Nepal: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Nepal feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 77 written places.
Namaste with joined palms opens every door; mountains set the pace and the perspective.
✓ Considered polite
- Walk clockwise around stupas and spin prayer wheels clockwise
- Ask before photographing people and ceremonies
- Trek with a licensed guide - now required on most routes and safer anyway
- Eat dal bhat - the endless refill is real and powers every trek
✗ Better avoided
- Step over people or point feet at shrines
- Touch anything sacred with your left hand or shoes
- Give sweets or money to children - it fuels harm; give to schools instead
- Underestimate altitude - acclimatisation days are not optional
Worth knowing
- Cash rules outside Kathmandu and Pokhara - ATMs thin out fast
- Tipping guides and porters is customary and significant - ask your operator for norms
- Power cuts happen - a headlamp earns its place
- Internal flights bend to mountain weather - buffer days matter
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.