Frequently asked questions about trekking in Nepal

Write to us with the trek you are interested in, your dates and the number of travellers. Mohan sends you a programme and a quote, free of charge.

To confirm, you pay a deposit, usually 20 to 30% of the total price, by international bank transfer or through a secure online payment platform. The details are in our terms and conditions.

You have two options:

• in cash, in euros or US dollars, when you arrive in Kathmandu, at the briefing meeting before the trek;
• by bank transfer of the full amount before you arrive in Nepal.

Yes. Mohan organises fixed departures for autumn 2026 and spring 2027: the Annapurna Circuit, the Manaslu Circuit, Langtang, Khopra Danda, Mardi Himal, the Annapurna Balcony and the Everest region. You can join on your own, as a couple or with friends. See all departure dates.

All our treks are also available on the date of your choice.

Franco Nepal Treks is a small agency founded in 2015. The team has three guides and ten porters: Mohan, founder, French-speaking trekking and cultural guide (26 years of experience), Resham Yonjan, French-speaking guide (12 years of experience), and Desh Rai, English-speaking guide (10 years of experience). Meet the agency.

After baggage claim and customs, walk out of the international terminal. A member of the agency waits for you outside, with a sign showing your name or the agency logo. They take you to your hotel by private transfer.

Yes. You get it on arrival, at Kathmandu airport. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. You pay in cash or by card:

• 30 US dollars for 15 days;
• 50 US dollars for 30 days;
• 125 US dollars for 90 days.

All the details are in our visa guide.

Your city clothes, anything you don’t need on the trek and your purchases can stay in your hotel’s luggage room in Kathmandu, or at the agency office. It is free and secure.

No vaccination is compulsory if you arrive from Europe or North America. The only exception is yellow fever, required if you come from a country where it is present, or if you have transited through one.

Vaccinations recommended for everyone:

• diphtheria, tetanus, polio and whooping cough, to be brought up to date;
• hepatitis A, which spreads through water and food;
• typhoid, for a stay of more than two weeks or a trek;
• hepatitis B, for long or frequent stays.

Depending on your trip:

• rabies: long stays, rural areas and treks, where you may come into contact with dogs or monkeys. The vaccine does not replace treatment after a bite, but it makes it simpler;
• Japanese encephalitis: stays in the countryside of the Terai (Chitwan, the rice fields of the south), especially during or just after the monsoon;
• meningitis A, C, Y, W: long stays in close contact with the local population.

Malaria and dengue only affect the southern lowlands. There is no malaria above 1,800 m, so none on most treks. See your doctor or a travel vaccination centre a few weeks before you leave.

Safety comes first.

• Our itineraries climb slowly and include acclimatisation days. Above 3,000 m, we usually climb 300 to 500 m a day.
• The guide checks for symptoms every day: headache, nausea, severe tiredness. He can measure your oxygen level with an oximeter.
• Mild symptoms: we take a break or stay one more night at the same altitude.
• Symptoms that last or get worse: we go down straight away, with help from a member of the team.
• Serious emergency: the guide calls a helicopter evacuation to a hospital in Kathmandu, covered by your insurance.

On very high routes, the team can bring an oxygen bottle or a hyperbaric bag if needed. Since the agency was founded in 2015, we have not had to call out a single emergency rescue. Find out more: altitude sickness on a trek.

Insurance is compulsory. It must cover mountain rescue and helicopter evacuation up to the highest altitude of your trek, often 5,000 m or more. Check the exclusions of your bank card or your insurance policy carefully before you leave. Our guide: trekking insurance for Nepal.

Never drink tap water. Treat spring water with purification tablets (such as Micropur) or use a filter bottle.

In the lodges, meals are cooked on site. The national dish, dal bhat, is healthy and filling, and there are other choices on the menu.

Yes, on most treks, but the connection gets weaker with altitude.

• Local SIM card (Ncell or Nepal Telecom): you can buy one at the airport for a few euros. 4G works well in town and at the start of the valleys.
• Lodge Wi-Fi: most lodges have it, often for a fee, between €2 and €5 a day. In the Everest region, it is often the Everest Link card. The higher you go, the more the connection depends on the weather.

Sockets in Nepal are type C, D and M. Most take European two-pin plugs (type C). Bring a universal adapter anyway. Above all, bring a power bank: the voltage varies, power cuts happen, and charging in the mountains often costs extra.

In Nepal, tipping is part of trekking culture. It is a real way of thanking the team. The agency gives you a guideline before departure: about €10 per day per traveller, shared between the guide and the porters at the end of the trip.

There are two main seasons:

• autumn, from October to December: clear skies and superb mountain views after the monsoon;
• spring, from March to May: rhododendrons in bloom and milder temperatures.

Month by month details: when to go to Nepal.

No. There are treks for all levels, from easy (3 to 4 hours of walking a day, without big climbs) to very demanding. A good basic fitness level is enough for most classic treks, such as Langtang or the Annapurna Balcony, if you walk or do cardio regularly. See our treks for beginners.

Two things are essential: trekking boots that are already broken in, to avoid blisters, and your breathable technical clothing. Heavy or expensive gear (sleeping bag for extreme cold, poles, a thick down jacket) can be bought or rented at a good price in the Thamel district of Kathmandu. The full list: gear for a trek in Nepal.

Plenty of things, before or after the trek:

• culture: a guided tour of the Kathmandu Valley, with the Boudhanath and Swayambhunath stupas, the royal city of Bhaktapur and Pashupatinath temple;
• safari: 2 to 3 days in Chitwan National Park, to see one-horned rhinos, elephants, crocodiles and sometimes the Bengal tiger;
• adventure: rafting, paragliding in Pokhara or a scenic flight over Everest.

All the ideas are on the page tailor-made treks, tours and safaris.