Everest Trek Map (2026): Route, Elevations, Distances & Itinerary Planner

Updated October 2026 · Written in Kathmandu · Heights in feet (metres in brackets) · Permit and Lukla flight rules checked for the 2026 seasons

Most Everest trek maps online are either a pretty route image on a tour company’s sales page or a product listing for a paper sheet map. Neither tells you what you actually need on the trail: how high you sleep each night, how far the next village is, where the permit checkpoints are, where the last ATM is, and which junctions send trekkers the wrong way.

This page is built as a working Everest trek map tool. It maps the whole Khumbu trail network, lets you open each stop for details, checks every day’s altitude gain against safe-ascent guidelines, and gives you ready-made 12, 14 and 16-day plans. If you are still at the stage of visas, SIM cards and insurance, start with our complete guide to traveling to Nepal, then come back here to plan the trek itself.

The Everest trek map in one paragraph

The classic route flies into Lukla (9,383 ft), walks up the Dudh Koshi valley through Phakding and the park gate at Monjo to Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft), climbs past Tengboche Monastery to Dingboche (14,469 ft), then follows the Khumbu Glacier via Lobuche and Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp (17,598 ft). The highest point most trekkers reach is Kala Patthar (18,192 ft). The round trip is roughly 75–80 miles and usually takes 12–14 days including two acclimatization days.

Trek starts9,383 ftLukla

Highest point18,192 ftKala Patthar

Round trip≈75–80 mi≈120–130 km

Typical length12–14 daysincl. 2 rest days

Tool sections

The full Everest trek map (all three valleys)
Trail junctions where trekkers go wrong
Stop-by-stop finder
Elevation profile and altitude-gain checker
Distance and walking-time table
Itinerary planner: 12, 14 and 16 days
Everest region routes compared
Getting to the start: Lukla, Ramechhap and road options
Permits and checkpoints on the map
Best printed and offline Everest maps
FAQs

Everest Trek Map: The Full Khumbu Route Network

Above Namche Bazaar the Everest region splits into three parallel valleys. The classic Everest Base Camp trek uses the middle one. Gokyo Lakes sits in the western valley, and Chhukung and Island Peak sit in the eastern one. Three high passes link them, which is how the Three Passes trek and the Gokyo–EBC loop are built. Read each column from the bottom (lowest) to the top (highest).

Everest region trek map (schematic, not to scale)

West: Gokyo Valley

Dudh Koshi · Ngozumpa Glacier

Gokyo Ri · 17,575 ft

Gokyo · 15,715 ft

Machhermo · 14,665 ft

Dole · 13,255 ft

Mong La · ≈13,000 ft

Middle: Khumbu Valley (classic EBC)

Khumbu Khola · Khumbu Glacier

Kala Patthar · 18,192 ft

Everest Base Camp · 17,598 ft

Gorak Shep · 16,942 ft

Lobuche · 16,207 ft

Thukla (Dughla) · ≈15,100 ft

Pheriche · ≈14,340 ft

Pangboche · ≈13,070 ft

Tengboche · 12,687 ft

East: Imja Valley

Imja Khola · Island Peak

Island Peak summit · 20,305 ft

Chhukung Ri · ≈18,200 ft

Chhukung · 15,518 ft

Nangkartshang viewpoint · ≈16,700 ft

Dingboche · 14,469 ft

Renjo La · 17,585 ft
Gokyo ↔ Lungden ↔ Thame (west side)

Cho La · 17,782 ft
Gokyo (Thagnak) ↔ Dzongla ↔ Lobuche

Kongma La · 18,159 ft
Chhukung ↔ Lobuche (east side)

Shared trunk trail (all routes)

Lukla 9,383 ft → Phakding 8,563 ft → Monjo 9,301 ft (park gate) → Jorsale → Hillary Bridge → Namche Bazaar 11,286 ft → Sanasa / Kyangjuma (the trail splits: right for Tengboche and EBC, left up to Mong La for Gokyo)

Elevations are rounded and vary slightly between maps (published Kala Patthar figures range from about 18,190 to 18,520 ft depending on the survey point). Always navigate with a scale map or offline app.

Trail junctions where trekkers go wrong

The Everest trail is busy and well marked, but four junctions catch people out every season, especially in fog or when walking ahead of a group. These are the points to zoom into on any Everest trek map:

1. Sanasa, above Namche

The contour path from Namche reaches a fork near Sanasa and Kyangjuma. Descend right toward Phunki Thenga for Tengboche and EBC; climb left to Mong La for Gokyo.

2. Above Pangboche (Orsho)

The trail splits for Dingboche (Imja valley, right) or Pheriche (Khumbu valley, straight on). Both rejoin at Thukla, so either works – but your lodge booking may be in only one.

3. Thukla pass memorials

A steep climb above Thukla leads to the climbers’ memorial cairns. Here the Dzongla and Cho La trail branches west; stay on the valley path to Lobuche.

4. Gorak Shep moraine

Beyond Gorak Shep the base camp path follows a shifting glacier moraine. Kala Patthar is the slope directly behind the lodges, not along the glacier – don’t mix the two up before dawn.

Stop-by-Stop Finder: Tap Any Village for Details

Each stop below opens to show its height, what services you can realistically expect, and what it means for your plan. Services in the high villages change with the season and the lodge, so treat these as typical rather than guaranteed.

Lukla · 9,383 ft (2,860 m) — trek start

Tenzing–Hillary Airport; flights from Ramechhap in peak season, Kathmandu at other times
Buy your Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit here
ATMs, gear shops, bakeries and the last big choice of supplies before Namche
Meet porters here; repack to the airline weight limit before you fly in

Phakding · 8,563 ft (2,610 m) — first night

About 3–4 hours from Lukla, mostly downhill along the Dudh Koshi
Lower than Lukla, so a gentle first night for your body
Plenty of lodges; many groups push on to Monjo to shorten the Namche climb

Monjo · 9,301 ft (2,835 m) — national park gate

Sagarmatha National Park entry checkpoint; buy or show your park permit
Sleeping here instead of Phakding cuts the next day’s gain to Namche by about 740 ft
After Jorsale comes the long climb to the Hillary suspension bridge and Namche

Namche Bazaar · 11,286 ft (3,440 m) — acclimatization day 1

The Sherpa capital: last reliable ATMs, pharmacies, gear rental, bakeries, good phone signal
Rest-day hikes to the Everest View Hotel area or Khumjung and Khunde (Khunde has a hospital)
Saturday market and a small Sherpa museum above town
Withdraw enough cash here for the rest of the trek – above Namche it is cash only

Tengboche · 12,687 ft (3,867 m) — the monastery

Tengboche Monastery, the largest in the Khumbu, with views of Ama Dablam and Everest
Few lodges on the ridge; nearby Deboche, a short walk on, has more beds and is slightly lower
The day involves a big descent to Phunki Thenga before the climb, so total effort is more than the net gain suggests

Dingboche · 14,469 ft (4,410 m) — acclimatization day 2

Stone-walled fields in the Imja valley; above the tree line from here on
Rest-day hike up Nangkartshang ridge or out to Chhukung to climb high and sleep low
Charging, hot showers and Wi-Fi cost noticeably more from here upward

Pheriche · ≈14,340 ft (≈4,371 m) — the medical village

Home of the Himalayan Rescue Association aid post, usually staffed in the main seasons
Alternative to Dingboche on the way up and the usual first stop on the way down
Windier valley floor; check in at the aid post if anyone in your group has symptoms

Lobuche · 16,207 ft (4,940 m)

A small cluster of lodges beside the Khumbu Glacier moraine
Nights are very cold; book ahead in October and April, when beds run out
Cho La trekkers arrive here from Dzongla to the west

Gorak Shep · 16,942 ft (5,164 m) — last lodges

The final settlement, on an old frozen lake bed; base for both EBC and Kala Patthar
Most people sleep badly here – one night is usually enough
Arrive by lunch, drop your bag, walk to base camp in the afternoon

Everest Base Camp · 17,598 ft (5,364 m)

About 2–3 hours one way from Gorak Shep along the glacier moraine
The marked rock and prayer flags are at the trekkers’ end; the expedition tents are spread across the glacier in spring
You can’t see Everest’s summit well from here – that’s what Kala Patthar is for

Kala Patthar · 18,192 ft (5,545 m) — best Everest view

A steep 1.5–2 hour climb from Gorak Shep; most go for sunrise or late-afternoon light
The highest point of the classic trek and the classic photo of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse
Pre-dawn temperatures are well below freezing – carry your warmest layers and a headlamp

Elevation Profile of the Everest Trek (Round Trip)

This profile shows where you sleep (or stand, for EBC and Kala Patthar) on each step of the standard 12-day trek, including the descent. Darker bars mean higher altitude.

9.4k

8.6k

11.3k

12.7k

14.5k

16.2k

16.9k

17.6k

18.2k

14.3k

11.3k

9.4k

Lukla
Phakding
Namche
Tengboche
Dingboche
Lobuche
Gorak Shep
EBC
Kala Patthar
Pheriche
Namche
Lukla

Heights in thousands of feet. Going up takes about eight days; coming down takes about three.

Altitude-gain checker: how hard is each day?

Mountain-medicine guidelines advise that above about 9,800 ft (3,000 m) you should raise your sleeping altitude by no more than about 1,640 ft (500 m) a night, with a rest day every three or four days. Here is how the standard itinerary measures up. This is something almost no route map shows you.

Day 1 · Lukla → Phakding · −820 ft (descent)

Day 2 · Phakding → Namche · +2,723 ft

Day 3 · Namche rest day · 0 ft (hike high, sleep low)

Day 4 · Namche → Tengboche · +1,401 ft

Day 5 · Tengboche → Dingboche · +1,782 ft

Day 6 · Dingboche rest day · 0 ft

Day 7 · Dingboche → Lobuche · +1,738 ft

Day 8 · Lobuche → Gorak Shep · +735 ft (plus EBC day trip)

Green: within the 1,640 ft guideline. Orange: slightly above it. Red: well above it – only acceptable because a rest day follows.

How to fix the red and orange days

Sleep at Monjo, not Phakding, on day 1. The Namche day drops to about +1,985 ft.
Never skip the Namche rest day, however good you feel. It exists because day 2 is the steepest gain of the trek.
Add a night at Pheriche or Thukla on the way up if anyone has a headache at Dingboche.
If symptoms get worse, go down. Confusion, stumbling or breathlessness at rest are emergencies, not something to sleep off.

Everest Trek Distance and Walking-Time Table

Distances on the Everest trail are quoted very differently from one source to the next because GPS tracks wander on switchbacks. The figures below are typical stage values; the walking times matter more than the miles, because altitude, not distance, sets your pace.

Stage	Distance	Walking time	Running total
Lukla → Phakding	≈5 mi (8 km)	3–4 h	5 mi
Phakding → Namche Bazaar	≈6.3 mi (10 km)	5–6 h	11.3 mi
Namche → Tengboche	≈5.7 mi (9 km)	5–6 h	17 mi
Tengboche → Dingboche	≈6.8 mi (11 km)	5–6 h	23.8 mi
Dingboche → Lobuche	≈5.5–7.5 mi (9–12 km)	5–6 h	≈30 mi
Lobuche → Gorak Shep	≈2.8 mi (4.5 km)	3 h	≈33 mi
Gorak Shep → EBC (one way)	≈2.2 mi (3.5 km)	2–3 h	≈35 mi
Gorak Shep → Kala Patthar (one way)	≈1.2 mi (2 km)	1.5–2 h up	side trip
Gorak Shep → Pheriche	≈7 mi (11–13 km)	5–6 h	descent
Pheriche → Namche	≈12 mi (19–20 km)	6–7 h	descent
Namche → Lukla	≈11 mi (17–18 km)	6–7 h	finish

One way to base camp is about 35–40 miles of trail; with the descent, Kala Patthar and acclimatization hikes, most trekkers log roughly 75–80 miles in total.

