Nepal Trekking Statistics: Trekker Numbers by Route (Updated 2026)

How many people trek in Nepal each year?

Quick answer: 165,056 foreign visitors came to Nepal mainly to trek or climb in 2025, according to Nepal's official tourism statistics. That is down 6% from 175,575 in 2024 and about 96% of the pre-pandemic 2019 level (171,937).

That headline number hides a lot. Some routes had record years while others emptied out. Below, we break the official data down route by route, so you can see where trekkers actually go, which trails are getting busier, and which ones are still quiet.

We are All Nepal Hiking, a Kathmandu trekking company with 25 years on these trails. We read the government reports so you don't have to, and we add what the numbers mean on the ground.

The five numbers to know (2025, official):

• 165,056 visitors came to Nepal mainly for trekking and mountaineering.
• 27,531 trekkers entered restricted areas that need a special permit.
• 14,720 of them walked the Manaslu Circuit, a record and 53% of all restricted-area trekkers.
• 47,524 foreign visitors entered Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park.
• October is the busiest trekking month by far, followed by April and November.

All figures come from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation's Nepal Tourism Statistics reports, unless we say otherwise. Sources are listed at the end.

Nepal trekking numbers by year

Trekking has almost fully recovered from the pandemic. The 2025 total sits just 4% below 2019, Nepal's last normal year before COVID.

2020 and 2021 are left out because borders were largely closed.

Two things to keep in mind when you read these numbers:

1. This is a minimum, not the full count. The figure counts visitors who told immigration their main reason was trekking. Many people who say "holiday" also do a Poon Hill or Langtang trek, so the real number of people on the trails is higher.
2. The 2025 dip may be partly a counting change. 2025 was the first year Nepal used its new electronic tourism system (CETMIS) for these figures. Total arrivals still grew in 2025, and national park visits rose 10.65%, so fewer people did not necessarily walk the trails.

Note on 2024: the 2024 government report prints 175,575 in its fact sheet but 166,394 in one of its tables. We use 175,575 because the 2025 report uses it as the comparison figure.

Restricted-area trekkers, 2013 to 2025

Restricted areas are remote regions where you need a special permit and a licensed guide, such as Manaslu, Upper Mustang and Dolpo. Because every trekker is issued a permit, these are Nepal's most exact trekking numbers.

Two trends stand out. First, restricted-area trekking is back to its pre-pandemic level, at 27,531 in 2025. Second, Manaslu went from 3,094 trekkers in 2023 to 14,720 in 2025, overtaking every other remote route combined. Some other summaries put Manaslu's 2019 total at 8,670; in the official table that figure belongs to Humla, and Manaslu's 2019 count was 6,070.

Trekker numbers by route, 2025

Manaslu was the clear winner of 2025, while almost every other remote route lost trekkers.

Route by route:

• Manaslu Circuit set a record at 14,720 trekkers, up 14.9%. In our experience, trekkers who have done Everest or Annapurna now pick Manaslu as their next, quieter big circuit.
• Upper Mustang fell 25.6% to 4,178, after a big jump in 2024. The US$500 permit for 10 days is the main hurdle.
• Tsum Valley held steady at 2,513. Most trekkers combine it with Manaslu.
• Kanchenjunga (1,680) and Nar Phu (1,672) both dipped by 12 to 13%. You will often have lodges nearly to yourself.
• Upper Dolpo dropped 57% to just 281 trekkers, the sharpest fall of any route.

Restricted areas are also seasonal: October alone brought 7,743 of 2025's restricted-area trekkers, followed by April (4,724) and November (4,225).

Everest, Annapurna and Langtang: visitors by national park

The big "open" trekking regions don't need a special permit, so the best way to count them is park and conservation-area entries. In 2025, Nepal's protected areas recorded 514,160 foreign visitors, up 10.65% on 2024.

What this tells you:

• Annapurna is the busiest region by a wide margin, but its number is inflated. The Annapurna permit is also bought by pilgrims, mostly from India and other South Asian countries, who drive or fly to Muktinath temple. Many of them never trek. So don't read 313,549 as 313,549 trekkers.
• Everest is steady, not booming. Around 47,000 to 52,000 foreigners a year enter Sagarmatha National Park. Expect busy lodges in October and April, but numbers are not climbing year on year.
• Langtang is the quiet classic. At about 10,600 foreign visitors, it gets roughly a fifth of Everest's traffic while being only a day's drive from Kathmandu.
• Makalu nearly doubled, from a very small base. More climbers heading to Mera Peak and Baruntse are part of the reason.

Want to trek these regions? See our Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Base Camp Trek and Langtang Valley Trek.

Peak climbing and Everest statistics

Spring 2026 was the busiest Everest season ever: Nepal's Department of Tourism confirmed 1,008 successful summits from the Nepal side.

