I’m super spoiled when it comes to traveling visa free. I always rely on the German Foreign Office for the most up-to-date information, and it has never failed me. Luckily, the Nepal visa is on arrival, so I didn’t have to prepare anything except remember to pack my passport. Read on for my tips for visiting Nepal and how to make the best of your trip as a digital nomad.
Can I get a Nepal visa at the airport?
I arrived at Kathmandu airport, and the Nepal immigration process at the airport was super easy. There are computer stations behind you as you enter the hall to enter your details. You then print (or take a picture of the screen) and take that to the payment window on the left side of the arrival hall. Only then do you proceed to the actual immigration.
You can also fill your immigration information via an online form. I did this at the airport because it seems to be top-secret information. But with the link I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to do it beforehand.
Does Nepal have a digital nomad visa?
Nepal doesn’t have a digital nomad visa. However, many countries can get up to 90 days in the country, which is great for remote workers and digital nomads. This way, you don’t have to leave the country after a few short weeks or go on a visa run.
The Nepal visa costs in 2025 are 50 USD for a 30-day visa and 125 USD for a 90-day visa.
Do I need a visa for an India layover?
I want to say yes and no, sorry. If you book with a budget carrier, such as IndiGo, and you have luggage, you’ll need to enter India to pick up your luggage, meaning you need a visa. I travelled with hand luggage but still got an India visa for a transit just in case I had to check in luggage. If you fly with a major airline and your flights are booked to your final destination, you won’t need a transit visa for India.
If you decide to get a visa, make sure you’re not getting scammed by agencies that charge triple the regular amount. A standard visa for India from the official website should cost around 40 USD.
The best time to visit Nepal for trekking
I visited Nepal for the first time between February and April, and I think it was a great time to travel. The hiking season is just starting, so the trails and teahouses are not too crowded and the bedding is freshly washed. There was snow at higher altitudes, maybe above 3500 meters, but nothing some crampons and hiking sticks couldn’t solve. I heard some stories about a snow storm and one meter of visibility, but it’s all about perspective. Another lady, who must have been in the storm, just said how amazing it was and put dancing snowflakes at the back of her mind.
Though I haven’t been in Nepal in the autumn, many would agree that Nepal between October and December is an equally great season for hiking with clear skies and perfect conditions (plus you can get a good workout and collect great stories for family gatherings before the feasting and indulgences of the holiday season).
How to get from Kathmandu airport to the city center
Airport taxi drivers are my nemesis, especially after a long flight, I’m really not in the mood to haggle for taxi prices. I was very happy to see that there is a prepaid taxi booth in the airport, complete with an official price list. We paid around 7 USD for a 20 minute ride from Kathmandu airport to Lalitpur.
Uber is not available, but Pathao serves the same purpose and a ride from the airport to the city center will cost around 700 Rupees. Another option is the public bus. The green busses would be available at the main road after leaving the airport area and Route 5 would bring you to the Ratna Park area in the city center for around 20 rupees. However, these buses don’t have a schedule and the ride will be an immediate deep-dive into local life.
How to get around Kathmandu
I mainly used the local ride-share app Pathao to get around Kathmandu, or at least it gives you a basis for negotiating taxi prices. Kathmandu has local busses of course, but the taxi prices are cheap enough for me to be too lazy to find out how the Kathmandu bus system works, especially because I was only in the city for a few days.
How to get around Nepal
The best way to travel in Nepal, especially for budget travelers, is by public bus or tourist bus. The tourist buses for travel between Kathmandu and Pokhara or Kathmandu and Chitwan are super comfortable, in decent condition, and they stop at roadside stations for the best local food, toilets, and stretching your legs.
For hiking, the shared jeeps will be your friend. Shared jeeps bring you to Poon Hill/Ghorepani trek and ABC trek, and they’re a great and more flexible option to get back to Pokhara from ABC trek or Mardi Himal. For full disclosure, the Jeeps go on roads that I’d rather walk on, and the ride is very bumpy. At times it felt like I was on an episode of “The world’s most dangerous roads”. I got the passenger princess seat at the front, but that meant my knees kept bumping into the hard dashboard.
Do you have any other tips for visiting Nepal or have any of the details changed? Leave a comment on this post to help other travelers out with your knowledge!
Digital nomad essentials for life on the road
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Flights
I normally book my flights via Skyscanner or Kiwi. These search engines for flights show all the best connections and even include budget airlines for transfer hacks that can save you even more money.
Hotels
I normally use a good mixture of booking.com and Agoda to get the best deals. I like booking for its user-friendly interface. But for Asia, I’ve found that Agoda has a wider selection of hotels.
If you’re on a budget, Hostelworld will be your best bet because they focus on dormitory-style accommodation.
Tours
GetYourGuide is perfect for locally guided tours or if tickets are already booked. I saw the famous Last Supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci with them in Milan and had a very smooth experience.
Klook is a great option to book bus tickets in South Korea. This can be such a hassle, especially if you want to book before you actually get to the country. Klook allows you to book a bus ticket online for pickup at the station. You can also reserve SIM card packages with them an arrange airport pickup, with is super convenient because it’s already paid for.