Restricted Area Permits
Some of Nepal’s most extraordinary trekking regions — Upper Mustang, Manaslu, Nar Phu, Dolpo — require a special permit beyond the standard park entry and TIMS card.
Restricted Areas sit along Nepal’s northern border and in a handful of culturally and environmentally sensitive valleys. Entering them requires a Restricted Area Permit (RAP), issued by the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu — and, unlike standard trekking permits, a RAP can only be obtained through a registered trekking agency, never independently.
Restricted Area Permit Fees
| Region | Fee |
|---|---|
| Upper Mustang | $50 / day |
| Upper Dolpo | $50 / day |
| Manaslu | $100 / week (Sep–Nov), $75 / week (rest of year) |
| Tsum Valley | $100 / week (Sep–Nov), $75 / week (rest of year) |
| Nar Phu Valley | Similar tier to Manaslu — confirmed on booking |
| Lower Dolpo | Confirmed on booking |
| Rolwaling (Tashi Lapcha Pass) | Confirmed on booking |
| Humla & Limi Valley | Confirmed on booking |
| Kanchenjunga | $10 / week |
Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpo moved from a flat $500-for-10-days fee to a $50-per-day rate following a March 2026 policy update — you now pay only for the days you actually spend in the restricted zone. Manaslu and Tsum Valley also typically require the separate Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP) and Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) on top of the RAP. Lower Dolpo, Rolwaling, and Humla/Limi Valley are less commonly trekked and their exact current fees vary by route and season — we confirm these directly with the Department of Immigration when you book one of these routes. Fees are set by the Department of Immigration and subject to change.
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01 Solo Trekkers Now Permitted (2026 Update)
Until March 2026, most restricted areas required a minimum of two trekkers per group before a permit would be issued — a rule that shut out solo travelers. As of March 22, 2026, that minimum group-size requirement has been dropped: solo trekkers can now obtain a Restricted Area Permit, provided they still travel with a licensed guide through a registered agency. If you’ve read elsewhere that restricted areas require a minimum of two people, that information is now out of date.
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02 Why These Areas Are Restricted
Restricted Areas are designated by the Government of Nepal for three main reasons: protecting culturally sensitive communities near the Tibetan border, controlling access to environmentally fragile ecosystems, and border security in areas close to international frontiers. The fees charged fund conservation and local community development in these remote regions.
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03 Licensed Guide & Agency Requirement
A licensed guide, employed through a registered trekking agency, has long been mandatory on every restricted-area route and remains so — the March 2026 update changed the minimum group size, not the guide requirement. Restricted Area Permits are not available to independent travelers; they can only be arranged through an agency like Bonny Himalaya, submitted directly to the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu.
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04 Do I Still Need a TIMS Card?
If your entire trek falls inside a restricted area, the Restricted Area Permit replaces the TIMS card — you don’t need to purchase both. If your route combines a restricted zone with unrestricted sections, a TIMS card may still apply to the non-restricted portion. We confirm exactly which permits your specific itinerary needs when you book.
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05 Which of Our Treks Need a Restricted Area Permit?
Most of our treks — including Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Langtang Valley, Mera Peak, and Makalu Base Camp — use only standard national park or conservation area permits, with no RAP required. The following routes in our catalog do require a Restricted Area Permit:
- Upper Mustang Trek Upper Mustang RAP.
- Upper Dolpo Trek Upper Dolpo RAP.
- Lower Dolpo Trek Lower Dolpo RAP.
- Manaslu Trek / Round Manaslu Trek Manaslu RAP + MCAP + ACAP.
- Nar Phu Valley Trek Nar Phu RAP.
- Kanchanjunga Base Camp Trek Kanchenjunga RAP.
- Rolwaling Tashi Lapcha Pass Trek Rolwaling RAP — this route crosses a high technical pass into the Khumbu region, so confirm current requirements closely when booking.
- Limi Valley Trek Humla / Limi Valley RAP.
- Great Himalayan Trek Depending on the exact section booked, this route can cross several restricted zones (Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Rolwaling, Manaslu, Dolpo, Mustang, and/or Humla), each requiring its own RAP.
Manang Valley Trek and the standard Mustang Trek (Lower Mustang / Jomsom) are not restricted and use standard ACAP entry. Rara Mugu Trek is generally unrestricted via Rara National Park, though we confirm this against your exact route since parts of the wider Mugu/Humla area do fall under RAP rules.
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06 Combining Restricted Areas
Some itineraries cross more than one restricted zone — the most common combination is the Manaslu Circuit with Tsum Valley, which requires separate RAPs for each region on top of the shared MCAP and ACAP fees. We handle multi-region permit combinations as part of your trip planning.
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07 How We Handle Your Permit
As a registered trekking agency, Bonny Himalaya submits your Restricted Area Permit application directly to the Department of Immigration and arranges any supporting conservation area permits for your route. You provide a passport copy and photos; we handle the paperwork, licensed guide arrangement, and checkpoint registration.
Restricted area rules and fees are set by Nepal’s Department of Immigration and have changed significantly in 2026 — always confirm current requirements for your specific route when you book. Contact us for a detailed permit and cost breakdown.
