Kathmandu as a Trekking Gateway
For a large share of visitors, Kathmandu is a staging point rather than the multi-day trip itself: the city where treks are permitted and outfitted before a short flight out, and where travelers land back for a real bed afterward.
The mandatory-guide rule
Since 1 April 2023, foreign trekkers, solo or in a group, must travel with a licensed, government-registered guide in Nepal’s national parks and conservation areas, including Annapurna, Langtang, Manaslu and the Everest/Khumbu region. Unguided solo trekking is off the table here now, regardless of prior experience. Book through a Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal -affiliated agency in Thamel, and confirm your specific guide is individually licensed, not just the agency itself.
Everest, via a short flight
The Khumbu region is reached by a short Kathmandu-to-Lukla flight; in peak seasons (March to May, September to November), many operators route instead through Manthali Airport in Ramechhap, roughly a 4.5-hour road transfer followed by a 20-minute Lukla flight, to sidestep Tribhuvan Airport delays. Build genuine slack into any itinerary touching a Lukla flight, since weather cancellations stack quickly. The old TIMS card has been replaced here by a Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry fee, roughly NPR 3,000, collected at Lukla or Monjo. Everest region multi-day packages are listed on Viator .
Annapurna, via Pokhara
The Annapurna region is reached through Pokhara rather than Kathmandu, a 25-minute flight away or a realistic 7 to 10 hour drive on the Prithvi Highway, longer still in monsoon. The Annapurna Conservation Area Permit runs roughly NPR 3,000 to 3,390 and is arranged in Kathmandu or Pokhara before setting out; the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation covers conservation-area rules more broadly.
Beyond trekking: Pokhara and Chitwan
Pokhara and Chitwan National Park serve as the two standard multi-day extensions from Kathmandu for travelers not trekking at all, each needing 3 to 4 days minimum. Neither works as a day trip, so plan them as their own leg of the itinerary rather than a rushed add-on.
The verdict
Build one buffer day into Kathmandu before any Lukla-adjacent flight and one after, for weather and permit paperwork; zero slack around a mountain flight risks missing the return connection entirely. For a full valley itinerary beforehand, see the 4-day itinerary , and for somewhere to base yourself in Thamel, compare hotels on Booking.com .
Before you go
Buy travel insurance that specifically covers helicopter evacuation up to 6,000 meters before flying to Lukla; if a rescue is ever pushed on you at altitude, insist on assessment at an accredited clinic like CIWEC before accepting it.