How we managed to organize a trekking tour in Kathmandu in only one day

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and the main starting point for a trekking tour in this beautiful country. Most people organize a trek with an agency back in their home countries, and this is not a bad idea if you are short on time or if you know already a trustworthy agency. We found out however that organizing a trek directly in Nepal can provide you different benefits and can be the best option if you have one day extra on your vacation. In Kathmandu, there are plenty of agencies and it is really easy to roam around (especially in the Thamel area) and directly walk into their office to gather information.

Roof of Kathmandu tibetan temple

The main benefits that you get are:

  • Feeling. Talking directly with the agency manager and sometimes directly with your guide. This is important because you’re going to spend a considerable amount of time with your guide (and porter in case) so you must get a feeling for the people you are organizing with. This cannot be done online, on which you can rely only on reviews of previous travelers.
  • Flexibility and customization. You can find online dozens of organized tours already detailed day by day. If you organize the trek directly in person, you can customize the trekking according to your wishes (we decided for example to do one extra acclimation day).
  • Price. Even though it does not vary much, the price can be slightly cheaper if booked directly, because you cut out any third-party agency in between.

The main worry we had to organize a trek directly in Kathmandu was to not be able to start right away since we thought any agency needed at least some days to organize it all. This proved to be completely wrong: all the agencies we walked into were able to organize a trek in almost 24 hours. The most respectable agencies have many guides and the time needed is usually only to get the permits to trek in a specific area.

Step-by-step guide 

Below is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to organize a trekking directly in Nepal.

  1. Book your hotel in Kathmandu for 2-3 nights. This will give you enough flexibility and time to organize the trek without being in a hurry. The area in which most trekking agencies are located is Thamel, so I would recommend booking a hotel nearby. We wanted to relax after India and before the trek, so we decided to spend some more money than usual and book at the Arushi Boutique Hotel.
  2. Shop around in Thamel and walk-in directly to some agencies. There are really a lot of them, so get inside only in the ones you feel are right for you (for example: some of them looked very sketchy to us from the look and feel, so we decided to skip them altogether). Ask them all the questions you have in mind. Some questions we asked: 
    • A detailed plan day by the day of the trek we were interested in (Manaslu trek)
    • Guide proficiency in English and guide attitude. We wanted to have a trek together with our guides and not walk alone by ourselves with the guide just because it was needed. A great and expert guide can make your trek memorable. Some people however prefer to walk by themselves without interacting much with the guide.
    • Equipment provided and what was needed for us. Our agency for example was providing a down jacket, a duffel bag, and a sleeping bag per person
    • Detailed cost plan for each different aspect (guide, porter, accommodation, permits etc)
  3. Check online on TripAdvisor or google some agencies with the best ratings. This is important to avoid immediately some not reputable agencies.
  4. When you have shortlisted some agencies, go check directly to NGO KEEP (Kathmandu Environmental Education Project) if the agencies you visited are fair and have the right certificates. Guides and porters must be not only experts but also they are paid fairly. Moreover, be sure that your agency has a sustainable attitude toward the environment.
  5. Make your choice! Once you have followed all these steps, you are ready to make a great decision and finally prepare the last bit and bites before the trek. 
  6. Make sure you have all the equipment listed by your agency. You can get everything in Kathmandu. There are hundreds of shops selling all types of gear needed. The quality is not so high and most of the brands are fake, but as one shop owner told us, “it does the job”.
Outfitter's gifts for the hike: a hat, a bag and a t-shirt

Extra tips

  • Bring plenty of snacks and chocolate along with you. The more you go up the more it gets expensive, so make sure to pack your extra sugar and power with you 
  • Bring iodine pills or a water filter with you (or both). This is a more sustainable choice for the environment and will also save you some money along the trek, given that plastic bottles get more expensive as you go up. You can boil the water otherwise, but usually also boiled water costs in a guesthouse
  • Bring some cards with you and Goodreads. You are going to spend a lot of time during the evenings without so much to do, so be prepared to play with fellow trekkers and guides. This is so much fun! 
Lele buying a wool hat in ThamelPrices of the gears written on a shop window

I hope this article will help you on how to organize your trek directly in Nepal. If you have more questions, please get in touch with us and we will be happy to help!