We are a team that lives and breathes travel; we know what our clients want, and as such we see them as travelers, not tourists. We have organized hundreds of adventures around the world, focusing on destinations we know and understand. Ask us for some of our references.

Many companies provide region-standard trips; Embark goes above and beyond. We organize unique itineraries along the roads less traveled, designing adventures that allow our travelers to be pioneers and explore the depth of any given destination.

We focus on finding and training the best guides in the industry, with specialists who are prominent in several fields – mountain guides, historians, archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, and much more.

Upon arrival in country, you will be met by an Embark representative at the airport exit and driven by private vehicle to your lodge or hotel.

On trek, each day you will be awakened by the porters, who will bring warm wash water and a hot drink to your tent. Breakfast is typically around 7 a.m., and you will hit the trail by 8 a.m. You will be given a pack lunch for the trail, and during the day the porters will pass you on the trail, then have camp waiting for you at the end of the day.

While we believe that anyone in good physical condition can complete our treks, this trip is strenuous. While travel always entails some level of adventure and challenge, when we say “strenuous” we mean there will be long, difficult hikes; occasional significant physical barriers such as climbing; sleeping outside; and the chance of falling or some other injury. To complete this trip, especially with any enjoyment, one must be in good physical shape – in particular, able to handle strenuous hikes on several consecutive days.


Tea house meals are basic, filling, and don’t vary much from place to place. Breakfast will typically be pancakes, porridge, eggs and bread. Lunch and dinner are also pretty consistent, although the spices and flavoring will vary. The main meal is daal baht: rice, vegetables (often spinach and potato), and lentil soup. This is usually all-you-can-eat.

There will be other options available at dinner, such as fried rice, soups, noodles, potatoes, and occasionally such extravagances as pizza, spring rolls or dumplings.

In Kathmandu, hotel meals will be much more standard tourist fare, particularly at breakfast. For dinner we will typically eat out as a group or on our own.

Not included are snacks such as bars, trail mix, and electrolyte drink mixes. If you like to those or other snacks, bring them!

All US citizens entering Bhutan do need a visa. You can get this ahead of time from a consulate or embassy, and this is something Embark will be glad to help with.

While on trek, we will be staying in tea houses. These are family-run, very traditional places, featuring rooms with two twin beds, and sometimes a double. (You may have a private room if you wish). The room may have a shelf, coat hooks, a chair, or a small table. Each tea house also has a common area where meals are served.

Your cost includes transportation, lodging, guide and porter fees, and most meals. While on the trek, all your meals are included, although you might want to bring some snacks that you like to have during the day. Before and after the trek you will have some time (and meals) on your own in town. Also not included in the cost is your airfare, souvenirs, and tips for the guides and porters.

You want to commit to this trip at least six months ahead of time. It takes a lot of preparation, both logistical and physical. Beginning at this point, you should be booking your airplane tickets and planning your training regimen.

The main tourist season in the Himalayas is the fall, September and October. This is when the weather is clearest and most moderate, and the summer monsoons have washed away the dirt and dust and left snow on the mountains. There are also two major festivals during this time. Of course, this means that fall is also the most crowded and expensive time.

The next most popular time is spring, which here is from February to mid-April. This time is warmer than fall, with longer days, and the rhododendrons are blooming in the high country. It will be ever warmer during these months, and often a haze will obstruct the view of mountains from the low country. Most trekking routes are above this, however.

Summer, roughly June through September, is monsoon season, when the rain falls, fields come alive, flowers bloom … and bugs are out in force, roads get blocked by landslide, and often flights are cancelled due to weather.

Winter is a wonderful time to visit the lower elevations, but the higher regions are extremely cold (though clear), and much of the tourist infrastructure will be closed.