Trekking in Nepal is a widely done outdoor activity. The diverse Himalayan geography offers various trekking trails all across the mountain region. With a huge number of trekking trails across Annapurna, Everest, Manaslu, and other trekking regions, Nepal stands out as a trekking hub in the tranquil nature. In such a diverse nature trail, the tea house trek is now becoming a very vibrant choice among trekkers and travellers.
Teahouse Trek is basically a trek, where a trekker does trekking activity with the accommodation relying on teahouses or lodges across the routes. These teahouses provide basic services, but with a very close immersion in local lifestyle and an authentic taste of Himalayan life.
It is considered ideal mostly for beginners due to its flexibility as well as affordability. These teahouses in tea house treks are mostly owned and run by the local community and provide very affordable pricing in services, food, and lodging. It is also considered best for beginners because it provides an authentic taste of the local lifestyle during the trekking journey.
In this guide, we will talk about the Nepal Teahouse trek and provide you with some insights about its features and aspects. You will explore the idea and the taste of teahouse treks in Nepal before you plan to do one by yourself. Stick in here to get the proper insight.
What is Nepal Tea House Trek?
Briefly, the Tea House Trek is actually an old form of trekking, which includes the local teahouses and lodges as accommodation during long duration journey. Due to its traditional form and authentic taste, connecting the local lifestyle, it is now a popular option among travellers and trekkers, as well as those who seek to explore culture and traditions during their travel.
The history of the teahouse trek starts with the traditional routes, which were once used by the forefathers of the Himalayas for travelling across the hills for different purposes. Later same trail was followed by the first arrival of trekkers, who wanted to explore the Himalayas of Nepal, but added local stays as an option for accommodation. Later trend into teahouses and hence the teahouse trek begins.
It is a bit different from a camping trek, where you need to carry a bunch of trekking gear as well burden of spotting the proper spot for camping. While in teahouse trekking, you will find them across the trails and provide more than what you need to compromise with camping. Also, you will be free from unusual weight when you are on steep climbs.
Teahouses during the teahouse trek are mostly owned by the local community, as mentioned above and provide basic services. Most of the food menu consists of local dishes and cuisines with locally produced ingredients. As well as the lodging, it provides basic yet clean, simple bedroom services, sometimes shared.
Why choose a Nepal Tea House Trek as a Beginner?
Nepa tea house trek is considered an ideal choice for beginner trekkers. Unlike camping, you do not need to carry heavy camping gear and equipment. You will get comfortable accommodations along the route, which also come with traditional and authentic tastes.
The Teahouse trek is also more affordable compared to other trekking styles. It also provides trekkers a flexibility of itineraries as well socail and cultural experience along with the journey.
Best Routes for Nepal Tea House Trek
Inside the wide range of trekking trails in the Himalayas, there are several best routes for the teahouse trek in Nepal. Some of them are as follows,
Everest Base Camp Tea House Trek
Duration: 12 to 14 days
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Highlights
- Scenic trail with sherpa villages and teahouses across the trail
- Namche Bazar, a prime Himalayan Town located in the middle of the Himalayas
- Moderate yet challenging trekking journey
- Tranquil nature, cultural immersion and high-altitude trekking experience
Annapurna Circuit Tea House Trek
Duration: 7 to 12 days
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Highlights
- Spectacular scenery and majestic views
- High-altitude trekking experience along with Thorang La Pass
- Traditional villages with traditional lifestyles
Langtang Valley Tea House Trek
Durations: 7 to 10 days
Difficulty Level: moderate
Highlights
- Short-duration trek with diverse aspects
- Fewer crowds and empty trails than Annapurna and Everest
- Cultural Experience and traditional immersion
Short and Easy Tea House Treks
Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
Shorter and ideal for a short vacation or for budget travel. Even in a short duration, the trail goes through the most scenic traditional villages surrounded by farming terraces. Within just 5 days of the trekking journey, it covers and passes through rhododendron forest, villages, and ridges with scenic landscapes.
Mardi Himal trek
Mardi Himal trek is another short-duration trek which is popular for its altitude gain from 1000 to 4000m in just 4 days of trekking journey. It is also one of the less-travelled trekking routes, which makes it an ideal choice if you like to have a more tranquil journey with a teahouse experience.
Helambu Trek
This heritage trek also offers a very vibrant cultural trekking journey with a teahouse experience. The trekking trails of Helambu pass through mostly Tamang villages.
What to Expect in Tea House
Teahouse trek is a traditional style trekking experience. It provides basic services with basic logistics. With affordable pricing, it comes with the traditional taste of living in the Himlayas.
Rooms and Facilities
As mentioned above, the rooms will be basic with simple facilities. You will get a twin-sharing room in most of the teahouses. A common dining area as well sharing toilets and showers. Some teahouse provides the room with a private bathroom at an additional cost. You will also get charging and WiFi availability.
Food on a Nepal Tea House Trek
The menu for food will consist of basic and mostly local items like Dal Bhat, noodles, eggs, as well as other snack items like noodles, pasta and a variety of soups. The meals will be available as breakfast, which mostly consists of noodles, bread, tea and coffee. As well as drinking water from spring which are mostly filtered later.
Best Time For a Nepal Tea House Trek
Trekking in Nepal is mostly welcoming for trekkers all around the year. Trekkers get to choose which features come along with the season they want to enjoy and embark on a journey with. Considering the choice of trekkers and most of the travelers the time of Spring and Autumn can be liked as the best Time for trekking in Nepal.
During spring, you will get a blossoming landscape as well as very stable weather. The visibility will be clearer due to pre-monsoon rain, as well as the greenery at lunch. You will also get longer days to have your trekking journey in slower pace, enjoying the daytime. And scenic trails will be the bonus feature during this time. You will get to enjoy a scenic and refreshing journey during spring.
