Nepal rewards travellers who arrive with a little preparation. It is a country of extraordinary range — from subtropical jungle to the highest mountains on earth — and a few practical basics will make a first visit smoother and safer. Here is what to sort out before and just after you land.
Visas and arrival
Most nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (and at some land borders), for a range of durations. Bring passport photos and payment; having the fee in small US-dollar notes or a card for the kiosk speeds things up. Check your own country’s eligibility in advance, as rules vary.
Altitude — the big one
If your plans involve the mountains, altitude is the single most important thing to understand. Altitude sickness can affect anyone regardless of fitness, and it is potentially serious. The rules are simple and non-negotiable: ascend gradually, build in acclimatisation days, learn the early symptoms (headache, nausea, disturbed sleep, breathlessness at rest), and descend if they worsen. Never treat going down as a failure.
Money and connectivity
- The currency is the Nepali rupee; carry cash, especially outside cities and on treks where ATMs vanish.
- A local SIM (from providers such as Ncell or Nepal Telecom) is cheap and easy at the airport or in town, and useful for data.
- Digital payment (QR wallets) is common in cities but not a substitute for cash in rural areas.
Etiquette and health
A few habits go a long way: dress modestly at temples and remove shoes where required, ask before photographing people, walk clockwise around Buddhist stupas and chortens, and use your right hand for giving and receiving. On health, be sensible with water (drink filtered or treated) and street food if your stomach is not acclimatised, and consider travel insurance that explicitly covers high-altitude trekking and helicopter evacuation.
Getting around
Domestic flights save days on long overland journeys but are weather-dependent, especially into mountain airstrips — build in buffer time. Roads can be slow and winding; tourist buses and private vehicles are more comfortable than local buses for long hauls. Above all, do not over-pack your itinerary: Nepal takes longer to move around than a map suggests.
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