Visitor's Information for Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country in Southern Asia, between China and India. It contains eight of the world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the world's tallest - on the border with Tibet. It recently was declared a republic and has abolished the monarchy.

Kathmandu is the largest city and capital of Nepal and the namesake of the Kathmandu Valley. Once thought to be the fabled and inaccessible Shangri-La, Kathmandu is now a hub for independent travelers as well as a growing vacation spot catering to all budgets.

Visas are available on arrival for citizens of most countries, and one passport-sized photograph is required. To complete the process, you must pay a fee: Transit ($5), 15 day ($25), 30 day ($40) or 90 day ($100.) Make sure that you fill in all of the forms and keep your departure card for when you want to leave. Facilities for taking passport-sized photographs are available near the immigration desk, though it saves a lot of time if they are prepared before arrival. SAARC nationals are exempt from visa fees.

There are no trains to Kathmandu, renting a car without a driver is not a reasonable option. You can hire bikes in India and ride up, but you need to be brave. Alternatively, catch a bus. They run from Varanasi and Delhi on a regular basis. Check with other travelers to find a safe bus line (Green Line & Golden Travels have been recommended), some are quite dangerous and travel at stupid speeds through mountain passes. Many hotels will pick you up from the airport if you give them advanced notice. Otherwise, you can use a pre-paid taxi (the stand is on your right as you come out of baggage reclaim/arrivals.)

By plane
Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport (IATA: KTM), is the largest, and only international airport in Nepal. Most flights arrive via Delhi, Dhaka, or Bangkok, and of the remaining only a few originate from outside Asia. Until the end of March 2009, airport service charge is not included in tickets for flights departing from Kathmandu, and a charge Rs 791 for SAARC destinations and Rs 1,130 out of SAARC destinations must be paid at Tribhuvan International Airport before check in. From April 2009 the charge will be included in the ticket price. Sizable airport taxes and slightly higher ticket prices for travel between Kathmandu and Bangkok may make it preferable to come in through one of the other cities.

Many hotel and guest houses offer complimentary pick up and delivery from the airport. Taxis are also available. As always, negotiate the price beforehand with the driver. A taxi ride to Thamel or Boudha should not exceed 300 NPR. Otherwise, order a taxi at the pre-paid booth inside the airport, which costs 600 NPR. This is more than double the meter rate, but saves the hassle of long negotiations. Try not to exchange money at the airport. Money changers at the airport not only charge service charge but also offer a lower rate than is offered in Thamel or elsewhere in town.

By bus
Kathmandu has frequent and cheap bus service to nearly all parts of Nepal, unfortunately due to poor roads and frequent delays the buses are some of the slowest and least comfortable in South Asia.

Connections include India (usually Patna,Gorakhpur, Varanasi or Lucknow) and other parts of Nepal such as Chitwan National Park and the trekking hubs of Pokhara to the west, Langtang to the north and Jiri to the east of Kathmandu. For points of departure in India or Tibet see the Nepal 'Get in' section. Buses arriving from the Indian border, Pokhara and Chitwan terminate either at the bus station at Balaju at north of the city or Kalanki at the south of the city since large vehicles and long distance vehicles are not allowed to enter the city due to traffic congestion.

Get Around
The first thing many visitors may notice about Kathmandu is the general lack of street names (except for major roads such as Tri Devi and Ring Road) and address numbers. In most cases directions are given relative to the nearest chowk or tole (an intersection or square, often with a market) or a noteworthy building such as a temple or restaurant. In the tourist district of Thamel, the Kathmandu Guest House and Hot Breads bakery are two main landmarks.

It is possible to get across the city by foot, but it is not always a pleasant walk and you may want to consider a rickshaw for anything more than wandering around a specific area. Rickshaws are bicycle driven; the motorized ones have been banned from the valley in a bid to check rising pollution. Rickshaws can hardly be found outside the tourist area of Thamel, however, since they are mostly only used by the tourists. Negotiate on a price before you get in, if you can't agree, just look for another driver. Prices go up after dark and in less busy areas. Taxis are easy to find; they park near all major streets and have fare-meters. The day rate should start at 10 NPR and tick over at 4.80 NPR; after 9pm, at 15 NPR ticking over at 7.20 NPR. The meter is your best bet if you are not confident enough to negotiate. After 11pm, taxis can be harder to find outside Thamel.

There are also buses and taxis for longer trips within the valley, ie Patan and Bakhtapur, and can be used for trips in town. It should be possible to hire a taxi for considerably less than 300rs one-way to Patan and 1,000-3,000rs to Bakhtapur from Thamel or the airport. For longer trips and to hire them by the day negotiate with the driver. See below for tips on traveling outside of the valley.

See

  • Swayambhu - A large stupa, highly revered in Nepal, and one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the country. It offers great views over the city, and no lack of monkeys. It's a 20-30 minute walk from Thamel, or take a taxi or rickshaw. Pay Rs 100 to enter at the front steps or slip in free on the ramp on the south side. As with the Boudha Stupa, there's no shortage of Buddhist and Tibetan-inspired trinkets for sale. There are also drinks for sale at the top, and at least one small restaurant selling momos. For those that have their own transport or have difficulty climbing stairs there is a parking lot at the back entrance that significantly reduces the amount of stairs that need to be climbed to gain access to the main compound.
  • Baudha Stupa in Baudha - One of the most sacred sites for Tibetan Buddhism. It is a must see in Kathmandu.
  • King's Palace - Giant fruit bats hanging from the tall trees and 20 foot-tall bamboo around the otherwise modern (and well secured) palace are a sight-- especially around sunset when they depart en masse.
  • Thamel Chowk - lots of restaurants and shops.
  • Freak Street - Historic home of western hippies seeking enlightenment, but now just a few restaurants and hotels.
  • Nasal Chowk Statues, temples and the Rana museum.
  • Pashupatinath - An important temple to Shiva in the form of Lord of Animals. See monkeys, cremation, sadhus and a holy cave. Morning is a great time to go.
  • Garden of Dreams - Relax in this beautiful and peaceful walled garden close to the King's Palace. Entry Rs 200.

Festivals
Kathmandu and Dubar Square is the center for many of Nepal's festivals. Note that many businesses are closed for all of these holidays-- and often a few days before and after. Dasain in particular tend to shut down much of the city for October.

  • Tihar, Festival of Lights (Also called Deepawali) A five day festival which takes place each year on the fifteenth day of Kartika ( around the end of October/start of November) celebrated by all Hindus with ritual house-cleaning, lanterns, candles, and fireworks. The Nepali version tends to be more picturesque and less explosive (literally) than those celebrated in India.
  • Holi is celebrated in March with splashes of water and colored powder that is both good luck and very messy.
  • Bikram Sambat's New Year's (April) A day of pilgrimages (often from Kathmandu to the holy Bagamati river that separates it from Patan)
  • Teej, the most important women's festival, is celebrated in September with married women dressed in their red marriage saris visiting male relatives and unmarried women and girls staying up all night to celebrate and pray for their future husbands.
  • Indra Jatra Harvest festival held in Kathmandu's Dubar Square for 8 days each September. The Goddess Kumari is paraded in her sacred chariot.

 


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