Nepal With Kids

Nepal is one of the most family friendly vacation destinations that I know of. If the Classification and Rating Administration for movies also rated countries, Nepal would be rated G for general audience of all ages. A family vacation to Nepal with kids is educational, exciting, and a really great time.

A family tour of Chitwan National Park could be a great way to educate young kids on the importance of habitat conservation as well as being on a really cool jungle safari. Also, there is an elephant breeding center in Chitwan that teaches about elephant population restoration in Nepal.

While Chitwan is exciting and fun, a family holiday in Nepal during Dashain would be an amazing way to show how different cultures celebrate and worship in different religions. Even a tour of the Kathmandu valley would be great at identifying Hindu deities and how spirituality can influence architecture.

The Poon Hill trek in April is a fun and easy trek to show how plants respond to the environment. In fact, I was happy to see a boy scout troop hiking up Poon Hill while I was on my way down. There were Large and small kids in the troop.

Family Holiday

A destination holiday with the family and kids can be stressful. Thankfully in Nepal, you don’t have to worry about money, weather, time, or safety. These common worry points are easily managed.

Is Nepal good for family trip?

Nepal is a great destination for a family trip because it is a family friendly country. The people are nice and accommodating, It is relatively inexpensive, porters will carry your kids if they get tired of walking, and Nepal has a low crime rate.

As an example the crime rate of Nepal as expressed by MacroTrends is 2.3 for every 100,000 people. This is extremally low. Nepal is safe for families. It is safe for men, women, and children.

Nepal is very conservative in that the majority of the population has traditional values. Women tend not to wear revealing clothing. If you wear a top that is too low or shorts that are too high, men will stare.

In the larger cities like Kathmandu, and Pokhara nobody cares what you wear. They are all used to it. But, if you go out to a club dressed provocatively, you might be groped.

Other than that Nepal is a great family vacation destination.

Can I go to Nepal during Covid/ Is there a travel ban to Nepal?

As of March 10, 2022 Nepal’s Department of Immigration rescinded all orders regarding entry limitations. To enter the country you will either have to provide proof of vaccination, proof of a negative COVID-19 report (RT-PCR, NAAT, Gene Xpert) taken within 72 hours of home country departure or take a COVID-19 test at the airport.

When is the best time of the year for a family holiday in Nepal?

The best times for Nepal family holidays is in early October or late April depending on what activities you and the family want to do.

Nepal in October has beautiful clear skies with mildly cold weather. This is the perfect time if you are going trekking and want exceptional views of the mountains.

Nepal in April is a little rainy and mildly warm with cool nights. This is the perfect time to visit if you want to go to Poon Hill to see the Rhododendrons bloom or life come out of hibernation in Chitwan.

How many days in Nepal is enough? How much time do I need?

I recommend staying for at least 2 weeks, but you can have an excellent time with just 3 days. A longer vacation will allow you and the kids to acclimate to the time change, while providing opportunity to explore the country.

Most hikes or treks take about 2 weeks to complete. The exception is the Poon Hill Trek and the Langtang trek. Other tours like the jungle safari, heritage site tour, and pilgrimage tour can all be completed in 3 days.

I personally like long vacations, but unfortunately they are rarely long enough. A 90 day vacation holiday is enough for me.

Are Nepal family holidays expensive? How much does a holiday in Nepal with Kids cost?

The cost of a family vacation depends on your activities, the length of your stay, and how many people are in your family.

In general, a family of 4 can have an amazing 2 week trip for around $6,500. This is an all expenses paid vacation, which includes food, family rooms, guide, porter, licenses, permits, and activities. As a comparison, you would spend about $11,500 on a 2 week pass in Disney Land.

Having your family vacation in Nepal will save you about $5,000 compared to an equal time spent in Disney Land.

Your personal expenses will be low if you buy a tour package. You will not have to pay for anything except for souvenirs, plane tickets, and alcoholic beverages.

Family Tour and Popular Family treks

The great thing about family and group tours is that you can get them at a discounted rate. Contact us, and we can work out a deal. The difficulty of the recommended hikes for a family tour with kids trekking is low to medium difficulty.

During my treks, I’ve seen family tours on all the below treks except for the Everest Base Camp trek. I discuss it because it is a common question I get. But before I recommended a family tour, I’ll go over a few things you should know about trekking in Nepal with kids.

How do I book or organize my trek?

