Questions we get before every booking

Our tiers do not scale amenities. They scale how much friction we absorb on your behalf. Safety is identical across all three tiers — pulse oximeter monitoring, the Two-Tier Altitude Protocol, supplemental oxygen, satellite phone above 4,000m, and pre-arranged helicopter evacuation are the same whether you pay $1,450 or $6,000. The Trail ($1,450). A fixed-date departure with up to 7 other trekkers on a group departure date that we publish in advance. Clean teahouses selected for hygiene and location. Full safety protocol, full Kathmandu Pre-Trek Session, Silent Hiking and co-practice, ethical porter support at a 1:4 ratio. You join our schedule; we handle the rest. The Journey ($2,250). A private departure on the dates you choose with only your own group of 1–8. Upgraded lodges below 4,000m where infrastructure permits — attached bathrooms, heated rooms, varied menus. Flex days explicitly built in for acclimatization or exploration. A post-trek Traditional Nepali Recovery Massage in Kathmandu. Cultural access at confirmed relationship waypoints. This is the recommended product for most travelers. The Transformation (from $3,800 — custom). Every element is designed in consultation. Private group only. Premium lodges where infrastructure permits. Optional dedicated altitude specialist who accompanies the group. Optional dedicated trek photographer so you can stay off your phone. Deeper cultural access. Optional helicopter return from Lukla. Every Transformation begins with a conversation — there is no single price because there is no single package. The question to ask yourself: "How much friction do I want LHJ to absorb?" If you want logistics and safety handled and you are comfortable walking at a group pace on a group schedule, The Trail is right for you. If you want your own schedule, upgraded sleep, flex days, and a proper bookend to the experience, The Journey is right for you. If you want the experience fully designed around what will make the trip yours, The Transformation is right for you.

Three months of preparation is the baseline for most treks. Six months is better. A twelve-month preparation period is ideal for Manaslu Circuit or a full Annapurna Circuit with Thorong La. 3-month baseline (Mardi Himal, Langtang Valley, or a comfortable EBC). Weeks 1–4: two walks per week of 1.5–2 hours on flat or gently hilly terrain. One strength session per week. Weeks 5–8: two walks per week at 2–3 hours on hilly terrain, carrying a 5 kg daypack. One strength session. One cardio session 30–45 minutes. Weeks 9–12: one long walk per week at 4–5 hours on varied terrain with a 5–7 kg daypack, plus strength, cardio, and two shorter walks. 6-month plan for EBC, Annapurna Circuit, or Gokyo Lakes: same structure, extended. The critical addition is practicing multi-day back-to-back walking on weekends — two consecutive 4-hour days minimum. 12-month plan for Manaslu Circuit: adds altitude-specific preparation (if you live near any 2,000m+ elevation, train there regularly) and includes one practice multi-day trek in a mountain environment during months 9–10. If you live at sea level and have never walked on altitude before, the Kathmandu Pre-Trek Altitude Preparation Session is where we introduce you to the altitude-adapted breathing techniques that help you acclimatize faster.

Every LHJ trek, every tier, includes: Kathmandu airport pickup and drop-off in a private vehicle; the LHJ Welcome Kit (trail map, local SIM with data, reusable water bottle, Himalayan Altitude Kit); the half-day Kathmandu Pre-Trek Altitude Preparation Session; all lodge accommodation on the trek; all meals on the trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner, with hot drinks); licensed Government of Nepal trekking guide; ethical porter support (1:4 ratio on Trail and Journey, 1:2 on Transformation); a professionally cleaned -20°C sleeping bag with silk liner; the full safety kit (pulse oximeter, supplemental oxygen, comprehensive first aid kit); satellite phone and live GPS above 4,000m; pre-arranged helicopter evacuation protocol; all trekking permits; government taxes and VAT. What you pay for separately: international flights to and from Kathmandu; Nepal visa fee (typically $30–$50 on arrival); travel insurance with helicopter evacuation coverage (hard requirement); lunch and dinner in Kathmandu before and after the trek; personal trekking gear (boots, layers, jacket, poles); hot showers at lodges ($2–$5 per shower, cash); device charging ($2–$5 per charge); Wi-Fi at lodges where available ($3–$6 per session); bottled drinks, snacks, alcohol; tips for guide and porters (customary); any itinerary extension, helicopter return, or add-on service. The full inclusions/exclusions list is on every trek page.

