Is Nepal Safe to Visit? October 15, 2026 Update

By Sam SherpaSeptember 29, 2026

Trekkers crossing a suspension bridge hung with prayer flags in the Everest region of Nepal

After the past year in Nepal, this is a fair question, and it deserves a straight answer with dates attached. As of October 15, 2026, the US State Department rates Nepal at Level 2, "Exercise Increased Caution", with one small area near the Tibet border at Level 4, "Do Not Travel". Nepal's tourism minister said on September 3 that the main trekking regions, including Everest and Annapurna, were open. Heavy rain from September 24 to 27 then caused floods and landslides in many parts of Nepal. Below is what the advisory says, what happened over the past year, and what we do if things change before your trip.

Advisory checked October 15, 2026. The timeline below records earlier events with their original dates. Road, trail and flight conditions can change. Check the official links at the end, or ask us about your route and dates.

The short answer

Current advisory: Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, issued September 4, 2026, for natural disaster risk.
Do not go: the Rasuwagadhi, Timure and Syafrubesi area of Rasuwa district, north of Kathmandu, including the border crossing to China, is at Level 4 after the August 2026 flood.
Open: Nepal's tourism minister said on September 3 that Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Janakpur, Bardiya and the Annapurna and Everest regions remained open, and airports were working normally.
Late September: heavy rain from September 24 to 27 caused floods and landslides in many parts of Nepal, and an avalanche hit Himlung Himal base camp in Manang on September 27. Check road, trail and flight conditions for your route and dates.
Protests: the September 4 advisory no longer lists unrest as a risk. The August 31 version said the protests that began in September 2025 had stopped and the situation was stable.
What to plan for on a trek: altitude, weather and the roads.

What the State Department advisory says

The current advisory, issued September 4, 2026, keeps Nepal at Level 2 and the flood-hit part of Rasuwa district at Level 4. It lists one risk indicator, natural disaster. The August 31 version also listed unrest. The Embassy notes that communities along the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers were affected.

It also gives two pieces of advice worth following. Hospitals in Nepal often ask for payment before they treat you, so buy travel insurance that includes medical evacuation. Enroll in the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so the Embassy can reach you with alerts.

What happened in the past year

Date	What happened
September 2025	Youth-led protests turned violent in Kathmandu. The parliament building was set on fire, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned, and curfews were imposed in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Newsweek reported at least 51 deaths at the time.
September 11, 2025	The State Department raised Nepal to Level 3, Reconsider Travel.
March 1, 2026	Amid the war involving Iran, flights from the UAE and Qatar were suspended. The Kathmandu Post reported they made up roughly a quarter of international flights to Kathmandu.
March 5, 2026	Nepal held national elections. Balen Shah, the former mayor of Kathmandu, was sworn in as prime minister on March 27.
March 31, 2026	The State Department lowered Nepal back to Level 2.
April 2026	Nepal charged 32 people in an alleged helicopter rescue insurance scam worth about US$19.7 million.
June 9, 2026	The European Union kept every airline certified in Nepal on its banned list, citing inadequate safety oversight.
August 26, 2026	A glacier collapse on Langtang Lirung sent a flood down the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli valleys. As of September 20, 1,451 people had died.
August 31, 2026	The State Department kept Nepal at Level 2 and put the flood zone in Rasuwa at Level 4.
September 4, 2026	The current advisory: Level 2 for natural disaster risk, with the flood zone in Rasuwa still at Level 4. Unrest is no longer listed.
September 24, 2026	The US Embassy warned of heavy rain from September 25 to 27 and advised against trekking and long road trips on those days.
September 24 to 27, 2026	Heavy rain caused floods and landslides in many parts of Nepal. Nepal's disaster authority counted 27 deaths. Landslides blocked the Marsyangdi River in Manang and the Kali Gandaki River in Mustang, both on the Annapurna Circuit.
September 27, 2026	An avalanche hit the base camp of Himlung Himal, a 7,126-meter expedition peak in Manang. As of September 29, four expedition staff had died and 12 were missing.

