Nepal trekking permits and costs 2026
Every trek I sell needs at least one government permit, and some need three or four. For most routes you pay a park or conservation area fee of NPR 3,000 as of September 2026, plus a TIMS card or a local municipality fee. Manaslu adds a restricted-area permit on top, and I arrange all of it for you.
Why you need a permit at all
Almost every trekking route in Nepal runs through a national park or a conservation area, and each one charges an entry fee. Some areas near the Tibet border are also restricted. Those need a second permit from the Department of Immigration. On top of that, some routes need a TIMS card or a local municipality fee. I am Lopsang, a licensed guide, licence No. 20007. I file every one of these for the treks I run. This page shows the real government amounts, so you can see what your trek price covers.
Park and conservation area entry fees
This is the fee for the protected area itself. It is charged per person and per entry, and children under 10 are free everywhere. The rate depends on your nationality. Foreign nationals pay the full amount, trekkers from SAARC countries pay less, and Nepali citizens pay the least. On the big routes, Everest, Annapurna, Manaslu and Langtang, the foreigner rate is NPR 3,000 as of September 2026. Most of my clients pay that rate, so it is the number to plan around. The full list from the Nepal Tourism Board is below.
| Area | Foreigner | SAARC | Nepali |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sagarmatha National Park | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | NPR 100 |
| Annapurna Conservation Area | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,000 | NPR 100 |
| Manaslu Conservation Area | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,000 | NPR 100 |
| Langtang National Park | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | NPR 100 |
| Makalu-Barun National Park | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | NPR 100 |
| Shey-Phoksundo National Park | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | NPR 100 |
| Rara National Park | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | NPR 100 |
| Khaptad National Park | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | NPR 100 |
| Gaurishankar Conservation Area | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,000 | NPR 100 |
| Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | NPR 100 |
| Chitwan National Park | NPR 2,000 | NPR 1,000 | NPR 150 |
| Api Nampa Conservation Area | NPR 2,000 | NPR 500 | NPR 100 |
| Blackbuck Conservation Area | NPR 2,000 | NPR 500 | NPR 100 |
| Kanchenjunga Conservation Area | NPR 2,000 | NPR 500 | NPR 100 |
| Banke National Park | NPR 1,500 | NPR 750 | NPR 100 |
| Bardia National Park | NPR 1,500 | NPR 750 | NPR 100 |
| Parsa National Park | NPR 1,500 | NPR 750 | NPR 100 |
| Shuklaphanta National Park | NPR 1,500 | NPR 750 | NPR 100 |
| Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve | NPR 1,500 | NPR 750 | NPR 100 |
| Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park | NPR 1,000 | NPR 600 | NPR 100 |
Restricted-area permits
Some areas close to the border, or with a small local population, are restricted. These need a special permit on top of the conservation fee. The Department of Immigration in Kathmandu issues it, and it must be applied for through a registered trekking agency. You cannot buy it at the trailhead. You must carry it and show it to immigration staff or police when they ask, and leaving the permitted route is against the law. Prices are per person in US dollars. For Manaslu, Nar Phu and Tsum they are higher from September to November.
| Area | Wards covered | Sept to Nov | Dec to Aug |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Mustang | Lomanthang RM 1 to 5, Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda RM 1 to 5, Baragung Muktichetra RM ward 3 and Satang village of ward 5 | USD 50 per person per day | same |
| Upper Dolpo | Dolpo Buddha RM 4 to 6, Shey Phoksundo RM 1 to 7, Charka Tangsong RM 1 to 6 | USD 50 per person per day | same |
| Manaslu (Gorkha) | Chumnubri RM 1 to 4 | USD 100 per week, then USD 15 per day | USD 75 per week, then USD 10 per day |
| Nar Phu (Manang) | Narpa RM 1 to 5, Nasho RM 6 to 7 | USD 100 per week, then USD 15 per day | USD 75 per week, then USD 15 per day |
| Tsum Valley (Gorkha) | Chumnubri RM 3, 6, 7. Sirdibas, Lokpa, Chumling, Chekampar, Nile, Chule | USD 40 per week, then USD 7 per day | USD 30 per week, then USD 7 per day |
| Humla | Simikot RM 1, 6, 7. Namkha RM 1 to 6. Changkheli RM 3 to 5 | USD 50 per week, then USD 10 per day | same |
| Mugu | Mugumakarmarong RM 1 to 9 | USD 100 per week, then USD 15 per day | same |
| Bajhang | Saipal RM 1 to 5 | USD 90 first week, then USD 15 per day | same |
| Darchula | Vyas RM ward 1 | USD 90 per week, then USD 15 per day | same |
| Lower Dolpo | Thulibheri M 1 to 11, Tripurasundari M 1 to 11, Dolpo Buddha RM 1 to 3, Shey Phoksundo RM 8 and 9, Jagdulla RM 1 to 6, Mudkechula RM 1 to 9, Kaike RM 1 to 7 | USD 20 per week, then USD 5 per week | same |
| Kanchenjunga (Taplejung) | Phantanglung RM 6 and 7, Mikwakhola RM 5, Sirijunga RM 8 | USD 20 per week first 4 weeks, then USD 25 per week | same |
| Makalu (Sankhuwasabha) | Bhotkhola RM 1 to 5, Makalu RM ward 4 | USD 20 per week first 4 weeks, then USD 25 per week | same |
| Thame / Nangpa (Solukhumbu) | Khumbu Pasang Lhamu RM ward 5 | USD 20 per week first 4 weeks, then USD 25 per week | same |
| Gosaikunda (Rasuwa) | Gosaikunda RM ward 1 and part of ward 2 | USD 20 per week | same |
| Rolwaling (Dolakha) | Gaurishankar RM ward 9, Bighu RM ward 1 | USD 20 per week | same |
The TIMS card
TIMS is a trekker registration card for the Annapurna and Langtang routes, and it is only issued through a registered agency. As of September 2026 it costs NPR 2,000 for non-SAARC nationals and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, payable online. You do not need TIMS in the Everest region, because the Khumbu municipality fee replaced it there. You also do not buy TIMS on top of a restricted-area permit for a route that lies entirely inside a restricted area, such as Manaslu.
