Api Himal Trek
Receive you at Kathmandu-TIA airport upon arrival. You need to stay hotel in Kathmandu for at least one night, but this package does not include the hotel costs. On the trip departure date, we will take a local bus or a jeep to Syabrubesi, where the trek starts. The package includes local transportation costs (Kathmandu to Syabrubesi and Dundure Khola to Kathmandu). You can hire a private jeep at an extra cost.
Accommodation on Saipal Api Himal Trek
There will be home stay/ local lodge in a homely environment filled with warm hospitality. You will require at least two nights hotel stay in Kathmandu before and after the trek. Since hotel preferences of all individuals are different, this package does not cover hotel stays in Kathmandu.
Trek Meals on Api Himal Trek
Api Himal Trek takes place in higher elevations, which means you need enough nutritious food. We will provide you with plenty of nutrient-rich, hygienic, and tasty food during the trek. You will mostly stay in home stays. You will be eating food that locals eat. The food will be fresh, hygienic, tasty, and nutritious.
We recommend you to take enough liquids, green tea, lemon tea, hot lemon, ginger tea, and garlic soup (must) at high altitudes. Similarly, fresh vegetables are great for high elevation treks. Though plenty of non-veg items are available in trek region, we do not recommend them because you can never be sure about the meat quality. Experts also suggest high-altitude trekkers to avoid alcohol, caffeinated drinks, hot chocolate, and dairy items. All personal bills (alcoholic, hot (tea/coffee), and cold drinks) in tea houses/ lodges or cafes except standard meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner with seasonal fruits) are excluded from the package.
Api Himal Trek Seasons
Spring and Autumn are good seasons for a good trek experience. The trails are a little slippery and wet in summer due to the monsoon, and winters are cold. However, we conduct Ruby Valley Trek throughout the year. As the trek region is near Kathmandu, the trek is easily accessible.
Winter Trek-January to February
January and February are the coldest months, especially from early January to early February. Though the days may be warm and admirable with clear skies, the nights are so cold.
Spring Trek-March to May
This is also best season to trek in the Ruby Valley, as you will get stunning views of the central Himalayan ranges. Temperatures start rising from the mid of March, and with clear skies, snow mountains look their best. Trekkers hiking in March-April will find rhododendron flowers welcoming them.
Summer Trek-June to August
It is also a great time to trek, right before the rainfall. It starts raining from the end of June till mid-August in trek regions. The overlapping of spring and summer makes the trek much more enjoyable during these months. The rainfall hits its peak during these months. The rainfall makes the trails get wet and slippery, making treks challenging. Trek paths mainly at ridges and descents require great attention.
Autumn Trek-September to December
It is also one of the perfect seasons for the Ruby Valley trek. For this reason, most tourists take a hike to Ruby Valley during these months. As the monsoon retreats, a perfect trekking climate sets in. The temperature goes up to 20 degrees during the day and falls to 5 degrees during the night. The clear skies and amazing views of the mountains allure most trekkers to Ruby Valley. We recommend you to trek to Ruby Valley from mid-September to the end of October. If you hike during these months, you will also witness the two great Nepali festivals – Dashain and Tihar.
As winter slowly begins, snow falls begin in the Ruby Valley regions, and it eventually gets tough to trek. Nights start to get colder. However, November treks are also popular due to sparkling days and stable temperatures. From December, the temperature drops and it begins to snow. The weather in the Himalayas is unpredictable, and the temperature changes quickly.
Api Himal Trek Difficulty
The Api Himal is an easy to moderate trek difficulty. You will be hiking for 4 to 6 hours a day with regular breaks to enjoy the mountain views. The trek routes involve long climb, steep descent, and forward trails in rocky region and forests. The fitter you are, the more comfortable and enjoyable your journey will be.
Solo Travelers/Trekkers
We organize a group as well as private treks. If you have your own group, you will get discount on package price. However, you will not get discounts for groups as we form of. Each group will have a trekking guide, a porter for every two trekkers. Further, we can handle all group sizes and add an assistant trek guide for groups with 12 and more members.
Typical day on Api Himal Trek
Each day you will get a unique trek experience of scenery. Take photos, explore the local village, and interact with the villagers. During the trek, your guide along with porters carry your baggage will accompany you. However, you will be carrying a small regular day pack for your valuables. The day starts with an early morning cup of tea. Each morning after packing our bags and having a wholesome breakfast, we set off day walk at around 7 am to 8 am in the morning.
