Nepal will no longer allow solo treks as of April 1, details may be found here.

Five years after doing so on Mount Everest, the Nepali government has now outlawed solo trekking across the country. Tourists and mountain enthusiasts from all over the world visit the highlands to trek the breathtaking Himalayan peaks. The choice was decided by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), and it will become effective on April 1st, according to the authorities.

Eight of the world's highest mountains are in Nepal, which is also well-known for its picturesque rural trekking regions. Those who wish to hike in distant locations must now either join a group or pay a guide with a government license.

The main source of revenue for Nepal is tourism, particularly trekking. But, the nation must spend more on search and rescue operations each time a hiker who was hiking alone and got lost.

There is no one to assist you if you are hiking alone, according to Mani R. Lamichhane, director of the Nepal Tourism Board, who said this in an interview. "When visitors go missing or are discovered dead, even the authorities can't locate them because of the isolated roads they travel," added Lamichhane.

Almost 50,000 tourists trekked in Nepal without a guide or porter in 2019, according to the NTB. Both a route permit and a Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card were received by these hikers.

For foreign tourists engaging in adventure tourism, a TIMS card is a fundamental authorisation needed for trekking. Yet the most recent round of decisions also forbade TIMS authorization without a manual.

Also, the board increased the TIMS permission charge to Rs. 2,000 per person. TIMS cards used to cost Rs. 1,000 for those traveling in large groups and Rs. 2,000 for people traveling alone. Moreover, the amount of TIMS permits that are accessible to SAARC nationals has been increased to Rs. 1,000.