Yes to both. Since April 2023, a licensed guide is required for foreign travellers in the Annapurna region, and every LHJ departure includes one. You also need an ACAP permit (the Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit), which we arrange and include. A TIMS card is officially required by the Nepal Tourism Board but is currently not enforced at Annapurna trailheads. We treat it as optional and will arrange it on request if you prefer. The standard Manang valley does not need any restricted-area permit.

Footwear: broken-in hiking boots with ankle support (the most important single item — bring boots you have already walked 50+ km in). Trekking socks (merino wool, 3–4 pairs). Camp shoes or sandals for the lodge in the evening. Layers (critical at altitude): base layer top and bottom (merino wool or synthetic — cotton is dangerous when wet). Mid layer fleece or light insulated top. Insulated jacket rated to at least -10°C. Waterproof / windproof outer shell jacket and pants. Trekking trousers and shorts. Head, hands, small gear: sun hat with a brim. Warm hat. Buff or neck gaiter. Glove system (liner gloves plus an insulated outer glove). Sunglasses with UV400 / category 4 at altitude. Trekking poles. Headlamp with spare batteries. Daypack 25–35 liters. Other: water bottle (we provide one in the Welcome Kit) and a LifeStraw or SteriPen as backup. Personal first aid additions (blister care, ibuprofen, prescription meds, Diamox if your doctor has prescribed it). Sunscreen SPF 50+ and lip balm with SPF. What we provide: the professionally cleaned -20°C sleeping bag with silk liner, the pulse oximeter, supplemental oxygen, and the comprehensive first aid kit. You do not need to bring a sleeping bag. Can you rent gear in Kathmandu? Yes. Kathmandu's Thamel district has dozens of gear shops offering rentals for trekking boots, down jackets, sleeping bags (though we provide ours), poles, and more. Quality varies — our pre-trek documentation includes a vetted list of shops we recommend and rough rental prices. Boots are the one exception — do not rent boots. Bring broken-in boots from home.

Tipping is customary in Nepal trekking, though not technically mandatory. The wages we pay (above the industry average) cover the guide and porters as employees. Tips are a recognition of exceptional service and a meaningful portion of the team's income. Honest guidance from twenty years of industry experience: head guide $10–$15 per day per trekker. Assistant guide (if present) $5–$10 per day per trekker. Porters $5–$8 per day per porter, paid directly to each porter at the end of the trek. On private departures (The Journey and The Transformation), tips tend toward the higher end of these ranges because the guide-to-client ratio is more personal. Tips are paid in USD or NPR at the end of the trek. The guide can help coordinate a group pool to make the math simple. LHJ does not take a cut, and we do not include tips in the trek price — we want them to be a genuine recognition, not a hidden markup. If you want to budget roughly, add about 10% of the trek price for tips.

Diamox (acetazolamide) is a prescription medication that helps the body acclimatize to altitude faster by accelerating breathing. It is effective for preventing acute mountain sickness (AMS) but is not a substitute for proper acclimatization, and it has side effects. This is a medical decision between you and your doctor — not a decision LHJ makes for you. We cannot prescribe it, we cannot advise whether it is appropriate for your specific medical profile, and we will never pressure you one way or the other. What we can tell you honestly: Diamox is commonly prescribed for trekkers going above 3,500m, especially for those with no prior altitude experience. Side effects include tingling in hands and feet, increased urination (plan for night bathroom trips), altered taste (carbonated drinks taste flat), and occasional fatigue. Diamox is a sulfa drug — if you are allergic to sulfa medications, do not take it. It does not replace descent as the treatment for altitude sickness. If you decide to take it, your doctor will prescribe a typical regimen: 125mg twice daily starting one day before ascent above 3,500m, continuing through the high-altitude portion of the trek, tapering off during descent. Bring enough for the full duration. If you choose not to take it, that is equally valid. Proper acclimatization — slow ascent, rest days, hydration, the altitude-adapted breathing techniques from our Kathmandu Pre-Trek Session — is the foundational strategy.

No hidden costs. But there are visible costs we do not include in the trek price because they are personal or variable. International flights to Kathmandu — $800–$2,500 depending on your departure city and season. Nepal visa — $30 for 15 days, $50 for 30 days, $125 for 90 days. Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation — $100–$300 depending on duration and coverage. Personal trekking gear — if you do not already own it, budget $500–$1,500 for boots, layers, insulated jacket, gloves, hat, trekking poles, headlamp, daypack. Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu — $5–$15 per meal at a decent restaurant. Hot showers and phone charging at lodges — roughly $30–$60 total for a 12-day trek. Tips — 10% of trek price approximately. Alcohol and bottled drinks on the trail — bottled water is $1 at lower altitudes, up to $4 at Gorak Shep. Budget roughly 20–25% on top of the trek price for all non-included costs, excluding your international flights.