In Autumn, the weather gets its finest stable stage as well as the clearest visibility of the yr. The trail gets colourful due to the falling season of dry leaves. You will get a picturesque and mesmerising journey if you choose to go trekking during Autumn.
During winter, some trekkers who seek an adventurous journey prefer to have it during the freezing season. The trails will be empty, and off-season brings some features like discount in accommodation, and transportation will be available. But also, the snow-covered trails, extreme cold and low availability of teahouses at higher altitudes can be challenging.
How difficult is a Nepal Tea House Trek?
Nepal Teahouse Trek and its difficulty depend upon the trail. Different trails have their own difficulty levels and factors accordingly.
You need to have good physical fitness for most of the trekking trails, more of its high altitude treks. Precautions and awareness about altitude can be more helpful.
It also depends upon the ability, experience and walling speed to consider the difficulty level for you.
Altitude considerations and acclimatisation in any trekking trails with different difficulty level plays different roles in this factor.
Essential Packing List for Nepal Tea House Trek
The packing for the Nepal Tea House Trek is also a necessary and important aspect to consider. And if you are doing long duration journey in diverse trail, then it is very important to follow proper preparation and packing essentials.
Here are some packing checklist for you.
- Clothing (layered preferred)
- Trekking Poles
- Sleeping Bags
- Trekking Boots
- Glasses and Caps(optional)
- Toiletries
- Water Bottle
- First Aid Kit
- Backup battery charger
- Documents and permits
Permits Required for a Nepal Tea House Trek
You will need to have some permits and entry permission to get access to the trekking trails of Nepal Teahouse treks. There are specif and trekking region-related permits you need to have during your journey. They are,
- TIMS(Trekking Information Management System )
- National Park Permits(rated region)
- Restricted Area Permits(if applicable)
You can obtain them from the Nepal Tourism Board with your personal ID or legal documents like a valid visa.
Do you need a Guide for a Nepal Tea House Trek?
Yes, you need to have a trekking guide, not just for the regulation of the van on solo travelling in some regions, but for your own safety and proper guidance.
Hiring a Guide or porter is always beneficial for you during long-duration treks. Not just to navigate properly but also to understand the culture and traditions you will encounter during your journey.
Safety Tips for First-time Trekkers
Yes, you need to have some safety tips to follow during your journey. During long journeys or high altitude trekking, it is a very necessary precaution to take for your safety and health factors, as well to avoid unfortunate incidents.
Having altitude sickness awareness and being conscious about it’s precaution and safety can help you to avoid any kind of altitude issues during your trek. Always keep hydrating yourself and avoid any kind of activities that can trigger altitude sickness, like running, jumping or any activities which need you to have frequent body movements and require more respiration mostly in high altitudes.
Having travel insurance is also another important precaution to follow and to have during your journey. Keeping a first aid kit and emergency contacts are always essential steps to follow before you head on your journey. Also, keep some awareness and stay conscious about weather changes and weather updates.
Culture Etiquette in Nepal Tea House
Culture immersion in teahouse treks in Nepal is a vibrant experience to have. You will encounter diverse cultural and traditional aspects of the ethnic people of the Himalayan regions.
So, you too can immerse yourself in it and experience it with closeness. Keeping cultural respect is always a good image of real travellers. Greeting locals is always a gesture of respect and connection. Always ask for permission before entering locals’ houses and religious sites, and asking before taking photographs of people can be a very kind gesture too. And recommending to support local businesses as well as with conservation initiatives will be even more appropriate.
Final Tips for Planning Your First Nepal Tea House Trek
Here are some final tips which you can follow before your journey to make your trekking experience more enjoyable and joyful.
Booking strategy
Ways to book a pioneer for your journey. Last-minute booking can be frustrating and can ruin your whole experience as well, during peak seasons like Autumn and Summer, it can also create issues.
Cash vs Card
Always carry Nepalese cash. It is more flexible in remote areas and can reduce the problem leaded from card, as there is always uncertainty about them.
Buffer Days
During buffer days, you can visit the heritage sites in Kathmandu and immerse yourself in historic and religious sites. So, during acclimatisation and gap days, you can explore more about the villages and people where you stay and make such a day into another great memory of your journey.
Mental preparation
This is also a very important aspect before you head on your journey. You need to have your mind made up for the whole journey. Most of the teahouse treks consist of remote areas, which means basic services, basic foods and low connectivity. Also, difficulty during steep climbs and longer walks can be challenging. So, mental preparation is a necessary step.
FAQs
- Is the Nepal Tea House Trek suitable for beginners?
Yes, teahouse trek is suitable for beginners, mostly the short ones like Ghorepani poon hill trek, Mardi Himal or Helambu Trek. Due to its affordability, flexibility and presence in a wide range across the Himalayas makes it even more ideal for beginners.
- What food is available during the Nepal Tea House Trek?
During the Nepal Teahouse trek, the food menu consists mainly of local dishes and foods that are locally prepared, including Dal Bhat Tarkari, Eggs, noodles, soups, roti and other local cuisines from different ethnic communities.
- Can you do a Nepal Teahouse Trek without a Guide?
With recent updates in regulations, solo trekking is banned in most of the best trekking trails due to trekkers’ safety and for proper navigation. So, without Guide it is not possible in the current scenario.
- Is WiFi available during the Nepal Teahouse Trek?
Yes, most Teahouse and lodges provides connectivity to Wi-Fi. But also one needs to know the speed could be a bit slower than in cities, as well could need to pay an extra charge or fee, which are basically cheap compared to the maintenance in such remote areas.