We wrote about the flood, and how to help the families in Rasuwa, in The Langtang Flood: What Happened and How to Help. For a region-by-region look at this autumn, see Trekking in Nepal This Autumn.

Region by region

Everest and Annapurna. Both are well away from the Rasuwa flood zone, and Nepal's tourism ministry listed them as open on September 3. The late-September rain caused landslides in Manang and Mustang, on the Annapurna Circuit, so check road and trail conditions for your route and dates. Our 18-Day Everest Base Camp Premium Trek runs five times in 2027, from USD 3,975 per person.

Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan. The tourism minister listed all three as open on September 3 and said airports were running normally. The September 4 advisory no longer lists unrest as a risk.

Langtang, Gosaikunda and Helambu. This is the area closest to the flood. The Kathmandu Post reported on September 3 that TAAN, Nepal's trekking agencies association, was warning against travel to Langtang, with these areas closed or restricted. The State Department advises against all travel to the Syafrubesi area, where the usual trek begins. Our Langtang Valley Trek runs on a route adjusted around the closed road. Ask us how your departure travels.

Altitude is the risk to plan for

On a Nepal trek, altitude is the risk you can plan for most directly. The Nepal Tourism Board's guidance is that above 2,500 meters (about 8,200 feet), your sleeping altitude should rise no more than 300 to 500 meters a day. On the Everest route, the Himalayan Rescue Association runs an aid post at Pheriche, at 4,250 meters, and a clinic called Everest ER works at base camp during the spring climbing season, from about April 1 to the end of May. There is another aid post at Manang on the Annapurna Circuit.

On our treks, the guide has final authority on safety, as our booking terms say. If the guide decides it is time to go down, we go down.

Insurance and helicopters

Travel insurance that includes medical evacuation is a condition of booking with us. Make sure it also covers trekking to the highest point on your route. The helicopter rescue scam charged in April 2026 is one more reason to buy from an established insurer and to keep your policy number with you on the trail. Nepal's government has promised zero tolerance for rescue fraud.

Flights

The EU ban covers every airline certified in Nepal, which includes the domestic airlines that fly to Lukla and Pokhara. The list decides which airlines may fly into Europe, and it does not stop anyone flying inside Nepal, but we would rather you know. Check your international route too. On September 29, the Kathmandu arrivals board of Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority listed Qatar Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia flights from Doha, Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. That dated flight-board check does not confirm today's schedule. If you plan to connect through the Gulf, confirm the current schedule with your airline before you book. For our Everest route, read Lukla Flights, Ramechhap and Weather Delays.

What we do if conditions change

We are a US company based in San Jose, California, and you pay us in US dollars. Our booking terms include a conditions promise:

If the US State Department raises Nepal to Level 3 or higher, or your trek region is closed, within 60 days of departure, you can move your dates free or take full credit toward any SherpaHolidays trip for 24 months. This applies instead of the normal traveler-cancellation charges, including the 45-day rule and any supplier cancellation exception.

Full credit means the payments you made for the affected trip, not only the deposit. We record the trigger and your choice in writing. The credit follows Section 4's use and validity terms. A free date move has no change fee; we disclose any price difference for the replacement trip before you decide. The promise does not replace a cash refund owed when we cancel or cannot provide contracted services.

Separately, if you simply change your mind, the deposit is protected too:

Cancel 90 or more days before departure and your deposit ($500 for a scheduled departure, or 30% for a private journey) stays as credit toward any SherpaHolidays trip for 24 months.

The full wording is in our refund policy and terms of service. Read them before you book.

Should you go?

That is your call, and we would rather you make it with the facts in front of you. As of October 15, 2026, the State Department rates Nepal at Level 2, and the promise above covers you if that changes close to your trip.

If you want to talk it through, ask Sam or Gyalgin. We will tell you how your route looks this week. We reply within one business day.

Sources

The State Department advisory and the European Commission's current Air Safety List were rechecked October 15, 2026. Earlier news sources and the September 29 flight-board snapshot retain their original dates; they are historical context, not current route or flight confirmation.