After trekking for 3 to 4 hours, you will stop for lunch at midday on the trail. Then we rest for about an hour before re-starting the trek. The afternoon walk is generally shorter and lasts only 2 to 3 hours. Before dinner, you will have free time to explore nearby places.
You are having dinner between 6 to 7 pm. In the evening, before going to bed, you will discuss each others’ hiking experiences. Your guide will brief you the next day’s plan. After completing the trip briefing and before going to bed, you can enjoy yourself however you like reading books, watch mountaineering videos or play cards. Most foreigners also indulge in learning a few common Nepali words.
Communication during the trek
During the trek, you can use internet services through 4G data packages at lodges/home stays you will be staying in, paying a small service charge. Once we reach high altitudes, we will communicate through phones. If you wish, you can buy a local sim in Kathmandu. However, based on the network you use, the mobile signals may not be strong enough. You can use the internet through the 4G data service available in lodges/home stays but comes with an extra cost.
Personal Expenses
Meals and accommodations in Kathmandu, we will book on your request. You can choose to stay in luxury or budget hotels/lodges. Moreover, trekkers will need money for various purposes – including visa processing, travel insurance policy, snacks, hot (tea/coffee), cold and alcoholic drinks, tips for guide and porter, souvenirs, etc. We recommend bringing cash (major currencies) and exchanging them for Nepali Rupees in Kathmandu. Trek regions only accept Nepali Rupees.
Electricity and Water on Trek
Throughout the lodges/home stays in Ruby Valley trek regions, electricity for the camera and mobile recharge is available by paying a small price at lodges/home stays. Water during the trek, you can buy either packed mineral water from shops or fill your water bottle with boiled/filtered water in local lodges/home stays. We suggest you to use water purification tablets before drinking water. Please don’t drink water from local rivers, taps, and wells in trek region because it might not be drinkable as it seems.
Travel insurance
Trekking to Ruby Valley requires travel insurance. Like other high mountain treks, this trek also comes with slight risk of high altitude sickness. At a minimum, you require a comprehensive travel insurance policy that covers medical and emergency repatriation including helicopter rescue and evacuation expenses at altitudes up to 4000m. We can recommend insurance companies based on our clients’ previous experiences, but we do not sell insurance policies.
We kindly request you to send your detailed insurance information once you book the trek. In emergency, we will use your insurance policy and other informational documents you sent us to arrange a quick and effective rescue operation. Ensure that your insurance policy covers the cost incurred for mountain rescue service at the highest trek elevations. Before buying travel insurance, make sure to call insurance companies and recheck if they have helicopter rescue and evacuation up to 4000m. Do not just rely on the insurance company website content.
Equipment for Api Himal Trek
We recommend you to carry basic clothing and accessories for Ruby Valley Trek. If you hire porter, porters will carry 9 kg per person luggage maximum.
Head
Sun hat or scarf
Winter hat or insulating hat or a wide-brimmed hat
Headlight with extra batteries
Face
Sunscreen
Sunglasses with UV protection
Face/body wipes
Hands
Lightweight gloves
Heavyweight winter gloves
Body
Hiking shirts
Long-sleeved shirt
Hooded rain jacket
Fleece jacket
Lightweight cotton pants
T-Shirt (bring lightweight wool)
Polypropylene underwear
Down jacket (available for rent in Kathmandu)
Sweater
Waterproof jacket and pants
Footwear
Hiking Boots
Thick wool socks (Take an extra pair of thick light socks)
Essential Gear
Backpack or day pack (Size depends on whether you take porter or not)
Thermal bottle
Water purification
Trekking pole
Sleeping bag (-15 degree bag is best for high altitude trekking)
Toiletries
Medium size drying towel
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant floss
Biodegradable bar soap
Nail clippers
Small mirror
Personal accessories
Money
Watch
Cell phone
Camera
Extra items
First aid kit
Extra passport photos and photocopies of passport
Notebook and pen
Nepal Visa
All foreigners except Indian nationals need a valid visa to enter Nepal. Visa is available on arrival at Kathmandu Airport and at immigration check points along India and Tibet borders. Citizens of China, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), get a free visa.
