There are two permits required for the Annapurna circuit trek. The first is the ACAP permit (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) the second is the TIMS permit (Trekking Information Management System). You get them both from the big, modern Nepalese Tourist Centre (shown as the ‘Tourist Information Centre’ in the Lonely Planet book maps). Don’t try to do anything official, like permits, on a Saturday. It’s a waste of time as government places are closed.
We walked there from Thamel in 25-30 minutes but if you’re not that adventurous then any of the little Suzuki taxis will drop you off. The desk for the ACAP opens at 09:00hrs but the TIMS at 10:00hrs – not sure why they’re different but they just are. If you don’t want to be hanging around too long then time your arrival nearer 10:00 hrs.
Take a pen, as both require you to fill out a form before
you get them but they’re all waiting on the tables ready for you. Simple stuff
like address, next of kin, passport number etc but they actually don’t check its
validity – you could make it all up so long as you fill it out. We got to the
NTC at 09:50hrs on a Sunday and were out of there by 10:15hrs with both
permits. It was all very efficient for Nepalese bureaucracy. I don’t quite know
why they do the TIMS anyway. No one looked at it once during the entire trek
and only looked at, stamped and recorded the
ACAP one. I wonder if that’s because you have to pay double for the ACAP permit
if you haven’t got it or you lose it or am I being too cynical?
Check out the official TIMS website for the latest information. Essentially for 'Free Individual Trekkers' the cost is US$20 or if you are with an organised group it is US$10. Remember you'll still need to pay in Nepalese Rupees. |
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