About Us
Brief history
In 2008 Mountain Kingdoms became the new name for Himalayan Kingdoms - 21 years after the company was first formed. Himalayan Kingdoms was formed in October 1987, when two mountaineering friends, Steve Berry and Steve Bell rejected conventional careers to make a living from the love of their life – the greatest mountain range in the world. The reputation of the company as the Himalayan, trekking, touring and mountaineering specialist quickly grew, and in 1993, Himalayan Kingdoms were the first British company to guide Everest, putting seven paying clients, six Sherpas and two guides on the summit.Read more
Financial security
The air inclusive holidays we arrange are ATOL protected (ATOL number 2973) providing either the person who pays for the booking is present in the UK when the booking is made or the first leg of any flight or flights we arrange for you commences in the UK. Visit here if you would like to know more. Our "Land Only" holidays and holidays that include international flights booked by us which originate outside the UK are covered by a bond secured with the AITO Trust. We are members of AITO and are bound by their Quality Charter
Value for money prices with an emphasis on quality
We are not in the business of cutting the itinerary and services to the bone. Our well thought out treks and tours do however offer fantastic value for money. We use some of the best airlines, and 3 or 4 star hotels in the main cities. Our local support teams have excellent equipment and well-trained staff, and we use private transport to reach roadhead. In the latest independent AITO customer satisfaction survey 93% of our clients rated their Mountain Kingdoms holiday as 'excellent'.
Small group travel
For the vast majority of our holidays, we take a maximum of only 12 clients, though the average group size in 2009 was 8 persons per trip. Our family holidays have a maximum size of 20 people to allow several families to participate, and Gentle Trekking, Luxury Lodges in Nepal has a maximum of 16 people as the lodges each have 8 rooms. Some of our community based treks have a maximum number lower than 12.Award winning responsible tourism
We feel strongly that all our holidays should benefit local communities, protect the environment by minimising pollution and respect local traditions, religion and heritage.
We support a number of charities and projects and, in January 2008, were awarded the AITO award for Responsible Tourism Operator of the Year. We hold the top AITO five star rating for Responsible Tourism.
For the latest information on the projects we support and the work we are doing please see our Responsible Tourism pages.
Knowledgeable and personal service
When you ring Mountain Kingdoms you speak to a well travelled individual. We don't have a 'sales force' as such, instead you will be looked after by one of our team who has a direct knowledge of the region you are interested in. This ensures that we can speak from experience, offering first hand knowledge and personal insight whether you want to know what's on the breakfast menu, the best spot to take your photos or how many thermal vests to pack!Holidays to suit you
We have a flexible approach to helping you to plan your holiday - flights, hotel upgrades, extensions and dates of travel can all be adjusted to suit you.Or why not consider a personalised holiday created especially for you by one of our well-travelled experts? Tailor Made holidays can be created from scratch or based on one of our brochure trips with just a slight variation in dates or itinerary. For full details please see our section on Tailor Made holidays.