The pre-trek briefing day
Every itinerary begins with a day in Kathmandu (1,400 m) for a guide briefing covering permits, packing, and the acclimatisation schedule, plus a gear check ahead of departure. This is also when a guided trekker's Sagarmatha National Park permit is typically arranged on their behalf; the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee is collected on the trail, at Lukla or Monjo.
What to see with spare time
Durbar Square, Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple), Boudhanath Stupa, one of the largest stupas in the world, and the Thamel district for last-minute gear are all common stops on a free afternoon or buffer day, each reachable within a 20 to 40 minute taxi ride from most hotels.
Practical logistics
Thamel's gear shops cover most rental and last-purchase needs, from down jackets to trekking poles, and licensed money changers near Durbar Marg handle currency exchange at better rates than hotel front desks. Nepali rupees are hard to obtain outside the country, so this is the easiest place to get trail cash before departure; Namche Bazaar is the last reliable ATM on the route.
Buffer days matter here too
Lukla flights are often delayed or cancelled. No official cancellation rate is published, and Kathmandu buffer days, ideally at the end of the trip, give you flexibility to absorb delays without missing an international connection home.
After the trek
Most guided itineraries close with a farewell dinner at an authentic Nepali restaurant in Thamel the evening you return from Lukla, followed by a final day for souvenir shopping, laundry, and rest before departure.
Getting your own permits
Trekkers arranging their own park permit can pay at the Nepal Tourism Board counter in Bhrikutimandap or at the Monjo checkpoint; the municipality fee is collected separately at Lukla or Monjo. Bring your passport with its Nepal visa and passport-sized photos, and confirm counter hours before you go. Whether you can legally trek without a guide is unresolved, so check the current position first.
Registering your stay in 2026
Nepal's FNMIS (Foreign Nationals Management Information System) is being phased in through hotels and agencies: star-rated Kathmandu Valley hotels from 1 January 2026, with hotels nationwide plus airlines, agencies, and money changers scheduled from 1 March 2026 (the actual rollout of that second phase isn't confirmed). You may be asked to scan a QR code, though a hotel can enter your details manually, and a hotel or agency unfamiliar with the requirement can occasionally cause a booking-desk delay worth budgeting a few extra minutes for.