Kathmandu, August 18, 2025 - In a major move to promote adventure tourism and support underdeveloped mountain regions, the Government of Nepal has waived climbing permit fees for 97 peaks located in Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces for the next two years.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, the decision came into effect on July 17, 2025, following a cabinet meeting that endorsed the plan to diversify mountaineering beyond the overcrowded Everest and other popular peaks.
Spreading Tourism Beyond Everest
Of the 97 peaks, 77 lie in Karnali Province and 20 in Sudurpashchim, with elevations ranging from 5,870 meters to over 7,100 meters. These include significant but lesser-known Himalayan giants such as Api (7,132 m), Api West (7,076 m), and Saipal (7,030 m).
Officials say the initiative aims to:
Attract more climbers to remote regions,
Boost local economies through tourism income, and
Showcase the natural beauty of western Nepal, which remains largely untouched by mainstream trekking and mountaineering routes.
In the past two years, only 68 climbers from 21 teams attempted these remote mountains, generating just Rs. 1.4 million in permit revenue. Authorities believe the fee waiver will significantly increase mountaineering activity.
Everest Fees Rise, Remote Peaks Open Up
While western peaks have been made free to climb, the government has simultaneously raised climbing fees for Everest and other popular mountains. From September 1, 2025, the fee for Mount Everest will increase from USD 11,000 to USD 15,000 per foreign climber, while fees for other smaller peaks will also see increments.
The contrast reflects Nepal’s dual approach: curbing overcrowding on Everest while encouraging climbers to explore lesser-known summits.
Linking Training and Regulation
A draft bill currently under review in Nepal’s upper house proposes that climbers attempting Mount Everest must first summit a mountain above 7,000 meters within Nepal. This means that peaks like Api, Api West, or Saipal-now free of permit fees-could become essential training grounds for future Everest aspirants.
A Boost for Far-West Development
Local tourism entrepreneurs in Karnali and Sudurpashchim have welcomed the decision, saying it could bring long-awaited opportunities to communities that have so far remained on the margins of Nepal’s booming adventure tourism industry.
By opening access to 97 pristine peaks, Nepal is not only diversifying its tourism portfolio but also offering mountaineers new frontiers in some of the world’s least explored Himalayan landscapes.
