Offline maps, GPX and navigation for Nepal treks

The reliable way to navigate a Nepal trek is to carry the route three ways: an offline map on your phone, a GPX track of the planned route and a paper map, with a guide who knows the ground. Download everything before you leave Kathmandu or Pokhara, test it in airplane mode, and treat the phone as a second opinion rather than a replacement for local knowledge. Mobile signal is patchy or absent on much of the high country, batteries drain in the cold and trails change with landslides, snow and new roads. This guide explains what to download, what GPX is, how to use it and where maps and trails diverge.

Our region pages say the same thing in several ways. The Everest page says to carry a power bank, keep an offline map of your route and not to rely on a signal for safety. The Manaslu and Upper Mustang pages say to carry a power bank and a paper map. The Dhaulagiri page says not to count on a phone signal at the high camps. This post turns those lines into a method.

What to download before you leave

1. An offline base map of the whole region, not just the trailhead. Map apps that use OpenStreetMap data can work offline, according to Wikipedia, which lists Organic Maps, OsmAnd, Maps.me, CoMaps and Locus Map among the mobile applications offering offline route planning. OpenStreetMap is a map database maintained by volunteers and freely licensed under the Open Database Licence.
2. A GPX track of your planned route, if you can get one you trust.
3. Waypoints for lodges, passes, junctions and viewpoints that matter on your route.
4. A screenshot or PDF of the route page and day plan, and of your permits.
5. Your hotel and agency details, including phone numbers, in a note on your phone and on paper.

Do this over Wi-Fi in a hotel, not on the first night in a lodge. Large downloads over lodge Wi-Fi are slow and expensive in many places. Then switch to airplane mode and check that the map, track and search still work.

What GPX is and how to use it

GPX, the GPS Exchange Format, is an XML format designed as a common GPS data format for software and devices. According to Wikipedia, it is an open format that can be used without licence fees and its main components are waypoints, routes and tracks. A waypoint is a single point with coordinates, a route is an ordered list of points for a journey you plan to make and a track is a recorded journey, typically one that somebody has already completed.

That distinction matters. A downloaded GPX from another trekker is usually a track: a record of where that person walked, on a day when they were on a particular path. It may include a shortcut, a wrong turn, a jeep road or a detour round a landslide. A route you build yourself from our day plans and a map is a plan.

To use a GPX file:

• Import it into your map app and check that it displays your whole route.
• Overlay it on a map that shows paths, not just roads, so you can see where the track follows a footpath and where it follows a road.
• Compare it with the route page's altitudes and distances. Our route pages note that altitudes and times come from sources such as OpenStreetMap and operator itineraries, and that figures differ between sources; for example, the Upper Dolpo page says sources quote figures from 5,090 to 5,200 m for its high passes.
• Do not use a GPX as a reason to leave your guide's side. Use it to see where you are on the day plan, and ask your guide whenever the map and the ground disagree.

Why a paper map still belongs in the pack

Paper has three advantages: it does not run out of battery, it does not freeze or break and it can be shared. A guide, a porter and two trekkers can look at the same map at the same time. A paper map also gives you the regional picture, such as where the valleys meet and where the road is, that a phone screen hides. Our Manaslu and Upper Mustang pages both say to carry a paper map. Buy one in Kathmandu or Pokhara, check the scale and date, fold it so the day's section is visible and keep it in a plastic bag.

Trails, roads and where maps mislead

Maps show lines; they do not tell you which line is a path and which is a jeep road, or which has been washed out. Several of our pages warn about this.

• Annapurna. The region page says jeep tracks follow much of the Marsyangdi valley and the Kali Gandaki, so many trekkers skip road sections, and that you should check which sections are on trail and which on road before you plan. The Annapurna Circuit itinerary covers the stages.
• Upper Mustang. A road runs from Kagbeni to Lo Manthang and many people use a jeep for some sections, so a map showing a road may not show the walking path.
• Manaslu. The Budhi Gandaki trail now runs beside a jeep road in places, according to our Tsum Valley page, which makes a map useful for knowing where the foot trail leaves the road.
• Dolpo. The region page says trails in Upper Dolpo are poorly marked, so a guide and camping or homestay arrangements are essential. A map will not help you find an unmarked path in cloud.

For all of these, treat a map as a picture of the area, not as an instruction. Our route day-by-day guides list the stages and the places where you should ask.

Signal, batteries and safety

The Everest page says not to rely on a signal for safety and to tell your lodge or guide where you are going each day. The Dhaulagiri page says to ask your agency which satellite messenger or radio the guide carries and to leave your itinerary with someone at home. Take that seriously. A phone in airplane mode with an offline map uses little battery, but searching for a network drains it, and cold shortens its life. See our charging guide for ways to protect the battery.

Keep your phone warm, in an inside pocket. Take screenshots of key maps. Record a track only when you need to; continuous GPS recording is a big battery draw. If you need to save power, switch the phone off between checks and use the paper map for most of the day.

Using the map well

• Check the map at every junction, not just when you feel lost.
• Note altitude at lodges and passes, and compare with your day plan. A mismatch tells you if you are on the wrong valley.
• Read the terrain, not just the line: if the track says contour but you are climbing steeply, stop and check.
• Record your own track on a few days, and compare it with the plan in the evening; it helps you learn how the route works.
• Share your location with your partner or guide at a break, so everyone has the same picture.
• Do not navigate in bad weather alone. Cloud, snow and dust hide landmarks. Our snow and high pass conditions guide covers passes where a wrong turn in whiteout is dangerous.

If you are trekking with a partner

Two people with two phones should not have the same single point of failure. Agree who carries the paper map, who carries the shared GPX and which map app you both use, and set a rule that you check a junction together. Our guide to trekking partner safety roles, signals and emergency plans covers who does what when things go wrong. If you are still looking for a partner, see the Annapurna Circuit partner page and the Everest Base Camp partner page.

A simple navigation kit

For a classic teahouse route: an offline map in an app you have practised with, the day plan saved as a screenshot, a GPX of the route checked against the paper map, a paper map in a plastic bag, a power bank and a short cable. For a camping or restricted route such as Upper Dolpo: all of the above, plus a careful briefing with your guide each morning and a plan for what to do if you are separated from the group. For everyone: tell someone at home where you are going and when you will check in.

Before you go

Download your maps and tracks over Wi-Fi, test them in airplane mode, save screenshots of your permits and day plan, buy a paper map, put your hotel and agency numbers in a note and tell your family your plan. Then trust your guide, look up from the screen and enjoy the walk. For the rest of the checklist, return to the gear and packing hub.