Best Trekking Apps for Nepal: Offline Maps & Navigation

Your phone is the single most useful piece of gear you can bring on a Nepal trek — but only if you have the right apps installed. With mobile signal patchy above 3,000 m and Wi-Fi expensive and unreliable, offline maps, GPS navigation and altitude tracking apps are essential. Here is the honest 2025 guide to the best trekking apps for Nepal — what to install before you go, how to use them, and which ones I actually use on the trail.

The Essential Nepal Trekking Apps

1. Maps.me — Best Free Offline Map

Maps.me is a free offline map app based on OpenStreetMap data. It includes detailed trails, villages, tea houses and peaks for the entire Nepal Himalayas. Download the Nepal map before you leave home (it is about 500 MB) and you will have full offline navigation for the entire country.

• Cost: Free
• Pros: Free, easy to use, accurate trails, includes tea houses and viewpoints
• Cons: Less detailed than paid apps, no altitude profile, limited topographic detail
• Best for: Budget trekkers, casual navigation, supplementing a guide

2. Gaia GPS — Best Premium Trekking App

Gaia GPS is the gold standard for serious trekkers. It offers detailed topographic maps, altitude profiles, route tracking, and the ability to download maps for offline use. The premium version includes the Nepal Himalaya 1:50,000 topo map — the same map used by professional guides.

• Cost: $20/year (Premium)
• Pros: Detailed topo maps, altitude profile, route recording, weather forecasts, GPX import/export
• Cons: Paid; interface is more complex than Maps.me
• Best for: Serious trekkers, off-the-beaten-path routes, trekkers who want professional-grade mapping
• Download: gaiagps.com

3. FATMAP (now Strava) — Best 3D Maps

FATMAP (acquired by Strava in 2023) offers beautiful 3D maps of the Nepal Himalayas. You can 'fly' over the route before the trek to visualize the terrain. Particularly useful for planning EBC, Annapurna Circuit and Manaslu.

• Cost: Free basic, $80/year Premium
• Pros: Beautiful 3D visualization, helpful for route planning, avalanche terrain ratings
• Cons: Less detailed trail info than Gaia, can be slow on older phones
• Best for: Visual planning before the trek

4. PeakFinder — Best Mountain Identification

PeakFinder is a magical app that uses your phone's camera and GPS to identify every mountain peak in view. Point your phone at the horizon and it overlays the names of all visible peaks — Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, etc. Indispensable on the EBC trek and Annapurna Circuit.

• Cost: $5 one-time
• Pros: Magical mountain identification, works offline, very accurate
• Cons: Only identifies peaks, not navigation
• Best for: Mountain lovers, photographers, anyone who wants to know what they are looking at

5. Altitude Apps (Altimeter / My Elevation)

A simple altitude app is essential for monitoring acclimatization. Use it to check your current altitude against the recommended 500 m/day altitude gain. Free options include 'Altimeter & Altitude Widget' and 'My Elevation'.

• Cost: Free
• Pros: Essential for acclimatization tracking
• Cons: GPS-based altitude can be ±20 m inaccurate; barometric altitude (on phones with barometer) is more accurate
• Best for: All trekkers — should be installed on every phone

6. Nepal Trekking Maps (Paid) — Best Dedicated Nepal App

Nepal Trekking Maps is a paid app specifically designed for Nepal treks. It includes detailed topographic maps for all major routes (EBC, Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang), GPS tracking, and offline route descriptions.

• Cost: $10–$20 per region
• Pros: Specifically designed for Nepal, very accurate, includes route descriptions
• Cons: Paid per region, can add up if trekking multiple regions
• Best for: Trekkers doing a specific Nepal trek who want detailed local info

7. Komoot — Best for Route Planning

Komoot is a route-planning app that lets you plan your trek in detail before leaving home. You can see distance, altitude profile, estimated time, and difficulty for each day. Particularly useful for custom itineraries.

• Cost: Free basic, $4 per region
• Pros: Excellent route planning, altitude profile, community highlights
• Cons: Less detailed maps than Gaia for remote areas
• Best for: Planning custom itineraries

8. Weather Apps (Meteoblue / Windy)

Weather in the Himalayas changes fast. Meteoblue and Windy are the two best mountain weather apps — both offer detailed forecasts including wind at altitude, precipitation, and cloud cover.

