Restricted-area trekking in Nepal is controlled by a special permit, and in the west it applies to Humla, Mugu, Bajhang, Darchula and Dolpa. This page sets out the rules and the fee table as the Department of Immigration and the Nepal Tourism Board publish them, with the wards each permit covers. The wider permit pages are in the permits hub; the district pages for Humla and Mugu cover the places themselves.
The rule
The Nepal Tourism Board states the basics in three lines1:
A trekking permit must be obtained from the Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan, Kathmandu, to visit restricted areas.1
Trekking in any area or along any route except the specified area or route is deemed to be a violation of law.1
The permit should be kept with the trekker while trekking, and shown to immigration employees or police on request.1
The Department of Immigration’s own permit page adds that foreign trekkers going to certain restricted areas must hold a permit from the Department, and that because these areas are sensitive for security and management, the permit is issued only through a listed trekking agency3. A permit therefore applies to the specified area and route only1.
Fees by area
In October 2026 the Department of Immigration’s trekking route and permit fee table listed 15 restricted-area entries2. Fees are in US dollars, and the “beyond” column is the charge after the first period:
| Area | Fee | Beyond the first period | Covered area | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Mustang | USD 50 per person per day | none listed | Lomanthang RM wards 1-5, Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda RM wards 1-5, Baragung Muktichetra RM ward 3 and Satang village, ward 5 | October 20262 |
| Upper Dolpa | USD 500 per person, first 10 days | USD 50 per person per day beyond 10 days | Dolpo Buddha RM wards 4-6, Shey Phoksundo RM wards 1-7, Charka Tangsong RM wards 1-6 | October 20262 |
| Gorkha Manaslu | September to November USD 100 per week; December to August USD 75 per week | USD 15 per day (Sep-Nov) or USD 10 per day (Dec-Aug) beyond 1 week | Chumnubri RM wards 1-4 | October 20262 |
| Humla | USD 50 per person per week | USD 10 per day beyond 1 week | Simikot RM wards 1, 6, 7; Namkha RM wards 1-6; Changkheli RM wards 3-5 | October 20262 |
| Taplejung | USD 20 per week, first 4 weeks | USD 25 per week beyond 4 weeks | Phantanglung RM wards 6, 7; Mikwakhola RM ward 5; Sirijunga RM ward 8 | October 20262 |
| Lower Dolpa | USD 20 per person per week | USD 5 per day beyond 1 week | Thulibheri and Tripurasundari municipalities wards 1-11; Dolpo Buddha RM wards 1-3; Shey Phoksundo RM wards 8-9; Jagdulla RM wards 1-6; Mudkechula RM wards 1-9; Kaike RM wards 1-7 | October 20262 |
| Dolakha | USD 20 per person per week | none listed | Gaurishankhar RM ward 9; Bighu RM ward 1 | October 20262 |
| Gorkha Tsum Valley | September to November USD 40 per week; December to August USD 30 per week | USD 7 per day beyond 1 week | Chumnubri RM wards 3, 6, 7 | October 20262 |
| Sankhuwasabha | USD 20 per week, first 4 weeks | USD 25 per week beyond 4 weeks | Bhotkhola RM wards 1-5; Makalu RM ward 4 | October 20262 |
| Solukhumbu | USD 20 per week, first 4 weeks | USD 25 per week beyond 4 weeks | Khumbu Pasang Lahmu RM ward 5 | October 20262 |
| Rasuwa | USD 20 per person per week | none listed | Gosaikunda RM ward 1 and part of ward 2 | October 20262 |
| Manang | September to November USD 100 per week; December to August USD 75 per week | USD 15 per day beyond 1 week | Narpa RM wards 1-5; Nasho RM wards 6, 7 | October 20262 |
| Bajhang | USD 90 per week, first week | USD 15 per day beyond 1 week | Saipal RM wards 1-5 | October 20262 |
| Mugu | USD 100 per person per week | USD 15 per day beyond 1 week | Mugumakarmarong RM wards 1-9 | October 20262 |
| Darchula | USD 90 per person per week | USD 15 per day beyond 1 week | Vyas RM ward 1 | October 20262 |
For Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpa, if the royalty paid for a mountain expedition is less than the permit fee, the difference must be paid separately2.
