Best Trekking Apps for Nepal: Maps, Weather, and More

Your smartphone is one of your best trekking tools — if you have the right apps. Here are our top picks for Nepal trekking.

Maps & Navigation

Maps.me: Free offline maps for the entire world, including all Nepal trekking routes. Mark your tea house, find the trail, and navigate without cell service.

Gaia GPS: Premium ($20/year) but the gold standard for serious trekkers. Topographic maps, route tracking, elevation profiles. Works offline.

MapMyTrek: Free. Records your trek, shows elevation gain, and lets you share your route with family.

Nepal Trekking Maps (Nepal Map House): Paid. Official 1:50,000 topo maps of the Annapurna, Everest, and Langtang regions.

Weather

Meteoblue: The most accurate mountain weather forecast. 7-day forecasts for any GPS coordinate, including wind, precipitation, and cloud cover at altitude.

Mountain Forecast: Free. Forecasts for specific peaks (Everest, Annapurna, Manaslu) at multiple elevations.

Windy: Free. Beautiful visualizations of wind, rain, and temperature. Great for pass-crossing days.

Altitude & Health

Altitude Forecast: Free. Calculates your acclimatization profile based on your planned route and warns of altitude risk.

MyAltitude: Free. Shows your current altitude using GPS. Useful for tracking acclimatization.

Red Cross First Aid: Free. Step-by-step first aid instructions including altitude sickness.

SOS & Communication

Garmin Earthmate: Free (requires Garmin inReach device). Two-way satellite messaging, SOS, and weather forecasts.

what3words: Free. Gives your location as 3 words — extremely precise for rescue coordination.

Zello: Free. Walkie-talkie app — useful for groups to stay in touch on the trail.

Cultural & Language

Google Translate: Free. Download the Nepali language pack for offline translation. Camera translation is great for menus and signs.

Duolingo: Free. Learn basic Nepali before your trip — even a few words go a long way.

Photography

Lightroom Mobile: Free. The best mobile photo editor. RAW editing on phones.

Snapseed: Free. Google’s photo editor — simpler than Lightroom but powerful.

Battery Management

Cold drains batteries fast. Tips:

• Keep your phone in an inner pocket close to your body.
• Put your phone in airplane mode when not in use.
• Carry a 20000mAh power bank (we rent the Anker PowerCore).
• Charge your phone at tea houses during daylight (solar power is more reliable at night).
• Carry a solar charger for remote treks (we rent the Anker 21W solar).

Pre-Download Everything

Before you leave Kathmandu, download:

• Offline maps for your entire trekking region.
• Offline language packs for Nepali.
• Offline first aid guides.
• Emergency contact numbers (your embassy, insurance, rescue operator).