• Cost: Free (Premium available)
• Pros: Mountain-specific weather, wind at altitude, 7-day forecast
• Cons: Forecasts become unreliable beyond 3 days at altitude
• Best for: All trekkers — check the forecast every evening

How to Use Trekking Apps Effectively

Before You Leave Home

1. Download all apps and test them.
2. Download offline maps for your entire trek region (Nepal maps are 500 MB–2 GB depending on app).
3. Pre-plan your route in your mapping app, with waypoints for each overnight stop.
4. Take screenshots of your route and tea house locations — backup in case your phone dies.
5. Charge your phone fully and carry a 20,000 mAh power bank.

On the Trail

1. Put your phone in airplane mode to save battery. GPS still works in airplane mode.
2. Use your map app to check progress every 30–60 minutes.
3. Take a photo of the tea house map at the start of each day — most tea houses have a hand-drawn map of the next section.
4. Use PeakFinder at viewpoints to identify peaks.
5. Check the weather forecast every evening for the next day.
6. Conserve battery: dim screen, close background apps, use battery saver mode.

Battery Management on the Trail

Phone battery is the limiting factor for trekking apps. At cold temperatures, batteries drain 30–50% faster. Here is how to manage battery life:

• Carry a 20,000 mAh power bank (Anker PowerCore or RavPower). This will recharge a phone 4–5 times.
• Keep your phone and power bank warm — sleep with them in your sleeping bag.
• Use airplane mode when not using the phone.
• Turn off location services for apps that don't need them.
• Dim your screen to minimum brightness.
• Take photos in burst mode rather than video — video drains battery fast.
• Bring a solar charger for treks longer than 14 days (Anker PowerPort Solar or BigBlue 28W).

Mobile Signal in the Nepal Himalayas

Mobile signal coverage in Nepal's trekking regions is patchy but improving. As of 2025:

• NTC (Nepal Telecom) — best coverage in the mountains. Available in most major villages on the EBC, Annapurna, Manaslu and Langtang routes. Often the only signal above 3,500 m.
• Ncell — better data speeds where available, but coverage ends earlier. Available in Namche, Lukla, Manang, Jomsom and major trailhead towns.
• Wi-Fi at tea houses — usually satellite-based (Nepal Satellite or Everest Link), $3–$5 per device. Slow but works for messaging apps.

Best SIM Card for Trekking in Nepal

Get an NTC (Nepal Telecom) SIM card at Kathmandu airport on arrival. It costs $5–$10 for the SIM and you can add a data package for $5–$15. NTC has the best mountain coverage. See our SIM card in Nepal guide for the full process.

App Combinations for Different Trekkers

The Budget Trekker

• Maps.me (free offline maps)
• PeakFinder ($5)
• Altimeter app (free)
• Meteoblue (free)

The Serious Trekker

• Gaia GPS Premium ($20/year)
• PeakFinder ($5)
• Meteoblue (free)
• Komoot (free)
• Nepal Trekking Maps ($15 per region)

The Off-Trail Trekker

• Gaia GPS Premium ($20/year)
• Nepal Trekking Maps ($15 per region)
• PeakFinder ($5)
• Meteoblue + Windy (both free)
• inReach Explorer satellite communicator ($300 device + $25/month subscription)

Satellite Communicators — For Remote Treks

For remote treks (Upper Dolpo, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri), a satellite communicator is essential. The two main options:

• Garmin inReach Mini 2 — $400, 2-way SMS via satellite, SOS button, GPS tracking. $15/month subscription.
• Zoleo Satellite Communicator — $200, 2-way SMS via satellite, SOS button. $25/month subscription.

These work anywhere in the world with a view of the sky. Essential for treks where mobile signal is unreliable and helicopter rescue may be needed. See our Nepal trekking insurance guide for evacuation insurance.

The right apps can transform your Nepal trek — from basic navigation to detailed mountain identification, weather forecasting and altitude tracking. Install the apps above before you leave home, download the offline maps, and you will have a powerful navigation setup that does not depend on mobile signal or Wi-Fi. For more trekking tech, see our best headlamps guide and our best power bank recommendations.