Itinerary Planner: Pick Your Route Length

Open the plan that matches your time. All three count trekking days from the morning you fly into Lukla. Add at least one spare day before your international flight for Lukla weather.

12 days · Classic Everest Base Camp (most popular)

Day	Route	Sleep
1	Fly to Lukla, walk to Phakding	8,563 ft
2	Phakding → Namche Bazaar	11,286 ft
3	Rest day: hike toward Khumjung, return	11,286 ft
4	Namche → Tengboche	12,687 ft
5	Tengboche → Dingboche	14,469 ft
6	Rest day: Nangkartshang hike, return	14,469 ft
7	Dingboche → Lobuche	16,207 ft
8	Lobuche → Gorak Shep → EBC → Gorak Shep	16,942 ft
9	Kala Patthar sunrise, descend to Pheriche	≈14,340 ft
10	Pheriche → Namche	11,286 ft
11	Namche → Lukla	9,383 ft
12	Fly out of Lukla	Kathmandu

14 days · Gentler EBC (best for first-timers and older trekkers)

Day 1: Lukla → Monjo (9,301 ft)
Days 2–3: Monjo → Namche, then rest day
Day 4: Namche → Deboche or Tengboche
Days 5–6: To Dingboche, then rest day (Chhukung hike)
Day 7: Dingboche → Thukla (a short day that splits the climb to Lobuche)
Day 8: Thukla → Lobuche
Day 9: Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp
Day 10: Kala Patthar, descend to Pheriche
Days 11–12: Pheriche → Namche → Lukla
Days 13–14: Fly out, plus one weather buffer day

16 days · Gokyo Lakes + Cho La + Everest Base Camp loop

Days 1–3: Lukla → Phakding → Namche, rest day
Days 4–6: Namche → Dole → Machhermo → Gokyo (short, safe gains)
Day 7: Sunrise on Gokyo Ri (17,575 ft), rest at Gokyo
Day 8: Cross the Ngozumpa Glacier to Thagnak (Dragnag)
Day 9: Cross Cho La (17,782 ft) to Dzongla – the hardest day; start before dawn
Day 10: Dzongla → Lobuche
Day 11: Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp
Day 12: Kala Patthar, descend to Pheriche
Days 13–14: Pheriche → Namche → Lukla
Days 15–16: Fly out, plus buffer. Doing Gokyo first means you are well acclimatized before the pass.

Everest Region Trek Routes Compared

The same map supports several very different treks. Use this table to decide which line you are actually drawing.

Route	Days	Highest point	Who it suits
Classic EBC	12–14	18,192 ft (Kala Patthar)	First high-altitude trek, fit walkers
Gokyo Lakes & Gokyo Ri	11–13	17,575 ft	Quieter trails, turquoise lakes, arguably a better Everest view
Gokyo + Cho La + EBC	15–17	18,192 ft	Experienced trekkers wanting both valleys in one loop
Three Passes	18–21	18,192 ft (Kongma La 18,159 ft)	Strong, experienced trekkers; passes can close in snow
Jiri or Shivalaya walk-in to EBC	19–22	18,192 ft	The historic Hillary approach; skips the Lukla flight and acclimatizes naturally
Jeep via Salleri to Paiya or Thamdanda	+2–4 days	same as chosen route	A road alternative when Lukla flights are cancelled for days

Getting to the Start of the Map: Lukla, Ramechhap and Road Options

The first line on any Everest trek map is the flight. In the spring and autumn peak seasons, scheduled Lukla flights do not leave from Kathmandu. Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority moves them to Manthali Airport in Ramechhap, roughly 82 miles (132 km) by road east of Kathmandu, to ease congestion. Trekking companies commonly describe the window as late March to the end of May and late September to the end of November.

1–2 a.m.Leave Kathmandu by jeep (or sleep in Manthali the night before)

3.5–5 hDrive to Manthali Airport, Ramechhap

≈20 minFlight to Lukla in a small plane

Same dayBuy the Khumbu permit, walk to Phakding

Off-season (winter and the monsoon), flights often return to Kathmandu, but check with your airline.
Weather rules everything. Lukla flights fly by sight, and cloud can ground them for one to three days in a row.
Baggage is strict – plan on about 22 lb (10 kg) checked plus a small carry-on.
Backups: shared helicopters from Ramechhap or Kathmandu, or a jeep through Salleri to the Paiya and Thamdanda road-heads, then walk up to Lukla’s trail.

Permits and Checkpoints on the Everest Trek Map

The Everest region needs two local permits and no TIMS card. Both checkpoints sit on the first two days of the map, so you cannot miss them.

Permit	Fee (foreigners)	Where on the map
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit	NPR 2,000–3,000 (most 2026 reports quote 3,000)	Lukla counter, just after landing
Sagarmatha National Park entry permit	NPR 3,000	Monjo gate, or the Tourist Service Centre in Kathmandu

Do you need a guide for the Everest trek?

Nepal’s April 2023 rule requiring licensed guides for foreign trekkers covers most national parks and conservation areas, but the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality did not adopt it, so independent trekking on the Everest map remains allowed with both permits. A guide is still strongly recommended for the high passes and for anyone new to altitude. Rules can change at short notice; our Nepal travel guide covers visas, SIM cards and insurance altitude limits you should sort out before the trek.

Best Printed and Offline Everest Trek Maps

A schematic like the one above is for planning. On the trail you want a proper topographic map with contours, plus an offline app on your phone. These are the options most trekkers use:

Map	Scale	Covers	Good to know
Knife Edge Outdoor “Everest Base Camp Trekking Map”	1:40,000	Classic EBC, Three Passes, Gokyo, walk-in to Lukla	Most detailed sheet; tear-resistant; free GPX downloads (2024 edition)
Nepa Maps NE517 “Three Passes”	1:50,000	Lukla to the upper Khumbu, all three passes, Island Peak	Cheap and easy to buy in Thamel bookshops
1:50,000 “Everest Base Camp” sheet	1:50,000	Lukla to EBC and Gokyo	40 m contours plus a route profile and stage tables in metres and feet
National Geographic Trails Illustrated “Everest Base Camp”	Topographic	Lukla to EBC, Sagarmatha National Park	Nepal overview and Kathmandu map on the reverse
Offline phone apps (OpenStreetMap-based)	Zoomable	Whole region with GPS position	Download the Khumbu area before leaving Kathmandu; carry a power bank

Offline navigation checklist

✓ Before you fly to Lukla

Download offline maps for the whole Khumbu, not just the EBC line
Load a GPX track of your route and the descent to Pheriche
Screenshot this page’s itinerary and stop list
Save your insurer’s assistance number offline

⚠ On the trail

Cold drains batteries fast – keep your phone inside your jacket at night
Phone data is reasonable to Namche and patchy above it; lodges sell paid Wi-Fi cards
Carry the paper map for the passes, where fog and snow hide the trail
Ask lodge owners about the next day’s conditions – they know before any map does

When to Use This Map: Season at a Glance

Oct–Nov

Clearest views, busiest lodges. Book Lobuche and Gorak Shep early.

Dec–Feb

Very cold, quiet trail; high passes may be snowbound.

Mar–May

Warmer, rhododendrons below Tengboche, expedition tents at base camp.

Jun–Sep

Monsoon cloud, frequent flight delays, few views below Namche.

Local Tips from Kathmandu

Walk the trail in your head before you walk it. Trekkers who know that day 2 is the steep one and day 4 drops before it climbs pace themselves far better than those who only know the finish line.
Carry small rupee notes above Namche. Lodges rarely have change for big notes, and charging, showers and Wi-Fi are paid separately.
Choose Dingboche or Pheriche by your rest day, not your guidebook. Dingboche has the better acclimatization hikes; Pheriche has the aid post.
Treat yaks as traffic. When a caravan comes, step to the mountain side of the trail, never the drop side.
Budget a spare day at both ends. The most common way an Everest trip goes wrong is not the altitude – it’s a missed international flight after Lukla is clouded in.

What Most Everest Trek Maps Leave Out

Sleeping-altitude gains. Maps show peaks, not the nightly jumps that cause altitude sickness. The checker above fills that gap.
The Ramechhap step. Most route maps still start at Kathmandu, but in peak season your journey starts with a night drive east.
Where to get permits. Lukla for the municipality permit, Monjo for the park permit – both on your first two days.
The last ATM. Namche Bazaar. Above it, the trek runs on cash.
Medical points. Khunde Hospital near Namche and the Himalayan Rescue Association aid post at Pheriche.
Junction confusion. Sanasa, Orsho, Thukla and Gorak Shep are where people take the wrong path, especially in fog.

Everest Trek Map: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the route of the Everest Base Camp trek?

Lukla, Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp, with a side trip up Kala Patthar. You return the same way, usually overnighting at Pheriche and Namche.

How long is the Everest trek in miles?

About 35–40 miles of trail one way from Lukla to base camp, and roughly 75–80 miles for the full round trip including Kala Patthar and acclimatization hikes.

What is the highest point on the Everest trek map?

On the classic trek it is Kala Patthar at about 18,192 ft. Everest Base Camp itself is about 17,598 ft. On the Three Passes trek, Kongma La reaches about 18,159 ft.

How many days do you need for Everest Base Camp?

Twelve days from Lukla back to Lukla is the standard, including two rest days. Fourteen days is safer for first-timers, and you should add at least one spare day for Lukla flight delays.

Which is the best map for the Everest trek?

For detail, the 1:40,000 Knife Edge Outdoor sheet; for value and the passes, the 1:50,000 Nepa Maps NE517 sold in Kathmandu. Pair either with an offline phone map downloaded before you leave.

Where do you get Everest trek permits?

The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit is sold in Lukla, and the Sagarmatha National Park permit at the Monjo gate or in Kathmandu. No TIMS card is needed in the Everest region.

Can you see Everest from Everest Base Camp?

Only partly – the summit is largely hidden behind Nuptse and the Khumbu Icefall. The famous full view of Everest comes from Kala Patthar above Gorak Shep, or from Gokyo Ri on the Gokyo route.

The bottom line

A good Everest trek map is more than a line from Lukla to base camp. Know the three valleys, the four junctions, the two permit points, the last ATM and, above all, how high you sleep each night. Plan for 12–14 days, respect the Namche and Dingboche rest days, and keep a spare day for Lukla weather.

Planning the rest of your trip? Read our full guide to traveling to Nepal, or browse more planners on our free online tools page.

Himalayan Travel Guide (2026): How to Plan a Trip to Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and the Indian Himalaya

Updated October 2026 · Written from Kathmandu · Permit rules and fees checked for 2026 · All heights in feet

Himalayan travel sounds like one trip. In reality it is four or five very different ones. The same mountain range runs for about 1,500 miles across Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, India and Pakistan, and each country controls access in its own way: one lets you walk in with a visa bought at the airport, one charges a nightly fee, one only admits you on a guided tour, and one hands out permits valley by valley.

