Teahouse Trekking in Nepal

What are Teahouses?

Annapurna-Sanctuary
Teahouses are mountain lodges that are located along many of the trekking routes in Nepal that provide meals and lodging. They are similar to mountain huts in the Alps except in Nepal you primarily get private rooms and a wide choice of food.

Teahouses are usually owned and lived in by a traditional family and you will be staying in rooms adjoining their home just like bed and breakfast accommodation in the UK.

Food and Drink

Teahouses have a variety of western and local (Nepali, Tibetan and Chinese) cuisine. The more remote and less travelled the route is, then usually the more rustic the lodging and simple the food is.

On the more popular routes you can find a wide variety of food and drink, like apple pies, homemade pizzas and fresh coffee. We all eat together in the dining room of the teahouse that normally has a wood fire. Each person orders what he or she wants from the menu so you are not forced to eat food you don’t like and are not limited. Each person pays separately unless you are on an all-inclusive package with us.

On an all-inclusive trip with us you’ll have the option to choose what you like from the menu. The further and more remote you are, the more expensive food/drink items will be (remember everything will be carried in by porters or on the backs of yaks/donkeys). Though, even in the most far-flung destinations food is a very reasonable price.

On a trek with teahouses you will also stop en-route for hot drinks and snacks available to purchase from the teahouses.

Beer, chocolate and other drinks and snacks are available to buy, even Pringles and Mars Bars. We recommend trying some of the home made alcoholic drinks that the locals brew as well as some of the exciting traditional foods.

Amenities

Electricity is available to charge your cameras and other electronic devices for a small fee at most teahouses. Showers are also available at most places and are usually hot but they can’t always be guaranteed due to unreliability with their power sources. Our guides are good at finding the better teahouses and know where the most reliable showers, thicker mattresses and best food can be found.

The rooms are very simple and usually have two beds, a table and a light. You put your own sleeping bag on the bed, (if you don’t have your own, we can hire you one for the duration of the trek), and the lodges will provide you with blankets at the colder altitudes to keep you nice and warm. Some of the rooms have en-suite bathrooms and western toilets but most have shared bathrooms and squat toilets. Long drops into pits have fortunately become a thing of the past and bathrooms on treks are kept clean. We will always provide you with the best rooms available at the best teahouses.

Read more about our treks and multi-activity holidays to Nepal.