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Voykit pocket guide · Nepal
Monju
मोन्जु
A 20-minute pass-through on the Lukla–Namche trail: stop to pay the park fee, grab tea, and sleep only if you arrived late.
Monju (also Monjo, 2,800 m) is a one-road village between Lukla and Namche Bazaar where trekkers register at the Sagarmatha National Park entrance. Most people pass through in 20 minutes; only an overnight if your flight arrived after noon.
- Country
- Nepal
- Local name
- मोन्जु
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Mar–Apr
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, snow on the trail), Jun–Aug (monsoon, leeches, clouds)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NPR
- Money
- NPR in small notes (100s and 500s) for taxis, tea shops and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rs 1,500–2,500 incl. bed and meals · Mid Rs 2,500–4,000 incl. bed and meals (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Nepal Telecom (NTC) and Ncell sell tourist SIMs at Kathmandu airport and in town with passport and a photo.
- Emergency
- Police 100 · Ambulance 102 · Tourist Police 1144
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round-pin sockets; a universal adapter covers them. Treks charge for device charging.
- Tipping
- Trekking guide: About 10–15% of the guide's total fee, at the end.; Porter: US$5–10 a day, at the end, in person.; Restaurant: Round up if 10% service is added; 5–10% if not.; Driver day: Rs 500–1,000.; Hotel staff: Rs 100–200.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Use filtered refill stations (Rs 50–100 a litre) or purification tablets; buying plastic bottles on treks leaves rubbish in the mountains.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels; squat toilets with a water jug elsewhere. Carry tissue; on treks toilets are outside and freeze in winter.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Lodge room (basic) | Rs 200–500 |
| Dal bhat (meal) | Rs 500–800 |
| Tea / coffee | Rs 50–150 |
| Bottle of water (1L) | Rs 100–200 |
| Sagarmatha National Park entry | Rs 1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LUA · Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla
- About 5 hours' walk from Monju; flights from Kathmandu are weather-dependent and often delayed.
Typical fares
- Lukla → Monju (walk)
- about 4–5 hours, free
- Monju → Namche Bazaar (walk)
- about 2–3 hours, free
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The village is a single trail; everything is a 2-minute walk.
See and do
Known for
- Sagarmatha National Park entrance checkpoint
- Gateway village before the steep climb to Namche
- Basic lodges with solar power
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Namche Bazaar | Walk uphill, about 2–3 hours | 2–3 h |
| Lukla | Walk downhill, about 4–5 hours | 4–5 h |
| Khumjung | Via Namche, then a side trail, about 4 hours total | 4–5 h |
Sleep
- Monju village centre
- A handful of lodges along the main trail; rooms from Rs 200–500 per night (2026 estimate).
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | नमस्तेnamaste |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyavād |
| How much? | कति?kati |
| Where is the park entrance? | पार्क प्रवेश कहाँ छ?pārk praveś kahā̃ cha |
| I need a room | मलाई कोठा चाहियोmalāī koṭhā cāhiyo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste with palms together; a handshake between men in business; avoid: Hugging or kissing in public
- Temples and stupas: Walk clockwise, spin prayer wheels clockwise, shoes off at shrines; avoid: Touching offerings; entering Hindu-only areas
- Food: Right hand, accept refills gracefully; avoid: Sharing food you have bitten; stepping over food
- Feet and heads: Keep feet flat and away from people and altars; avoid: Touching anyone's head
- Photos: Ask first; offer to show the picture; avoid: Photographing cremations or rituals without permission
- On the trail: Pass mani walls and chortens on the left (keeping them on your right); give way to yaks on the mountain side; avoid: Standing on the drop side when animals pass
Scams and watch-outs
- Park entry fee (Rs 1,000, 2026 estimate) must be paid in cash; no ATM in Monju.
- Last lodges serve dinner by 19:00; arrive before dark.
- Altitude is still moderate (2,800 m), but the next day's climb to Namche (3,440 m) is steep.
Monju is safe; the main risks are altitude (take it slow on the climb to Namche) and cash shortage (no ATM).
One and two days
No timed day plan for Monju yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sagarmatha National Park entrance checkpoint
- Gateway village before the steep climb to Namche
- Basic lodges with solar power
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Monju, revision 5229708 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5229708
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/monju). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.