Privacy policy
Note for the agency: this is a general template written for travel and trekking agencies registered in Nepal. Have it reviewed by your lawyer or adviser, adjust it to how you actually work, and then remove this note.
This policy explains what personal information Trekking sites ("we", "us") collects when you use this website, contact us or book a trip, why we need it, who we share it with and how long we keep it. We only ask for what we need to plan and run your trip safely and legally.
What we collect
- Contact details you give us in an inquiry, booking form, email or WhatsApp message: name, email address, phone number, country and your message.
- Trip details: dates, group size, the trip you are interested in, dietary needs and any special requests.
- Permit and travel documents once you book: passport details (name, number, nationality, date of birth, expiry), a passport-size photo and, where needed, visa details. Nepal's trekking permits, national park and conservation area entry permits and the TIMS card must be issued in your name from these details.
- Insurance and emergency information: your travel insurance provider, policy number and emergency phone number, and an emergency contact person. We need these to arrange a helicopter evacuation or hospital care if something goes wrong in the mountains.
- Health information you choose to share, such as medical conditions, allergies or medication that your guide should know about. We use it only for your safety on the trip.
- Payment records: amounts, dates and payment references. Card details are handled by the bank or payment provider; we do not store full card numbers.
- Website usage: if you accept analytics cookies, pages visited, the device and browser type and roughly where you are (country or city). See our cookie policy.
Why we use it
- To answer your questions and send quotes you asked for.
- To make and manage your booking: hotels, transport, domestic flights, guides, porters and permits.
- To meet legal duties in Nepal, including permit rules, tourism regulations, tax and accounting records.
- To keep you safe: sharing emergency and insurance details with your guide, rescue services, hospitals or your insurer when needed.
- To ask for a review after your trip, and, only if you agree, to send occasional news or offers. You can opt out at any time.
How we contact you
We reply by the channel you used: email, phone or WhatsApp. WhatsApp is run by Meta and messages there are covered by WhatsApp's own terms and privacy policy. If you prefer that we do not use WhatsApp, tell us and we will use email only.
Who we share it with
We never sell your personal information. We share only what each party needs:
- Government offices and national park or conservation area authorities that issue permits, and the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board for the TIMS card.
- Your guide, porters and the hotels, lodges, airlines and transport companies on your itinerary.
- Your insurer, rescue and helicopter operators and hospitals in an emergency.
- Service providers who help us run the business, such as our booking software, email and payment providers, under confidentiality terms.
- Authorities when the law requires it.
Some of these providers store data outside Nepal. We choose providers that protect personal data to a recognised standard.
How long we keep it
- Inquiries that do not become a booking: up to 2 years, then deleted.
- Passport copies and photos: deleted within 6 months after your trip ends, unless an insurance claim or dispute needs them longer.
- Booking, invoice and payment records: as long as Nepal's tax and accounting rules require, usually at least 6 years.
Your rights
You can ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it where we are not required to keep it. You can withdraw consent to marketing or analytics at any time. Email us and we will reply within 30 days. If you live in the EU, UK or another country with its own data protection law, you also have the rights that law gives you, including complaining to your local data protection authority.
Security
Access to your details is limited to staff who need them. We ask travellers to send passport copies through our booking form or email rather than public channels, and we delete them when they are no longer needed.
Changes
If we change this policy we will update this page and the date below. Important changes will be emailed to travellers with upcoming trips.
Contact
Trekking sites