Most Himalayan guides online are tour-company brochures for a single country. This one does the comparison for you. Below you will find which country suits which traveler, the permits and fees that actually apply in 2026, a month-by-month season chart, an altitude chart in feet, realistic daily costs, and how to link two or more countries using Kathmandu as your base. If you are coming to Nepal specifically, pair this with our full guide to traveling to Nepal.

Quick answer: how to plan Himalayan travel

Pick the country by freedom and budget: Nepal for independent trekking, Bhutan for a guided luxury-style trip, Tibet for the plateau and Everest’s north face (tour only), Ladakh and Sikkim for road trips.
Pick the season by monsoon: October–November and March–May for Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim; roughly May–October for Ladakh and Tibet.
Start permits early: Tibet needs 20–30 days; Bhutan needs visa clearance before you fly; Nepal is mostly sorted on arrival.
Plan for altitude: above about 9,800 ft, gain no more than roughly 1,600 ft of sleeping height a day.
Insure for your highest point and helicopter evacuation.

In this guide

What Himalayan travel actually covers
Which Himalayan country should you choose?
Best time for Himalayan travel, month by month
Visas, permits and fees in 2026
Top destinations in each country
Altitude: how high you will really go
How much Himalayan travel costs per day
Combining countries from Kathmandu
Planning timeline and packing
What most Himalayan guides miss
FAQs

What Himalayan Travel Actually Covers

“Himalaya” comes from Sanskrit and means “abode of snow.” The range curves from Nanga Parbat in Pakistan in the west to the great bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river in Tibet in the east, and holds every mountain on Earth above 26,000 ft except those in the neighbouring Karakoram. For a traveler, it helps to think of it as three bands:

Green foothills

Roughly 2,000–9,000 ft. Terraced villages, tea gardens, forests. Kathmandu, Pokhara, Darjeeling, Paro and Thimphu sit here. Hit hard by the June–September monsoon.

The high Himalaya

Roughly 9,000–18,500 ft for trekkers. Sherpa and Bhutia villages, glaciers, base camps and high passes. This is where most treks happen.

The rain shadow

North of the main peaks: Tibet, Ladakh, Spiti, Upper Mustang and Dolpo. Dry, high and stark, with a summer season when the rest of the range is under cloud.

That last point is the single most useful fact in Himalayan trip planning: when the south side is wet, the north side is at its best. A July trip to Pokhara is a gamble; a July trip to Leh or Lhasa is prime season. For more on why Nepal’s landscape changes so sharply from south to north, see our explainer on the natural resources of Nepal.

Which Himalayan Country Should You Choose?

Start with two questions: how independently do you want to travel, and how much do you want to spend per day? Those two answers usually decide the country before scenery even enters the picture.

Factor	Nepal	Bhutan	Tibet (China)	Indian Himalaya
Travel style	Independent in towns; licensed guide on most treks	Guide needed beyond Paro and Thimphu	Guided tour only	Independent; agent permits for border zones
Entry	Visa on arrival	e-Visa cleared before flying	China visa + Tibet Travel Permit	Indian e-Visa (most nationalities)
Daily government fee	None (park fees per area)	US$100 per night	None; permits inside tour price	None; small permit fees
Lead time	Days	Weeks	20–30 days minimum	Days to weeks
Best for	Classic treks, Everest, budget to luxury	Culture, monasteries, uncrowded comfort	Lhasa, plateau, Kailash, Everest north side	Road trips, high lakes, pilgrimage, monsoon-season travel (Ladakh)

First Himalayan trip, flexible budget

Nepal. The widest choice of treks, from three-day Poon Hill to Everest Base Camp, and the easiest entry.

Short trip, comfort, culture

Bhutan. Everything is arranged for you, crowds are small, and dzongs and festivals are the highlight.

Summer holiday (June–August)

Ladakh or Tibet. Both sit in the rain shadow, so July and August are good months there.

Best Time for Himalayan Travel, Month by Month

The south-facing Himalaya in Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Darjeeling gets rain and mist from about late June to the end of September, and the clearest views follow straight after. The high plateau of Tibet and Ladakh works the other way round, with its main season in the warmer months.

Himalayan travel season chart

Region	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Nepal treks (Everest, Annapurna)	●	●	●	●	●	○	○	○	●	★	★	●
Bhutan	●	●	●	★	●	○	○	○	●	★	★	●
Sikkim & Darjeeling	●	●	●	●	●	○	○	○	●	★	★	●
Ladakh & Spiti	○	○	○	●	●	★	★	★	●	●	○	○
Tibet (Lhasa, Everest north)	●	○	○	●	★	●	●	●	★	★	●	●
Upper Mustang & Dolpo (Nepal)	○	○	●	●	●	★	★	★	●	●	●	○

★ Best
Very good
Good
Possible, cold or hazy
○ Monsoon, snowbound or often closed

Local tip from Kathmandu

October and November are perfect for views but also coincide with Dashain and Tihar, Nepal’s biggest festivals. Domestic flights, buses and hotels fill with families going home, and some offices close for days. Book Lukla, Pokhara and Paro flights early, and if you need a visa extension, get it before the holidays. Our short explainer on what Dashain is helps you understand why the whole country slows down.

Visas, Permits and Fees for Himalayan Travel in 2026

This is where Himalayan travel gets confusing, and where outdated blogs cause the most trouble. Rules changed in several places in 2023, 2025 and again in March 2026. Here is the current picture, country by country.

Nepal

Tourist visa on arrival: US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days, US$125 for 90 days, per the Department of Immigration. Indian citizens need no visa.
Licensed guide rule: since 1 April 2023, foreign trekkers in national parks, conservation areas and restricted areas must trek with a licensed guide booked through a registered agency. The independent (green) TIMS card no longer exists.
The Everest exception: the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, which governs the Everest Base Camp trail, did not adopt the guide rule. Independent trekking to EBC remains legal with two permits: the Sagarmatha National Park fee and the municipality’s own trek permit, each about NPR 3,000.
New in March 2026: solo travelers can now apply for restricted-area permits (Manaslu, Upper Mustang, Dolpo) without the old two-person minimum. A licensed guide and agency are still required.
Climbing Everest: the spring summit permit rose from US$11,000 to US$15,000 from September 2025; autumn is US$7,500 and winter US$3,750.

The step-by-step airport process, extension costs and a full Everest trek map are in our Nepal travel guide.

Bhutan

Sustainable Development Fee (SDF): US$100 per person, per night, confirmed at that rate through 31 August 2027. Children 6–11 pay half; under-6s pay nothing.
Visa: a one-off US$40 e-Visa, applied for and paid before you travel (directly with the Department of Immigration or through an operator). Airlines will not board you without the clearance.
Indian visitors need an entry permit rather than a visa and pay an SDF of INR 1,200 per night.
Guides: a licensed guide is required for travel beyond Paro and Thimphu and on every trek, so most visitors book a guided itinerary.
Getting in: by air only into Paro (Drukair or Bhutan Airlines), or by land via Phuentsholing, Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar from India.

Tibet (China)

Guided tour only: foreigners cannot travel independently in the Tibet Autonomous Region. You must book a tour with a licensed Tibetan agency.
Tibet Travel Permit (TTP): only the agency can apply for it. It is checked when you board a flight or train to Lhasa. Allow about 15 days for processing and 20–30 days in peak season.
Extra permits: an Aliens’ Travel Permit is needed for areas outside Lhasa such as Shigatse, Everest north base camp and Mount Kailash; some border areas need further military permits. Your agency arranges these.
Entering from Nepal: travelers coming from Kathmandu need a Tibet Group Visa, arranged through the agency, rather than a standard Chinese visa.

Indian Himalaya (Ladakh, Sikkim and beyond)

Ladakh: Leh town needs no permit, but foreigners need a Protected Area Permit (PAP) for Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri. It is arranged through a registered Leh agent or the official LAHDC permit portal, is valid for up to 15 days, and the rules expect foreigners to apply in a group of two or more. Zanskar does not need one. Ladakh was reviewing its permit framework in 2026, so check before you go.
Sikkim: foreigners need a Restricted Area Permit to enter the state, plus additional protected-area permits, arranged through a registered agency, for places like Tsomgo Lake and North Sikkim.
Himachal and Uttarakhand: most of Manali, Dharamshala, Rishikesh and the Char Dham region need no special permit beyond your Indian visa, but areas close to the Tibet border do.

Himalayan permits and fees at a glance (2026)

Destination	What you need	Typical cost	Guide required?
Everest Base Camp, Nepal	Sagarmatha NP fee + Khumbu municipality permit	About NPR 3,000 each	No (advised)
Annapurna & Langtang, Nepal	Area permit via agency	NPR 3,000 per area	Yes
Manaslu, Mustang, Dolpo, Nepal	Restricted Area Permit + area permit	Higher; varies by area and season	Yes
Bhutan	e-Visa + SDF	US$40 + US$100 per night	Beyond Paro & Thimphu
Tibet	China visa (or Group Visa from Nepal) + TTP + ATP	Permits included in tour	Yes, always
Ladakh lakes & Nubra	Indian visa + PAP	Small permit and environment fees	No; agent for PAP

Why sources disagree about Nepal’s rules

Search for “solo trekking Nepal” and you will find agencies saying it is banned everywhere and others saying Everest is open. Both are partly right: the national rule covers all national parks and conservation areas, but the Khumbu municipality runs its own permit system and kept Everest open to independent trekkers. Agencies selling guided treks naturally stress the ban. Before booking, confirm the current position with the Nepal Tourism Board or a registered agency, because these rules have changed twice in three years.

Top Himalayan Destinations by Country

Nepal

Everest Base Camp (17,598 ft): the classic 12–14 day trek through Sherpa country.
Annapurna Circuit & Base Camp: from rice terraces to the 17,769 ft Thorong La.
Poon Hill: a 3–5 day sunrise trek, ideal for beginners and families.
Upper Mustang: a walled kingdom in the rain shadow, best in summer.
Kathmandu Valley & Pokhara: temples, lakes and paragliding.

Bhutan

Tiger’s Nest (Paro Taktsang): a cliffside monastery at about 10,240 ft.
Punakha Dzong: the riverside fortress most photos come from.
Dochula Pass: 108 chortens and a Himalayan skyline on clear days.
Tshechu festivals: masked dances, mostly in spring and autumn.
Druk Path & Jomolhari treks: guided camping treks.

Tibet

Lhasa (about 11,975 ft): Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor.
Everest north base camp (about 17,060 ft): reachable by road.
Mount Kailash kora: a 32-mile pilgrimage over the 18,471 ft Dolma La.
Namtso & Yamdrok lakes: turquoise high-altitude lakes.

Indian Himalaya

Ladakh: Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso (about 14,270 ft), Markha Valley trek.
Spiti Valley: cliff monasteries and a rain-shadow road trip.
Sikkim & Darjeeling: Kangchenjunga views, tea estates, Goecha La trek.
Uttarakhand: Valley of Flowers, Char Dham pilgrimage, Rishikesh.

Altitude: How High Your Himalayan Trip Really Goes

Many travelers worry about Everest Base Camp and forget that they will land in Leh or Lhasa at nearly 12,000 ft, with no walking-in period at all. The chart below puts popular stops on one scale.

