country
Nepalनेपाल
First trip: 7–10 nights with Kathmandu as the base, one or two day-trips in the valley, and Pokhara or a trek only if you add two more days; check the visa route and the festival calendar before you book flights.
Nepal is small on the map and slow on the ground: the roads are steep and often blocked by weather, strikes or festival traffic. The trips that fail try to fit Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and a trek into a week by road. Pick one base, keep its bed, and treat dust, altitude and the calendar (monsoon Jun–Sep, Dashain and Tihar in Oct–Nov) as the rules that apply everywhere.
All regions, cities and parks in Nepal (Atlas) →
Regions
Lakeside base for the Annapurna region
3–4 nights
Chitwan and Lumbini (low-lying, hot)
2–3 nights
Capital and major cities
Routes that work
Valley only, 5 nights
Keep the Kathmandu bed; send a small bag on any overnight trip.
- Land in Kathmandu, then move by short domestic flight or a full day by road; the road can take twice the printed time in the monsoon.
- Leave one buffer day before any international flight: domestic flights are cancelled for cloud, fog and strikes.
- Avoid Dashain and Tihar (Oct–Nov, dates move) unless you book everything early: transport is full and many shops close for days.
- Monsoon (Jun–Sep) hides the mountains and closes trail roads; Oct–Nov and Feb–Apr are the reliable windows.
Arrive
KTM
Tribhuvan (Kathmandu)
6 km to Thamel; 30–60 min by car
PKR
Pokhara International
Planned
BWA
Gautam Buddha (Bhairahawa)
Planned
Time math
- 5 days
- Kathmandu 4 + Bhaktapur day-trip
- 10 days
- Kathmandu 5 + Pokhara 3 (fly, or 6–8 h by road) + 1 buffer day
- 14 days
- Kathmandu 5 + Pokhara 3 + Chitwan 2 + 2 buffer days
Country rules
- Get visa information only from the Department of Immigration; visa-service lookalike sites charge extra, and the rules differ by nationality.
- At stupas walk clockwise; at temples and homes remove shoes where there is a rack or a raised floor; cover shoulders and knees.
- Carry Nepalese rupees in small notes: many stalls, taxis and tea shops are cash-only, and shops rarely take foreign notes.
- Strikes (bandh) and protests can close roads without notice: check the news and your hotel the night before any airport or highway day.
Etiquette
- Use your right hand to give and receive; do not touch anyone's head or point your feet at a shrine.
- Ask before photographing people, monks or rituals; do not photograph cremations.
- Dress modestly outside tourist zones; cover shoulders and knees at temples.
- Bargain politely at shops; fixed prices in food places and pharmacies.
- Dashain (Sep–Oct, moves yearly)
- About two weeks of festival: transport sold out, many shops and offices closed for several days.
- Tihar (Oct–Nov, moves yearly)
- Festival of lights: heavy traffic in the evenings, some closures.
- Monsoon (Jun–Sep)
- Landslides close highways; domestic flights delayed or cancelled.
- Strikes (bandh) and protests, unscheduled
- Roads and shops shut; the airport approach can be blocked. Saturday is the weekly day off for many offices.
Money & passes
Cash necessity: 4/5
- NPR in small notes (100s and 500s) for taxis, tea shops and entry tickets.
- ATMs are common in Kathmandu; per-withdrawal limits are low and fees vary by bank.
- Ride-hailing apps exist in Kathmandu; taxis without a meter need the fare agreed before you get in.
Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · E-visa and entry
Safety
- Government travel advice: check your own government's current advice for Nepal before you book; unrest, curfews and strikes have closed roads and the airport approach at short notice.
- Altitude: treks above 3,000 m need slow ascent; travel insurance should cover trekking and helicopter evacuation.
- Earthquakes: Nepal sits on an active fault; know the exit routes of your hotel and follow local guidance after a tremor.
- Roads: mountain roads are dangerous in the monsoon; avoid night buses.
- Emergency: 100 police, 101 fire, 102 ambulance; Tourist Police 1144.
Nepal connects to the Himalayan corridor (planned): Pokhara and the Terai follow the Kathmandu line.
Sources
- Department of Immigration, Nepal (official)
- Nepal Tourism Board (official)
- Wikivoyage — Nepal (secondary)