Privacy Policy

01 Introduction

Mustang Trekking ("we", "us", "our") operates mustang-trekking.com and organizes guided treks, permits, and logistics in the Upper and Lower Mustang region of Nepal, along with other Himalayan itineraries. This policy explains what personal information we collect when you visit our site or book a trek with us, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the choices available to you.

By using this website or booking a trip with Mustang Trekking, you agree to the practices described here. If you don't agree, please don't submit personal information through the site — you're welcome to contact us instead with any questions.

02 Information we collect

Information you give us directly

• Contact details — name, email address, phone number, and country of residence, submitted through booking forms, inquiry forms, or email.
• Trip and booking details — preferred dates, group size, trek package, dietary requirements, and fitness or medical information relevant to high-altitude trekking safety.
• Travel document information — passport number, nationality, date of birth, and passport photo, required to apply for TIMS cards and restricted-area permits (e.g. Upper Mustang special permits) with Nepalese authorities.
• Payment information — billing details processed to confirm deposits and final payments. Full card numbers are handled by our payment processor and are not stored on our servers.
• Travel insurance details — policy number and provider, where you choose to share these for emergency planning.
• Correspondence — anything you send us by email, WhatsApp, or contact form.

Information collected automatically

• IP address, browser type, device type, and approximate location.
• Pages visited, time spent on the site, and referring website.
• Cookie identifiers (see Cookies & analytics below).

03 How we use it

• To respond to inquiries and prepare trip quotes or itineraries.
• To process bookings, deposits, and payments.
• To apply for the permits and TIMS cards your trek legally requires.
• To arrange guides, porters, teahouse or lodge accommodation, and internal flights or jeep transport as part of your itinerary.
• To assess altitude and route suitability based on health information you provide, and to respond appropriately in a medical emergency on the trail.
• To send trip-related communications, such as pre-departure information, packing lists, or itinerary changes.
• To improve our website and trip offerings, including which routes and seasons visitors are most interested in.
• With your consent, to send occasional newsletters or seasonal trekking offers. You can unsubscribe at any time.

04 Permits & third parties

Trekking in Mustang and other restricted areas of Nepal requires special permits issued by Nepal's Department of Immigration and local authorities (such as the Annapurna Conservation Area Project office), along with a TIMS card issued through the Nepal Tourism Board and Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN). To obtain these on your behalf, we are required to submit your passport details, photo, nationality, and trip dates to these authorities. This is a regulatory requirement for trekking in the region, not optional data sharing.

05 Cookies & analytics

We use a small number of cookies to keep the site working well and to understand how it's used:

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent parts of the booking process from working properly.

06 Sharing your information

We share personal information only where necessary to deliver your trek or run our business:

• Government and permit authorities — as described above, to secure legally required trekking permits.
• Local partners — guides, porters, teahouses, lodges, and transport operators in Mustang and along your route, limited to the details they need (name, dates, dietary or medical notes relevant to your care).
• Payment processors — to process deposits and balance payments securely.
• Travel insurance or emergency evacuation providers — only if needed in a genuine emergency, or where you've asked us to coordinate with your insurer.
• Service providers — such as our website host and email provider, who process data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations.

We do not sell your personal information to advertisers or data brokers.

07 Data retention

We keep booking and permit-related records for as long as required by Nepalese tourism and immigration regulations, and for our own accounting and legal obligations — typically up to 7 years after your trip. Inquiry details from trips that never proceed to booking are generally deleted after 24 months of inactivity. You can ask us to delete your information sooner, subject to the legal retention requirements described above.

08 Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards — including encrypted connections (HTTPS), restricted access to booking records, and secure payment processing — to protect your information. No system is completely secure, but we work to keep your data protected at every stage, from inquiry to your return home.

09 Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Ask what personal information we hold about you, and get a copy of it.
• Ask us to correct inaccurate information.
• Ask us to delete your information, where we're not required to keep it for legal or permit purposes.
• Withdraw consent for marketing emails at any time.
• Object to or restrict certain uses of your information.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below.

10 International visitors

Most of our trekkers book from outside Nepal. When you share information with us, it's processed in Nepal — where our office and operations are based — and may be shared with the Nepalese permit authorities and local partners described above as part of arranging your trek. By booking with us, you understand your information will travel with your trip.

11 Children's privacy

Our website and booking process are intended for adults arranging their own or a group's travel. We knowingly collect information about minors only when a parent or guardian provides it directly as part of a family booking, and only what's needed for permits and trip safety.

12 Changes to this policy

We may update this policy occasionally to reflect changes in our practices or in Nepalese tourism regulations. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised. We encourage you to check back before booking if some time has passed.

13 Contact us