A Journey into the HimalayasA journey into oneself
Privately guided, locally rooted journeys across Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet — designed in Kathmandu, one traveller at a time, since 2016.
Verified review“The most carefully crafted trip we've ever taken”
Ajay and the Swotah team built our 14-day Nepal itinerary around exactly who we are. It never felt like a tour — it felt like being a guest in someone's world.
Recognised by Tripadvisor every year since 2018 — seven consecutive years of verified five-star reviews from travellers across the UK, USA, Australia and Europe.
See our Tripadvisor profile →
Three countries. One journey.
A carefully crafted Himalayan journey connecting the vibrant culture of Nepal, the serenity of Bhutan, and the mystique of Tibet.
No upcoming departures scheduled.
Trekking in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet
Swotah guides all three from a permanent Kathmandu base, with 85+ Nepal itineraries and 14+ in Bhutan open for booking, plus the Everest, Annapurna and Manaslu regions.
Nepal
Home to eight of the world's fourteen 8,000m peaks — trek through Sherpa villages, ancient monasteries and the most spectacular mountain scenery on the planet.
Bhutan
The last Shangri-La — where Buddhist culture thrives, forests cover 70 % of the land and happiness is a national policy.
Tibet
Annapurna
Manaslu
Everest
Join a small group
Peak climbing and Himalayan expeditions
Start on Yala Peak at 5,500m or step up to Ama Dablam at 6,812m. Every climb runs with NMA-certified guides who work these routes each season.
Tours & Experiences
Cultural journeys, wildlife safaris, pilgrimage circuits and multi-country adventures — curated for travellers who want more than a trek.
Best of Nepal, Bhutan & Tibet
Best of Nepal Tour
Treasures of Bhutan
The Swotah
Difference
For ten years we’ve designed private Himalayan journeys for travellers who measure a trip not in photographs but in the way it changes them. Every Swotah itinerary is hand-built by a Kathmandu specialist, led on the ground by a Nepali guide we’ve personally trained, and quietly underwritten by the village families who’ll welcome you in.
Hand-picked local guides
Every trek is led by a Nepali guide certified by the Nepal Mountaineering Association — most have 10+ years on the trails.
Small groups, big experiences
Maximum 12 trekkers per departure. Closer pacing, better teahouses, and guides who know everyone's name by day two.
Community & sustainability
A portion of every booking funds local school kitchens, trail-repair teams, and homestay families along our routes.
Safety you can feel
Every itinerary is built with acclimatisation days, satellite comms, emergency evac insurance, and first-aid-trained guides.
Travel that leaves more than it takes
Between 5% and 10% of the price of every Swotah trip funds schooling for the children of porters and remote-village families. Our Millennium Homestay Trek directs spend to ten Newari ethnic communities.
The flood of 26 August 2026 destroyed 18 schools and damaged 20 more. We fund two of those children in full to the end of their +2, and with help we aim to reach 50 or more.
Carbon-conscious by design — we publish a transparent footprint estimate with every itinerary.
Meet Ajay (AJ)
Swotah was founded in 2016 by Ajay Kumar Shrestha — a Kathmandu-born mountaineer who guided his first informal Himalayan trek before he owned a business card. A decade later, the company he built is one of the most-reviewed independent operators in Nepal, working across three Himalayan kingdoms with a permanent local team in each.
Ajay still personally briefs every private-itinerary client before departure — because the trail is not abstract to him; it’s where he grew up. When you book with Swotah, you’re not booking with an agency. You’re booking with the man who’ll text your specialist guide the night before you summit, asking how the wind looks.
…and a team of named mountain guides: Bijay Gurung, Sijal, Tika Ram, and others — most repeatedly praised by name in our Tripadvisor reviews.
A decade on the trail
The beginning
Founded in Kathmandu. Our first Annapurna group departs — eight travellers, one guide, one shared conviction that the Himalayas deserve more than a hurried itinerary.
Every trip is personally briefed by your named Kathmandu-based specialist.
Your journey,
designed in Kathmandu
- 01
Tell us how you want to feel
Not just where you want to go — the experience you're after. One message starts it all.
- 02
Meet your specialist
Within 2 hours, a named Kathmandu-based specialist replies. Personally. Not a chatbot.
- 03
Receive your proposal
Two to three tailored options, transparent pricing. Refine until it feels exactly right.
- 04
Travel, fully supported
From airport pickup to summit. Never more than a WhatsApp away from your specialist.
Begin a conversation
Every Swotah itinerary is hand-built by a Kathmandu specialist. No deposit. No obligation. One call with someone who has personally walked the trail.
Quietly recognised
since 2018
Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice every year since — awarded by the people who actually walked the trail.
A network rooted in the mountains
5 sister companies — each Nepali-owned and deeply rooted in one valley, region or specialism across Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan.
Learn about our network
Trail Notes — our monthly briefing
One email a month. Trail updates, permit changes, the occasional photograph. No spam — that's a Himalayan promise.
Join 12,000+ adventurers · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime