Nepal trek logistics checklist: Kathmandu and Pokhara before you walk

Before a Nepal trek you need to settle nine things in Kathmandu or Pokhara: a visa that covers your dates, insurance that covers high-altitude evacuation, the right permits, transport to the trailhead, a local SIM, enough cash, rented or bought gear, a place to leave your spare luggage, and a plan for tips. Most people need two full days for this, plus a spare day if the route starts with a mountain flight, because weather delays are normal. This checklist puts the steps in a sensible order and links to the detailed guide for each. Fees and rules below are as of October 2026 and were checked on 25 October 2026 against the official pages in the sources; they change, so confirm at the counter before you pay. It is written for foreign trekkers, though most of it applies to anyone starting in the two cities.

The checklist in order

1. Visa and passport validity.
2. Travel insurance that covers trekking and helicopter evacuation.
3. Permits and, if needed, a registered agency or licensed guide.
4. Flights, buses or jeeps to the trailhead.
5. SIM card and a plan for being out of signal.
6. Cash in small rupee notes.
7. Gear rental or purchase, and a first-aid kit.
8. Luggage storage and a hotel for your return.
9. Tipping and the people you are paying.

The order matters. Insurance and visa come first because they affect everything else, and permits come before you buy transport because some routes need a permit in hand to start.

1. Visa, passport and arrival

Check that your passport is valid for your whole stay and that you hold a visa for the length of your trek and the days around it. Visa types, fees and extensions are explained in our Nepal tourist visa guide for trekkers. Official information is on the Department of Immigration site. On arrival, our Kathmandu airport to Thamel guide covers taxis and where to sleep the first night. Take two or three passport-size photos and keep a photocopy of the passport; you will use both at permit counters.

2. Insurance

Buy cover before you land, and read the policy for the altitude limit, helicopter evacuation and whether the insurer pays the helicopter directly or reimburses you later. The UK Foreign Office, in the safety page we read on 25 October 2026, tells travellers to make sure insurance covers mountain rescue and helicopter costs. Our guides to trekking insurance cost and cover and travel insurance for high-altitude trekking compare what to look for, and how helicopter evacuation works explains the process. Photograph the policy number and the insurer's emergency line and keep them offline.

3. Permits, guides and the TIMS question

Most treks need one or two permits. As of October 2026 the Nepal Tourism Board lists NPR 3,000 for foreigners for most national park and conservation area permits (Sagarmatha, Langtang, Annapurna, Manaslu), NPR 2,000 for Kanchenjunga, and a separate NPR 3,000 Khumbu Pasang Lhamu trek card for the Everest region. Restricted areas such as Upper Mustang and Manaslu are priced in US dollars and go through a registered agency. Start with Nepal trekking permits explained, then where to buy permits in Kathmandu and Pokhara. The permit paperwork checklist lists what to bring, and our permits page holds the current table.

Two points where sources disagree. First, the TIMS card: some guides still describe it as required for independent trekkers, while the Nepal Tourism Board TIMS page lists NPR 2,000 for foreigners (SAARC nationals NPR 1,000), so ask your agency for the total and do not rely on a blog. Second, whether you need a guide at all depends on the area; we explain the rule in our guide rule page and the myth-check on the solo trekking ban.

4. Getting to the trailhead

Flights are the fastest way to some starts and the most delay-prone. As of October 2026, 2026-dated operator pages quote about USD 226 to 240 one way for a foreign passenger from Kathmandu to Lukla, with lower fares from Ramechhap; the airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal set official fares. Read the Kathmandu to Lukla flight guide and the comparison of flying to Lukla versus driving to Ramechhap or Phaplu. For weather and delays see mountain weather forecasts and Lukla flight delays, and for baggage allowances domestic flight baggage limits.