Altitude of popular Himalayan destinations (feet)

Kathmandu · 4,600

Paro airport, Bhutan · 7,333

Tiger’s Nest, Bhutan · 10,240

Namche Bazaar, Nepal · 11,286

Leh, Ladakh · 11,562 (you fly straight in)

Lhasa, Tibet · 11,975 (you fly or train straight in)

Annapurna Base Camp · 13,550

Pangong Tso, Ladakh · 14,270

Everest Base Camp, Nepal · 17,598

Dolma La, Kailash kora · 18,471

Mount Everest summit · 29,032

Orange bars are fly-in destinations where you arrive at altitude without a gradual climb. Heights are approximate.

Simple acclimatization rules

1Fly-in to Leh or Lhasa? Rest for the first 24–48 hours

2Above 9,800 ft, add no more than about 1,600 ft of sleeping height a day

3Rest day every 3–4 days: climb high, sleep low

4Confusion or breathlessness at rest: descend immediately

How Much Himalayan Travel Costs Per Day

Government fees and tour rules, not hotels, create the biggest price gaps between Himalayan countries. Bhutan’s SDF alone costs more per night than a mid-range day in Nepal.

Typical daily cost per person (US$, excluding international flights)

Nepal, backpacker · $25–40

Nepal, mid-range · $60–120

Tibet, budget group tour · about $160 (around $1,100 a week)

Bhutan, private trip with SDF · $250–450

Bars show the top of each range. Nepal figures from our Nepal travel guide; Bhutan and Tibet figures from 2026 operator pricing. Treks add guide, porter and permit costs.

Indian Himalaya: usually the cheapest for independent travelers, with homestays and shared jeeps in Ladakh, Spiti and Sikkim. Costs rise if you hire a private car and driver for the high passes.
Bhutan maths: a couple staying 6 nights pays US$1,200 in SDF before hotels, food or a guide.
Hidden costs everywhere: hot showers, charging and Wi-Fi on Nepal’s high trails; tips for guides and drivers; and travel insurance that covers helicopter evacuation.

Combining Himalayan Countries: Kathmandu as Your Hub

Kathmandu is the most practical base for a multi-country Himalayan trip. It has direct links to Paro and Lhasa, the cheapest flights into Bhutan, and an overland route to Darjeeling and Sikkim.

Routes out of Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Nepal · 4,600 ft

→ Paro, Bhutan

About an hour by air; one-way fares from roughly US$200–280. Visa clearance first.

→ Lhasa, Tibet

By air, or overland via the Kerung (Rasuwagadhi) border on a guided tour. Tibet Group Visa needed.

→ Darjeeling & Sikkim

Fly or bus east to Kakarbhitta, cross to India, then up by road. Indian visa needed.

→ Ladakh

Fly to Delhi, then on to Leh. Best paired with Nepal only if you travel in different seasons.

Schematic. Fares and schedules change by season; check current options before booking.

Two combinations that work well

Nepal + Bhutan (14–16 days, Oct–Nov or Mar–Apr)

Days 1–3: Kathmandu Valley
Days 4–9: short trek (Poon Hill) or Pokhara and Chitwan
Days 10–15: fly to Paro; Thimphu, Punakha, Tiger’s Nest
Day 16: fly out

Nepal + Tibet (12–14 days, May or Sep–Oct)

Days 1–3: Kathmandu (Tibet permit collected via agency)
Days 4–7: Lhasa, resting on day 4
Days 8–11: Shigatse and Everest north base camp
Days 12–14: return to Kathmandu

Local tip: stay connected between countries

A Nepali SIM will not work cheaply in Bhutan, Tibet or India, so plan one SIM or eSIM per country. In Nepal, Ncell and NTC both sell eSIMs; see our guides to Ncell eSIM setup and NTC eSIM activation, or browse the wider telecom and internet in Nepal hub. In Tibet, expect Chinese internet restrictions, so download offline maps and messages before you cross.

Himalayan Travel Planning Timeline and Packing

When to book what

3–6 months before: choose country and season; book international flights; for October–November, book Lukla and Paro flights early.

1–2 months before: book your trekking agency, Bhutan operator or Tibet tour; buy travel insurance covering your highest point and helicopter evacuation.

20–30 days before: Tibet agency applies for your Tibet Travel Permit; apply for your Indian e-Visa or Bhutan visa clearance.

1 week before: carry US dollar cash in clean, small notes for Nepal’s visa; download offline maps; print permits.

On arrival: Nepal visa at the airport; local SIM; Everest permits at Lukla or Monjo; Ladakh PAP through a Leh agent.

Packing essentials for any Himalayan trip

Clothing

Layers: base layer, fleece, down jacket, waterproof shell
Broken-in trekking boots
Warm hat, gloves, sun hat and UV sunglasses
Modest clothing for monasteries and dzongs

Gear and documents

Water filter or purification tablets
Power bank and headlamp
High-SPF sunscreen and lip balm
Printed permits, passport copies, insurance details offline

What Most Himalayan Travel Guides Miss

The monsoon flips the map. June to August is poor for Nepal’s classic treks but prime time for Ladakh, Tibet, Upper Mustang and Dolpo.
“Solo” is not the same as “unguided.” Nepal now lets solo travelers get restricted-area permits, but they still walk with a licensed guide. Only the Everest region allows truly independent trekking.
Fly-in altitude catches people out. Leh and Lhasa sit higher than Namche Bazaar, but you arrive there in an hour with no gradual climb.
Bhutan’s fee is per night, not per trip. Every extra night adds US$100 per adult before anything else.
Tibet permits list your exact route. You cannot add places after arrival, so finalize your itinerary before the agency applies.
Ladakh’s permit is for groups. Solo foreign travelers usually join others through a Leh agent to get a PAP.
Festival season is peak season. In Nepal, Dashain and Tihar fall in the same clear-weather months most visitors choose.

Frequently Asked Questions About Himalayan Travel

Which country is best for Himalayan travel?

Nepal is the best all-round choice for a first trip because it has the widest range of treks, visa on arrival and budgets from backpacker to luxury. Bhutan suits travelers who want a guided, uncrowded cultural trip, while Ladakh and Tibet suit summer travel in the rain shadow.

What is the best time to visit the Himalayas?

October to November and March to May for Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Darjeeling. For Ladakh, Spiti and Tibet, the main season runs roughly from May to October, with June to August excellent while the southern Himalaya is under monsoon cloud.

Can I travel the Himalayas without a guide?

Partly. You can explore Nepal’s cities, the Indian Himalaya and the Everest region independently. A licensed guide is required for most other trekking areas in Nepal, beyond Paro and Thimphu in Bhutan, and everywhere in Tibet.

How much does Bhutan’s daily fee cost in 2026?

The Sustainable Development Fee is US$100 per adult per night, confirmed until 31 August 2027, plus a one-off US$40 visa fee. Children aged 6–11 pay half and under-6s are free. Indian visitors pay INR 1,200 per night.

Do I need a permit to visit Tibet?

Yes. Foreigners need a Tibet Travel Permit, which only a licensed Tibetan agency can obtain as part of a guided tour, plus extra permits for areas outside Lhasa. Allow 20–30 days. From Nepal you also need a Tibet Group Visa.

Is altitude sickness a risk on a Himalayan trip?

Yes, especially above about 8,000 ft and when you fly straight to Leh or Lhasa at nearly 12,000 ft. Rest on arrival, gain sleeping height slowly, and descend if symptoms get worse.

Can I visit Nepal and Bhutan in one trip?

Yes. Flights between Kathmandu and Paro take about an hour, so a 14–16 day Nepal and Bhutan trip is one of the most popular Himalayan combinations. Get your Bhutan visa clearance before flying.

How many days do I need for Himalayan travel?

A week covers Kathmandu, Pokhara and a short trek, or a classic Bhutan circuit. Allow 14–16 days for Everest Base Camp with buffer days, and two to three weeks to combine two countries comfortably.

The bottom line

Good Himalayan travel starts with matching the country to your style and the season to the monsoon. Choose Nepal for freedom and variety, Bhutan for a curated cultural trip, Tibet for the plateau on a guided tour, and Ladakh for summer road trips. Start permits early, respect the altitude, and insure for your highest point.

Heading to Nepal first? Our complete guide to traveling to Nepal covers visas, SIM cards, the Everest trek map and insurance in detail, and our Taste of Nepal page tells you what to eat when you get here.

CRM Software in Nepal (2026): 8 Options Compared by Price in NPR, Local Support & Fit

Updated October 2026 · Prices checked against vendor pages and pricing trackers in 2026 · Independent guide, no vendor sponsorship

Search “CRM software Nepal” and you will notice something odd: most of the pages telling you which CRM is “best” are written by a company that sells one. That is not useful when you are about to spend a lakh or more a year on a system your whole sales team will live in.

This guide is different. It compares 8 CRM options available to Nepali businesses – three built in Nepal and five global platforms – on the things that actually decide whether a CRM works here: the real cost in NPR, whether you can pay for it with a Nepali dollar card, Nepali-language and Bikram Sambat support, local payment gateways, IRD billing fit, and what Nepal’s privacy law says about storing customer data.

Key takeaways

Cheapest to start: Odoo CRM (free as a single app), Zoho CRM (free for up to 3 users), HubSpot’s free CRM and Bitrix24’s free plan.
Best NPR billing and local support: Nepali-built tools like Pace CRM, Thulo CRM and Delta Sales CRM – no dollar card needed.
Hidden Nepal cost: a 5-user Zoho CRM Standard plan costs about $840 a year – already above the standard $500 dollar-card limit.
A CRM is not billing software. You still need an IRD-approved billing or accounting system for invoices.
Privacy: Nepal’s Individual Privacy Act, 2075 requires consent and purpose limits for customer data – build this into your CRM forms from day one.

In this guide

What CRM software is – and whether you need one
How a CRM works: the lead-to-customer pipeline
8 CRM options in Nepal compared
Real first-year cost in NPR (5-user team)
Paying for a foreign CRM from Nepal
Nepal-specific features most lists ignore
Customer data and Nepal’s privacy law
Best CRM by business type
How to choose in 7 steps
FAQs

What Is CRM Software – and Does Your Nepali Business Need One?

CRM (customer relationship management) software is a shared, searchable record of every lead and customer: who they are, what they asked about, what you quoted, who is following up and what happens next. Instead of living in one salesperson’s phone, a notebook and a dozen Viber or WhatsApp chats, the whole history lives in one system the team and the owner can see.

That said, not every business needs one on day one. A tea shop or a small kirana store with walk-in customers usually needs good IRD-approved billing software far more than a CRM. Use the quick check below.

✓ You likely need a CRM if…

Two or more people handle leads and you cannot see who followed up.
Sales take days or weeks (quotes, site visits, negotiation).
Leads come from Facebook, your website, calls and walk-ins at once.
Customers return – renewals, AMC contracts, repeat orders.

✗ You can probably wait if…

You are a solo owner with a short customer list.
Most sales are instant, one-time, over the counter.
A shared Google Sheet still works without dropped follow-ups.
Your bigger problem is billing, stock or VAT – fix that first.

How a CRM Works: The Lead-to-Customer Pipeline

Every CRM, local or global, is built around a pipeline. A lead enters, moves through stages, and either becomes a customer or is marked lost – with every call, message and quote logged along the way.

