Almost every trek we run is a teahouse trek, meaning you sleep in a lodge run by a local family rather than in a tent. It is what makes Nepal trekking so accessible. Here is what it actually involves.

The rooms

Twin-share, wooden-walled, with a bed, a mattress and a blanket or two. There is no heating in the rooms — the dining room stove is the only warm place in the building, and it is usually lit in the evening. This is why we specify a sleeping bag rated to -15°C on high-altitude routes rather than relying on lodge blankets. Bathrooms are shared above Namche and on most high routes. On the Annapurna and Everest trails the standard is good; on Manaslu, Nar Phu, Ruby Valley and Kanchenjunga it is noticeably simpler.

The food

Three meals a day on trek are included in our prices. Dal bhat — rice, lentil soup, curried vegetables and pickle — is the staple, and it comes with free refills, which is why almost every guide and porter in Nepal eats it twice a day. Menus also carry noodles, fried rice, soups, potatoes, pasta, porridge and eggs. Tea and coffee with meals are included.

Two practical points. Prices rise steadily with altitude, because everything above the road head arrives on someone's back or a yak. And we advise against meat above Namche or Chhomrong — it has been carried unrefrigerated for days.

Showers, charging and Wi-Fi

All available on most routes, all paid extras, and all more expensive the higher you go. Hot showers are frequently solar-heated, which means an early-afternoon shower is warm and a 7pm one is not. Charging is per-device per-hour; a power bank is a better investment. Wi-Fi exists surprisingly high on the Everest trail but is slow and unreliable at altitude. On Nar Phu, Ruby Valley and above Ghunsa in Kanchenjunga, expect none of it.

Community lodges

On the Mohare Danda and Khopra Danda routes the lodges are owned by village management committees rather than private operators, and a fixed share of every night's revenue funds local schools, health posts and micro-hydro. The rooms are simpler; the money stays in the valley.

Booking ahead

In October and November, space at Namche, Gorak Shep, Khopra and High Camp is genuinely limited. We book ahead on your behalf, which is one of the practical arguments for a guided trek in peak season.

Etiquette

Eat where you sleep — lodges price rooms low on the assumption you will buy meals. Bring your rubbish out with you, including tissues. Ask before photographing people. Learn a few words of Nepali; it is appreciated more than you would expect.