On our website, select the trek you are interested in and purchase it. Or you may call us to ask for a family discount. We don’t normally charge for kids, so just let us know they will be with you and it will be fine. We will take care of the rest.

If you are the do it yourself type, you can arrange your travel to and from the Kathmandu airport, book your hotel, find the permit and licensing department for the area you will be traveling to, buy your permits, navigate the bus park to buy your ticket and find the right bus to your next hotel, leave your non-essential gear at a place you trust, find a bus that will take you to the start of your trek, find a guide so you don’t get lost, check in at all the check points, then make it back. Believe me, it can be a nightmare.

It is not something you want to do on your own in Nepal with kids. It would be one of the most stressful things ever. Do you know where the hospital is? What if someone got sick or injured while trekking? Please do your do diligence if you choose to do it yourself.

Please call us, we are happy to help, even if you do not book your tour through us.

When can kids start trekking?

They can start as soon as they can walk. I will leave it to the parents discretion to choose which treks are appropriate for their kids.

What are accommodations like on the tour?

If you visit Nepal for a family tour you will have great hotel accommodations. Tours in Chitwan National Park and the Kathmandu valley have excellent facilities. You will have rooms with hot water, and clean and comfortable rooms.

If your family tour involves going trekking, each night you will stay in a tea house. Tea houses are highly commercialized bed and breakfasts. They can range form extremely nice to down right terrible.

I did not trust the cleanliness of most of the tea houses I stayed in. If you are like me, bring your own sleeping bags and pillows and rest knowing you will not catch scabies or Molluscum contagiosum from the sheets.

The food you can order on the treks varies from area to area and season, but you are guaranteed to be able to order something. Lentils and rice are always on the menu, which is normally an excellent choice. I bring a water filter and filter all the water I drink when I am trekking. I have plenty of friends who are not as diligent as I am and drank unfiltered non-treated or boiled water. They never had a problem with getting sick. The water is probably safe to drink, but just be careful.

What gear do I need?

You will need hiking boots, a water filter, and warm cloths to go trekking. I strongly recommend sun glasses, sleeping bags, and pillows too. All other equipment is optional and can be purchased in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Trekking poles are nice and they do help on the down hill hikes.

If you are going on a safari or touring heritage sites and temples, you will need sun screen, breathable clothing, water filter, hats, and insect repellant if on safari, and dust mask if in Kathmandu.

How difficult is trekking for kids?

As long as they are having fun, it is easy. The recommended treks for kids have a lots of rest locations, have a gentle slope or an easy hiking path, and are low in altitude. Older kids will have an easier time trekking, but if needed kids can always be carried by a porter.

I have seen a lot of kids trekking in Nepal. The number 1 thing that makes kids happy is going slowly, exploring what they are interested in, rest and eat when needed. A really amazing guide help make it an amazing trip by telling stories about the trek, sightings of Big Foot, and non-fictional wildlife.

In general all the recommended treks are easy to moderate in difficulty, but can be made less difficult by providing support.

Kids can get altitude sickness while trekking in Nepal

Be careful when choosing the trek you want to go on with your kids. Make sure they are fit enough to do the hike in the first place. Also please take them to the mountains a couple of times to see if the altitude causes any uncomfortable feelings.

Please note that kids may not be the best communicators and may have a difficult time identifying what problems they are feeling. Do your best to isolate the discomfort and take them to a doctor for assessment and information.

Some common symptoms of altitude sickness include headache, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, upset stomach, week and tired, difficulty breathing when active, constant fatigue, trouble sleeping, and increased heart rate.

Please consult with a doctor about altitude issues before coming on a trek.

Chitwan National Park

The Chitwan National Park jungle safari is the easiest and most fun family tour. You have a high likely hood of seeing endangered rhinoceroses, threatened Gharial crocodiles, colorful birds, monkeys and spotted deer. There is a very rare chance of seeing a bangle tiger, but it is possible. If you want to see a tiger a better safari destination is Bardiya National Park in Nepal. Chitwan National park is at the bottom of the Himalayan mountains at about 300 feet above sea level. The jungle safari tour involves verry little hiking, and a whole lot of fun. The tour costs $2,090 per person, and lasts 3 days. If you would like to book your family trip with us, please follow this link to our website. It is a tour the whole family can enjoy.

Day 1

The jungle safari in Chitwan starts with checking into your hotel. After you are situated, your guide will take you on a 10 minute walk to the bank of the Rapti River. You can see a few different types of animals here, mainly birds, alligators, and crocodiles. You can also see wild jungle pigs, wild elephants, and sometimes rhinoceros.