1. Capture
Website form, Facebook lead ad, call, walk-in

2. Qualify
Budget, need, timeline, decision-maker

3. Follow up
Tasks, reminders, Viber/email/SMS

4. Quote
Proposal, negotiation, approval

5. Win & retain
Invoice in billing software, renewals, support

Figure 1: The five stages a CRM tracks. Stage 5 hands off to your IRD-approved billing system.

CRM Software in Nepal: 8 Options Compared

Prices below are per user per month on annual billing unless stated, converted at roughly NPR 153 per US dollar (the Nepal Rastra Bank rate range in mid-2026). Exchange rates move daily, so treat NPR figures as estimates.

CRM	Made in	Free option	Entry paid price	Pay in NPR?	Best for
Pace CRM	Nepal	Demo	Quote-based (listed from about $3)	Yes	SMEs wanting local setup help
Thulo CRM	Nepal	No	NPR 750/month (yearly)	Yes	Solo owners needing website + CRM
Delta Sales CRM	Nepal	No	$50–90/month or one-time licence	Yes	Field sales and lead assignment
Zoho CRM	India	Up to 3 users	$14 (about NPR 2,140)	Via local partners	Best value full-featured CRM
HubSpot CRM	USA	Free CRM	$20/seat list (about NPR 3,060)	No (dollar card)	Marketing-led teams
Bitrix24	USA	Unlimited users	$49/month for 5 users	No (dollar card)	CRM + tasks + chat in one
Odoo CRM	Belgium	One app free	About $24.90 for all apps	Via local partners	Growing into a full ERP
Salesforce	USA	Trial only	$25 (Starter Suite)	Via partners	Banks, large enterprises

1. Pace CRM (The Pace Infosys, Nepal)

A cloud CRM built in Nepal for SMEs, covering lead tracking, pipelines, automated follow-ups, email campaigns and KPI dashboards. Its listed clients include Maruti Cement, NMB Securities, Kumari Job and Hotel Asiatique. Pricing is quote-based; one software directory lists it from about $3 per user per month.

Pros: local team, NPR billing, customisable workflows.
Watch out: almost all “best CRM in Nepal” articles ranking today are published on Pace’s own blog – ask for a trial and two customer references rather than relying on those rankings.

2. Thulo CRM (Nepal)

Thulo bundles a sales CRM with a website builder, online selling, invoices, email/SMS campaigns and Nepali payment gateways (cards, eBanking and wallets). The Entrepreneur plan is NPR 750 per month billed yearly; Business Starter is NPR 1,500 per month plus NPR 375 per extra user, billed yearly.

Pros: the cheapest fully NPR-priced option; one login for website and CRM.
Watch out: less depth for complex B2B pipelines than Zoho or HubSpot.

3. Delta Sales CRM (Delta Tech, Nepal)

Focused on lead capture, lead status, assignment to salespeople and follow-ups, with Gmail integration so client email threads sit inside the CRM. Its public listing shows a one-time licence of roughly $200–800 or a subscription of $50–90 per month.

Pros: one-time purchase option avoids recurring dollar payments.
Watch out: confirm what “one-time” includes – updates, hosting and support are often extra.

4. Zoho CRM (and Bigin)

The value leader among global CRMs. Zoho CRM is free for up to 3 users; paid editions cost $14 (Standard), $23 (Professional), $40 (Enterprise) and $52 (Ultimate) per user per month on annual billing, or roughly $20–65 month to month. Bigin, Zoho’s simpler pipeline CRM, starts around $7. Zoho has implementation partners in Nepal, which helps with setup and local invoicing.

Pros: deep automation, AI assistant (Zia), huge app ecosystem.
Watch out: denser interface; storage, add-ons and partner setup fees add up.

5. HubSpot CRM

HubSpot’s free CRM is genuinely usable for contact, deal and task tracking. Sales Hub Starter is listed at $20 per seat per month (HubSpot often shows lower promotional annual prices), Professional at $100 per seat ($90 annually) and Enterprise at $150. Professional also carries a mandatory onboarding fee reported at $1,500.

Pros: easiest interface; excellent if you also run email and Facebook marketing.
Watch out: email sequences and real automation start at Professional, a big price jump for a Nepali SME.

6. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 combines CRM, task management, chat and video calls. Its free plan allows unlimited users; paid plans are priced per bundle of users rather than per seat, starting around $49 a month for 5 users on annual billing.

Pros: flat bundle pricing is predictable for small teams.
Watch out: going one user over a bundle forces an upgrade; the feature list can overwhelm new users.

7. Odoo CRM

Odoo’s “One App Free” plan lets you use a single app – such as CRM – with unlimited users at no licence cost. Add a second app (inventory, invoicing) and you move to Standard, around $24.90 per user per month in the US (regional prices differ). Several Odoo partners operate in Nepal for setup.

Pros: free CRM today, clean upgrade path to a full ERP later.
Watch out: customisation and data migration by partners is where Odoo costs grow.

8. Salesforce

The global enterprise standard, with a Starter Suite reported from $25 per user per month and far higher tiers for advanced features. In Nepal it suits banks, insurers and large groups that already work with an implementation partner – not a 5-person sales team.

Real First-Year Cost in NPR: A 5-User Sales Team

Per-user prices hide the real bill. Here is what a 5-person team would pay in licence fees for year one on each entry plan (annual billing, NPR 153 per dollar, excluding VAT, setup and add-ons).

Estimated year-one licence cost, 5 users (NPR)

Salesforce Starter ($25)~229,500

HubSpot Sales Starter ($20 list)~183,600

Zoho CRM Standard ($14)~128,520

Bitrix24 Basic ($49/month, 5 users)~89,960

Thulo CRM Business Starter36,000

Pace CRM (listed from $3, quote-based)~27,540

Odoo CRM (One App Free)0

Figure 2: Licence fees only. Free plans of HubSpot, Zoho (3 users) and Bitrix24 also cost NPR 0 with feature limits.

What the chart does not show: partner setup (often the largest one-time cost for Zoho, Odoo and Salesforce), data migration from Excel, SMS credits, extra storage, and staff training time. Budget at least the same again as one year’s licence for a properly configured rollout.

Paying for a Foreign CRM from Nepal: The Dollar Card Problem

This is the gap almost every competitor skips. Global CRMs bill in US dollars by card, and Nepal limits how many dollars you can spend online.

Standard prepaid dollar card: capped at $500 a year. A 5-user Zoho Standard subscription ($840) or HubSpot Starter ($1,200 at list) already exceeds it. See our dollar card in Nepal guide for banks and fees.
NRB IT prepaid card (2026): in April 2026 Nepal Rastra Bank allowed Class A and national-level Class B banks to issue IT prepaid cards for buying IT and communication services, with an annual limit of $3,000 ($5,000 for exporting IT firms). Ask your bank whether your business qualifies.
Buy through a local partner: Zoho, Odoo and Salesforce partners in Nepal can often invoice in NPR, which avoids the card limit entirely and gives you a local VAT bill.
Tax note: a foreign SaaS invoice carries no Nepali VAT you can claim. Ask your accountant how reverse-charge VAT on imported services applies to you – our Nepal VAT e-billing guide explains the wider rules.

Practical rule: if your team is larger than 3 users and you do not qualify for the IT prepaid card, either buy a global CRM through a Nepali partner or choose a Nepal-built CRM billed in rupees. Do not plan your sales system around a card that will hit its limit in month five.

Nepal-Specific Features Most “Best CRM” Lists Ignore

Generic international reviews judge CRMs on AI and integrations. In Nepal, these practical checks matter more:

Feature	Why it matters in Nepal	What to ask the vendor
Nepali Unicode	Customer names and addresses are often typed in Devanagari.	Can I search and export Nepali text correctly?
Bikram Sambat dates	Fiscal year, renewals and festivals follow BS.	Can reports and reminders show BS dates?
Viber & WhatsApp	Most customer conversations happen there, not email.	Can chats be logged against a lead?
Local SMS gateway	Bulk SMS to NTC and Ncell numbers is still the highest-reach channel.	Which Nepali SMS provider is integrated, and at what rate?
eSewa, Khalti, Fonepay	Payment links close deals faster.	Can I send a payment link from the deal?
Billing & accounting sync	Invoices must come from IRD-approved software; Tally is widely used.	Does it sync won deals to my billing or Tally?
Mobile on weak data	Field sales outside the valley often work on patchy 4G.	Does the app work offline and sync later?

On billing: a CRM tracks the sale, but the legal invoice must still be issued from software on the IRD-approved billing software list. If you are choosing both at once, compare the best accounting software in Nepal first and pick a CRM that can hand over won deals to it.

Customer Data and Nepal’s Privacy Law

A CRM is a database of personal information, so it falls under Nepal’s Individual Privacy Act, 2075 (2018), in force since Ashwin 2, 2075, and the Individual Privacy Regulation, 2077. In plain terms:

Consent and notice: the person should know you are collecting their details and agree to it. Add a consent line to your website and Facebook lead forms.
Purpose limit: data collected for one purpose should not be reused or shared for another without consent – so do not sell or swap lead lists.
Data abroad is a grey area: lawyers note the Act is unclear on transfers of personal data outside Nepal. Cloud CRMs hosted overseas are widely used, but banks and financial institutions should also check Nepal Rastra Bank’s sector rules.
Security basics: turn on two-factor login, give each salesperson only the records they need, and remove ex-employees on their last day.

This is general information, not legal advice. Regulated businesses should confirm requirements with a Nepali lawyer.

From experience: why spreadsheets break first

When I ran a student team making corporate cold calls for event sponsorship in Kathmandu, we tracked everything in one shared spreadsheet. It worked for the first week. Then two callers phoned the same company, a promised call-back slipped because it sat in someone’s personal notes, and nobody could tell which companies had actually said “send the proposal” versus “call next month”.

None of that needed an expensive tool – it needed one owner per lead, a next-action date on every row, and a pipeline view. That is the core of every CRM in this list. If a free plan gives you those three things, start there and upgrade only when you hit a real limit.

Best CRM by Business Type in Nepal

Business type	Good starting CRM	Pair it with
Solo founder / freelancer	HubSpot Free, Zoho Free or Thulo Entrepreneur	Simple IRD billing app
B2B SME (5–20 sales staff)	Zoho CRM Standard, Pace CRM, Bitrix24	Accounting software
Distributors & wholesalers	Odoo (CRM + stock) or Zoho Professional	Inventory management software
Hotels & travel agencies	HubSpot or Zoho for corporate and agent leads	Hotel management software
Pharma distributors & pharmacies	Pace CRM or Zoho for doctor and retailer visits	Pharmacy billing software
Education consultancies	Zoho, Pace CRM or HubSpot (student lead stages)	Email and SMS follow-up
Banks, insurers, large groups	Salesforce, Zoho Enterprise via certified partner	Core banking / ERP integration

How to Choose CRM Software in Nepal: 7 Steps

Write down your pipeline stages. Five stages on paper beat fifty fields in software.

Count real users. Only people who update deals need a paid seat; managers may need view-only access.

Decide how you will pay. NPR invoice, local partner or dollar card – and check the annual limit.

Shortlist three. One Nepali, one global free plan, one global paid plan.

Run a two-week trial with real leads. Test Nepali text, mobile use on data and Viber logging.

Check the exit. Make sure you can export all contacts and history to Excel or CSV if you leave.

Set one adoption rule. “If it is not in the CRM, it did not happen.” Tools fail from non-use far more often than from missing features.

