Himalayan Travel Guides

Route notes, permit costs and season-by-season guidance, written by the guides who run these trips.

Chortens at Dochu La pass on the road between Thimphu and Punakha, Bhutan
Travel Guide

Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee: What You Actually Pay

Bhutan charges a Sustainable Development Fee of USD 100 per person per night, which is the statutory USD 200 cut in half by a discount that runs to 31 August 2027. Add a one-off USD 40 visa fee. This page explains who pays, who is exempt, how the nights are counted, and what the fee does not cover.
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Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee: What You Actually Pay
The Maya Devi Temple and Sacred Garden at Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha
Spiritual Tourism

Buddhist Pilgrimage Sites in Nepal: Fees, Routes and Timing

Nepal holds one of the four sites the Buddha himself named: Lumbini, his birthplace. The Lumbini Development Trust charges a daily conservation fee of NPR 700 for foreign passport holders, NPR 400 for SAARC and Myanmar nationals, NPR 80 for Indian nationals and NPR 20 for Nepalis. Lumbini is about 272KM from Kathmandu and 20KM from the airport at Bhairahawa. This page covers the fees, the distances, what is actually built and how Buddha Purnima is dated.
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Buddhist Pilgrimage Sites in Nepal: Fees, Routes and Timing
The Dudh Kunda trail in Solukhumbu below Numbur Himal
Travel Guide

Dudh Kunda Height, Location and the Route to the Lake

Dudh Kunda is a sacred glacial lake in Solududhkunda Municipality, Solukhumbu, about 22KM north of Phaplu airport and 5.4KM from the summit of Numbur. Published heights run from 4,560m to 4,610m, and satellite terrain models put the basin nearer 4,615 to 4,622m. This page gives the altitude honestly, the exact location, the route from Phaplu and the day by day profile.
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Dudh Kunda Height, Location and the Route to the Lake
Swayambhu Mahachaitya, the oldest Buddhist monument in the Kathmandu Valley
Travel Guide

Stupas in Kathmandu and the Valley's Seven UNESCO Sites

Two stupas in the Kathmandu Valley are UNESCO monument zones: Swayambhu, which UNESCO calls the oldest Buddhist monument in the valley, and Bauddhanath, the largest stupa in Nepal. They are not separate World Heritage Sites. They are two of the seven monument zones that make up one inscribed property. This page explains the difference, lists all seven, and sets out honestly what fits into a single day.
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Stupas in Kathmandu and the Valley's Seven UNESCO Sites
The tea slopes below Shree Antu Danda in Ilam, eastern Nepal
Travel Guide

Shree Antu Danda Distance, Roads and Sunrise Times

Shree Antu Danda sits at 2,328m on the Nepal side of the West Bengal border. It is about 14KM up from Fikkal, 49KM from Ilam Bazaar, 59KM from Birtamod and 65KM from Bhadrapur airport. This page gives the road distance from every gateway, the sunrise time month by month, and what the last climb is actually like.
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Shree Antu Danda Distance, Roads and Sunrise Times
Altitude Sickness During Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
Trekking Blogs for Nepal

Altitude Sickness During Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

Altitude sickness during Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is common because the pilgrimage takes place between 4,590M at Lake Mansarovar and 5,630M at Dolma La Pass. At these elevations, the air has less available oxygen than at sea level, increasing the risk of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) among travelers who ascend too quickly without proper acclimatization. Most […]
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Altitude Sickness During Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
Langtang Trek Route
Trekking Blogs for Nepal

Langtang Trek Route Guide

The Langtang Trek Route is a moderately difficult Himalayan trail with a round-trip distance of about 65 to 86 kilometers (40 to 53 miles). It is an “out-and-back” trail, meaning you return via the same path you ascended. It starts from Kathmandu and passes through Syabrubesi, Lama Hotel, Langtang Village, and Kyanjin Gompa before retracing […]
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Langtang Trek Route Guide
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Route
Travel Guide

The 5 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Routes Compared

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route has five main travel paths used by pilgrims and travelers each year. These are the Lipulekh Pass Route (via Uttarakhand), the Nathu La Pass Route (via Sikkim), the Nepal Overland Route (via Kathmandu and Kerung), the Lhasa Route (via Tibet), and the Simikot–Hilsa Helicopter Route. The choice of route depends […]
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The 5 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Routes Compared
manaslu circuit trek guide
Manaslu Region

Manaslu Circuit Trek Difficulty, Distance and Best Season

The Manaslu Circuit Trek is strenuous. It covers 143.7KM (89 miles) of walking from Machha Khola to Dharapani over 13 to 14 days and tops out at Larkya La Pass (5,106M). The hardest day is the pass crossing itself, 24.8KM and around 9 hours from Dharamsala to Bhimtang. Autumn is the best season, spring the second best. This page covers difficulty, distance and season in detail.
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Manaslu Circuit Trek Difficulty, Distance and Best Season
Trip Planner