Joining your tour in Kathmandu

Meeting Point:

The meeting time is 6pm on the rooftop of Yakety Yak Hostel. You will meet your Adventure Leader here, as well as the rest of your group.

Your hostel’s address:

Yakety Yak Hostel
350 Amrit Marg,
Ward No. 27,
Kathmandu 44600,
Bagmati, Nepal

How to get to your hostel:

We strongly recommend opting for our airport pick up service. It costs £25 one way per cab, and £45 both ways per cab. If you don’t opt for the arrival package, then hop in a taxi upon arrival. If taking your own taxi, the fee will be NPR 350-400, and the driver will understand the above English address. More information on the hostel location can be found here: https://www.yaketyyakhostel.com/contact

Finishing your tour in Kathmandu

The trip ends back at Yakety Yak Hostel on the afternoon of Day 13.

Keep in touch!

We want to hear all about your amazing travels across Nepal.

Whether you’re on the tour or reliving your amazing experiences, be sure to use the hashtag #thedragontrip to join in with our amazing community of fellow Dragons.

In addition, if you tag our profile in your photo with the handle @thedragontrip, we might just feature it! We love to see all the fun you get up to on your adventures.

Lastly: if you don’t want to have your photos appear on our social platforms, please do email us to let us know.

Meet Your Fellow Dragons

As many of our Dragons travel solo, we want to take to make the process of meeting your fellow travellers as easy as possible. We create WhatsApp groups for every departure date in advance, meaning that you can get to know everyone on your tour before you hit the ground.

You can also like us on Facebook and join ‘The Dragon Trip: Adventure Advice‘ Facebook group – here, you’ll be in a community of past, present, and future Dragons who can all share tips and advice.

Our Ultimate Packing Check List

On all of our trips you will be required to carry your own bags, so pack light. There will be opportunities to pick up equipment on the journey too.

• Passport (with a copy of the photo page)
• Insurance Details and photocopies
• Student Card (if you have one)
• Your credit/debit card – there are ATMs
• Nepalese rupees
• USD for your visa on arrival

The Essentials:

• First Aid Kit (with medicine for diarrhoea, paracetamol, disinfectant etc)
• Phone (and battery pack if you want)
• Camera and charger (unless you just use your phone)
• T-shirts
• Shorts/Skirts
• Long pants (for hiking)
• Hiking Boots (essential during the three day trek (can be purchased in Nepal if preferred)
• We provide a down jacket for the hiking days
• Sensible walking shoes for sightseeing
• Swimming costume
• Flipflops
• Towel
• Washbag (including nail clippers and lip-salve for hiking)
• Mosquito repellent
• Sunscreen
• Woolly and sunhat
• Thermal layers for hiking (thermal trousers and t-shirts).
• Sunglasses
• Lightweight waterproof jacket
• Warm hoodie or fleece
• Gloves
• Earplugs (for a better sleep in the dorms)
• Locks for bags
• Small games for playing in the tea houses. (e.g. cards)
• Please bring a day backpack which can be used during the trek and sightseeing, when we leave our big bags at home.
• If you are travelling with a suitcase, we will lend you a duffel bag upon arrival to transfer belongings to, which is easier for our drivers, porters and guides – we hope that’s okay!

Top Tips from The Dragon Trip

Try saying that tongue twister really fast.

On the weather:

• Between December and February, it can be quite cold in Nepal, particularly in the evenings. Remember to pack a couple of warm items, especially for when sleeping out in the desert.
• June to August is rainy season and when it rains, it pours. Pack clothes you don’t mind getting wet and that dry quickly. It can also get very hot and humid.

On how to travel sustainably:

• Use local laundry services. This money goes straight into the local community, and is available in most of our hostels with the price of $1-2 per kg.
• Pack a reusable water bottle. Many of our hostels provide filtered water, which reduces your need for single use plastics on tour

Stay Connected

• Your Adventure Leader will invite you to a WhatsApp group chat on Day 1 to keep in touch with you and the rest of your group.
• Maps.me: This is a great app to stop yourself from getting lost! You can download it to your phone for free. We recommend downloading many maps from different cities in India before your trip and using these maps later when you don’t have Wi-Fi.
• Bring electronic products at your own risk. Some customers choose to travel with iPhones, tablets and laptops, and although theft is rare on The Dragon Trip, there is petty crime in some areas we visit.