The west Nepal areas
Humla. The permit covers three rural municipalities by ward: Simikot, Namkha and Changkheli2. Humla lies in the far west of Nepal on the border with China and is used as the starting point for trekking and mountaineering4. The trekking route to Tibet also starts from Simikot4. The treks are in Limi Valley trek and Humla to Kailash, and the pilgrim side is in Kailash via Humla.
Mugu. At USD 100 per person per week in October 2026, the Mugu permit applies to Mugumakarmarong Rural Municipality wards 1 to 92. The district page is Mugu.
Bajhang and Darchula. Both were USD 90 per person per week in October 2026, with USD 15 per day beyond the first week2. Bajhang’s entry names Saipal Rural Municipality, wards 1 to 5, and Darchula’s names Vyas Rural Municipality, ward 12. The treks are Saipal base camp and Api base camp.
Dolpa. The October 2026 table splits Dolpa in two2. Lower Dolpa is the cheaper, at USD 20 per person per week; Upper Dolpa is USD 500 per person for the first 10 days and USD 50 per day after that2. The routes are in Upper Dolpo trek and Lower Dolpo trek.
When the two government pages disagree
In October 2026 the Nepal Tourism Board’s trekking permit page listed Charka Tangsong Rural Municipality, wards 1 to 6, at USD 50 per person per day1; the Department of Immigration’s table puts that municipality under Upper Dolpa2. The Department, the office the Board names for the permit, listed USD 500 for the first 10 days and USD 50 per day beyond 10 days2. The Department’s figure is used throughout this page, and the Nepal Tourism Board’s Humla figure of USD 50 per person per week, with USD 10 per day beyond one week, matches it1.
Park-entry charges sit on top of a permit; Rara National Park’s, for example, are covered in national park fees.
Read next
Humla: Simikot, the Kailash route and the permit
Humla district guide: Simikot, how to reach it by air and on foot, the route to Hilsa and Kailash, the restricted-area permit fee and who can issue it.
District guidesMugu: Rara Lake, Talcha airport and the roads in
Mugu district guide for Rara Lake: Gamgadhi, Talcha airport, getting in from Surkhet and Jumla, the best months, the permit and where to stay.
TreksUpper Dolpo trek: route, days, passes, permit fee and cost
Upper Dolpo trek guide: a 27-day operator itinerary from Juphal, the high passes, the season, the USD 500 permit and park fees, and group prices.
Questions travellers ask
How much does a trekking permit cost in Nepal's restricted areas?
In October 2026 the Department of Immigration's table listed 15 restricted-area entries, from USD 20 per person per week for Lower Dolpa, Dolakha and Rasuwa to USD 100 per week for Mugu2. Upper Mustang is USD 50 per person per day, and Upper Dolpa USD 500 for the first 10 days2.
How much does a permit for the Lower Dolpo trek cost?
In October 2026 the Department of Immigration listed Lower Dolpa at USD 20 per person per week, plus USD 5 per day beyond one week2. The area covers Thulibheri and Tripurasundari municipalities and wards of Dolpo Buddha, Shey Phoksundo, Jagdulla, Mudkechula and Kaike rural municipalities2.
How much does it cost to book the Upper Dolpo trek?
The permit alone is USD 500 per person for the first 10 days and USD 50 per person per day beyond 10 days, as listed by the Department of Immigration in October 20262. The Nepal Tourism Board's page lists Charka Tangsong Rural Municipality (wards 1 to 6), one of the Upper Dolpa areas, at USD 50 per person per day instead1,2; the Department's figure is used here.
Do I need an agency to get a restricted-area permit?
The Department of Immigration's permit page says foreign trekkers heading to certain restricted areas must obtain a permit from the Department, and that because the areas are sensitive for security and management, the permit is issued only through a listed trekking agency3.
Sources
- Trekking Permit in Nepal · Nepal Tourism Board · ntb.gov.np · checked 19 October 2026
- Trekking Route and Permit Fee · Department of Immigration, Nepal · immigration.gov.np · checked 19 October 2026
- Trekking Permit · Department of Immigration, Nepal · immigration.gov.np · checked 19 October 2026
- Humla District - Wikipedia · Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · checked 19 October 2026
Image credits (1)
- Jean-Marie Hullot / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · source
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