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Asia

Nepal

9 guides across 2 destinations — where to go, when, what it costs and what to eat.

Where to go

Destinations in Nepal

Kathmandu Durbar Square in bright sun: the painted Kaal Bhairab relief in its shrine at the left, tiered pagoda temples with carved struts opposite, and people crossing the square past a stand of butter lamps
Kathmandu
Best october to november and march to april
The white dome of the World Peace Pagoda above Pokhara, its gilded Buddha niche and pinnacle catching low warm light at the top of a broad flight of steps.
Pokhara
Best october to november and march to april
Before you go

Practical essentials for Nepal

Money

Nepalese rupee (NPR)

Language

Nepali; English is widely used in Kathmandu, Pokhara and the trekking trade.

Power

Type C/D/M, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

Domestic flights and long-distance buses link Kathmandu and Pokhara; in town it is taxis, ride-hailing apps and hired cars, and there is no metro or transit card.

Tipping

Customary in tourism — about 10% in restaurants without a service charge, and a set tip for trekking guides and porters at the end of the trip.

Tap water

Tap water is not safe to drink — use bottled, boiled or properly filtered water.

Driving

Left-hand side; the 1968 International Driving Permit is required alongside your national licence, and the 1949 version is no longer accepted.

Emergency

100 police, 102 ambulance, 101 fire (112 from a mobile)

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

Latest

Recent stories from Nepal

A busy Kathmandu avenue seen from above, packed with buses, taxis, motorbikes and an auto-rickshaw between tall painted shophouses, with the green valley rim hazy in the distance
Destinations

Kathmandu essentials: getting in, getting around and getting it right

Kathmandu repays preparation: the visa queue, the taxi fare, the neighbourhood you sleep in, and the order you walk the valley's temple squares in.

Kathmandu · 11 min
A Newari khaja set served on a leaf plate — beaten rice (chiura) ringed by black soybeans, spiced potato, sauteed greens, brown lentils and dark curried meat; the Newar people are the indigenous community of the Kathmandu Valley
Food

Coffee, cake and people-watching: Kathmandu's café hours

Kathmandu's cafe culture is not a break from the city but the best seat in it, and knowing which rooftop, which hour and which quarter turns a coffee into the main event of the day.

Kathmandu · 11 min
The Nepali flag flying on a wooded ridge at Nagarkot above the Kathmandu valley, with terraced slopes falling away into blue haze and a long line of snow peaks along the horizon
Hidden Gems

Green Kathmandu: gardens, hilltops and easy escapes

Ring Kathmandu's chaotic core and you find walled gardens, botanical valleys and forested ridgelines — here is how to reach each one, what it costs, and which months actually work.

Kathmandu · 11 min
The two-tiered pagoda of Tal Barahi temple on its island in Phewa Lake, its carved eaves and red-and-white shrine walls close up, with brass guardian lions at the steps and the wooded far shore beyond the water
The List

Pokhara for Culture Lovers: 8 Places That Tell Its Story

Beyond the paragliders and the trekking shops, Pokhara holds museums, temples and settlements that explain the Annapurna region’s peoples. Eight cultural stops, ranked.

Pokhara · 2 min
A Nepali dal bhat thali on a brass platter: steamed rice with lentil soup, pickles, curried vegetables, greens, sliced onion, green chilli and lime, set among brass serving vessels
Stays

Kathmandu Has Four Bedrooms, and Only One of Them Is Thamel

The seven kilometres between Thamel and the Boudhanath stupa can cost you an hour in traffic, which is why the district matters more than the room: four Kathmandu neighbourhoods, priced three ways.

Kathmandu · 10 min
The Lakeside strip in Pokhara after dark, a row of open-fronted restaurants glowing with string lights and green signboards along an unlit road, one figure crossing between the tables
Itineraries

Sarangkot Sunrise to Lakeside Midnight: One Full Day in Pokhara

A single day in Nepal’s lake city, from a pre-dawn ridge drive with the Annapurnas turning gold to a slow evening on the Phewa waterfront.

Pokhara · 2 min
A quiet stretch of lake water at Pokhara framed by overhanging green branches, a single small boat far out on the surface and sunbeams breaking through cloud over the hills opposite
Stays

Where to Stay in Pokhara: The Areas to Book, and the Ones to Skip

Lakeside is not one neighbourhood but several, and the difference between its north and south ends is the difference between birdsong and a nightly covers band. A frank guide.

Pokhara · 2 min
The white dome and painted Buddha eyes of Swayambhunath stupa in Kathmandu, strung with colourful prayer flags at dusk
Itineraries

48 Hours in Kathmandu: Temples, Stupas and Momos, Hour by Hour

Most travellers treat Kathmandu as a stopover before the mountains. Give it two proper days and the valley's medieval cities and great stupas will repay you.

Kathmandu · 2 min
Strings of colourful prayer flags fluttering before the snow-capped fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre in the Annapurna range
The List

Pokhara, Ranked: The Experiences You Cannot Miss

Lake, pagoda, sunrise, sky — Pokhara compresses the Himalaya into one easygoing lakeside town. Here are its essential experiences, in order.

Pokhara · 2 min