TIMS Card & National Park & Conservation Fee

TIMS Card: You  need a Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card  for most treks in Nepal. If trekking the Everest Base Camp trail or Annapurna Trail (amongst others) you can purchase your TIMS card at the Tourist Service Center (10am-1pm, 2pm-4pm Sun-Fri) located on the corner of Pradarshanti Marg & Durbar Marg about a 10 minute walk east of Durbar Square in Kathmandu. The center is on the northeast corner of Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibition Ground.  The fee for the TIMS card for the Sagarmatha National Park/EBC is around $20-$30 per person.  VERY IMPORTANT: Bring a photocopy of your passport and 2-3 passport photos. The card will be issued to you on the spot. Get there when the Tourist Service Center opens to avoid lines.

***If starting your trek in Jiri the Nepalese Government is beginning to institute a Gauri Shankar Conservation Area fee that you can pay at the Tourist Service Center in Kathmandu or in Shivalaya. The cost in October, 2013 (which we paid in Shivalaya) was $20 per person. Check before you leave for your trek as this fee may have gone away or increased in price.

National Park Conservation Fee: If your trek enters Sagarmatha National Park you will need a National Park Conservation Fee. You can pay this fee at the Tourist Service Center (same place you get TIMS) and you will get a receipt of payment. The fee may now be around $20-$30 per person. You did not need a passport photo when we paid the fee in October, 2013 however that may change. If you don't pay this fee at the Tourist Service Center you can purchase one on the trail however you will be charged twice as much as it costs to purchase in Kathmandu.