Kathmandu as Your Trekking Base
For a large share of visitors, Kathmandu isn’t the multi-day trip itself, it’s the staging point: the city where treks are permitted and outfitted before a short flight out, and where travelers pass back through afterward for a shower and a real bed.
The mandatory-guide rule, since 2023
Since 1 April 2023, foreign trekkers, solo or in a group, must be accompanied by 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 not permitted here regardless of experience level. Book through a Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) -affiliated agency in Thamel, and confirm the guide is individually licensed, not just the agency.
Everest, via a short flight
The Khumbu region is reached by a short flight from Kathmandu to Lukla; in peak seasons (March to May, September to November) many operators route through Manthali Airport in Ramechhap instead, a roughly 4.5-hour road transfer followed by a 20-minute Lukla flight, specifically to dodge Tribhuvan Airport delays. Build real slack into any itinerary touching a Lukla flight, since weather cancellations stack up fast. The old TIMS card has been replaced in this region by a Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry fee of roughly NPR 3,000, collected at Lukla or Monjo.
Annapurna, via Pokhara, not Kathmandu directly
Pokhara, not Kathmandu, is the gateway to the Annapurna region, reached by a 25-minute flight or a realistic 7 to 10 hour drive on the Prithvi Highway, and longer in monsoon. The Annapurna Conservation Area Permit runs roughly NPR 3,000 to 3,390 and is arranged in Kathmandu or Pokhara before departure; the Nepal Tourism Board publishes current permit and heritage-fee rules. Compare Kathmandu-to-Pokhara flights and multi-day packages on GetYourGuide .
Beyond trekking: Pokhara and Chitwan
For travelers not trekking at all, Pokhara and Chitwan National Park are the two standard multi-day extensions from Kathmandu, each needing 3 to 4 days minimum. Neither works as a day trip; treat them as their own leg of the itinerary rather than an add-on afternoon.
The verdict
Build in one buffer day in Kathmandu before any Lukla-adjacent flight and one after, for weather and permit paperwork; a trip with zero slack around a mountain flight is a trip that can miss its return connection entirely. For a full valley itinerary before you head out, see the 3-day itinerary , and for somewhere to base yourself in Thamel before departure, check hotel options on Booking.com .
Before you go
Buy travel insurance that specifically covers helicopter evacuation up to 6,000 meters before you fly to Lukla; Kathmandu has a documented history of unnecessary-evacuation insurance fraud, so if a rescue is ever pushed on you, insist on assessment at an accredited clinic like CIWEC before accepting.