Travel to, from & within Nepal
This page explains the options for overland travel between India, Nepal & Tibet/China. It's easy to travel overland between India & Kathmandu, although foreigners who want to travel onwards from Nepal into Tibet currently need to use a group tour, they cannot travel independently.
Europe to Kathmandu overland by train
Delhi to Kathmandu
by train+bus
Calcutta to Kathmandu by train+bus
Kathmandu to Lhasa (Tibet, for China) by bus
Useful country information
Europe to Kathmandu overland
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In theory, it's possible to travel from London to Kathmandu overland by train and bus via Turkey, Iran, Pakistan & India. It will take a minimum of 2-3 weeks (more if you include stopping off to explore on the way), and you should consider it an adventure or expedition not a routine way to travel there.
There are two major issues: (a) getting a tourist visa for Iran (see the London to Iran page) and (b) the various security concerns in SE Iran and Pakistan, which render this route inadvisable, or at least, not for the faint-hearted. See the official travel advice for Iran and Pakistan at the British Foreign Office website, www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. If you are still interested, see the London to India & Nepal Overland page.
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It is (or was, pre-pandemic and pre-war-in-Ukraine) possible to travel from London to Kathmandu comfortably & safely using Eurostar & onward trains to Moscow (daily, 2 nights), the Trans-Siberian Moscow-Beijing Express (twice a week, 6 or 7 nights), the train from Beijing to Lhasa (daily, 2 nights) then one of the organised tour departures from Lhasa to Kathmandu (perhaps 7 nights). See the Paris-Moscow page, the Trans-Siberian page and the Beijing to Tibet by train section, then the Tibet to Nepal section below. Trains to Russia are suspended due to Covid-19 and now sanctions. China is still affected by Covid-19 restrictions.
Delhi to Kathmandu by train & bus
It's relatively easy, cheap, and an adventure to travel from Delhi to Kathmandu overland. For travel in the other direction, reverse the process shown below.
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Day 1, take a train from Delhi to Gorakhpur...
The Vaishali Express leaves New Delhi at 20:40 arriving Gorakhpur Junction at 09:25 next morning, or there are plenty of other trains.
The fare is around Rs 2785 (£30 or $46) in AC1, RS 1655 (£17 or $26) in AC2, Rs 1175 (£12 or $18) in AC3 or Rs 445 in Sleeper Class.
Check times & fares at www.indianrail.gov.in and buy tickets online at 12go.asia.
12go are a reliable online ticketing agency who sell tickets for this route with a small fee, booking opens 120 days ahead. Their system shows 'live' fares & availability, and it is far, far easier to use then any other option (read why here). They email you an e-ticket with which you can board the train - it's as easy as booking a flight. For an explanation of the different classes on Indian trains, see the India page.
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Day 2, take a local bus or jeep from Gorakhpur to the Nepalese border at Sunauli (Indian side).
Journey time around 3 hours, fare around Rs 120. Get off at the Indian passport office in Sunauli to get your exit stamp. Do not change any money at this stage.
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Walk to the border, about 12-15 minutes further on. Cross over under the archway and go to the Nepal immigration office on the right. A Nepalese visa costs USD 30. You must pay for this in USD, no other currency is accepted. You are now in Bhairawa on the Nepalese side of the border, although it's often also referred to as Sunauli. You can now change money at various booths on this side of the border.
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Day 2-3, take a bus or jeep from Bhairawa to Kathmandu.
There's an overnight air-conditioned bus from the border bus-stand to Kathmandu leaving at 18:00 and arriving around 06:00 - but it can arrive much later depending on the roads. The fare is around 740 Nepalese rupees. Alternatively, take a rickshaw 4km to Bhairawa's main bus stand where you'll have more choice. Buses take 9 to 12 hours and there are many departures from here daily, either daytime buses leaving at intervals until about 11:00 or overnight buses leaving at intervals from about 16:00 until 19:00. Indian rupees may be accepted here in Bhairawa, but not always further into Nepal.
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If you travel this route and get any information or photos that would help improve this page for future travellers, please e-mail me.
