Foreign tourists will not be allowed to freely visit Nepal

Published Fri, Mar 3, 2023

The Nepal Tourism Board recently announced a decision that will impact foreign tourists visiting the country. Starting April 1, 2023, individual foreign tourists will not be allowed to freely visit Nepal. Instead, they will     have to book their trek through a Nepalese company and take a tourist guide with them.

Previously, the Board had planned to close Free Individual Trekker (FIT) on October 1, 2022, but this decision was not implemented. However, an agreement has now been reached between the Board, Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAN), and Trade Union including the All Nepal Tourism Workers Union to implement this decision

Trade Unions and TAN were demanding that the Tims card issued by the Nepal Tourism Board for individual trekkers should be stopped and that foreigners should go trekking through Nepalese companies. As a result, foreign tourists coming to visit Nepal will now have to book their trek through a company.

To ensure the safety, rescue, and management of tourists, the Board has also increased the team fee charged to tourists. Tourists from SAARC countries will now have to pay Rs. 1000 instead of Rs. 600, while non-SAARC tourists will have to pay Rs. 2000 for the team fee if they travel individually.