Guides / Before you go

Guide · Before you go

From the Camino to the Himalaya: a guide for long-distance walkers

For walkers who know the Camino de Santiago or long trails at home: what changes in Nepal, what stays the same, and which treks suit you.

Written 31 October 20262 min readBy Rujan Neupane

I’m Rujan, a licensed trekking guide living in Kathmandu. Some of my favourite guests have walked the Camino de Santiago or long trails in their own countries. They arrive fit, used to carrying a pack and walking day after day. Nepal will feel familiar in many ways, but a few things are very different.

Hours, not kilometres

On the Camino you may walk 25 km a day. In the Himalaya, 10 to 15 km can take a whole day, because the trails climb and drop hundreds of metres on stone steps. Think in hours: most trekking days are 4 to 7 hours on foot.

Altitude changes everything

Fitness does not protect you from altitude sickness. Above about 3,000 m the body needs time, whatever your training. A good itinerary climbs slowly, with rest days, and the strongest walkers are often the ones who must slow down most. See how a trek climbs safely, day by day.

Tea houses, homestays and camping

Instead of albergues, Nepal has tea houses: family lodges with a warm kitchen, simple rooms and dal bhat. In quiet areas you may sleep in village homes. If you love camping, some routes allow a tent on a few nights, but in many places lodges are the only option and the kinder one for the villages. See teahouse life and what a camping trek is like.

A lighter pack

On a tea-house trek you do not need a tent, stove or food. Most walkers carry 6 to 8 kg: water, layers, rain jacket, snacks. A porter can carry the rest if you like.

A guide, by law

Since 2023 foreign trekkers in most of Nepal must walk with a licensed guide. See the licensed guide rule.

Treks that suit Camino walkers

See also trekking in Nepal for alpine hikers and how fit you need to be.

If you are not sure which suits you, write to me and tell me what you hope for. I will say honestly.

Was this page helpful?

Rules change. If something here is out of date, please tell me and I will correct it.Tell me

Written by Rujan Neupane

A freelance guide in Kathmandu, trained, with a deep interest in photography and in Nepal's photography history. I walk these routes and write these pages myself.

About me How I walk

Walks where this matters

Annapurna Circuit11 days · ChallengingRead Manaslu Circuit13 days · ChallengingRead Langtang Valley7 days · ModerateRead Tamang Heritage Trail7 days · EasyRead

More in Before you go

Getting to Nepal from Europe: Flights, Visa, Time, Money and the First Days3 min read · Written Oct 2026Read Travelling Alone? Trekking in Nepal with a Private Guide4 min read · Written Oct 2026Read Trekking in Nepal for Alpine Hikers: What Is Different, and What Is Not5 min read · Written Oct 2026Read

I arrange the permits and the plan with the people I walk with. If you would rather not think about any of this, write to me.

Write to me All the guides

Write to me

Tell me a little about the walk you have in mind. I read every message myself and usually reply within a day; from the trail, where there is often no network, it can take a few days.

Or, if you prefer, write to me on WhatsApp.

Protected by Google reCAPTCHA

Open the full contact page