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It's also possible to travel via Varanasi. An overnight train links Delhi & Varanasi, then buses link Varanasi with the Nepalese border - see the section below.
Traveller's reports
Traveller Cato Sandford reports: "In May 2019 I travelled from Delhi to Kathmandu. I took the Gorakhpur Humsafar Express (12572) from Anand Vihar Terminal, leaving at 20.00. AC3 class cost Rs.1300; I booked six weeks in advance because tickets tend to go quickly. The train was scheduled to arrive at 09.35 the next morning, but was three hours delayed. After leaving Gorakhpur station, the bus stand is only a minute away: walk straight ahead and to the left. A local bus to Sonauli cost me INR 112; there are also AC/Volvo buses but I didn't look into them. The journey took about three hours. The Sonauli bus stop is less than two hundred meters north of the Indian immigration office where you get your exit stamp. Maybe four hundred meters north is the border, and you get a Nepali tourist visa in an office between the "welcome to India" and "welcome to Nepal" arches. It was all very quick and easy once the border officials were prised away from their television show. I opted to take the bus to Kathmandu from just the other side of the border. Seat 61 says there are more options available down the road, but it was getting late so I grabbed the first one I found - an AC for INR 500. We left around 19.00. Unfortunately the last seat available was right at the back, above the rear axle, and the bus' bad suspension / bad roads meant my ride was very bumpy; I think it's well worth avoiding this situation. The overnight journey took around 9 hours, arriving in western Kathmandu at 05.00. So not including transport in Delhi and Kathmandu, the entire journey took 33 hours and cost around INR 2000."
Traveller Robert Marten reports: "We travelled AC2 overnight to Gorakhpur booked in London through S.D.Enterprises (www.indiarail.co.uk). The train was 3 hours late due to fog(!?), arriving after midday. Then we took a very crowded ordinary bus from Gorakhpur to the Indian border town, Sunauli. We paid Indian Rp.55 each though I was told by another local that the normal fare was Rp. 45. We were also nearly taken in by what we decided was a scam - two different people offered us "tickets" from Gorakphur to Kathmandu for Rp.450 - saying that we could pay Rp.225 in Gorakhpur and then another Rp.225 once we crossed the border - we concluded that in effect all they were doing was charging us Rp.225 for the bus from Gorakhpur to the border. Our bus to the border took about 3 hours. Then we easily negotiated the Indian & Nepalese Immigration. So we found ourselves in Nepal at about 4pm. After a bit of shopping around we booked tickets on the 5pm overnight bus to Kathmandu for Indian Rp.230 per person and arrived in cold Kathmandu shortly after 5am."
Varanasi to Kathmandu by bus
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Option 1, by direct bus: There is (or should be) a direct bus between Varanasi and Kathmandu every 2 days run by Uttar Pradesh Road Transport Corporation, journey time 13-16 hours, fare Rs. 1,370 (about $21).
See www.redbus.in - although online booking requires an Indian mobile number, so you'll need to contact a local travel agency to buy tickets for you - but note that travel agencies may deny its existence as they get no commission from it, so you'll have to be firm and no doubt negotiate a fee.
Traveller Karen Walrafen reports (2016): "The bus goes from Varanasi to Kathmandu every other night at 10pm. It was a nice AC Volvo bus. The government bus website has information with correct price. We booked the day prior at the bus station. It was a good ride, bumpy roads to start. Border crossing easy, and okay to buy visa at border with this bus as we all did. Our bus took about 21 hours, not 15 but it was because there is construction in the highway right now."
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Option 2, another direct bus... Sankrit Tour Zone say they run a daily non-AC tourist bus from their office in Varanasi at 08:30 to Pokhra & Kathmandu with one stop at Sunauli. Fare 880 rupees ($22). Contact details: Sankrit Tour Zone Head Office: C 21/4 A, Maldahiya Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (India) Tel. +91-9648000010 or +91-542-240-1071.
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Option 3, by local buses...
