30 Jun 2023 Nabin Baniya
The introduction of the trek card in Everest is plus point for the development of the tourism industry in Everest. Trek card is a digital entry system which is recently introduced in Khumbu Valley. This digital entry system in Khambu serves as a digital entry permit for all the trekkers and international tourist who is entering in Khambu area.
The visitor safety tracking system was implemented by Khambu Pasanglamu Rural Municipality. This trek card is no different than the ATM card. It has a Qr code that tells you more about the travelers along with their passport details and the trek they are doing.
We can also scan or tab the card to access necessary information about the region via mobile device or tab. According to the Trek card the trek stands for Trekking, Recreation, and Expedition in Khambu.
How to Register
To obtain a trekking card, visitors have to have a valid passport along with a Nepal entry visa on it. They do the registration in Lukla just after the pashing Lhambu gate. Registration is easy to do. You just need your passport and they will take a photo through their system and the trek card will be ready within 3 minutes.
They also ask about the guide and porter along with the guide license number. If you are traveling through the trekking company then just hand over your passport to the guide and he will do everything for you.
How it Works:
After the registration is done, they will tab this card on their system and it show that you have started to trek from Lukla. On reaching the next check post on Toktok again you need to tab there and all info about you will be shown to representatives and he/ she will allow you to enter further.
During the tab, the computer system also announces your arrival at that place so you can hear and feel safe about your travel too. On reaching Monjo and Namche it’s also the same process.
Advantage of Trek card
There are many advantages of this trek card system in the Everest region. The trek card will save visitors time and effort by minimizing the need to wait in long queues at each entry point. This process of entering Khambu is started for the first time so it may be a little bit uncomfortable for visitors.
The management is happy to receive comments and recommendations from the people to make this process better in any way.
The visitor’s safety tracking system enabled by a smart card will prevent any unanticipated incidents involving visitors inside the Everest region. The hotels will find it convenient to register guests following the tourism policy.
This trek card will help rural municipalities in managing tourism and this system also do tourism promotion in Everest Nepal.
Some FAQS about Trek Card in Everest
The local government announced that the trek card will be effective from 23rd September 2022 but the practice came later.
At the moment the trek card is registered only in Lukla. As soon as you land at Tenzing Hillary airport you will have breakfast or tea and start walking through local houses and markets. When you pass the Pashang Lhambu gate you will see a new building where you can register and get this Trek Card.
First of all the official over there will provide you a slip of form. On this form, you need to write your personal information along with the emergency contact details. The contact details need to be your family or close friends.
Parent’s contact details are highly appreciated and easy to contact if any things or issues. Once you are done with the form, you need to give this back to authorities along with your passport. After that, they will call individually near the camera where they take photos. As soon as the registration process is finished they will call you near with the entrance fee for the trek card as well as the national park. After all this, you are allowed to trek further.
Until now lukla is only the place where they do the trek card registration. Maybe later they will do the registration at every checkpoint which is not possible at this current time. There are 3 check posts beside Lukla at the moment where they check trek cards. The first place is Toktok, the second is Monjo and the third is Namche.
The trek card does not cost you extra money. Before it was called Khambu Municipality charges and national park fee which is 3500 NPR for SAARC nations people and 5000 NPR for other country people.
The cost for the aged people is the same as the adult but if the trekkers are less than 10 years old it’s free for his or her.
Yes, it is possible to show passport copies instead of passports but the copies need to be colored. Make sure it’s color before showing it to the municipality visitor’s registration desk.
All the trekking including Everest base camp trek, Everest base camp, Luxury Trek, Everest base camp yoga trek, Everest high pass trek, and Gokyo valley trek need to have a trek card. Even the traveler till Namche has to have this trek card. If a foreigner would like to cross Lukla village and go further he/she needs to have this trek card.
if you want to know more about this trek card system then you can contact the Khambu Pasang lhambu rural municipality on Facebook or call Mr Laxman Adhikari who is also the trek card implementation coordinator. You can contact Laxman on 9801842344.
Do you think the trek card will start in Annapurna and other trekking regions?
There is not any such news about the trek card in Annapurna or any other parts of Nepal. But things may change later.
Nabin is a seasoned trekking and hiking guide, and the proud operator of Magic Himalaya Treks, Nepal’s premier company for Everest Base Camp trek, Annapurna Base Camp trek, and other thrilling adventures. With a wealth of experiences and valuable insights, Nabin’s website offers comprehensive information on trekking in Nepal.
