The Langtang National Park Office has urged visitors not to enter the park without a trekking or nature guide.

Tourist numbers in the park had declined following the COVID-19 pandemic but have been rising since 2023. In response, the park office has called on both domestic and foreign tourists to hire a guide for their visits.

Since April 1, 2023, the government has prohibited foreign tourists from trekking alone without a guide. The Nepal Tourism Board implemented this rule, citing tourist safety as the primary reason. Government officials have also acknowledged that sustained lobbying by trekking agencies influenced the decision.

The Langtang National Park Office reinforced this requirement in a letter to the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) last Sunday. The letter stated, "It has been observed that some tourists enter the park without a guide. In the park’s remote terrain and extreme cold, tourists have gone missing, suffered accidents, and even lost their lives."

The park office noted that the absence of guides complicates rescue and medical assistance efforts. It has also urged tourism entrepreneurs to ensure that tourists are accompanied by guides during their activities in the park.

According to the Nepal Tourism Statistics 2023 report by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, 7,614 foreign tourists visited Langtang National Park in 2023. The data indicates that foreign tourist numbers had been increasing since 2016 but declined after the pandemic. The highest number of visitors was recorded in 2019, with 12,132 foreign tourists, compared to 10,619 in 2018. In 2021, only 342 foreign tourists visited the park, but numbers have been rising since 2022.

TAAN General Secretary Sonam Gyalzen Sherpa confirmed that hiring a guide is now mandatory. "Even if tourists enter the park without a guide from Kathmandu or elsewhere, they must take one from the park itself," Sherpa said. He added that the number of Free Independent Travelers (FITs)—who trek without a guide—has been increasing in the park. "Every season, at least one or two tourists go missing. This is why the park has enforced the guide requirement. Even FITs must now hire a guide as per the park’s directive."

Following this decision, both domestic and foreign tourists can no longer visit the park independently. The park office will implement the guide requirement, and guides will receive an identity card upon paying a fixed fee set by the park. The guide will then accompany tourists throughout the trekking season.

Langtang National Park sees the highest number of visitors from March to May and September to November.