About Himkala Adventure
Est. 2015 in Kathmandu. Custom treks for solo travelers and small groups, plus the original free walking tour of Kathmandu.
Trails, Streets & Stories
Born in Gorkha, based in Kathmandu. A family business built on two things: the trail and the street.
Himkala Adventure was founded in 2015 by a native of Gorkha with a simple belief: the best Nepal experiences are the ones you do not find on a standard itinerary. We built our reputation on two things. First, the original free walking tour of Kathmandu, which we have been running longer than anyone else in the city. Second, private, custom treks for travelers who want to go at their own pace, on their own dates, with a guide who actually knows the trail.
We are not the biggest company in Nepal, and we are not trying to be. We are a family-run operation based in Thamel with a small team of licensed local guides. Every trip we run is planned personally, led personally, and backed by two decades of experience on Nepal's trails and in its old cities. That is the whole promise.
What Sets Us Apart
Among hundreds of tour companies in Nepal, here is what actually makes us different.
Custom-Planned Journeys
No fixed departures. We build each itinerary around your dates, your pace, and what you actually want to see.
Solo Travelers & Small Groups
Private treks with no strangers in your group. You go alone, or with the people you came with. Never with a crowd.
Licensed Local Guides
Government-licensed guides with decades of combined experience on Nepal's trails and in Kathmandu's old city.
Original Free Walking Tour
Kathmandu's longest-running free walking tour, operating since 2015. The city's first, and still the one travelers remember.
Family-Run, Nepal-Based
Not a foreign reseller. A real Kathmandu family running real trips, on the ground, all year.
Fair Prices, No Surprises
Clear pricing from the first message. What we quote is what you pay.
“We do not just plan trips. We plan the trip you would plan for yourself, if you knew Nepal the way we do.”
Shiva Prasad Dhakal
Founder & Managing Director
“Guests arrive as visitors. If we do our job right, they leave as friends of Nepal.”
A native of Gorkha and a certified trekking guide since 2000, Shiva founded Himkala Adventure in 2015 to share Nepal in a more personal way than the large agencies were doing. In 2017, he introduced the first free walking tour of Kathmandu, giving travelers a way to experience the city beyond the standard tourist routes.
Two decades on, he still personally guides many of our treks and leads the free walking tour several times a week. His approach has not changed: guide people the way you would want your own family guided.
Certified Trekking Guide
2000
Certified Tour Guide
2010
Himkala Adventure founded
2015
Free Walking Tour started
2017
Meet the Team
A small, family-run team. The people you will actually travel with.
Shiva Prasad Dhakal
Founder & Managing Director
Founder of Kathmandu's original free walking tour
A native of Gorkha and a certified trekking guide since 2000, Shiva founded Himkala Adventure in 2015. He introduced Kathmandu's first free walking tour in 2017 and has personally guided travelers across Nepal's trails and cities for over two decades. He leads the company with a simple principle: guide people the way you would want your own family guided.
Sabinaya Dhakal
Trekking Guide & Operations
Private treks for solo travelers and small groups
Sabinaya grew up watching his father guide travelers through Kathmandu and has been trekking Nepal's Himalaya since he was a teenager. He leads our private Everest, Annapurna, and Manaslu treks and handles the technical side of the business. If you message us, you will probably hear back from him.
Credentials & Policies
Licenses, awards, and full legal terms live on their own pages.
Licenses & Awards
Our official licenses, government certifications, and industry recognitions.
Terms & Conditions
Booking, payment, insurance, and travel terms from deposit to departure.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Clear, fair terms on deposits, cancellations, refunds, and what happens if we cancel.
Contact Information
Ready to plan your trip, or just have a question? We answer every message personally.