Roads are slow and flights depend on the weather, so it helps to know your options and keep a little spare time in your plans.
The essentials
Ride apps work in Kathmandu, and inDrive accepts international phone numbers.
Agree a taxi fare before you get in — very few drivers use the meter.
Kathmandu to Pokhara takes 6–7 hours by tourist bus, and sometimes 8–10.
Domestic flights are often delayed by weather, so leave spare days around them.
Foreigners pay higher US-dollar fares on most domestic flights.
Ride apps
Pathao, inDrive, Tootle and Yango all operate. Yango arrived in the Kathmandu Valley in 2025.
Pathao and Tootle need a Nepali mobile number. inDrive works with international numbers, but its map pins are sometimes off, so please check your pickup spot.
The fare is shown in the app, though some drivers try to agree a cash price instead.
As of August 2026, the ride-sharing companies are not registered with the Department of Transport Management, and there is no national law for them yet. They are still widely used.
Taxis
Very few drivers agree to use the meter, so agree the fare before you get in.
Fares go up after dark, and taxis are hard to find after 22:00.
From the airport to Thamel, expect around NPR 900 for a prepaid taxi or around NPR 650 if you negotiate.
If you'd like to tip, Wikivoyage suggests 10% is more than enough.
Tourist buses
Wikivoyage's Nepal page says Kathmandu–Pokhara takes 6–7 hours, but its Pokhara page (updated May 2023) says to plan for 8–10 hours.
Buses leave roughly every 15 minutes from 07:30 until the afternoon.
Sources differ and their fares are undated: around NPR 700–800 for a tourist bus and NPR 400–600 for a local bus, with Swift around US$15 and Greenline around US$20 including lunch. Please treat these as rough guides.
Wikivoyage names Adhikari Travels as the most reliable. Book a few days ahead through an agent or your hotel.
Microbuses are often driven fast and with little care, and night buses are uncomfortable. Road risks are also higher after dark, so a daytime tourist bus is the calmer choice.
Domestic flights
Airlines include Buddha Air, Yeti, Tara, Nepal Airlines, Summit and Sita.
Kathmandu–Pokhara takes about 40 minutes and has cost around US$102–106, though that figure may be out of date. Flights are almost always delayed.
Foreigners pay in US dollars, often 2–3 times the local fare (March 2025). In April 2026 the government said dollar fares would go first in Karnali and the Far West, with no date set.
Buddha Air allows 15–25 kg of checked baggage depending on fare class, plus 5 kg of hand luggage up to 55×40×20 cm.
As of August 2026, all Nepali airlines are on the EU air safety list, which bans them from flying in EU airspace.
Weather delays are common. If your flight is cancelled and you have time, Wikivoyage's advice is simply to take the next plane.
General guidance from the sources listed, not a guarantee. Rules, fees and trail conditions change; confirm with the official source or a registered trekking agency before you go.