Overland, jeep and bus costs to trailheads gives ranges, shared versus private jeep versus bus helps you choose, and hiring a private vehicle from Kathmandu covers the booking. Pokhara is the start for the Annapurna routes: see Kathmandu to Pokhara by bus versus flight, Pokhara to Nayapul and Pokhara to Jomsom by flight or jeep. Road accidents are a leading cause of death and injury in Nepal according to the UK Foreign Office, so avoid overloaded buses and night travel where you can, as road and jeep safety in Nepal explains.

5. SIM card and connectivity

Buy a SIM at the airport or a shop with your passport and photo, and expect no signal in parts of the high Himalaya. Our SIM cards and wifi guide compares the carriers, and electricity, wifi and hot showers in teahouses lists the extra charges. The UK Foreign Office notes limited mobile coverage in remote areas such as parts of the Annapurna Circuit and suggests telling family when you will be out of contact. Agree a check-in plan with someone at home before you leave.

6. Cash

Carry more cash than you think, in small notes. ATMs in mountain villages can be empty or offline, and card acceptance is thin, a point the UK Foreign Office makes when it advises carrying enough cash for flight delays. Withdraw in Kathmandu or Pokhara, not on the trail, and use the cost calculator and the daily budget guide to size your float. City prices for your first and last nights are in Kathmandu and Pokhara pre-trek costs.

7. Gear and first aid

You can rent most cold-weather gear in the two cities. Compare shops in our guides to renting gear in Thamel and renting gear in Lakeside, Pokhara, and decide with renting versus buying gear and the down jacket guide. Check zips, soles and sleeping-bag loft in the shop, not on day two. Then build a first-aid kit and read altitude sickness basics. The Himalayan Rescue Association publishes altitude guidance and runs seasonal clinics on the busiest routes.

8. Luggage and where to sleep

Leave what you will not carry with your hotel or a storage shop; our luggage storage guide lists the options and what to ask. Book your return night in advance if you have a flight home soon after, because delays can compress your schedule. For hotels, read where to stay in Kathmandu and where to stay in Pokhara.

9. Tipping and the people you pay

Tips are custom, not law, and amounts vary by region and group size. Our tipping guide gives ranges with their sources, and guide and porter day rates shows what the wage itself looks like. Ask your agency what its staff expect and put the answer in your shared-cost notes.

A realistic two-day schedule

Day one, morning: confirm your visa dates, buy or check insurance and photograph the policy. Afternoon: visit the permit counters or your agency with passport, photos and photocopies, then buy a SIM. Evening: withdraw cash and meet any prospective partner in a public place.

Day two, morning: rent and test gear, and buy first-aid supplies. Afternoon: repack, leave your spare bag in storage, confirm the transport booking and check the forecast. If a flight is involved, keep the next day free as well. Pokhara works the same way, with the added step of reaching the trailhead by taxi or jeep, which our Pokhara to Nayapul guide covers.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving permits until the morning of departure, when counters may be closed or a form is missing.
• Packing for a flight without checking the baggage limit, then paying excess or leaving a bag behind.
• Carrying one big card or note denomination and finding no change in a village.
• Assuming a blog's fee list is current. Every figure here has a date for that reason.
• Booking a tight international flight home straight after a mountain flight.
• Skipping the insurance fine print on altitude limits and helicopter payment.

Once the logistics are done, the routes themselves are laid out in the Everest Base Camp route guide and the Annapurna Base Camp route guide, and the Annapurna region page covers the Pokhara side.

Add a partner and a plan

If you want company, hostel boards and Facebook groups are the usual places, and how to find a trekking partner safely shows the order of steps. Splitting a guide and porter cuts the bill, and share-a-guide-nepal explains how. Finally, leave your route, dates and contacts with someone at home, and read is Nepal safe for trekkers in 2026 before you go.

Where to go from here

Browse trips by route on FindTrekkingPartner's trekking partner page or start at the permits page. The site does not sell treks, employ guides or handle your money; you hire a licensed guide through a registered agency and pay it directly. Facts in this checklist were checked on 25 October 2026 and will be updated as fees and rules change.