Kathmandu – For trekking lovers, every step of Nepal offers something new- easy trails, tough climbs, and breathtaking views of snowy peaks.
Trekking has always been one of Nepal’s biggest attractions. After COVID, the flow of visitors was picking up again, though recent unrest slowed things down.
Still, tourism operators believe it will bounce back.
Nepal is known worldwide for mountaineering, but it is just as famous for trekking. With its stunning mountains, rivers, lakes, and diverse culture, trekking is the country’s most natural tourism product.
Visitors also love the warm hospitality, local food, and the changing beauty of each season—autumn’s clear skies, winter snow, spring greenery, and summer rains. Many who visit once return again.
Though people have walked from place to place since ancient times, trekking in Nepal only began gaining international attention after 1950. French climbers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal wrote about the Himalayas after visiting Nepal that year.
In 1949, a British group explored Langtang, Ganesh Himal, and the Trishuli, while an American naturalist crossed the country east to west. When National Geographic featured Nepal in 1950, Europeans and Americans began to take notice.
Nepal became a global name after May 29, 1953, when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa reached the top of Mount Everest. The climb made headlines worldwide and put Nepal’s tourism firmly on the map.
In the 1960s, retired British soldiers visiting Nepal helped popularize the word 'trekking' internationally.
Until the pandemic, trekking numbers were robust. According to Nepal Tourism Statistics 2019, there were nearly 2,800 trekking agencies and more than 17,600 licensed guides.
Back in 1993, about 24 percent of all tourists came for trekking and mountaineering. By 2017, over 29,000 trekkers visited remote regions like Mustang, Dolpa, Humla, Manaslu, Kanchenjunga, and Tsum Valley.
Although the Maoist conflict, the 2015 earthquake, and COVID slowed growth, trekking is slowly recovering.
But tourism operators are worried about poorly planned road construction, which is damaging trails. They are calling for alternatives so trekking routes are not hampered.
Nepal’s most popular routes include Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Poon Hill, Upper Mustang, Everest Base Camp, Gokyo Lakes, the Three Passes, Kanchenjunga Circuit, Helambu, Langtang Valley, Khaptad, Rara, Manaslu Circuit, and Upper Dolpa.
Many shorter treks also draw visitors.
The Great Himalaya Trail, first introduced in 2011 as the world’s longest trekking route, is also gaining attention, though development has been slow. Still, local businesses are eager to promote it.
If Nepal invests in new routes and improves existing ones, trekking can create jobs for guides, cooks, and porters, and bring real benefits to the economy.
