Trekking in Nepal Without a TIMS Card? Heavy Fines Ahead

The executive committee meeting of the Nepal Tourism Board held yesterday( 2nd April), with 336 members in attendance, has decided to implement the "Tourist Information Management System (TIMS) Regulations 2079 to manage tourist information.

According to the new rules, the Free Individual Trekkers (FIT) TIMS card has been closed with effect from 1st April. Every trekker must take a trekking guide and TIMS card through the registered trekking company. 

This move has been welcomed by the Trekking Agencies of Nepal (TAAN). TAAN Chairperson Nilhari Bastola is confident that the new guidelines related to the Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) will make trekking and mountaineering tourism in the country safer and more secure.

The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has been advocating for policy reforms to make mountain tourism safe, regulated, business-friendly, employment-oriented, and sustainable through cooperation with various stakeholders for a long time.

Heavy Fine Ahead

Foreign tourists will now have to pay a heavy fine if they are found to have gone on a trek without taking a Trekking Information Management System (TIMS) card and a trekking guide. The Nepal Tourism Board has set a high fee for its implementation, doubling the price of the TIMS card, which was previously charged for foreign tourists.

With this standard's implementation, tourists found walking without a TIMS card and a guide will be fined 12,000 rupees (US$93). 

If a trekking company is found to have sent a trekker without a TIMS card, they will be required to purchase a TIMS card through the same company and pay a fine of 10,000 rupees (US$77).

How much does the TIMS card cost now?

Previously, the price of TIMS card was charged at the rate of 2000 (US$15) rupees for tourists from third countries going on solo trekking and 1000 rupees for tourists going on a group trek with a company. Now, a TIMS card will be issued to all tourists at the rate of 2000 rupees (US$7).

However, Trekkers from SAARC countries will pay Rs 1,000 (US$7).

Tourists who have obtained permission to go for Himalayan trekking are not required to purchase TIMS. However, they need to have a climbing permit along with them. 

Tourists who travel by helicopter to the trekking area and return by the same means are also exempt from purchasing TIMS. Those who go for trekking or return by other means are required to purchase TIMS.

Children under the age of 10 accompanying trekkers are also not required to purchase TIMS. For tourists traveling in the TIMS designated area, it is mandatory to travel with a guide and a vehicle with two or four wheels.

Destinations that Require Compulsory TIMS cards

Effective March 31, 2023, trekkers visiting specific Protected Areas in Nepal must be accompanied by a licensed trekking guide and possess a trekking agency-issued TIMS Card. 

The guidelines contain a list of 44 trekking trails in Kanchenjunga, Makalu Barun, Everest, Rolwaling, Panchpokharai Bhairavkunda, Helambu, Langtang, Ganesh Himal-Ruby Valley, Manaslu, Annapurna, Mustang, Dhaulagiri, Dolpa and Humla where trekkers must be accompanied by a guide.

The following trekking regions and routes are subject to this rule:

As an aspiring trekker, the first step is determining if the route requires a trekking guide and a TIMS Card. If so, it is necessary to contact a Government registered trekking agency to arrange for these items.

Regarding the new regulations, Local authorities in the Everest region and other individuals have voiced their objections to the new guideline, arguing that it unfairly restricts the right to free movement of foreigners.

The Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) has declared that the TIMS card fee hike is necessary to provide a secure environment for trekkers, as the money will be used to maintain the infrastructure of trekkers' checkpoints. Despite the criticism, TAAN believes implementing the TIMS system is in the country's best interest and its trekkers.