So, is it true that you can travel without a guide? The answer is yes, you can. Virtually any travel can be done without a guide. However, if you do want to enhance your experience and also support the local economy and employment generation, using a guide is a important step to take. A guide can also save your life.

• They act as a liaison between you and the people and without the guide you will never get in touch with the people. You will visit the place but not interact with the culture and learn from it.
• The guides get their licenses from the Government organisation called NATHM (National Academy for Tourism and Hotel Management) and are officially recognised by the government.
• They are trained from time to time on issues such as first aid, Acute Mountain Sickness, rescue methods etc. Travelling in Nepal is not like in other countries where the altitudes are low. Once you cross the altitude of 3000m (and you will in almost every trek) you have to be extremely cautious.
• The guides are knowledgable in methods to reduce your impact in the environment and culture of Nepal. They will help you minimise the negative impacts of your travels. They will also inform you on how to not be offending to the culture of the people.
• Finally, they also have a wealth of information about the area you are travelling in and about Nepal in general.

Having said all that, it is also important to note that guides can get terribly bored because they go regularly into similar trips. The trick to get the information out of them is to ask. If you just expect them to tell you about everything, they might not and just act as your route guide. However, if you ask them the right questions, they will make your trip educative and extremely interesting