Trips run 8-9 days and start at $2,350 USD per person.
Join us on a life-changing adventure! Reserve your spot today by paying the $500 deposit.
Join us for a journey of a lifetime to visit red pandas in the wild! This small-group trip will take you into the cloud forests and communities of the Himalayas, where you'll see breathtaking views of Mount Kangchenjunga and Mount Everest and explore one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. You'll stay with local families and visit tea houses, experiencing the gentle hospitality of these villages for yourself.
Best of all, your stay directly benefits our most important conservation partners — the local communities working towards sustainable living in red panda country.
Unique immersion into the rich culture of the communities of the Himalayan cloud forests, guided by locals
Breathtaking treks through a biodiversity hotspot and views of the Himalayas, including Mount Kangchenjunga and Mount Everest!
Tracking and viewing of wild red pandas and other unique and rare species of the Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf Ecoregion with Forest Guardians
Small group sizes (maximum of 8 people) ensuring a close-knit experience
Our ecotrips immerse you in the natural wonders of the Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf forests, home to the red pandas.
Moderate to Strenuous Difficulty: These trips include half to full day hikes (3-6 hours) over mountainous, steep terrain. Hiking might include elevation gains as high as 3,000 feet per day. Overall elevations are no greater than 10,000 feet.
3 spots remaining!
Eastern Nepal
Days: 8
Cost: $2,350 USD
Eastern Nepal
Days: 8
Cost: $2,350 USD
FULL
Gorkhe, Ilam District, Nepal
Days: 8
Cost: $2,350 USD
A specially curated trip to red panda country for zoo professionals, volunteers, and conservation experts.
Travel with us for longer, at a discounted price.
Eco Zoo Trips are tailored for conservation experts, zoo staff, and volunteers. Travel with us for longer at a discounted price!
This hands-on experience will immerse you in the life and habitat of the red pandas.
Members receive 10% off the price of an ecotrip.
RPN members are individuals who have donated a minimum of $25, or $5 a month in the last 12 months.
1. Secure your spot
Pay the $500 deposit and fill out the basic information form to secure your spot.
2. Receive Confirmation
You will receive an email that contains the application form, a confirmation letter, trip itinerary, gear checklist, and suggested reading.
3. Trip Documents
Each participant must fill out the trip application within 14 days of booking. You must have a valid passport to travel to Nepal.
4. Final Balance
Final payments are due 60 days prior to departure. If payment is not received by the due date reservations are subject to cancellation.
5. Pre-Departure Information
Approximately 3 weeks before your trip RPN will email you with rendezvous instructions and information about your guide in Nepal.
If you have any questions throughout the process, you can contact us at ecotrips@redpandanetwork.org.
It was genuinely the most incredible trip. Not only did I see lots of wild red pandas (including cubs), I got to meet panda keepers from around the world as well as the amazing people who
work for RPN as forest guardians, trackers or on the restoration sites!
Anyone considering going on an ecotrip I would urge you to just go for it because you'll have a wonderful time and you'll get to see the many ways that RPN have a positive impact in Nepal!
What stood out most for me on this ecotour (besides seeing the red panda) were the leaders. Ramesh and Gyajo were both so amazing, so knowledgeable, so kind, and completely spoiled us. I've never been treated so well on a group tour. The dedication of the RPN trackers and the work they put in to find us a panda was astonishing, and I'm so grateful for them. This was an off year where the pandas' normal fruiting trees were not fruiting, so they had to work extra hard to track one down for us. And when we finally saw it, there were tears in a number of eyes. Not only did we see a panda, we also got to see some of the most beautiful parts of Nepal. The most beautiful places I have ever been, truthfully. This trip wasn't easy, but it paid off a hundredfold in the end. Thank you RPN for doing such great work for the people, wildlife, and habitat of Nepal.
If you’re thinking about going on ecotrip, JUST DO IT. It is an experience I will never forget, and something so hard to explain. Being fully immersed in Nepali culture, seeing first hand how RPN has changed the lives of locals, experiencing views you’ll never see anywhere else, and making lifelong new friends were just a few of the things I’ll cherish forever (on top of seeing Red Pandas, of course!).
It was just as exciting to see our first red panda as our eighth! The forest guardians’ passion for red pandas and their habitat gives me hope that all RPN is doing to conserve red pandas is helping.
