Nepal Eases Rules for Solo Trekkers in Restricted Areas: What It Means to You
03/24/2026
Issuing a public notice on 22 March 2026, the Department of Immigration introduced new rules for adventure-seeking trekkers in restricted areas of Nepal Himalayas, at the request of Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) and other tourism-related organizations.
According to the notice and new eased rule, solo trekkers can now get permission to enter and trek in various restricted regions of Nepal, subject to a few conditions. A licensed trekking guide must be arranged through a registered trekking company, and one guide can handle up to seven trekkers only in a group.
Moreover, the trekking agency will be responsible for emergencies such as search, and rescue operations. Additional provisions remained the same as governed by existing laws.
Besides this, the new rule eases the application process for the permit. Now, trekkers can apply from their home country using their visa submission number.
Nepal have kept various regions along the Nepal–Tibet/China border under restricted-area control as sensitive frontier zones. Some of the major trekking regions under restricted control, which require special permission from the Department of Immigration, include the Lower and Upper Dolpa region, the Kanchenjunga region, the Upper Mustang region, the Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley region, the Gaurishankar and Lamabagar region, the Simikot–Yari and Limi region, the Makalu region, the Nangpa La Pass area of the Everest region, the Nar-Phu region of Manang, and other areas in western Nepal.
Prior to this new rule was introduced, permission to enter and trek in those restricted areas was issued only to groups of at least two trekkers, requiring solo trekkers to find companions. These rules had been in force since the 1990s, while before that, these areas were completely closed to foreign trekkers. In addition, a visa number was mandatory, meaning the visitor had to be in Nepal before submitting the permit application. Trekkers often had to stay extra days in Kathmandu to obtain the permit.
We, Satori Adventures, operate trekking tours to these regions. If you are interested in trekking either solo or in a group during the autumn 2026 season or the spring or autumn 2027 season, please explore our programs for Manaslu Trekking, Upper Mustang Trekking, Everest Popular Trekking, Kanchenjunga Trekking, and Makalu Base Camp Trekking.
