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.
In 1995, the company separated, with Steve Bell moving the mountaineering side of the business to Sheffield, which continued to operate as Himalayan Kingdoms Expeditions until 1999 when its new name, Jagged Globe, was slowly phased in. The two companies continue to have close, friendly ties. With Steve Berry at the helm, Himalayan Kingdoms continued to grow, pioneering new and exciting trekking routes, initially across the Himalaya, and then gradually beyond into the other great mountain ranges of the world: Europe, South East Asia, Central Asia, the Americas and, most recently, the Middle East and Africa. Finally, in 2008, Himalayan Kingdoms became Mountain Kingdoms to better reflect the holiday destinations we offer which span the world.
As well as expanding into new regions, Himalayan Kingdoms also began to offer different styles of adventure holiday. Besides full camping treks, tea house trekking, homestays and hill tribe treks provide comfortable accommodation as well as contributing directly to the local economy. Luxury lodge trekking in many countries has a greater level of comfort still. Today, Mountain Kingdoms also offers Cultural Tours, Overlanding holidays and Trekking Peaks. There is an impressive choice of trekking holidays that range from gentle day walks to demanding high mountain adventure.
We are justifiably proud of Himalayan Kingdoms’ twenty one years of achievements. Exciting worldwide adventure holidays are the aspirations of the company for years to come and our new name, Mountain Kingdoms, reflects our global ambitions.
Mountain Kingdoms – the adventure of a lifetime…
Financial Security
You can book with us and be confident that all our flight-inclusive holidays are financially protected by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) under ATOL licence number 2973. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. Visit
here if you would like to know more.
Our "Land Only" holidays 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 0r 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 92% 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 2008 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.
Responsible Tourism
At Mountain Kingdoms we are committed to responsible tourism through our policies and practices which permeate all aspects of our business, ensuring that all our holidays are undertaken in a way that is socially, environmentally and culturally sound.
Responsible tourism remains at the very core of everything we do as a tour operator. Over the years we have grown our Responsible Tourism Department and now Mountain Kingdoms holds the top AITO five-star rating. In 2008 we won the annual AITO award for ‘Responsible Tour Operator of the Year’. For the latest information on the projects we support and the work we are doing please see our
Responsible Tourism pages.
Talk to an expert
The team at Mountain Kingdoms have been travelling the world for years and, whilst our favourite destinations may vary - Morocco, Nepal and Switzerland - we are united by a common love of travel and adventure. Our holidays are researched and developed by Mountain Kingdoms experts such as Hugh Thomson (renowned Andean explorer), or Kevin O'Neale (Alpine Guide). Every year we travel the world to research new trips and refine old favourites. 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!
Tailor Made Holidays
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.
Travel Shows
Why not come and meet the Himalayan Kingdoms team at The Times Destinations Holiday & Travel Show, Earls Court, London from 5 - 8 February 2009. Do make a diary note to come and meet us!
You can book with us and be confident that all our flight-inclusive holidays are financially protected by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) under ATOL licence number 2973. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. Visit here if you would like to know more.