Food & Drink:

• We recommend to budget around 20-25 USD per day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea stops, and drinks.
• There will be lots of great nights out on The Dragon Trip, but please remember to always drink within your limits. Never journey home by yourself at night and never leave another person in the group alone. Always follow the legal drinking age limit (21).
• Drugs are illegal. If our guides see you committing any crime while traveling with us, they are obliged to report to Head Office and to the police, so please don’t put them in that position!
• The food is delicious throughout Nepal and you won’t be able to get enough of it. Try anything and everything possible. Your Adventure Leader will be able to recommend all of the best spots.
• Stay hydrated. It can get very hot and humid, and it’s important that you drink enough water. You may want to pack re-hydration sachets with you, just in case.

Pack patience:

• Nepal is still a developing country and it is very different from home. Some systems or ways of doing things which you may take for granted back home aren’t necessarily the same here. Please be patient with The Dragon Trip and Nepal as a whole, as sometimes things don’t run like they may back home, despite our best efforts.
• You may meet many people from lots of different backgrounds and cultures on this trip. You may have different opinions or ways of doing things. Treat everyone how you wish to be treated and remember to work together as a group.
• Always try to arrive a couple of minutes early to check outs or departure times. Being late may mean missing transport connections, and you don’t want to delay the whole group.

Navigating a new culture:

• Be respectful of local culture and dress appropriately at temples and religious sites. You may need to cover your shoulders, wear longer trousers and go barefoot.
• Be polite and kind.
• Agree on a price before getting in taxis or tuk-tuks. Ignore the tuk-tuk drivers telling you the temple is closed because of a religious holiday, and turn down any offers to be taken to a shop. It’s going to be an out of the way market with outrageous prices.
• We suggest in holy sites covering legs from above the knee, and don’t show too much of the shoulders.

On safety & security:

• Taxis are commonplace and easy to hail!
• Non-COVID vaccinations may be required for our Nepal trips. Please consult your doctor or travel nurse for up- to-date medical travel information and anti-malarial requirements.
• We recommend that you to carry a small first aid kit, including any personal medicines you’re using, as they may not easily be obtained in some of the locations we visit.
• Keep an eye out for any potential scams and avoid anyone trying to help you by giving travel advice. The common scams; (i) Taxi drivers, tourist information providers even sometimes ‘policemen’ who might tell you the road leading to your hostel (or the hostel itself) is closed due to a festival, riots etc. (ii) ‘Train station attendants’ telling your train is cancelled and you need to visit a travel agent for the next one.
• Beware of pick-pocketing on buses and trains as well is in busy streets. Always keep your valuables close to you, and distribute your most valuable items across your bags.
• Female trippers: dress conservatively, avoid isolated areas if you’re alone, and don’t walk around alone at night.

Nepal tipping policy:

• Although tipping in Nepal isn’t compulsory, tips are expected and appreciated in many places throughout the country. If you’re happy with the service provided those who have assisted you on your tour, leaving a tip is a good way to show your appreciation. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels.
• The exact amount you tip is a personal preference, however, we suggest the following amounts for tipping:
  Guide: 6000-7000 NPR per group per trip
  Driver: 5000-6000 NPR per group per trip
  Paragliding: 500 NPR per person
• You may choose to tip individually, but in order to make the process more simple, your Adventure Leader will offer to collect money on the first day for the entire tour and divide the tips each time on behalf of the group.

Contact Us

Any questions or feedback?

Contact our London Team: info@thedragontrip.com

(Please note that this email is only monitored from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 17:30 (Friday 17:00) UK time, if you have any urgent issues, such as flights delays or last minute cancellations, please contact our local Team.)

Contact our Nepal Team: mytrip@thedragontrip.com

To read our full terms & conditions, click here.