After the sun sets on the jungle, you will be treated to a cultural dance show by local people. Many families participate in the show, and each one highlights a different reason for dance. You conclude the night after the dance.

Day 2

The safari starts in the morning. You can go on a jeep safari or ride on the back of an elephant. I felt bad for the elephant when I took the tour, but It was fun. I would do a jeep tour next time. Whichever safari you choose you will see a lot of really cool animals.

At the end of the safari you are taken on a canoe ride down the river. It is also a lot of fun and a little scary because of all the crocodiles and alligators.

The canoe trip ends a short hike from the Chitwan National Park elephant breeding center. Here you can learn about the restoration work and breeding programs for the Asian elephants.

Day 3

At the end of the day you will be treated to an evening farewell dinner. In the morning one last hike to the Rapti river where you have one last chance of seeing early morning animals, then to Kathmandu or Pokhara.

Kathmandu Sightseeing tour

The Kathmandu sightseeing tour visits most of the UNESCO cultural heritage sites in the Kathmandu valley. It visits the monkey temple, Swayambhu, Bhaktapur durbar square, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath, and Changunarayan.

Each visiting spot involves a short walk around. There are places to stop and eat, as well as shop, or rest at most of the stops.

Kathmandu is at an elevation of 4,593 feet, which is just under a mile high. There is a lot of dust kicked up by traffic and wind, and I highly advise bringing a dust mask, or buying one in Kathmandu. You will be in a private vehicle during your trip. Traffic can slow the pace of the trip, but you should not have any difficulty completing it in 2 days.

The cost of the tour is $250 dollars. You can book it by clicking on this link, and purchasing it through our website.

This is a great family tour, but people who favor history, culture, art, and architecture will appreciate it more than others. My favorite cultural heritage site is Boudhanath Stupa. I’m sure each person can find something they enjoy on this tour.

Poon Hill Trek

The Poon Hill Trek is one of the most popular treks in the Annapurna Region. It is in the Annapurna range, North of Pokhara valley. The elevation at the top of the hill is 10,531 feet. This is about 2 miles high and can be a challenge for anyone not accustomed to altitude or exercise.

This is one of my favorite hikes in Nepal in April. It can be done in 3 days if you are in a hurry. But taking it slow and enjoying your time will take 6 days with an additional day relaxing on the shore of Phewa Lake in Pokhara.

If you have young kids in your family, I highly recommend taking the time and going slow. The trek is very doable and enjoyable for all members of the family.

The Trip costs $2,500, and includes all food, travel expenses to and from Kathmandu, hotel stays, permits and licenses, guide, and porter. If you have a large group please contact us in advance and we will give you a discount.

From the top of Poon Hill you can see the entire Annapurna range and Dhaulagiri. They are the 10th highest and 7th highest mountains in the world. In April you also have beautiful views of red and pink rhododendron forests.

I would recommend visiting the area in any season except summer. It is very pretty and worth the hike. You can book the trip by clicking on this link, and making a purchase on our website.

How long is the trek?

The trek takes 6 days and depending on your start location, 32 miles round trip. you will climb in elevation about 2,414 feet.

Please consult your physician about hiking in elevations of up to 10,600 feet.

Everest Base Camp trek

I do not recommend Everest Base Camp for any family vacations with children or teenagers. I get a ton of questions about this all the time. It is not safe. It is a great trek, but not for children.

The Everest region reaches some of the highest elevations of all the trekking tours in Nepal. The trip is strenuous. It is a 77 mile round trip hike lasting 16 days. It starts at an elevation 9,383 feet in Lukla and only goes up from there.

I experienced altitude sickness twice while hiking to EBC. Once was in Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft) and the other time was in Lobuche (20,075 ft).

Unless your children are professional athletes, and you have exceptional travel insurance, please do not attempt this trek in Nepal with kids.

Trekking In Nepal With Kids

When trekking in Nepal with kids please choose a trek that is appropriate in length, duration, and intensity.

You do not want a trek that is to long or too steep or climbs too high in elevation.

You should choose a trek or tour you and the entire family can agree on. The Nepal trek mentioned above has natural beauty and breath taking views.

When you get here, I’m sure you will find the Nepali people to be warm, inviting and generous.

I hope you found this article informative and useful. And I hope your Nepal family holidays are fun and safe.