Districts
Karnali Province
Humla हुम्ला
Mt Kailash route, remote Simikot
Humla is one of Nepal's most remote districts, a high Karnali fastness bordering Tibet, with its headquarters at Simikot — long reachable only by air. The ancient trade route from Simikot over the Nara La pass to Hilsa on the Tibetan border is the preferred Nepali approach to Mount Kailash, and the detour through the Limi Valley — three Buddhist villages at Til, Halji and Jhang — adds a rarely-visited cultural layer. A restricted-area permit is required throughout the district.
About Humla
Humla is one of Nepal's most remote districts, a high Karnali fastness pressing against the Tibetan plateau, where the ancient trade town of Simikot at 2,900 metres is the only real hub and has no road connection to the rest of the country. The Limi Valley — three small Bon-Buddhist villages of Til, Halji and Jhang, tucked in a deep side-valley north of Simikot — is one of the most rarely visited corners of the Himalaya, its monasteries and yak-farming culture largely unchanged. The old pilgrim corridor from Simikot over the Nara La pass (4,530 m) to the Tibet border at Hilsa is Nepal's preferred overland approach to Mount Kailash.
The district's population is predominantly Tibetan-speaking, tied to pastoralism and a little barley and buckwheat farming at extreme altitude; literacy rates remain among the lowest in Nepal. A restricted-area permit is mandatory throughout the northern section, group travel is required, and the sole practical access is by small aircraft — flights cancel freely in poor visibility, so budget several extra days at either end of any itinerary.
At a glance
- Headquarters
- Simikot
- Known for
- Mt Kailash route, remote Simikot
Getting there
The only practical route is by air: fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj (about an hour), then Nepalgunj to Simikot (about an hour) on a small aircraft. There is no road to Simikot. Flights cancel freely in cloud; budget two or three contingency days. A restricted-area permit is required for the Limi Valley and the route to Hilsa.