As you're planning your trip to Nepal, here's a quick introduction to kimkim, how our trips work, and what makes our trips unique. We'll also go over what to expect during your trip as well as how our trips are designed and assembled to make them more customized to your interests.

Plan with a Local Specialist

When planning your trip on kimkim, we'll connect you directly with one of our local specialists who are passionate about customizing a trip that's built around your interests. Our specialists are experienced, creative, and highly-vetted local travel experts who know Nepal well and will help you create the ideal trip plan.

Meaningful Experiences

Travel is about immersing yourself in the local landscape, culture, and experience and this is one of our core values. Sometimes this means taking lesser-known (but just as beautiful) routes to avoid the crowds, and sometimes it means seeing the main highlights in a unique way or at a special time of day that avoids the majority of the crowds. We're just as excited about travel as you are, meaning we seek out these experiences ourselves and then go the extra mile to ensure you have a memorable and meaningful experience.

Customizing Your Perfect Trip

Your customized trip plan will also incorporate personalized approaches to lodging, guides, trekking routes, and even transportation. Our Nepal specialists like to ensure you have a more meaningful experience whenever possible, whether that means seeing the main cultural highlights of Kathmandu through a back entrance or at a unique time of day, or taking an alternative trekking route that reaches the same vantage points but avoids the majority of the crowds. 

Focus on Private Tours

Kimkim is different than most conventional travel companies, in that most of our trips are private and tailor-made, built around your specific interests. This means that the trip will start and end on the dates that work best for you and that the accommodation, the number of activities, and the route is all customizable. For treks, this means you'll have your own private guide and porter; we also can help with small group tours (6-10 travelers, max.) that depart on specific dates, so if that's what you're looking for, just let us know. 

Flexible Itineraries

Your local guide and support team can adjust your itinerary on the fly according to the conditions of each day and what's realistically possible to adjust. For treks, this means you can shorten or extend your trek based on the pace of your group and assuming the logistics still work with your schedule. During your trip, your guide is there to ensure everything goes smoothly and can adjust to the conditions of each day. If needed, they can adapt your itinerary during your trip based on how you’re feeling, how fast you’re going, and what would help you get the most out of the experience.

Local Specialists, Insider Knowledge

Your trip will be put together based on the local insights of people who have spent decades traveling and trekking in Nepal and searching out the best routes and unique places. You’ll be benefiting from their knowledge and planning. Their ideas and insights not only add immense value to the process but are also what makes kimkim's style of trip planning unique.

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Unique Ways to Experience Nepal's Highlights

Not everyone wants to get completely off the grid—but even if you want to visit Nepal's most popular sites and regions, kimkim ensures a customized experience. If you're keen to visit Kathmandu's World Heritage Sites like the ancient city of Bhaktapur, your specialist may suggest staying overnight to explore the temples in the early morning before the crowds arrive. Likewise, if your main goal is to see Mt. Everest, there are lesser-known vantage points like Pikey Peak that few people know about but which offers just as amazing views. 

Experienced & Professional Guides

Your guide is an essential part of your trip and your overall experience, and someone you'll be spending a significant amount of time with each day. As such, we only work with experienced certified local guides who have years of experience and are passionate about helping people experience their country. To learn more about the guides we work with, check out our article about the role of our local guide.

Working With Local Providers

Whenever possible, we work with local communities and services supplied by people who belong to the local community. This means hiring porters and guides as much as possible from the regions you're trekking in and staying in teahouses and hotels that are owned by local or the local community. An example of this would be that we prefer to use teahouses instead of camping during the Manaslu Circuit trek, given these teahouses were built and are run by the local community.

Best Accommodation Options

Where you stay each night plays a large part in the overall experience of your trip. Our specialists have spent decades keeping track of the best—and their favorite—places to stay in Nepal as well as the hidden gems and new places that are popping up. Based on your budget and preferred style, you'll be provided with options of where you can lay your head each night. Just as important, your specialist will ensure that your accommodation works well with your itinerary so that it's conveniently located for the activities you're doing.

While trekking, there is also a wide range in the quality of teahouses. Your local specialist knows the best places to stay, which teahouses have great meals and atmospheres, and are conveniently located away from the crowds or with great vantage points. 

Detailed Trip Briefings

Almost all trips to Nepal will have a trip briefing on the second day of the trip in Kathmandu. Your guide (or a local representative from the company) will come to your hotel or meet with you over dinner and drinks to walk you through the details of your itinerary, what to expect, and answer any questions you may have. The is the best way to kickstart your trip and get excited about the experiences that lie ahead.

How Our Pricing Works

From the start of your trip planning, you'll be provided with the best price for your trip based on what's required to put together a quality experience that's both fairly priced yet doesn't cut corners. The prices will allow the specialist and their team to make a fair living, pay their staff, guides, and porters fair wages in order to retain the best people, and provide insurance and medical coverage for their team. 

In-Trip Support & Guidance

While you're on your trip, both your local Nepal specialist and kimkim staff will be on hand to support should you have any questions, concerns, or if anything goes wrong. We'll also work with you to make changes or customize your trip on the fly should you want to change things around (assuming the customizations are possible and realistic). 

Kimkim’s travel specialists are also there for you after you’ve decided on the details of your trip. Not only will your specialist provide with additional tips so you can make the most out of your vacation, but we are available to help once you land in Nepal. That means anything from suggesting the perfect night out for your last night in Kathmandu or assisting if you hit a snag in your travel plans.

Climate Neutral

Kimkim trips are 100% climate neutral. Plan your trip with us and support sustainable initiatives around the world, reducing your impact and strengthening communities along the way. Learn more

Everything Is Included

Most trips we organize include all the arrangements from the moment you land in Nepal to the moment you leave. You don't have to worry about constantly paying for services or organizing transport or hotels during your trip. Everything is included in the tour you book with us (we'll clearly point out anything that's not covered).

Services that are typically included:

  • Airport transfers in a private vehicle
  • All the necessary permits for treks and national parks
  • Entrance fees for any cultural sites
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner during your trek
  • All your domestic transport (flights & ground transport)

Services that are typically not included:

  • Your international flights
  • Your visa to Nepal
  • Medical and emergency travel insurance

Stress-Free Airport Transfers

Expectations and excitement are high from the moment you hit the ground in Nepal and we'll ensure your arrival experience and airport transfer run smoothly. You'll be provided with details of what to expect upon arrival, contact details of your in-trip support and driver, and someone who will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you to your hotel.

 

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