Highland Expeditions — Himalayan Trekking & Climbing from Kathmandu
Featured Operator · Kathmandu, Nepal
Kunga Sherpa a gravi l'Everest. Son fils Passang gère maintenant les expéditions. Ensemble, ils ont fondé quelque chose que trente ans d'altitude ne peuvent pas improviser.
Who they are
Highland Expeditions is a locally owned and operated adventure company based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Founded in 2015 by Kunga Sherpa — veteran of more than 40 expeditions above 8,000 meters, including Everest, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma — and his son Passang Tsering Sherpa, a certified International Mountain Leader who now leads day-to-day operations.
This is not a travel agency that packages other people's trips. Every expedition, every trek, every detail is organized and operated by their own team. That distinction matters enormously at altitude.
What they do
The full range of Himalayan adventure — from introductory treks on the Annapurna Circuit to 8,000-meter expeditions on Manaslu and Everest. Trekking, peak climbing, mountaineering courses, cultural tours, jungle safaris, and tailor-made journeys across Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and India.
Everything is all-inclusive. Permits, guides, accommodations, meals, flights, support — handled. The goal is for the client to focus entirely on the experience.
What makes them different
Most trekking companies in Nepal can run a trail. Very few can claim the operational depth required to manage an 8,000-meter climb safely. Kunga's 35 years and more than 40 high-altitude expeditions are not a marketing detail — they are the architecture of every safety protocol, every guide selection, every contingency plan built into their operation.
Their staff-to-client ratio is higher than industry standard. They carry supplementary oxygen on group trips — still rare in Nepal. On remote expeditions, they carry satellite phones. Their porters receive comprehensive insurance, fair wages, and proper equipment.
A 99 percent client satisfaction rate and recognition as Trekking Company of the Year by the Travel and Hospitality Awards UK in 2019 reflect something consistent, not occasional.
The experience
Sixteen days to Everest Base Camp. Thirty days climbing three Himalayan peaks. A luxury lodge trek through the Annapurna region. A jeep journey through the ancient kingdom of Upper Mustang, stopping at cave monasteries and villages that appear unchanged for centuries.
The range is extraordinary — but what runs through all of it is the same thing: guides who have been on these trails hundreds of times, who know how the weather moves across a particular pass, who understand what a client needs before they ask.
At high altitude, that knowledge is not a comfort. It is the difference.
What this says about Nepal
Nepal's trekking industry is large, competitive, and uneven. For every operator with Kunga's experience, there are dozens running the same routes with less preparation, less safety infrastructure, and less accountability.
Highland Expeditions represents what the industry looks like when it is built from the inside — by people for whom the Himalayas are not a product, but a home.