Local CRM vs Global CRM at a glance

Nepal-built (Pace, Thulo, Delta)

Billed in NPR with a local VAT invoice
Support in Nepali, in your time zone
Easier local payment and SMS integrations
Smaller app ecosystems; check long-term roadmap

Global (Zoho, HubSpot, Bitrix24, Odoo, Salesforce)

Generous free plans and deep features
Thousands of integrations and tutorials
Dollar billing and card limits
Nepal-specific needs need partner work

If email campaigns are part of your follow-up, see our comparison of the best email marketing software. For more business tools, browse the Web, SEO & business software guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the best CRM software in Nepal?

There is no single best one. For most small teams, Zoho CRM offers the best value among global tools, HubSpot is the easiest free CRM, and Nepal-built options like Pace CRM and Thulo CRM are best if you want NPR billing and local support. Choose by team size, budget and how you will pay.

How much does CRM software cost in Nepal?

From free to over NPR 2 lakh a year. Nepali tools start around NPR 750 a month; Zoho CRM Standard is about NPR 2,140 per user per month and HubSpot Sales Starter about NPR 3,060 per seat at list price. A 5-user team typically spends NPR 30,000–1,85,000 a year on licences before setup costs.

Is there free CRM software for Nepali businesses?

Yes. HubSpot has a free CRM, Zoho CRM is free for up to 3 users, Bitrix24 has a free plan with unlimited users, and Odoo lets you use its CRM app alone for free. Free plans limit automation, storage or support.

Can I pay for Zoho or HubSpot from Nepal?

Yes, with a prepaid dollar card, but the standard card is capped at $500 a year. Nepal Rastra Bank’s 2026 IT prepaid card raises the limit to $3,000 for eligible IT and communication purchases. Buying through a Nepali partner who invoices in NPR is the other option.

Does a CRM replace IRD-approved billing software?

No. A CRM manages leads and relationships; tax invoices in Nepal must be issued through IRD-approved billing or accounting software. The best setup connects the two so won deals become invoices without retyping.

Is it legal to store Nepali customer data in a foreign cloud CRM?

The Individual Privacy Act, 2075 requires consent and purpose limits but is not clear on cross-border transfers, and cloud CRMs hosted abroad are widely used. Banks and other regulated institutions should check Nepal Rastra Bank rules and take legal advice.

Does a small business in Nepal really need a CRM?

Only when follow-ups start slipping. If two or more people handle leads, or sales take days of quoting and negotiation, a CRM pays for itself quickly. A solo shop with walk-in sales is usually better served by good billing software first.

Final Verdict

Start with the cheapest tool that gives every lead an owner, a next step and a stage. For most Nepali SMEs that means a free plan from Zoho, HubSpot or Odoo, or an NPR-billed local CRM like Pace or Thulo. Move up only when automation, reporting or team size demands it – and before you commit to a dollar-billed plan, check that your payment route can carry the full annual bill.

Sources

8 Best Mailchimp Alternatives in 2026 (Pricing, Free Plans & the Nepal Payment Problem)

8 Best Mailchimp Alternatives in 2026 (Pricing, Free Plans & the Nepal Payment Problem No One Explains)

Mailchimp cut its free plan to 250 contacts and 500 emails a month in February 2026, and legacy customers got hit with an 11–13% price increase on top of that. If that is why you are reading this, you are not alone — and if you are trying to do this from Nepal, there is a second problem most “Mailchimp alternative” roundups never mention: Mailchimp does not take NPR, eSewa, or Khalti, and most Nepali-issued cards are not cleared for recurring international billing by default.

This guide compares eight real alternatives on price, free-plan limits, and what they are actually good at, then walks through the payment issue separately, since it changes which tool is realistic for you. For a broader look at email tools generally (not just Mailchimp switchers), our best email marketing software roundup covers more ground.

Why Businesses Are Leaving Mailchimp in 2026

The free plan now caps out at 250 contacts and 500 sends a month — down from 500 contacts and 1,000 sends before February 2026.
Pricing is contact-based, so your bill rises even if you never send more email — you just pay more to store the same list.
Free and Essentials users cannot remove Mailchimp branding, and free-plan email support stops after 30 days.
Automation workflows, A/B testing, and scheduling are locked behind Standard ($20/mo) or Premium ($350/mo).
Customers on pre-2019 legacy plans saw an average 11–13% increase starting with their first billing cycle after April 13, 2026.

A quick note from running wilson.com.np

We moved this blog’s own subscriber list off Mailchimp earlier this year, mainly over the free-plan cut. The switch itself took an afternoon — export your list as a CSV, re-upload it to the new platform, and rebuild your last one or two automations by hand. The part that actually ate time was re-doing DNS records (SPF/DKIM) for the new sending domain, so budget a day for that if your domain is managed through a different host than your blog.

The Problem Most Lists Skip: Paying for Any of This From Nepal

Every one of these platforms bills in USD, and all of them expect a card that clears recurring international payments. That is where most comparisons stop — but it is usually the actual blocker for a Nepali business, not the feature list. A few things worth knowing before you pick a tool:

Most Nepali-issued debit/credit cards are not enabled for recurring foreign payments by default — you will need to ask your bank to activate international e-commerce transactions, and even then, subscriptions can fail silently when a renewal is slightly above your card’s dollar limit.
Nepal Rastra Bank’s prepaid dollar card route caps around USD 500, which is fine for a $9–$20/month plan but tight if you are stacking several SaaS subscriptions on one card.
None of these platforms accept eSewa, Khalti, Fonepay, or direct NPR billing. If you want to avoid card issues entirely, the realistic workaround is a Nepal-based reseller who bills you in NPR and manages the USD payment on their end — the same model used for Google Workspace and similar subscriptions here.
Free plans sidestep the whole problem. If your list is small, starting on Brevo, MailerLite, Sender, or Kit’s free tier means you don’t need a working international card at all until you outgrow it.

Starting Price, Side by Side

Entry-level paid plan, approximate USD/month, for reference only — these change often, so confirm on the vendor’s own pricing page before you commit.

Sender

~$7

Moosend

~$9

Brevo

~$9

MailerLite

~$10

Mailchimp

$13

ActiveCampaign

~$15

Omnisend

~$16

Klaviyo

~$20

Kit

$39

Mailchimp Alternatives at a Glance

Platform	Best For	Free Plan	Starting Price
Brevo	Best overall value / high send volume	Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day	~$9/mo
MailerLite	Simplicity, small businesses	500 subscribers, 12,000 emails/mo	~$10/mo
Omnisend	Ecommerce / Shopify	250 contacts, 500 emails/mo	~$16/mo
Kit	Creators, paid newsletters	Up to 10,000 subscribers	$39/mo
ActiveCampaign	Advanced automation + CRM	None (14-day trial)	~$15/mo
Klaviyo	Ecommerce brands, revenue attribution	Very limited / none	~$20/mo
Sender	Budget-conscious starters	2,500 contacts, 15,000 emails/mo	~$7/mo
Moosend	Budget automation	None (30-day trial)	~$9/mo

The 8 Alternatives, One by One

1. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) — Best Overall Value

Brevo flips the usual pricing model: instead of charging by contact count, it charges by emails sent, with unlimited contacts on every plan including the free one. If your list is large but you do not email constantly, this alone can save you money that a contact-based platform like Mailchimp or Omnisend would charge you for.

Pros: Unlimited contacts on the free plan, built-in SMS and CRM, transactional email support.
Cons: Free-plan emails carry Brevo branding; the 300-emails-a-day cap is a daily limit, not monthly, so a single large campaign can take several days to fully send.

2. MailerLite — Best for Simplicity

MailerLite’s editor is consistently rated the cleanest of the budget tools, and the free plan still includes automation — something Mailchimp’s free tier no longer offers at all. The free plan was reduced from 1,000 to 500 subscribers in September 2025, so it is no longer as generous as it once was, but it remains solid for a small list.

Pros: Clean drag-and-drop editor, automation included free, generous monthly send allowance relative to subscriber count.
Cons: New accounts go through manual review before approval, which can take a day or two; nicer templates are paid-only.

3. Omnisend — Best for Ecommerce

Built specifically for online stores, Omnisend’s free plan already includes SMS and web push notifications alongside email — features Mailchimp gates behind paid tiers. Shopify and WooCommerce integrations are deeper than most general-purpose tools on this list.

Pros: Pre-built ecommerce automations (cart abandonment, order confirmations), omnichannel messaging on the free plan.
Cons: Less useful if you are not running a storefront; SMS features now require the Pro plan on newer accounts.

4. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — Best for Creators

Kit’s free plan covering up to 10,000 subscribers is genuinely unmatched on this list — the trade-off is that Kit raised its paid Creator plan from $15/month to $39/month in a single jump, which pushed a lot of newsletter writers to look elsewhere once they outgrew free.

Pros: Huge free tier, built for paid newsletters and creator monetization, clean automation builder.
Cons: Steep jump from free to paid; not built for ecommerce or complex B2B automation.

5. ActiveCampaign — Best for Advanced Automation

ActiveCampaign pairs email with a built-in sales CRM and the deepest automation builder on this list — branching logic, lead scoring, and pipeline stages all live in the same platform. There is no permanent free plan, only a 14-day trial, so you need to be fairly certain before signing up.

Pros: Best-in-class automation depth, CRM and sales pipeline built in, strong for lead nurturing.
Cons: No free plan; steeper learning curve than any other tool on this list.

6. Klaviyo — Best for Ecommerce Brands

Klaviyo’s revenue-attribution reporting — showing exactly how much each campaign or flow earned — is the feature most reviewers single out as missing from every other tool on this list, Mailchimp included. It is priced for serious ecommerce operations rather than a first newsletter.

Pros: Deep Shopify integration, genuinely useful revenue attribution, strong segmentation.
Cons: Pricier at scale than Omnisend or Brevo for the same list size; overkill if you are not selling products.

7. Sender — Best Budget Free Plan

Sender’s free plan — 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month — is one of the most generous on this entire list, and it includes basic automation, which is rare for a free tier. It is less polished than Brevo or MailerLite, but for a tight budget it is hard to beat.

Pros: Very generous free plan, low entry price, automation included free.
Cons: Smaller template library and integration ecosystem than the bigger names here.

8. Moosend — Best Budget Automation

Moosend’s pitch is essentially “Mailchimp’s automation features without Mailchimp’s price hikes,” and at roughly $9/month for entry-level automation, it mostly delivers on that. There is no permanent free plan, only a 30-day trial, and the interface feels a step behind newer competitors.

Pros: Cheap advanced automation, strong analytics, easy-to-build workflows.
Cons: No forever-free plan; dated interface; smaller integration library than Mailchimp.

Which One Should You Actually Pick?

Just starting out, tiny budget

Sender or MailerLite — both have usable free plans with automation included.

Running an online store

Omnisend for most stores; Klaviyo once revenue justifies the higher price.

Writing a newsletter or building an audience

Kit — the free-plan subscriber limit alone beats everything else here.

Need a sales CRM + complex automation

ActiveCampaign — nothing else on this list matches its automation depth.

Sending a lot of email to a large list, cheaply

Brevo — unlimited contacts changes the math once your list is large.

Paying from Nepal without a reliable international card

Start on any free plan first, or go through a local NPR-billing reseller for the paid tier.

