Solo trekkers can now get restricted area permits, but still need a licensed guide

Nepal has removed the requirement that at least two trekkers apply together for a restricted area permit. Since 22 March 2026, a single trekker can obtain one through a registered trekking agency, clearing a barrier that had stood in the way of solo travellers for years.

The regions affected are Nepal's designated restricted zones, which include Manaslu, Upper Mustang, Upper and Lower Dolpo, Kanchenjunga, Humla, Tsum Valley, Nar-Phu Valley and Makalu.

One thing did not change, and it is the point most often misread. A licensed guide is still mandatory and must accompany the trekker at all times, and permits must still be issued through a registered agency. A solo permit is now possible; genuinely solo trekking in these areas is not.

The same update raised the guide-to-trekker ratio to one licensed guide for up to seven trekkers, and allows permits to be processed before arrival in Nepal using a passport together with a visa number or visa application submission ID.

The wider guide requirement, introduced on 1 April 2023 for national parks and conservation areas, is now enforced consistently at checkpoints. Trekkers found without a licensed guide have had permits voided and been turned back.