A large share of the trekkers we take into the mountains travel alone, and many of them are women trekking solo for the first time. These are the questions we are asked most often, answered plainly.

Can I trek alone in Nepal?

Not entirely on your own on most routes. Since April 2023 the Nepal Tourism Board has required solo foreign trekkers to be accompanied by a licensed guide on most trekking routes. In restricted areas — Upper Mustang, Manaslu, Tsum, Nar Phu, Dolpo, Kanchenjunga — a guide and a minimum of two trekkers have always been mandatory, so a genuinely solo departure there is not possible. On open routes you can absolutely travel as a solo client with your own private guide, and that is how most of our solo trekkers go.

Can I request a female guide?

Yes, with advance notice. Ask at the point of enquiry rather than at the trek briefing so we can roster properly.

How to vet an operator

  • Ask whether guides are directly employed or subcontracted. Ours are employed, licensed by the Ministry of Tourism, and wilderness first-aid trained.
  • Ask for your guide's name before you fly. If a company cannot tell you who is leading your trek, that tells you something.
  • Ask what the porter weight limit is and whether porters are insured. 25kg and yes, in our case.
  • Ask what happens if you get sick. The answer should involve a pulse oximeter, a descent policy and a helicopter contact — not reassurance.

On the trail

Teahouse rooms are twin-share by default and a single supplement is usually available cheaply — ask when booking. Dress modestly in villages and monasteries; shoulders and knees covered is the norm. Walk clockwise around chortens and mani walls. Nepal is generally a low-hassle country for women travellers, and the trekking corridors are busy with other trekkers, lodge families and staff.

Good first routes for solo trekkers

Ghorepani Poon Hill for well-trafficked trails and comfortable lodges. Mardi Himal if you want altitude and quiet in one week. Langtang if you would rather drive from Kathmandu than gamble on a mountain flight.

Non-negotiable

Travel insurance covering trekking to your maximum itinerary altitude, including helicopter evacuation and medical repatriation. Many standard policies exclude activity above 4,000m — read the altitude clause.