Makalu Barun National Park permit guide

For the Makalu Base Camp trek you need the Makalu Barun National Park entry permit, and a TIMS card where the local office asks for one. Makalu is generally treated as a national park trek rather than a restricted area, so there is no separate Restricted Area Permit of the kind that Kanchenjunga or Upper Dolpo demand, but the pack flags two reasons not to assume that the position is fixed: the guide position (the Nepal Tourism Board April 2023 rule requires a licensed guide in national parks and 2026 operator reports say checkpoints enforce it, checked 19 October 2026), and a 2026 press report about controlled areas in 13 districts. Ask a registered agency to confirm both for your dates. The details of the route are on the Makalu Base Camp page and the Makalu region page.

This article explains the documents, the guide question, and where to look for the fee. It gives the fees as of October 2026 (checked on 18 October 2026) from the Nepal Tourism Board pages, because the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation home page lists the park offices and an online ticketing service but not the fees for foreigners.

The park permit

The park entry permit is issued by Makalu Barun National Park. Makalu Barun was established in 1992 as the eastern extension of Sagarmatha National Park, covers about 1,500 km2 across Solukhumbu and Sankhuwasabha, and has a buffer zone of around 830 km2. The route plan puts a national park checkpost at Seduwa, where your permits are checked on day 2, before the first walking day. The permit is bought through your agency or at the park checkpoint, according to the route page.

As of October 2026 foreigners pay NPR 3,000 per entry (about USD 22) and SAARC nationals NPR 1,500, with children under 10 free. The Sankhuwasabha restricted-area charge (Bhotkhola and Makalu ward 4) is USD 20 per person per week for the first four weeks and USD 25 after that, which is USD 40 for the 12 permit days our Makalu Base Camp route plan assumes. Check the amounts against the park office or the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, whose site at dnpwc.gov.np lists the park offices, including the Makalu Barun office, and links to an online ticketing service at onlineticketing.dnpwc.gov.np. We did not confirm whether that service covers foreigners' trekking permits, so use it only after checking with your agency.

TIMS

The pack lists a TIMS card as "where the local office asks for it". That phrasing is deliberate: the requirement has varied by area and over time, and we cannot point to an official page that fixes it for Makalu. Do not pay for a card until your agency says it is needed, and do not decline one if the office asks.

The guide question

The Nepal Tourism Board April 2023 rule requires a licensed guide in national parks and 2026 operator reports say checkpoints enforce it (checked 19 October 2026). Our guide rule explainer sets out what is known. For Makalu the practical position is simpler than the legal one. The trail is quiet, signs are few and lodges are far apart. The Barun valley is a strict nature reserve where camping is controlled, and a guide from an agency that holds the right permits knows where tents are allowed. The route plan assumes a guide and porters. If you are tempted to go without, remember that a rescue helicopter reaches the upper valley only in good weather and needs a guide or companion who can call for help.

What the permit does not cover

The park permit lets you enter the park. It does not pay for your guide, porters, lodges, the Tumlingtar flight or the jeep to Seduwa, and it does not cover rescue. Your insurance has to cover trekking to 5,000 m and helicopter evacuation, as the region page says, because the nearest hospital is in Khandbari and an evacuation from the upper valley depends on weather. Read the policy for the altitude limit and for whether it pays the helicopter directly or reimburses you later.

The permit also does not make camping legal everywhere. Camping in the upper valley is regulated by the park, which is why the region page tells you to book through an agency that has the permits. If a guide suggests pitching a tent at a spot that is not a recognised camping area, ask why.

Timing: when to sort the paperwork

Because the park permit is bought through the agency or at the checkpoint, there is less lead time than for a restricted area. That does not mean you should leave it late. The seasons that suit the trek, October to November and March to May, are also the seasons when agencies and Tumlingtar flights are busiest. Settle the agency and dates first, then the flight, then the permit list. If a flight is cancelled and you arrive a day late, the permit is not the problem, but the guide, porters and jeep are, so ask the agency how it handles a delayed start.

The 2026 controlled-areas report

A Kantipur article dated 6 May 2026 is headlined as covering restrictions on trekking for foreigners in controlled areas of 13 districts, with permits mandatory. The text we could read said the Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs wants to make foreign trekking systematic, safe and transparent. It did not list the districts or give an effective date, and the English page said it was machine translated. We therefore cannot tell you whether any part of Sankhuwasabha is affected, and neither does the route page, which says to check with a registered agency. The sensible habit is to ask the agency, a few weeks before you travel, whether any additional permit applies, and to get the answer in an email.

Fee categories and totals

The route data says fees differ for foreigners, SAARC nationals and Nepalis. That matters if you trek with a friend who holds a different passport: the permit lines are per person and per category, while the guide and porter lines are per group. Ask the agency for a quote that shows each person's permit line separately, so nobody is surprised at the checkpost. Taken together the permits are NPR 3,000 plus USD 40, about NPR 8,400 per person for the 12-day plan. Fees are revised from time to time, so treat any figure, including ours, as dated October 2026 until your agency confirms it. The route page's "What it costs" section adds these to the Tumlingtar flight (about USD 150 to 200 each way), lodging and a guide at NPR 3,400 to 5,400 a day.

A booking checklist

1. Confirm the permit list in writing. Park entry, TIMS if required, and anything the agency says is new.
2. Ask who pays at the checkpost. Some agencies include the park fee in their price, and others expect you to pay on the trail.
3. Check the guide. Ask for the guide's name and licence number and see the card.
4. Ask about camping. If the plan uses tents at base camp or Langmale Kharka, confirm the agency has the permission for those sites.
5. Carry copies. Passport, permits and a few passport photos for the checkposts.
6. Plan for flight delays. Tumlingtar flights are often delayed by cloud, and a permit has dates, so ask what happens to the schedule if the plane does not fly.

Comparing with other regions

Kanchenjunga adds a Restricted Area Permit and compulsory guide (see the Kanchenjunga permits article), and Upper Dolpo does the same in the west. Makalu is lighter on paper but not lighter on responsibility. For the national picture use Nepal trekking permits explained, and for a comparable national park process look at the Sagarmatha entry and local fee article.

Where this fits in your plan

Permits are step one. After them come the Tumlingtar flight and the Seduwa road, the 16-day plan in our Makalu itinerary, and the overview in the Makalu Barun region guide. If you are sharing a guide with trekking partners, settle the agency, dates and who pays what in writing before anyone transfers money, as set out in our partner safety guide.