Day 1: Direct buses run from Varanasi to the Nepalese border at Sunauli (Indian side)/ Bhairawi (Nepalese side, often also called Sunauli), running several times daily (exact times not known). They take 9 hours and cost in region of Rs 200 (£2 or $3). Walk across the frontier, and spend the night in a hotel in Sunauli.
Day 2: The Sunauli bus station is a few minutes walk from the frontier. Buses to Kathmandu take 9 to 12 hours, cost about 120 Nepalese Rupees (£1 or $2). There are many buses daily, either daytime buses leaving regularly until about 11:00 or overnight buses leaving regularly from about 16:00 until 19:00.
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If you travel this route and get any information or photos that would help improve this page for future travellers, please e-mail me.
Calcutta or Darjeeling to Kathmandu by train & bus
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Day 1, take the overnight Darjeeling Mail from Kolkata Sealdah station to New Jalpaiguri (NJP). The Darjeeling Mail leaves Sealdah station at 22:05 and arrives in NJP around 08:15 next morning.
It has AC1, AC2, AC3 and Sleeper class, if it's full there are various alternative trains. Check times & fares at www.indianrail.gov.in and buy tickets online at 12go.asia.
12go are a reliable online ticketing agency who sell tickets for this route with a small fee, booking opens 120 days ahead. Their system shows 'live' fares & availability, and it is far, far easier to use then any other option (read why here). They email you an e-ticket with which you can board the train - it's as easy as booking a flight. For an explanation of the different classes on Indian trains, see the India page.
If you're starting from Darjeeling, take a bus or the famous Toy Train (if running) from Darjeeling to Siliguri. There may also be some direct buses from Darjeeling to Panitanki.
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Day 2, take a taxi from NJP station to Siliguri bus station, then a local bus to the Indian/Nepalese border at Panitanki (Indian side).
Alternatively, you could hire a taxi all the way from NJP to Panitanki, it's 36 km (23 miles) and should take around 45 minutes. Cross the border into Nepal - the border is a bridge over the Mechi river - to the Nepalese side, a town called Kakarvitta (also written Kakarbhitta).
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There are overnight buses from Kakarvitta to Kathmandu, journey time 13 hours, fare around 336 Nepalese rupees.
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If you travel this route and get any information or photos that would help improve this page for future travellers, please e-mail me.
Kathmandu to Lhasa by bus
There's no railway from Nepal to Tibet through the Himalayas, at least not yet, but the Kathmandu to Lhasa journey can be done by road, on an organised tour. Of course, the info below will be affected by China's Covid restrictions, please check.
Weekly bus service between Kathmandu & Lhasa?
Since 2005, the internet has been full of reports of a weekly Kathmandu to Lhasa bus service starting, then being withdrawn, then starting again. However, the most reliable information says that there is currently NO such bus, as all attempts to keep it going have so far failed. So if you want to travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa, you'll need to sign up to one of the organised tours, see below.
Organised tours between Nepal & Tibet...
Currently, the only way foreigners are legally permitted to travel between Lhasa & Kathmandu in either direction is with an organised tour. The cheapest tours take 8 days, 7 nights for the 955 km journey and cost about $450 (ask for a budget tour, there are more expensive options with better accommodation). For journeys from the Nepal end, try Tashi Delek Nepal Treks & Expeditions (www.tashidelektreks.com.np) who do tours leaving Kathmandu for Lhasa every Tuesday & Saturday March to November, and every Saturday November to March. For journeys starting at the Tibet end, try Tibet International Travels & Tours (www.tibetintl.com). Allegedly, these companies operate the tours, although you'll find other agencies reselling those tours, for example www.heiantreks.com, www.trekkingtibet.com (recommended by one seat61 correspondent), www.visitnepal.com/getaway (departing Kathmandu every Saturday April-October, $450 + $100 Tibetan permit) or do a Google search for other agencies.
Once in Lhasa, there are trains onwards to Xian, Beijing or Shanghai. If you have any feedback or recommendations, please email me!
Travel within Nepal
There are no trains in Nepal, other than the end of an obscure branch line from India which is of limited interest to travellers. However, regular buses link most centres.
Hotels in Kathmandu
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & other tips
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Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.