend down to lower altitude and rest for few days until our next group comes along so that we can add you to that group and you can continue the trek with them. The few extra days that you take for resting, the financial cost will be your responsibility. We do not assure any financial help but we will provide you with manual assistance as a porter and an assistance guide will take care of you while you are resting here in the tea house. You will have to pay additional amount for extra days while trekking if you go off schedule and trekking routine. If there are no other traveling groups coming up your way and you still decide to trek then you will have to pay separately for your own guide and porter.

  If you have altitude sickness & unable to trek and need immediate evacuation service our guides will make the necessary arrangements.

• Cancellation & Changes

  There are two ways to deal with modification in travel plans. First is you can cancel the trip completely and second is you can postpone the date. But for any of these change to take effect we need to be informed 6 weeks before your booked trip date before cancelling or postponing the trip.

  Important note: In case of natural disasters and national political issues our hands are tied so we cannot undertake any kind of activities which we will take full responsibility of and make sure our clients get the flexibility of making decisions to either postpone or cancel the trip they initially advocated for. There will be no extra fees or cost for rescheduling but if you decide to cancel the trip volunterily our cancellation fees apply which is listed and described below.

   

  Cancellation fees rules:

  These are our specific rules for trip cancellations and refund fees involved:

  1. If we are informed by our clients at least 43 days before the travel date then the full deposit amount will be refunded after deducting 4% bank surcharge on total deposit amount.
  2. If we are informed by our clients 6 weeks before the travel date then we can refund complete deposit by just deducting $195 per person.
  3. If cancellation is done between 4 and 6 weeks of travel date then we can refund your deposit after deducting $395 per person. This is because we will have to pay to the hotels, guides and other personals involved to make this trip possible to recover their financial plans.
  4. If we are not informed between 4 and 6 weeks of travel date there will be no refund as there are many other workers and organizations that needs to be paid by us for planning your trip. Losing you as a customer means losing their employment opportunity which will harm involved worker’s financial status.

  So, we request our respectful guests to inform us about any kind of modification plans (postpone or cancellations) at least before 43 days of travel date. This will help us to refund your designated deposit and also maintain financial status of every worker and organization involved.

• Payments & Deposits

  Makalu Travels offers easy & reliable online payment through credit/debit card, & Paypal. All online payments are processed through the our highly secured online payment partner Authorize.net Please kinldy be informed that all online payments are subject to additional 4% bank surcharge & processing fee. 

  If you would like to avoid the 4% transaction fee then you also have an option to deposit the money into Makalu Travels' bank account in Wells Fargo Bank, USA. The bank details will be provided on request. You will receive a notice from us after a successful deposit or any kind of financial transaction. We will make sure that your transfer amount has arrived to us before sending you any type of confirmation invoice or notification.

• Rental & Extra Costs

  Our package includes most of all the major expenses that you will have to bear while your time in Nepal. While you are in Kathmandu your breakfast is included but while trekking all your meals are included so you don’t have to pay. But there are certain circumstances where you will have to make extra payments personally. They are listed below:

  • Renting trekking equipment (if necessary, not mandatory)
  • Thick down jacket = $15
  • Sleeping bag = $20
  • Hot Showers only while trekking = $4 to $6
  • Nepal visa
  • Donations (not mandatory)
  • Extra hotel nights (depends on weather, flight cancellations and vacation extension)
  • Wi-Fi only while trekking = $3 to $5 an hour
  • Charging electrical devices only while trekking = $1 to $3 an hour
  • Foods and drinks other than included in the package
  • Personal shopping
  • Drinking water while trekking (about $3 per bottle)
  • Tips for the porters and guides which is 10% of the price of your trek (not mandatory but highly suggested)
  • Helicopter ride if case of sudden injuries or altitude sickness

  The thing to keep in mind is that the higher you go more expensive it gets. So you will have to pay for hot showers, Wi-Fi, charging devices as they rely on solar power because luxury of power lines and gas cylinders are difficult to find up in the mountains. You can also take helicopter from Kathmandu to Lukla if flight cancellations occur. Flight cancellations are normal occurring as the weather can be unpredictable sometimes in the Himalayas.

  So for this we suggest you to carry about 300-400 USD extra for your safety. Although insurance money will cover certain aspects while travelling it never hurts to carry extra for your own well-being.

• Hotel & Room Bookings

  The hotel we will accommodate you to is Hotel Le Himalaya pre and post trek in Kathmandu. We will book the hotel rooms for you as per your request with a good pricing than that of online booking. We will transfer all your luggage while being transferred from one accommodation center to another. In Kathmandu we will have a very standard hotel but while trekking we won’t have such luxury so we will have to spend our nights in tea houses. These tea houses are fairly of good standard, you can’t be too picky in the Himalayas! You can contact us if there is any specific query you have about the accommodation structure.

   

  In Kathmandu

  Rooms are very spacious and have private bathrooms and toilets. You will not have to compromise even a bit while your stay at Kathmandu. Hotel Le HImalaya is where you will be before and after the trek as we will have pre booked everything for our respected guests. In case of extending your vacation in Nepal we can help you book rooms for extra nights but we will need to be pre informed. If it is a peak season it will be difficult to manage room in same hotel but we will make an utmost effort to accommodate you in the hotel of same caliber.

   

  While trekking

  We have very less accommodation facilities and options while we are trekking. Bathrooms and toilets are common and shared. Usually there are at least two bed rooms in one room. But if any of our clients wants a private room it can be negotiated with the tea house owner. This management for private room can only be done if the rooms are empty in tea houses and the owners agree with it. It is impossible if you are trekking during peak seasons.

   

  Note: Our guests will not have to pay for the nights that they don’t spend in a hotel room in Kathmandu. We can always come to an agreement if there are certain flight delays or cancellations. During these kind of situations we will accommodate our guests fitting best to their requirements.

• Inclusions & Exclusions

  Inclusions

  • Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu Airfare including airport taxes
  • All monument entrance fees as per the itinerary
  • One English speaking trek guide & assistant guides with ratio of 4:1 (1 asst. guide for every 4 trekkers)
  • English speaking city guide for sightseeing in Kathmandu
  • One porter or pack animals for each two clients
  • Everest National Park fee & TIMS card fee
  • First Aid Kit
  • All Govt. taxes including service charges

  Exclusions

  • Emergency evacuation fee
  • International airfare
  • Personal Insurance
  • Personal expenses (Alcoholic beverages, bottled drinks, telephone calls, laundry etc)
  • Visa fee
  • Any services not mentioned in the itinerary