Local municipality fees
Two of my routes have a fee set by the local municipality, collected locally rather than in Kathmandu. On Everest Base Camp the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality charges NPR 3,000 for most foreign nationals and NPR 2,000 for SAARC and Chinese nationals as of September 2026. On the Manaslu Circuit the Chumnubri Rural Municipality charges NPR 1,000 as of September 2026. I include both in your price. Whether the park counters add 13% VAT on top of the entry fees is not clear in public sources, so I confirm that on the day rather than guess.
Permits for the six treks I sell
Here is the exact permit stack for each trek I run. Some routes are simple, with one park fee and a TIMS card. Manaslu stacks four items, because the trail crosses a restricted zone and two conservation areas, and exits through the Annapurna side. Everest Base Camp is not restricted. The Solukhumbu restricted entry covers Khumbu Pasang Lhamu ward 5 only, the Thame and Nangpa La side, and the Base Camp trail does not go there. Neither Langtang route is restricted either. The Gosaikunda entry covers ward 1, which the routes I walk do not pass through.
| Trek | Permit | Fee per person |
|---|---|---|
| Manaslu Circuit | Manaslu restricted area permit | USD 100 per week, then USD 15 per day (Sept to Nov); USD 75 per week, then USD 10 per day (Dec to Aug) |
| Manaslu Conservation Area | NPR 3,000 | |
| Annapurna Conservation Area (exit side) | NPR 3,000 | |
| Chumnubri Rural Municipality (Tsum Nubri) entry fee | NPR 1,000 | |
| Everest Base Camp | Sagarmatha National Park | NPR 3,000 |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee | NPR 3,000 for most foreign nationals; NPR 2,000 for SAARC and Chinese nationals | |
| Annapurna Circuit | Annapurna Conservation Area | NPR 3,000 |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 non-SAARC; NPR 1,000 SAARC | |
| Annapurna Base Camp | Annapurna Conservation Area | NPR 3,000 |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 non-SAARC; NPR 1,000 SAARC | |
| Langtang Valley | Langtang National Park | NPR 3,000 |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 non-SAARC; NPR 1,000 SAARC | |
| Langtang Gosaikunda | Langtang National Park | NPR 3,000 |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 non-SAARC; NPR 1,000 SAARC |
What changed recently
Three changes matter for planning in 2026. First, Upper Mustang moved from a flat USD 500 for 10 days to USD 50 per person per day, gazetted on 22 December 2025 and still the rate as of September 2026. Second, since 22 March 2026 a solo trekker can hold a restricted-area permit in their own name, though a licensed guide and a registered agency are still required. Third, the April 2023 guide rule for parks exists on paper, but on non-restricted routes it is a recommendation in practice, not a checkpoint rule.
How I arrange your permits
You do not queue at any office. I need a clear photo of your passport page and a few passport photos, sent before you arrive. I file the park fees and TIMS, and the restricted-area permit for Manaslu goes through a registered agency, as the law requires. Every permit is already inside my all-inclusive trek price, so there is nothing extra to pay at the checkpoints. You just carry the papers and show them when asked. One thing to be honest about: fees change, sometimes with little warning. I confirm the current amount before every departure.
What I'd suggest
Do not worry about the permits, that is my job. Pick the trek that fits your time and fitness, and I will tell you the exact permit stack and what it costs before you pay anything. If you are set on a restricted area like Manaslu, give me some extra time to file the paperwork. Message me and I will answer straight.