What Most “Mailchimp Alternative” Articles Leave Out

We checked the current top-ranking guides on this topic before writing this one. Most follow the same pattern — eight tools, the same four bullet points each, a comparison table, done. A few gaps showed up consistently:

Payment access outside the US/EU. Almost nothing addresses how someone without a Western billing setup actually pays for any of these tools — that is the section above.
What migration actually costs in time. Most guides compare features but skip the DNS/domain authentication work (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) you will redo when you switch senders — it is usually the slowest part, not the list import.
Daily vs. monthly send caps. Brevo’s free plan is capped per day, not per month — several competitor lists mention the 300 emails/day figure without flagging that a single large campaign can take multiple days to clear.
Free-plan feature loss, not just contact limits. The contact-count cuts get covered everywhere; fewer articles mention that Mailchimp’s free plan also lost scheduling, A/B testing, and multi-step automation, not just list size.

A Short Migration Checklist

Export your Mailchimp audience as a CSV before you cancel anything — include tags and custom fields, not just email addresses.
Pick your new platform’s free plan first and test with a small segment before moving your full list.
Re-add your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for the new platform’s sending domain — skipping this is the most common reason migrated campaigns land in spam.
Rebuild your one or two most important automations (welcome sequence, abandoned cart) manually — these rarely import cleanly between platforms.
Keep your Mailchimp account active (even on free) for a week or two after switching, in case you need to re-pull data you missed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free Mailchimp alternative?

For raw free-plan generosity, Kit (up to 10,000 subscribers) and Sender (2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/month with automation) are the strongest options. For unlimited contacts on a budget, Brevo’s free plan has no contact cap at all, just a daily send limit.

Which Mailchimp alternative is best for ecommerce?

Omnisend for most small to mid-size stores, since its free plan already includes cart-abandonment automation and SMS. Klaviyo is the stronger pick once your store is large enough to benefit from its revenue-attribution reporting.

Can I pay for these tools from Nepal without an international card?

Not directly through any of these platforms — none accept eSewa, Khalti, or NPR billing. Your options are activating international e-commerce payments on an existing card through your bank, applying for Nepal Rastra Bank’s prepaid dollar card (capped around USD 500), or going through a Nepal-based reseller that bills in NPR. Starting on a free plan avoids the problem until you actually need to pay.

Why are so many people leaving Mailchimp in 2026?

Mainly the February 2026 free-plan cut to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, combined with an 11–13% price increase for customers still on legacy pre-2019 plans starting April 2026. Contact-based pricing also means your bill climbs as your list grows, regardless of how often you actually send.

Which Mailchimp alternative is cheapest for a small business?

Sender and Moosend both start around $7–$9/month, with Brevo close behind at roughly $9/month but with the added benefit of unlimited contacts. For a genuinely free start, MailerLite or Sender’s free tiers cover most small businesses’ first few hundred subscribers.

Keep Building Your Marketing Stack

A few related guides worth checking once your email platform is sorted:

Driving traffic to grow that list organically? See our best SEO tools roundup.
Need topic ideas for your next newsletter? Start with our free keyword research tools list.
Writing campaign copy faster with AI? Here’s what ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini actually cost in Nepal.
Running your sign-up forms on WordPress? Compare Rank Math vs Yoast SEO before you pick a plugin.
Thinking about paid ads to grow your list faster? Check real Google Ads costs in Nepal first.
Researching competitors before you launch campaigns? See Semrush pricing and its free trial.

Pricing and free-plan limits across all platforms above change often — treat the figures here as a starting point for comparison, and confirm the current numbers on each vendor’s own pricing page before you commit a card.

Send Money from Canada to Nepal (2026): Cheapest Ways, Real CAD to NPR Costs & Rules

Send Money from Canada to Nepal (2026): Cheapest Ways, Real CAD to NPR Costs & the Rules on Both Sides

Updated October 2026 · Written for Nepali students, PR holders, nurses, tradespeople and families in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax and Montreal sending CAD home.

Short answer

The cheapest way to send money from Canada to Nepal in 2026 is an online remittance app funded by Interac e-Transfer or a bank debit (EFT), paid into a Nepali bank account or a verified eSewa, Khalti or IME Pay wallet. A wire from a big Canadian bank is the most expensive route for most people, even when the fee looks small.

On C$1,000, the gap between a good app and a bank branch wire can be more than NPR 7,000 — and most of it hides inside the exchange rate, not the fee.

Compare on one number only: how many rupees land in your family’s account. The mid-market rate was roughly 1 CAD = 108 NPR on 22 October 2026.

The Canada–Nepal corridor in numbers

Canada is a smaller corridor than the Gulf or Malaysia, but it is growing fast — and Canadian senders tend to move larger, less frequent amounts. These four numbers set the scene.

21,975

People of Nepali ancestry in Canada (2021 Census) — before the recent student wave

Rs 2,363 bn

Total remittance into Nepal, FY 2025/26 (up 37.1%)

~108

NPR per CAD, mid-market (22 Oct 2026)

C$10,000

Transfer size your provider reports to FINTRAC (not a limit)

Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (ethnic or cultural origin), Nepal Rastra Bank macroeconomic report for FY 2025/26, FINTRAC electronic funds transfer guidance, and live mid-market CAD/NPR quotes.

What most “send money from Canada to Nepal” pages leave out

Search this phrase and page one is almost entirely provider landing pages — Remitly, Ria, MoneyGram, Western Union, Remitbee — plus a couple of comparison tables. Each one explains how to sign up for that service. None of them explains what really decides how many rupees your family receives. This guide fills those gaps:

The true cost of C$1,000 sent four different ways, worked out in rupees.
Canadian funding methods — Interac e-Transfer, EFT, online bill payment, debit and credit card — and which one quietly costs more.
What FINTRAC and CRA reporting actually means for you, and the 24-hour rule that catches split transfers.
The T1135 form many Nepali-Canadians miss once their savings in Nepal pass C$100,000.
The time-zone trap: a Friday-evening transfer from Toronto lands on Nepal’s Saturday holiday.
Why Canada has no remittance tax — unlike the US in 2026.

CAD to NPR in 2026: what the rate has done

The Canadian dollar has had a good year against the rupee. Around September 2025, C$1,000 bought roughly NPR 101,800. On 22 October 2026 the same amount was worth about NPR 108,300 at the mid-market rate — around NPR 6,500 more for the same Canadian dollars. Over the last 52 weeks the rate has swung between about 97 and 115.

What C$1,000 was worth in Nepalese rupees (mid-market)

52-week low (rate ~97.0)

NPR 97,000

September 2025 (rate ~101.8)

NPR 101,800

22 October 2026 (rate ~108.3)

NPR 108,300

52-week high (rate ~114.8)

NPR 114,800

Mid-market reference rates from currency data providers, rounded. Your provider’s rate will be lower — see the next section.

The insight most senders miss: CAD/NPR is really CAD/INR

The Nepalese rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee at a fixed 1.6 NPR per INR. So the CAD/NPR rate is driven by how the Canadian dollar trades against the Indian rupee and the US dollar — Bank of Canada interest-rate decisions and oil prices move your rupees far more than anything happening in Kathmandu.

The two costs inside every Canada to Nepal transfer

1. The transfer fee

The flat charge shown on the banner. On this corridor it ranges from zero to a few dollars on apps. Remitbee, for example, charges no fee on transfers above C$500 paid by e-Transfer, EFT or bill payment, and C$2.99 below that. Taptap Send advertises no transfer fee to Nepal at any amount. A Canadian bank wire typically carries a much bigger flat fee, and the receiving or intermediary bank may take another cut.

2. The exchange rate margin

The mid-market rate is the real CAD/NPR rate — the one Google or XE shows. Your provider pays out at a lower rate and keeps the difference. A “$0 fee” offer has not removed the cost; it has moved it into the rate. Check the margin in ten seconds:

Margin % = (Mid-market rate − Your rate) ÷ Mid-market rate × 100

Example: mid-market is 108.00 and the app offers 106.10. Margin = (108.00 − 106.10) ÷ 108.00 × 100 = 1.76% — NPR 1,900 lost on every C$1,000, even with a zero fee.

Worked example: what C$1,000 really lands as in Nepal

The same C$1,000 sent four ways on the same day. The mid-market rate is fixed at 1 CAD = 108.00 NPR to keep the arithmetic easy. The provider rates are illustrative of typical margins, not quotes from any named company — always check live quotes before you send.

Channel	Fee	Rate offered	Family receives	True total cost
Mid-market benchmark	—	108.00	NPR 108,000	C$0 (theoretical)
Low-margin transfer app	C$4.00	107.40	NPR 106,970	approx. C$10
“Zero fee” remittance app	C$0.00	106.10	NPR 106,100	approx. C$18
Big-five bank, online (fee waived)	C$0.00	102.80	NPR 102,800	approx. C$48
Bank wire at a branch	C$30.00	102.80	NPR 99,716	approx. C$77

True cost of sending C$1,000 — fee plus rate margin

Low-margin transfer app

C$10

“Zero fee” remittance app

C$18

Big-five bank, online

C$48

Bank wire at a branch

C$77

The “fee waived” bank transfer still costs nearly five times more than an app that charges C$4. Send C$1,000 a month and that difference is worth roughly NPR 50,000 a year to your family.

Five ways to send money from Canada to Nepal

Method	Typical speed	Typical total cost	Best for
Online transfer apps Wise, Remitly, Remitbee, Panda Remit, Instarem, Taptap Send, Xe	Minutes to 1 day	0.5–2%	Monthly family support — the default choice
Nepal-linked payout networks IME, Global IME, City Express, reached through Canadian apps and agents	Minutes	1–3%	Cash pickup in hill and Terai districts
Canadian bank wire (SWIFT) RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC	1–5 business days	3–7%	Large documented payments: property, business, loans
Cash agent counters Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria	Minutes	Varies widely	Emergencies, recipients without a bank account
Hundi / informal agents	Minutes	Looks cheap, no protection	Avoid — illegal in Nepal

Which app is cheapest changes week to week. On Monito’s Canada–Nepal comparisons over a recent three-month window, Panda Remit came out cheapest most often (about 62% of searches), followed by Western Union (about 22%) and Instarem (about 15%). That is exactly why you should quote two providers every time rather than sticking with a brand out of habit.

Cash pickup is the one area where a big agent network can genuinely win. Before you choose, read our head-to-head on IME vs Western Union rates — it shows how to compare what your family actually collects at the counter.

How you pay in Canada changes what arrives in Nepal

This is the Canada-specific part that provider pages skip. The way you fund the transfer affects the fee, the speed and whether your card issuer treats it as a cash advance.

Interac e-Transfer — best default

You send an e-Transfer from your banking app to the provider, the same way you pay a friend. It is fast, usually free on your side, and often unlocks the provider’s lowest fee tier.

EFT / bank debit — best for large amounts

The provider pulls the money from your account. It can take a day or two to clear, but it avoids your bank’s daily e-Transfer cap, which matters for transfers of several thousand dollars.

Online bill payment

You add the provider as a payee in your bank. Cheap, but slower — often one to three business days before the provider sees your money.

Visa Debit or Mastercard debit

Instant, but usually the priciest non-credit option. Some providers charge a fee that rises with the transfer size, so the gap versus e-Transfer widens as you send more.

Credit card — avoid

Canadian issuers commonly treat remittance as a cash advance: an extra fee plus interest from day one, even if you pay the card off in full. Western Union itself warns about this.

