Before You Book
Who the Pathibhara Devi Yatra Is For
This is the most demanding of the Devi journeys. It suits Devi and Shakti devotees and experienced senior pilgrims who are comfortable with a demanding mountain pilgrimage: a walk of about four hours uphill on an uneven trail, the same walk back down, and a shrine at 3,794 metres where the temperature can fall to around freezing. There is no upper age limit, but a doctor’s clearance is recommended for older pilgrims and anyone with a medical concern, and you may be asked to sign a health and fitness declaration with your booking.
Altitude is the main limit. Altitude illness can begin above about 2,450 metres, and the climb from Kaflepati gains height quickly, but the journey sleeps no higher than Phungling at about 1,440 metres, and the shrine is visited on a day walk. The guide sets a steady pace with regular breaks and carries a first-aid kit and pulse oximeter, and emergency oxygen can be arranged where required and available. Headache, nausea, dizziness or unusual tiredness on the way up are reasons to stop and tell the guide. Confusion or breathlessness at rest means going down at once.
The best months are March to May and September to November, which the Nepal Tourism Board recommends for Pathibhara. The monsoon, from June to early September, brings landslides, blocked roads and cancelled flights, and December to February brings snow and ice at the shrine. Heavy rain in late September 2026 led the Pathibhara Area Development Committee to ask pilgrims, on 24 September, to postpone visits. Autumn departures are available on request, subject to flights, roads, weather and accommodation.
Travel insurance covering medical treatment, emergency evacuation and helicopter evacuation is required for this yatra. Helicopter evacuation depends on the weather, the operator and the insurer’s approval. If a flight is cancelled or a road closes and an extra night is needed, the extra hotel, meals and transport are paid by the traveller unless insurance, the airline or another supplier covers them.
No special permit is needed for the ordinary pilgrimage from Kaflepati. Indian citizens need no visa for Nepal. Other SAARC citizens receive a free tourist visa of up to 30 days on a first visit in a visa year. Everyone else buys a tourist visa, which cost USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days and USD 125 for 90 days as of September 2026. Checked baggage on the domestic flights follows the fare booked: Buddha Air, for example, allowed 25, 20 or 15 kg by fare class plus 5 kg in the cabin as of September 2026.
Sama Yatra is the pilgrimage arm of Trek Mania Nepal, based in Kathmandu, and brings the same guides and emergency protocols to its pilgrimages as to its treks. It runs this yatra so that the flights, the two days of road, the lodges and the guide for a remote mountain shrine are booked before you leave home. Sama Yatra gives 11% of the revenue from every journey to education, healthcare and community projects in the regions it travels through.
Booking works the same way on every Devi yatra. A single pilgrim is quoted on request. A 30% deposit confirms the booking and the balance is due before arrival. Bookings cannot be cancelled, but the journey can be postponed for up to two years at the same cost. Children under 5 who share a room with their parents generally pay only for food and permits, and children aged 5 and over pay the adult price, with the exact child price confirmed on booking. Prices are published in US dollars; Indian pilgrims can receive the price in rupees at the exchange rate on the day of quotation, with any lower Indian rates applied. A single room and hotel upgrades are quoted on request.