Yes. Our B2B product is called Journey-Plus — a fixed logistical chassis with modular programming slots, designed specifically for retreat leaders, studio owners, men's group facilitators, corporate wellness coordinators, and adventure coaching businesses. The structure: LHJ controls the trek route, lodge sequence, safety protocols, and porter logistics — the operational chassis that cannot be negotiated because it is built around altitude acclimatization and client safety. You control morning sessions, evening sessions, rest-day programming, menu preferences, and group framing — the modular slots that let you layer your own retreat product on top of the chassis. Wholesale pricing for The Journey tier starts at $1,600 per participant, and retreat leaders typically sell their retreats at $3,500–$5,000 per participant with their own programming layered in. We protect your client relationships with a written non-solicitation clause — we do not market to your clients, ever, during or after the trek. The first conversation is a 30-minute Zoom call with the CEO and the CSO. Qualified prospects are invited on a Familiarization (FAM) Trek — a subsidized trip where you experience the LHJ product firsthand before committing to a partnership. FAM Trek qualification criteria are published on the /partners page.

Four permits are required for the Manaslu Circuit and all four are included in every LHJ tier. The Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (RAP) is the most expensive — USD $100 for the first seven days plus $15 per additional day in peak season (September to November), and USD $75 for the first seven days plus $10 per additional day in off-season. The Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP) is a flat USD $30 environmental fee. The Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) is also USD $30 — required because the trek exits via Dharapani, which lies within the Annapurna region. There is also a small Chumnubri Rural Municipality fee of NPR 1,000 to 2,000 paid in cash at the Jagat checkpoint. Total permit cost for a fourteen-to-sixteen-day trek in peak season is approximately USD $175 to $215 per person. TIMS card is not required for Manaslu — the RAP supersedes it. All permits are processed by your LHJ agency in Kathmandu before the trek; you do not handle the paperwork yourself.

On The Trail (fixed-date departures), room sharing is the default. If you are a solo traveler on a fixed-date departure and you request a private room where lodges permit, we add a single supplement of roughly $15–$25 per night depending on the lodge — in practice about $180–$300 on a 12-day trek. At the highest altitudes (Gorak Shep, Lobuche, Larkya La Dharamsala), private rooms are often not available at any price because lodges have limited single rooms, so the single supplement does not apply there. On The Journey and The Transformation (private departures), you are the only trekker in your group unless you bring companions, so the room question is different — solo travelers on The Journey have single rooms by default below 4,000m where lodges offer them, and the trek price reflects the reality that fixed logistical costs are not shared with other trekkers. The single-supplement amount for your specific trek and date is quoted in the booking conversation, not buried in a footnote.

Safety is identical across all tiers - the same licensed guide, oxygen checks, and evacuation plan. What changes is comfort, pace, and how deep into the valley you go. The Trail is the shared, simple version: tourist bus and shared jeep, standard guesthouses, breakfast and dinner, and a Manang morning before the drive down. The Journey gives couples a private jeep above Besisahar, better rooms where the valley allows, full board, a full day in Manang, and a rooftop dinner. The Transformation adds a private vehicle from Kathmandu, a guided Ice Lake day at 4620 m, and a final high night at Shree Kharka beneath Annapurna II.

Two windows. Post-monsoon autumn (late September to late November) is the prime season — clearest atmospheric conditions, longest views of the Manaslu massif, stable weather across the pass. October is peak; November shoulder. Pre-monsoon spring (March to early May) is the secondary window — rhododendron forests in bloom at lower altitudes, longer daylight, generally clear mornings but increasing afternoon cloud build-up. April is the strongest spring month. Winter (December to February) is possible for experienced mountaineers but the Larkya La pass is frequently closed by snow; LHJ does not operate this trek between mid-December and mid-February. Summer monsoon (June to early September) is strongly discouraged — torrential rain, landslide-prone trails in the lower Budhi Gandaki gorge, and leech infestations. We do not offer the trek in monsoon. Book your dates four to six months in advance for October departures; lodge availability in the upper valley is genuinely limited in peak season.

