Nepal

The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is a landlocked country in southern Asia. Located in the Himalayas as well as partially in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Nepal is the 49th largest country by population. The coverage of a total of 147,181 square kilometers makes the country the 94th largest nation by area. Nepal borders China to the north and India in the south, east and west. The Tibet Autonomous Region of China bounds Nepal from China while the demarcation of the Indian boundaries from Nepal is done by the Indian states of Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. With a diverse geography counting the fertile plains and sub-alpine woody hills, Nepal has eight among the world’s 14 tallest mountains namely Mt. Everest at 8,848m (29,028 feet), which is the highest point on earth. Nepal is primarily a multi-ethnic country and the official language used in this country is Nepali.

Kathmandu is the largest city as well as the capital of Nepal. The city is more often known as the ‘city of temples’ where travelers can explore the time-honored creative beauty from the medieval age. In fact, Nepal is geographically, culturally and linguistically diverse. Nested peacefully on the lap of the Himalayas, Nepal is where the icy cold ambiance of the mountains meets the sweltering heat of the Indian plains. It is the land of yaks and yetis, Buddhist stupas and Sherpas along with some of the best trekking trails on earth. The development and urbanization of the country began in the ancient three great mini kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley namely, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.

Although Nepal is relatively a very small country, it has been dealing out as a spectacular host to a varied array of landscapes that rises from 200m / 656 feet in the south to the top of the world at 8,848m / 29,028 feet in the north. There are just too many reasons to justify as to why a foreign tourist should visit Nepal, the land of friendly and engaging people. Nepal is a country where divine beings unite with the mortals. Glorious temples, unruffled monasteries and historical monuments are found almost on every street on every turn. If a tourist visits Nepal for the first time for trekking in the Himalayas, the second visit would definitely be accountable to the hospitable people and their distinctive culture.

Trekking in Nepal because of the picturesque mountain scenery and great hiking trails on the Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Base Camp Trek or Annapurna Circle Trek is probably the most popular reason why travelers visit Nepal. Along with trekking, it is also climbing small snow peaks such as Island Peak Climbing or Mera Peak Climbing and summiting Mt. Everest that brings visitors to Nepal.

Nepal’s startling beauty in Pokhara with its pristine air and the stunning backdrop of the snowy peaks of the Annapurna Range is another reason why you should visit Nepal. The lake city with breathtaking lakes such as Phewa Lake, Begnas Lake and Rupa Lake add to the reason. Wildlife, diverse culture, vegetation, and ecosystem are abundant in Nepal. The national parks of Chitwan and Bardia encompass lowland tropical jungles and grasslands with a rich variety of wildlife. The ancient culture and the conventional architectural beauty of Kathmandu is another good reason to travel to Nepal. Cultural tours and visit to the temples scattered around the country, wildlife safari outing, river rafting or paragliding, Nepal has so much of the adventurous activities to offer for all age groups. Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu and Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha are the epitomes of religious affection in Nepal.

The short answer – Yes! In fact, it is very safe with no religious extremists or other radical groups disrupting the calm and peaceful environment of the country. Nepal today, feels more safe than most of the other countries around the world, possibly due to the religious nature of the people here and their engagement, friendly temperament and natural kindness. Tourism being the mainstay of the country’s economy, people here are always hospitable and very welcoming. We keenly advise you to read the travel advice published by your country.

United State Of America-Travel Advice:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/nepal-travel-advisory.html

Canada-Travel Advice:

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/nepal

United Kingdom-Travel Advice:

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nepal

Australia-Travel Advice:
https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/nepal

Nepalese people do speak English as a second language, especially those working in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Although Nepali is the native language, English is the primary language used for most businesses in Nepal. However, not all Nepalese people speak English particularly people dwelling in the rural areas. The younger generations are most likely to speak English regardless of rural or urban habitation. The most prevalent languages that is widely spoken and understood by a vast majority in Nepal are Nepali, Hindi and English. Tour guides who speak other foreign languages like Japanese, French, Italian, Chinese, Russian, and others can be found throughout Kathmandu.

Of course, everyone needs a visa to enter into Nepal except Indian nationals. Getting visa is fortunately an easy process. On arrival at Nepal’s only international airport in Kathmandu, you will find electronic kiosks that will assist your visa processing. Taking the completed form and paying the visa fee, you will stay in the immigration queue for your visa-on-arrival. However, tourists from AFG, IRQ, CMR, GHA, SOM, SWZ, PSE, ZWE, NGA, ETH and LBR are not given visa on arrival. Nepal visa information for all categories of travelers and their correspondence cost can be found at http://nepalimmigration.gov.np/

Getting Your Visa Online

Visitors can now apply for online visa within 15 days of your arrival date in Nepal. For this, you will need your Nepal hotel address and a digital passport-sized photo that needs to be uploaded in the application. After submitting the form online, you need to print out the confirmation page which has to be shown at the immigration section in Kathmandu airport along with your passport and the visa fee. To apply for your online visa, you can click HERE:

Getting Your Visa at an Embassy or Consulate of Nepal

Travelers can easily apply for Nepali visa at the local Nepali Embassy or Consulate located in your country.  Or, you may even mail your visa application to the visa office near your location, but well ahead of time for the processing time that it may require. For more information and contact details of the Nepali Embassies and Consulate around the world, you may click HERE:

Some useful Tips

• Get ready with you some cash to pay for the visa fee. US$ is preferred but currencies like EU€, CHf, GB£, AU$, CA$, HK$, SG$ and JP¥ are also acceptable.
• Make sure that your passport has a validity of at least six months.
• Before landing in Kathmandu, fill out the disembarkation card provided to you on the plane so that you can quickly get on the immigration queue at the arrival hall.
• During the peak tourist seasons in the months of October, November, April and May, the airport gets flooded with foreign tourists in huge numbers. So it is advised that you complete your visa form online prior to arrival to save time standing in long queues. (While applying for a visa online, you will need your hotel address. Please ask a Himalayan Glacier consultant to assist you and he/she will happily support you).
• Carry with you at least 4-5 recently clicked passport-sized photos for trekking permits, purchasing a SIM card.
• Please make sure to carry extra copies of your passport with you; it is always handy during your travel in Nepal.

When arriving in Nepal either by flight or an overland journey, most of the nationalities are given a 15/30/90 day visa as per your requirement. There is no visa fee required to be paid by the passport holders of the SAARC countries for the first 30 days. Indian nationals do not need visa for entering Nepal at this time, so there is no fee at all. The general Nepal tourist visa fee on arrival is:

• 15 days – US$ 30 for single/multiple entry
• 30 days – US$ 50 for single/multiple entry
• 90 days – US$ 125 for single/multiple entry

For more information on Nepal visa, you can visit our  nepal visa information page.