What a day in Nepal really costs
Nepal's rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee at a fixed rate: 1 INR buys 1.6 NPR, and that has not changed in decades. It makes budgeting simple for Indian travellers, and it means prices in Nepal feel close to those in a hill town at home. A momo plate in Thamel costs about NPR 200–300, roughly ₹125–190. A dorm bed in a well-known hostel costs about ₹400–800. A seat on the tourist bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara costs about ₹500–1,600 depending on the operator.
Where costs jump is anything involving foreign-tourist pricing, flights and the high trails. Domestic flights to Lukla and Jomsom are priced for foreigners and can cost more than your flight from Delhi. On the Everest and Annapurna trails, food and water get more expensive the higher you go, because everything is carried up by porter or mule. A bottle of water that costs NPR 30 in Kathmandu can cost NPR 300–400 near Everest Base Camp.
The table below shows the three ways we price trips. Saver is what students, young couples and solo travellers on our trips actually spend; it is not the cheapest possible, but it is comfortable enough to enjoy.
| Style | Per day (₹, per person) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Saver, cities | 2,000–3,500 | Hostel or simple guesthouse, dal bhat and momos, local buses, SAARC entry fees |
| Saver, teahouse trek | 3,000–4,500 | Teahouse room, three meals, ACAP or park fees spread over the trek, share of a licensed guide |
| Comfort | 7,000–12,000 | 3–4 star or heritage hotel, private car with driver, guide for sightseeing |
| Signature | 25,000–45,000 | Dwarika's, Tiger Mountain or Mountain Lodges of Nepal, private guide and car, flights, most meals |
Getting there without overspending
From most of North India the cheapest route is overland. Take a train to Gorakhpur, then a bus or shared taxi to the Sunauli border, about 95 km and 3 hours. Walk across into Bhairahawa, where buses leave for Pokhara (7–9 hours) and Kathmandu (8–10 hours). From Bihar, cross at Raxaul into Birgunj and take a bus to Kathmandu. The whole journey from Delhi takes about two days, but it costs a fraction of a flight.
Flights from Delhi to Kathmandu take about 1 hour 40 minutes, and fares outside October and the Christmas break can fall to ₹8,000–12,000 one way if booked early. Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata also have direct flights. If you are short of time, flying is often worth it; two days on buses each way eats into a one-week holiday.
- Indian citizens need a valid passport or Election Commission voter ID to enter Nepal; Aadhaar and PAN are not accepted for adults.
- No visa is needed for Indian citizens. Other nationalities get a visa on arrival for a fee in US dollars.
- At Sunauli, change only what you need at the border; rates are fixed, so compare the NPR you are offered with the 1.6 rate.
- Rules on carrying Indian notes above ₹100 into Nepal have changed several times; check current status before you travel.
Beds: hostels, guesthouses and teahouses
Kathmandu and Pokhara have a large supply of cheap rooms. Thamel has well-run hostels, including Zostel Kathmandu, with dorm beds and private rooms, and hundreds of family guesthouses in the side lanes where a clean double with a hot shower costs about ₹1,500–3,000 a night. Pokhara's Lakeside has similar prices, cheaper a few lanes back from the water. Bhaktapur and Patan have small guesthouses in old Newar houses inside the heritage zones, often a better night than another one in Thamel.
On the trails, teahouses are the budget traveller's friend. A twin room on the Poon Hill loop or below Namche costs as little as ₹300–1,000 a night, sometimes less if you eat dinner and breakfast at the same lodge, which is expected. Rooms are basic: two beds, a blanket, a shared bathroom and a cold room in winter. Pay extra for a hot shower and for charging your phone.
- Book ahead for October, Dashain and Tihar week and the Christmas–New Year break.
- Ask for the room rate with and without breakfast; it is often cheaper to eat at a local bhojanalaya.
- On treks, always eat where you sleep; lodges keep room prices low on that understanding.
Food and drink for less
Dal bhat is the budget traveller's staple and Nepal's everyday meal: rice, lentil soup, a vegetable curry, pickle and often a little meat or saag. In most local eateries and on the trails, refills of rice, dal and vegetables are included, so one plate is a full meal. In Kathmandu it costs about ₹200–400; on the Poon Hill trail ₹400–650; in Namche ₹550–800.
Momos are the other cheap standby, with buff (buffalo), chicken or vegetable fillings. In the valley, try a Newari samay baji set in Patan or Bhaktapur: beaten rice, spiced meat or soybeans, egg, ginger and pickles, often under ₹400. Juju dhau, Bhaktapur's sweet set curd, costs less than ₹100 a bowl. Tourist cafés in Thamel and Lakeside charge two to three times local prices for pasta and pizza.
Water is the hidden cost. Carry a filter bottle or purification tablets and refill at lodges, which many now offer for a small fee. You save money and keep plastic bottles off the trails.
Transport inside Nepal
Tourist buses are the cheapest comfortable way between Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan, leaving early each morning from fixed stands. Local buses and microbuses link the valley cities: Kathmandu to Patan costs NPR 25–40, to Bhaktapur NPR 50–100. Shared jeeps run to trailheads like Nayapul and into the Kali Gandaki towards Jomsom. Ride-hailing apps such as Pathao and InDrive are often cheaper than street taxis inside the valley.
A private car from Kathmandu to Pokhara costs ₹9,000–12,000 one way and takes the same 7–8 hours as the bus on the same road. Flights take 25 minutes and cost roughly ₹4,500–9,000, depending on nationality and season. For Lukla and Jomsom, flights are the main option and they are expensive; budget trekkers sometimes take a jeep towards Salleri and walk in to the Khumbu over two or three extra days instead.
Entry fees, permits and SAARC rates
Indian travellers get the lower SAARC rate at Nepal's main heritage sites and for trekking permits, on showing a passport or voter ID. Bhaktapur, for example, charges SAARC visitors NPR 500 against NPR 1,800 for other foreigners. Patan and Kathmandu Durbar Squares have similar discounts. The Annapurna Conservation Area permit costs NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals and NPR 3,000 for others; Sagarmatha National Park costs NPR 1,500 and NPR 3,000. Fees are revised from time to time, so check current status before you travel.
Guide rules matter for your budget. Since April 2023, most foreign trekkers in Nepal's protected areas have been required to hire a licensed guide, with different arrangements in the Khumbu. A licensed guide costs about ₹2,500–3,500 a day; shared between two or three trekkers, it adds roughly ₹1,000–1,800 a day each. Check current status before you travel, as enforcement for Indian nationals has varied.
Six ways to spend less
These are the savings our saver travellers use most often, in rough order of how much they save.
- Travel in late November, December or February: clear skies, low room rates and quiet trails.
- Take the tourist bus instead of a private car or flight between Kathmandu and Pokhara.
- Choose the Poon Hill and Ghandruk loop over Everest: no flights, shorter, and the costs are much lower.
- Share a licensed guide with one or two friends; split porters the same way.
- Eat dal bhat with refills and refill water bottles instead of buying bottled water.
- Buy a local Nepal Telecom or Ncell SIM with your passport rather than paying for Indian roaming.
Prices are indicative 2026. Permits, road openings, fees and timetables change: check current status before you travel.