Everest, spring 2026:

• About 495 foreign climbing permits, a record. The previous high was 478 in 2023. (Early-May reports said 492; later reports put the final at 494 to 495.)
• 274 summits on one day, 20 May 2026, also a record for the Nepal side.
• Demand moved south partly because China kept the Tibet side closed this spring.
• The permit fee rose from US$11,000 to US$15,000 in September 2025, yet permits still hit a record.

All expedition peaks, 2025 (Department of Tourism): 334 teams with 2,766 climbers attempted 78 peaks. Everest drew 472 climbers in 49 teams, and Ama Dablam drew 603 climbers in 51 teams.

Trekking peaks, 2025 (Nepal Mountaineering Association): 7,054 permits were issued across 27 peaks. The three most climbed:

All three sit in the Everest region, which is why Khumbu lodges stay busy in climbing season even when trekker numbers are flat.

2026 season tracker (updated 3 November 2026)

Full-year 2026 trekking figures will come out in the government's 2026 statistics report, usually published mid-next-year. Until then, these are the best signals we have, and 2026 is running ahead of 2025.

• Arrivals, January to May: 529,090 international visitors, up from 501,264 in the same months of 2025 and above 2019's 498,775 (Nepal Tourism Board).
• September: 88,248 arrivals, up 12.1% on September 2025, despite floods and landslides in August and September.
• Everest, spring: a record 1,008 summits (see above).
• Autumn climbing permits (to 28 October): 1,410 climbers from 76 countries on 44 peaks. Manaslu leads with 500 climbers, then Ama Dablam with 386 and Himlung Himal with 121.
• Trail news: Tsum Valley reopened after bridge repairs in October. Heavy rain and snow hit high areas from 29 October to 1 November; see our weather advisory and Tsum Valley update.

We update this section each month when the Nepal Tourism Board publishes arrivals, and rewrite the whole page when the official 2026 report is out.

What the numbers mean for your trek

If you want fewer people on the trail, the data points to three easy moves: pick a quieter route, pick a shoulder month, or both.

1. Quieter alternatives to the busiest treks

2. Timing matters as much as the route

In restricted areas in 2025, October alone brought 7,743 trekkers, 28% of the whole year. April (4,724) and November (4,225) came next. March and late November give you the same clear-weather season with noticeably thinner crowds.

3. Book early on growing routes

Manaslu has grown more than four times since 2023 (3,094 to 14,720). Teahouses on the Larkya La stretch fill up in October, so book at least two to three months ahead for autumn. Our Manaslu Circuit Trek lists upcoming group dates.

Frequently asked questions

How many tourists trek in Nepal every year?
In 2025, 165,056 foreign visitors said trekking or mountaineering was their main reason for visiting Nepal. The true number on the trails is higher, because many holiday visitors also do a short trek.

What is the most popular trek in Nepal?
By visitor numbers, the Annapurna region is the busiest, with 313,549 foreign entries to the Annapurna Conservation Area in 2025 (this includes pilgrims to Muktinath). For a single named route, Everest Base Camp is the best known; Sagarmatha National Park had 47,524 foreign visitors in 2025.

How many people go to Everest Base Camp each year?
About 47,000 to 52,000 foreigners enter Sagarmatha National Park each year (47,524 in 2025). Not all of them reach base camp, but most come for EBC, Gokyo or the Three Passes.

How many trekkers do the Manaslu Circuit?
14,720 trekkers got a Manaslu restricted area permit in 2025, a record and up 14.9% on 2024.

Which treks in Nepal are least crowded?
Among permit-controlled areas, Upper Dolpo (281 trekkers in 2025), Humla (770), Lower Dolpo (1,092), Nar Phu (1,672) and Kanchenjunga (1,680) are the quietest established routes.

What is the busiest month for trekking in Nepal?
October. In 2025 it accounted for 28% of all restricted-area trekkers, followed by April and November.

How many people climbed Everest in 2026?
The Department of Tourism recorded a record 1,008 summits from the Nepal side in spring 2026, with about 495 foreign permits issued.

Where do these statistics come from?
From Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation (Nepal Tourism Statistics), which compiles data from the Department of Immigration, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, and the Department of Tourism.

Sources and how we compiled this

We took every figure from official Nepal government data or its direct reporting, and checked route totals against the report tables. Where two official figures disagree, we say so next to the number.

• Nepal Tourism Statistics 2024, Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation (restricted-area trekkers 2013–2024, park visitors, expeditions)
• Nepal Tourism Statistics 2025, same ministry (2025 figures), as tabulated by Travel Nepal Today and reported by Ekantipur
• Kathmandu Post: Everest spring season sets record with 1,008 summits
• Kathmandu Post: Everest triple record in permits, revenue and single-day summits
• Himal Press: record 492 Everest permits and fee rise
• Onlinekhabar: 1,410 autumn 2026 climbing permits
• The Rising Nepal: 2026 monthly arrivals and Nepyork: January–May 2026 arrivals

Using our data: you are welcome to use the charts and tables on this page. Please credit and link to "All Nepal Hiking – Nepal Trekking Statistics".