The standard payment structure is 25% deposit on booking confirmation (to hold the trek and start the pre-trek documentation flow) and the remaining 75% due 14 days before the trek start date. For The Transformation tier, which is custom-quoted, the payment structure is negotiated in the booking conversation. For bookings more than 6 months out, we can sometimes accommodate a 25% / 25% / 50% three-stage structure — ask in the booking conversation. We accept credit cards and debit cards via Stripe. Bank wires are possible for larger bookings but take 3–5 business days to clear. We do not accept cryptocurrency, PayPal, or Western Union — not because of ideology, but because the reconciliation overhead for a six-person team is not worth the marginal convenience. If paying the balance 14 days before departure creates a genuine hardship, write to the CEO. We have accommodated individual circumstances before and will tell you honestly whether we can for yours.

This trek demands a robust baseline of cardiovascular fitness and joint condition. You will walk five to nine hours a day across uneven, often steep terrain — totalling 125 kilometres on foot over eleven trekking days, with a cumulative elevation gain of approximately 4,500 metres and the same back down. The pass day alone is sixteen kilometres with 650 metres of ascent and 1,600 metres of descent. Realistic preparation is three to four months of structured training: long aerobic sessions (running, cycling, swimming) two to three times per week, hill-walking or stair-climbing with a 5–8 kg pack once or twice per week, and bodyweight strength work for knees and core. If you can comfortably complete a six-hour day hike with 800 metres of elevation gain at lower altitudes, you are physically ready for the Manaslu Circuit. If you have not done a multi-day trek before, we recommend doing one at lower altitude (Ghorepani–Poon Hill, for example) before this one. Pre-existing knee, back, or cardiac conditions warrant a serious conversation with your doctor and with us before booking.

The anchor prices we publish ($1,450 / $2,250 / from $3,800) apply to the peak trekking seasons — spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November). These are the seasons when weather is most reliable, views are clearest, and lodges are fully operational. Winter (December–February): reduced availability on many routes. Some high-altitude passes (Thorong La, Larkya La) are closed due to snow. The treks we run in winter (mostly Everest Base Camp with extra buffer days, Mardi Himal, lower Langtang) are priced at roughly 85–90% of the peak rate — but the honest answer is we often recommend against winter trekking unless you have specific cold-weather experience. Monsoon (June–August): most routes are closed due to leeches, slippery trails, and obscured views. The one trek we strongly recommend during monsoon is Upper Mustang, which sits in Nepal's rain shadow and is largely unaffected by the monsoon. Upper Mustang is priced slightly lower in monsoon (~5–10%) because the Kathmandu-to-Jomsom flight is less contested — but the permit cost ($500 for the first 10 days) does not change. If you are flexible on dates and are looking for the lowest price on a specific trek, ask us — we will tell you the cheapest honest option, not the most profitable one.

The main extras are travel insurance (roughly 50 to 150 per person, paid to your insurer, and mandatory - we do not sell it), your Nepal visa (30 to 50 on arrival), international flights, and your Kathmandu hotel and meals, which are not part of this trip. Drinks beyond included meals, snacks, laundry, and tips for your guide and driver are also on you. On The Journey and The Transformation, solo travellers who want a private room pay a single supplement of 180. The optional helicopter return on The Transformation is quoted separately, around 700 to 800 per seat, and confirmed nearer the date depending on weather.

All four permits, all on-trek lodging (tier-specific quality), full board on the trek, breakfast in Kathmandu, private jeep transport in both directions, a licensed Guardian Profile, porter support (Trail 1:4, Journey 1:2, Transformation 1:1), a clean professionally-laundered sleeping bag, a branded duffel bag, the Pre-Trek Altitude Preparation Session in Kathmandu, and all safety equipment (pulse oximeter, supplemental oxygen, first-aid kit, satellite phone and GPS above 4,000 m). The Journey adds a down jacket loan, upgraded teahouses where available, post-trek Traditional Nepali Recovery Massage, and farewell dinner. The Transformation adds welcome and farewell dinners, premium hotel, and optional helicopter return. What we do not include: international flights, Nepal visa fee (paid in cash at Kathmandu airport, USD $30 to $125 depending on length), travel insurance (mandatory, must cover trekking to 6,000 m), Kathmandu lunches and dinners beyond the inclusive ones, bottled drinks and alcohol, tips for your guide and porter (customary suggestion: USD $10–15 per day per trekker, split between guide and porter), hot showers above 3,500 m if you are on The Trail, personal trekking gear you choose to bring or rent. A realistic budget for personal extras across the trek, beyond the tier price, is USD $250 to $450 per trekker — primarily insurance, visa, tips, and incidentals.