About Unique Gap Years

Unique Gap Years was founded in 2024 with a straightforward objective: to offer Nepal travel that is more honest, more local and more meaningful than what the big operators provide.

We run small groups — 4 to 14 people — with guides who live in the valleys you trek through, cooks who source food from the communities you stay in, and teahouses that keep the money in the village. We're registered in the UK as a sole trader and in the EU as Unique Gap Years OÜ (Estonia).

Who runs it

Nicky (Nicholas Lambert), founder and CEO. Based between Germany and Kathmandu. Contact: jack.anderson@uniquegapyears.eu · +44 7446 621623.

Our Nepal operations

All Nepal itineraries are delivered through local guides, cooks and porters employed directly — not through Kathmandu agencies. Our in-country coordinator meets every group at Tribhuvan International Airport and stays reachable for the duration of every trip and placement.

What we don't do

• Elephant rides or any captive animal experiences
• Volunteer placements that create work for local staff
• Orphanage visits without rigorous independent vetting
• Oversized groups that overload teahouses and trails