How the money actually moves from Canada to Nepal

Knowing the route tells you where a delayed transfer is stuck.

STEP 1 →

You pay in CAD

Interac e-Transfer, EFT, bill payment or debit card from your Canadian account.

STEP 2 →

Checks in Canada

The FINTRAC-registered provider verifies your ID and screens the payment. First and unusually large transfers get paused here.

STEP 3 →

CAD becomes NPR

The provider converts and instructs a licensed partner in Nepal to pay out.

STEP 4

Payout in Nepal

A Nepali bank or NRB-licensed remittance company credits the account, loads the wallet or releases cash.

If the money has left your Canadian account but has not arrived, the hold is almost always at Step 2 (identity or source-of-funds check) or Step 4 (name mismatch or a Nepali holiday) — not somewhere in between.

How to send money from Canada to Nepal: step by step

Check the live mid-market CAD/NPR rate on Google or XE so you have a benchmark.
Quote the same amount on two providers and write down the exact NPR each one promises. Ignore the fee banner.
Verify your identity with a Canadian driver’s licence, passport, PR card or study/work permit. First transfers may also need proof of address.
Add your recipient exactly as their bank or wallet records them (checklist below).
Choose the payout — bank deposit, wallet or cash pickup.
Fund it by Interac e-Transfer or EFT, confirm, and save the receipt and reference number.
Ask your family to confirm receipt and keep that confirmation. It is your proof of inward remittance later.

Recipient details: get these exactly right

For a bank deposit

Full legal name exactly as it appears on the bank account.
Bank name and branch. For a wire from a Canadian bank you will also need the SWIFT code — our verified list of Nepal bank SWIFT codes saves a phone call home.
Account number.
Mobile number and address for payout confirmation.

For a wallet (eSewa, Khalti, IME Pay)

The mobile number registered to the wallet — this is the wallet ID.
The name exactly as registered in the wallet’s KYC.

The name-matching trap

Nepali names are often recorded differently across documents — a middle name on the citizenship certificate but not at the bank, a surname spelled two ways. Payout partners match names closely, and a mismatch means the transfer is held or returned, sometimes weeks later and minus fees. Ask your recipient to photograph their passbook or wallet profile and copy the name from that, not from memory.

No bank account in Nepal yet, or want one in your own name to receive transfers? Our guide to opening a bank account in Nepal from abroad covers NRN and remit accounts and the online video KYC process.

Payout options in Nepal: bank, wallet or cash

Payout	Speed	Strength	Watch out for
Bank deposit Global IME, Nabil, NIMB and others	Minutes to the next Nepali working day	Cheapest, traceable, builds a record for loans and investment	Exact name match; dormant accounts
Mobile wallet eSewa, Khalti, IME Pay	Usually minutes	Spendable at once on bills, school fees and top-ups	Lower per-transaction caps, especially for unverified wallets
Cash pickup IME, City Express, bank agents	Minutes	Works for unbanked relatives in remote districts	Higher margin; recipient must carry ID and travel to an agent

Limits, reporting and the rules on both sides

On the Canadian side

No government cap on sending. Canada does not limit how much you can send abroad. Limits come from your provider and your bank’s daily transfer settings.
FINTRAC reporting is automatic — and it is not a limit. Banks and money services businesses must report any international transfer of C$10,000 or more to FINTRAC, and the same report goes to the CRA. You don’t file anything yourself.
The 24-hour rule. Two or more smaller transfers that add up to C$10,000 or more within 24 hours can also be reported. Splitting a large amount to stay under the threshold doesn’t avoid the report — it only makes the pattern look suspicious.
Source of funds. Sending much more than usual may prompt a request for payslips or bank statements. That is standard anti-money-laundering practice, not an accusation.

Provider limits (examples)

Western Union Canada lists up to C$7,500 when you pay cash in-store for a cash pickup in Nepal, and C$999 for an online bank-account-to-bank-account transfer.
Remitbee uses verification tiers — its middle tier allows C$3,000 a day and C$25,000 a month, and its top tier C$9,000 a day and C$90,000 a month.
Personal recipients only. Several major apps won’t pay into a business account in Nepal. Paying a builder, college or supplier usually needs a bank wire with an invoice.

On the Nepali side

Inward remittance is welcome. Nepal Rastra Bank permits and encourages money coming in through licensed banks and remittance companies, and NRB publishes the list of licensed entities.
The corridor is one-way. Sending money from Nepal back to Canada is tightly controlled by NRB and needs a documented purpose. Keep proof of every inward transfer in case you ever need to move money out again.

How to check a provider is legal in Canada

Search the provider’s name in FINTRAC’s Money Services Business Registry. Money transfer businesses serving Canadians must register before they operate, and the status should read “Registered” — not “Expired”, “Ceased” or “Revoked”.
Remember that registration is a minimum, not an endorsement — FINTRAC itself says registration does not mean it licenses or vouches for the business.
Check it names a licensed payout partner in Nepal — a commercial bank or an NRB-licensed remittance company.
Treat any “service” that asks you to e-Transfer a private individual’s email address as a red flag.

Is money sent from Canada to Nepal taxed?

In Canada: there is no tax on sending your own after-tax money abroad, and money you send to family is a private gift, so it isn’t deductible either. Canada has no remittance excise — unlike the United States, which introduced a 1% tax on cash-funded remittances in 2026 (see our USA to Nepal guide if you have relatives sending from the US).

In Nepal: personal remittance received through formal channels is generally treated as a transfer rather than income for the recipient. What the money earns inside Nepal — fixed deposit interest, dividends, rent — is taxed there in the normal way.

The form many Nepali-Canadians miss: T1135

If you are a Canadian tax resident and the total cost of your specified foreign property — which includes bank accounts, fixed deposits and shares held in Nepal in your own name — is more than C$100,000 at any time in the year, you must file Form T1135 with your Canadian return. Late-filing penalties apply even when no tax is owed.

Canadian residents are also taxed on worldwide income, so interest your own Nepali FD earns belongs on your Canadian return. Money you have given to a parent and that sits in their account is theirs, not yours.

General information, not tax advice. Residency rules, foreign tax credits and gifts of larger sums can change the picture — confirm with a Canadian tax professional before moving or holding large amounts.

Timing: the Friday-night trap and the festival crush

Nepal is a day ahead of your weekend

Nepal runs 9 hours 45 minutes ahead of Toronto in summer and 10 hours 45 minutes ahead in winter; Vancouver is 12 hours 45 minutes behind Nepal in summer. Send a bank deposit at 6 pm on Friday in Toronto and it is already Saturday morning — Nepal’s weekly holiday. If the payout isn’t real-time, it waits for Sunday.

Send a week before Dashain and Tihar

Remittance volume spikes before the big festivals and Nepali banks close for several days. Send early and your family has money in hand rather than a “processing” screen.

Use rate alerts, not daily checking

CAD/NPR moved between roughly 97 and 115 over the last year. For non-urgent transfers, an alert a rupee or two above today’s rate captures the swing without the stress.

If you are a student in Canada

Many Nepalis in Canada today are international students, and their situation differs from a settled PR holder’s.

Small, frequent transfers are expensive. Fees under the free threshold hit C$100–C$300 transfers hardest. Batching part-time earnings into one monthly transfer above C$500 often drops the fee to zero.
Don’t drain the account you rely on for permit evidence. If you will need bank statements for a study permit extension, PGWP or PR application, plan transfers home around that, and keep every receipt.
Money flowing the other way — tuition or living costs sent from Nepal to Canada — is an outward remittance from Nepal. It runs through Nepali banks under NRB rules with your admission and fee documents, not through these apps.

A realistic example

Picture a college student in Brampton sending C$250 home every two weeks through her big-bank app, paid from her chequing account because it was already on her phone. At a typical bank margin of around 4% to 5%, each transfer loses roughly NPR 1,100 to NPR 1,350 — around NPR 30,000 a year.

Switching to one C$500 transfer a month through a low-margin app funded by Interac e-Transfer, straight into her father’s verified eSewa wallet, cuts that to a few thousand rupees a year — and the money arrives in minutes instead of days.

Illustrative scenario based on the typical margins shown above.

Why hundi is a bad trade, even when the rate looks better

Informal agents in Canadian Nepali communities sometimes offer a better rate because they operate outside both FINTRAC registration and Nepal’s foreign exchange law. The saving is real. So is the risk:

No recourse if the money disappears — no regulator on either side will help.
Running an unregistered money services business is a federal offence in Canada, and Nepal’s foreign exchange law allows heavy penalties for hundi.
No paper trail, so no proof of inward remittance when you later need it for property, investment or a visa.
Your Canadian bank may freeze an account that shows repeated e-Transfers to unrelated private individuals.

Sending from another country too?

Many Nepali families receive money from several countries at once. Our pillar guide on how to send money to Nepal from every country compares the Gulf, Malaysia, Korea, Japan and Europe. For specific corridors, see our UK to Nepal money transfer guide, the USA to Nepal guide and the Australia to Nepal guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to send money from Canada to Nepal?

An online transfer app funded by Interac e-Transfer or EFT and paid into a Nepali bank account or verified wallet is consistently the cheapest route. Compare providers on the NPR amount your family receives, not the advertised fee, because most of the cost sits in the exchange rate margin.

How long does it take to send money from Canada to Nepal?

Wallet payouts, cash pickup and real-time bank deposits usually arrive within minutes once your payment clears. Other bank deposits arrive the same or next Nepali working day. Canadian bank wires take one to five business days, and Nepal’s Saturday holiday pauses the final step.

How much money can I send from Canada to Nepal?

Canada sets no legal cap. Limits come from your provider and bank — for example, Western Union Canada lists C$7,500 for in-store cash transfers to Nepal, while app limits rise with your verification level. Transfers of C$10,000 or more are reported to FINTRAC automatically.

Do I pay tax on money I send from Canada to Nepal?

No. Canada has no tax on sending your own after-tax money abroad, and gifts to family are not deductible. If you hold more than C$100,000 of your own savings in Nepal, you must file Form T1135 with your Canadian tax return.

Can I send money to eSewa from Canada?

Yes. Several Canadian providers, including Remitly and Remitbee, pay out to eSewa using the wallet’s registered mobile number. Make sure the wallet is fully verified, because unverified wallets have low per-transaction limits.

Can I pay with Interac e-Transfer?

Yes, most Canada-based remittance apps accept Interac e-Transfer, and it often unlocks the lowest fee tier. For larger amounts, EFT avoids your bank’s daily e-Transfer limit.

How do I know a money transfer company is safe in Canada?

Search its name in FINTRAC’s Money Services Business Registry and confirm the status is “Registered”. Then check that it pays out through a Nepali bank or an NRB-licensed remittance company.

Is hundi legal for sending money from Canada to Nepal?

No. Operating an unregistered money services business is illegal in Canada, and hundi breaches Nepal’s foreign exchange law. You also lose any recourse and any proof of inward remittance.

The bottom line

Sending money from Canada to Nepal takes two minutes. The choice inside those two minutes is worth thousands of rupees every month. The Canadian dollar has been strong this year, so your dollars already go further — don’t hand that gain back through a bank margin you never see on the receipt.

Before your next transfer: check the live mid-market rate, quote the same amount on two FINTRAC-registered apps, fund it by Interac e-Transfer, avoid Friday-evening bank deposits, and copy your recipient’s name from their passbook rather than memory.

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