A visa application requires a passport with at least 6 months validity, one passport-size photo, and visa fees. The current visa cost for 30 days is USD 50 (to be paid in cash). Children under 10 get free visas. Citizens from certain countries – Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Swaziland, Cameroon, Liberia, Somalia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan do not receive on-arrival visas. So if you are a citizen of any of these countries, you need to contact your local Nepalese embassy. The government can change immigration rules without notice. We recommend you add 1-2 extra days for the trip so that you will not miss your international flight back home in case of trek delays. If there is no delay, we can arrange fun activities during this time.
Money Matter
Nepali Rupees (NPR) is the local currency(1 USD = Rs.120 NPR).You can exchange major foreign currencies through local banks and legitimate money exchanges in Kathmandu and all over Thamel. Legitimate money exchanges display their current exchange rates visibly. Please remember that only Indian Rupee notes of 100 and 2,000 are legal in Nepal.
Though traveler’s Cheque are no acceptable now in Nepal, we recommend you to bring cash to avoid lengthy processes and high bank commissions. You can also withdraw cash in Rupees from ATMs in Kathmandu and Thamel itself. Several of these ATMs are open around the clock. The maximum ATM withdrawal amount is 35,000 Rupees for a 500 Rupees processing fee using your foreign card. If you use the money exchange facilities at banks and financial institutions, they will charge a service fee of 4% or more. There are no banks and money exchange services at trek regions. So you should exchange your money in Kathmandu, depending on how much personal expense you require. Most established banks in Asia do not accept faded, old, or torn foreign currency notes. So, please ensure that you have new, clean notes.
Luggage Weight Limit for the trek
The luggage weight limit is 9 kg per trekker. There will be one porter for two trekkers, and they will not carry more than 18 kg of combined weight. We also expect you to carry a backpack for your valuables. Please bring only the essentials. You can store your excess luggage at your hotel in Kathmandu for free. We will recheck your luggage, gear, and equipment during the trip briefing to ensure that you have all the essentials for the trek.
Trek Safety
Client safety is our first priority. To ensure safety, we will be carrying all the necessary gear, equipment, first aid kits to face any situation. Our trek guide have completed extensive first aid training. If a trekker falls sick during the trek, the trek leader has the authority to decide whether to descend immediately or to continue forward. In an emergency, a rescue helicopter, funded by insurance, will bring you back to safety from the higher elevation. We will trek as a group for safety.
Tipping
Nepali society accepts tipping but, it is at the traveler’s discretion. We advise you to tip collectively at the end of the trek taking into account the quality of service provided by your guide and porter.
Booking and Payment
We are a Nepal government-authorized and bonded trek and tour operator. We have been providing our services for over a decade.We are members of the Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN), and Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). Therefore, you can book trips with us by confidence. We require 10% payment in advance for booking confirmation. Within a week of booking, please send us necessary documents like passport copy, passport size photos, travel insurance policy, arrival and departure flight details. You can pay by using bank transfers, western union, or online through our website. You can pay the remaining trip cost in cash, by bank transfer, or using credit cards after arriving in Nepal. Furthermore, we will email you payment details and modes of payment available.
Last minute booking
It is nice to book this trip in advance but, for those unable, we have a special provision for last-minute bookings. In the case of a last-minute booking, you need to clear 100% trip payment 24 hours before the trip departure date. We try our best to operate a trek at any time, but, in case of a last-minute booking, you cannot hold us responsible for delays due to changes beyond our control, such as bad weather or unavailability of lodging. For more information call (Viber/WhatsApp) at 977-9851023742 (Jitendra Gurung) or email us-missionecotreknepal@gmail.com
Trip Extension
After trek completion, if you want to stay a couple of days extra in Nepal, we can arrange activities for you that include sightseeing in and around Kathmandu, Chitwan jungle safari, paragliding, rafting, canoeing, etc.
Private Departure
The Api Himal Trek includes fixed departure dates from Kathmandu, but we can accommodate your specific requests and schedule. Please review your designated departure dates, and if these dates do not suit you, let us know. We will arrange it according to your time frame. Please note that itinerary listed above might require modification due to circumstances beyond our control, such as bad weather, unavailability of lodging. In such cases, we will create a new itinerary based on the interest of whole group without affecting the trip experience. We look forward to guiding you to the Ruby Valley through some of the most dazzling landscapes on the planet.
