Permits, gear and getting there — the boring page that saves your trek

What you need to carry, what you can rent in Lakeside for a fraction of buying it, and how the permit system actually works.

By Sabina Adhikari · 6 min read · Updated 1 August 2026

Nobody books a holiday to read about permits. But the two things that most often derail a trek are a paperwork problem at a checkpoint and a pair of boots someone bought new the week before flying.

Both are entirely avoidable, and mostly from our office in Lakeside in a single afternoon.

Here is the practical version, with the caveat that permit rules in Nepal do change between seasons. Anything below that sounds like a rule, check with us close to your dates.

Permits, in plain terms

Trekking in the Annapurna region needs an Annapurna Conservation Area Permit. Restricted areas — Upper Mustang, Nar Phu, Manaslu — need a separate special permit that must be arranged through a registered agency and cannot be issued to solo trekkers. That distinction is the one that catches independent travellers out.

The trekker registration system that used to be universal has been revised more than once in recent years, and requirements around guides have moved with it. We are deliberately not printing a fee table here, because a page that goes stale is worse than no page. What we will commit to: tell us your route and your dates, and we will tell you exactly what you need and what it costs this season, whether or not you book the trek with us. It takes us five minutes.

Rent, do not buy

A down jacket rated for -10°C, a four-season sleeping bag, a duffel, and trekking poles will cost you several hundred dollars new and a few dollars a day rented in Lakeside. Unless you trek regularly at home, rent all four.

The exception is boots. Rented boots are the single most reliable way to end a trek early with blisters. Buy yours at home, at least six weeks out, and put fifty kilometres through them before you fly — including downhill, which is what actually causes damage.

Also buy your own socks, base layers and rain shell if you can. Everything else in a Lakeside rental shop is fine and has been used by a hundred people before you, which is a feature — it has been proven.

The kit list that matters

Layers beat bulk: a base layer, a fleece, a down jacket and a waterproof shell will handle everything from a hot valley afternoon to a pre-dawn pass. Two pairs of trekking trousers, four pairs of good socks, a sun hat and a warm hat.

The small things people forget: a headtorch with a spare battery, lip balm with sun protection, a filter bottle or purification tablets, and a power bank. Charging above 3,000 m costs money per device per hour and is not always available.

Sun protection is not optional at altitude. High-factor cream and real sunglasses. The reflected UV off snow at 4,000 m will burn the underside of your nose in a morning.

Getting around

Kathmandu to Pokhara is a 200 km drive that takes six to eight hours depending on the road and the season. Tourist buses are comfortable and cheap; the flight is 25 minutes and worth it if your time is short.

For trek starts we use private jeeps from Lakeside. Shared jeeps are cheaper and leave when full, which can mean a two-hour wait at the stand on the morning you wanted to be walking. Domestic flights in Nepal — Jomsom and Lukla especially — are weather-dependent and cancellations are routine, not exceptional. If you have an international flight to catch, build in a spare day. Every experienced guide in this country will tell you the same thing.

How booking with us actually works

Every trip we run is a private departure on your dates. There is no fixed group calendar you have to fit into, and you are never put in with strangers unless you have asked to be. A solo trekker gets the same itinerary as a group of six, with the price per person adjusted for the smaller party.

We take a deposit to confirm dates and hold permits, and the balance before you start walking. You will get a written breakdown before you pay anything, with government permit fees listed as their own line so you can see what is a fee and what is us. Ask when you enquire which payment methods we can take for your dates.

If you need to cancel, tell us as early as you can — what can come back to you depends on what has already gone out on permits and non-refundable bookings, and we will show you that breakdown rather than quoting a percentage. If we cancel for weather, a closed pass or a guide's call on the day, we will talk to you about moving the dates or returning the money. We would rather lose a booking than push a group onto a mountain that is not ready for them. Ask us for the current terms in writing before you pay anything.

Walk it with us

Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.

Permits & TIMS ServiceSame-day serviceFrom Rs 700 service fee · See dates →Trekking Gear RentalRent by the dayFrom Rs 300 per item / day · See dates →Tourist Bus & Flight TicketsSame-day bookingFrom Rs 1,600 per seat · See dates →

Questions we get asked

Do I need travel insurance?

Yes, and it must cover trekking to the altitude you are going to and include helicopter evacuation. Standard policies often cap at 3,000 m or exclude trekking entirely. Read that clause specifically — it is the one that matters.

How much cash should I carry on trek?

There are no ATMs above the road head and cards are not accepted in most teahouses. Budget 1,500 to 2,500 rupees per day for extras and bring it in small notes.

What weight can a porter carry?

We cap our porters at around 9 kg per trekker with two trekkers per porter. Anyone offering to carry significantly more is either exaggerating or being exploited.

Can I leave luggage in Pokhara?

Almost every Lakeside hotel stores guests' luggage while they trek, and if yours will not, ask us and we will sort something out. Take a duffel with what you need and nothing else.

Can I get a Nepali visa on arrival?

Most nationalities can, at Kathmandu airport or the land borders, paid in cash for 15, 30 or 90 days. A handful of countries must apply in advance. Check your own passport's status before you fly — it is the one piece of paperwork we cannot fix for you from here.

Do you arrange airport pickup?

In Pokhara, yes, included. In Kathmandu we can arrange it as an extra. Tell us your flight number and someone will be there with a sign.

Is trekking in Nepal safe for solo female travellers?

Yes, and a large share of the people we guide are women travelling alone. Teahouses are family homes and the trails are well travelled. We will do our best to arrange a female guide — ask when you book rather than on the morning you leave.

Is there an age limit?

No fixed one either way. We have guided children of eight on the shorter routes and trekkers in their seventies to Annapurna Base Camp. What we need is an honest account of your recent activity and any medical conditions, and then we will tell you which trips fit.