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

  Varanasi to Kathmandu by bus

  Calcutta to Kathmandu by train+bus

  Kathmandu to Lhasa (Tibet, for China) by bus

  Travel within Nepal

Useful country information

Europe to Kathmandu overland

How to travel overland by train from Europe to Nepal...

• It is 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 (preferably more, as you'll probably want to stop off on the way and explore), and you should consider it more as an adventure or expedition than a routine way to travel there.  The main difficulties are (a) getting an tourist visa for Iran - see the London to Iran page and (b) braving various security concerns in SE Iran and Pakistan, which make this route not for the faint-hearted - see the official travel advice for Iran and Pakistan at the British Foreign Office website, www.fco.gov.uk.  If you are interested in spite of this, see the London to India & Nepal Overland page.

• It's possible to travel from London to Kathmandu comfortably & safely using Eurostar, the Paris-Moscow Express (3 times a week, 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.

India to Nepal overland

Delhi to Kathmandu by train + bus...

It's quite easy, cheap, and an adventure to do this journey overland.  For travel in the other direction, just reverse the process.

• Day 1:  Take a train from Delhi to Gorakhpur.  The Vaishali Express leaves New Delhi at around 19:50 and arrives at Gorakhpur Junction around 09:00 next morning, or there are plenty of other trains. 

  The fare is around Rs 2761 (£30 or $46) in AC1, RS 1656 (£17 or $26) in AC2, Rs 1181 (£12 or $18) in AC3 or Rs 458 in Sleeper Class.

  You can check current times & fares at www.indianrail.gov.in or www.cleartrip.com but to buy tickets online use 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 (you can 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.

• 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.

• 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 is USD 25.  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.

• 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.

• If you travel this route and get any information or photos that would help improve this page for future travellers, please e-mail me.

• 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.

Gorakhpur station...		A bus to Sunauli...

Indian border at Sunauli...		Nepalese border archway at Sunauli / Bhairawa...
These photos courtesy of traveller Alberto Maio.

Traveller's reports...

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...

• Option 1, by direct bus:  There is 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."

• Option 2, 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.

• Option 3, 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.

• 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...

• Day 1:  Take the overnight Darjeeling Mail from Calcutta Sealdah station to New Jalpaiguri (often abbreviated to NJP).  The Darjeeling Mail leaves Calcutta Sealdah station around 22:05 and arrives in NJP around 08:00 next morning.  This train has AC1, AC2, AC3 and Sleeper class, and if it's full there are several additional trains.  You can buy the train ticket online from inside or outside India at www.cleartrip.com, but first see this advice on how to register & book.  Coming from Darjeeling, take a bus or the famous Toy Train (if and when running) from Darjeeling to Siliguri.  There are also some direct Darjeeling-Panitanki.

• 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).

• There are overnight buses from Kakarvitta to Kathmandu, journey time 13 hours, fare around 336 Nepalese rupees.

• 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.

Update 2017:  The earthquake in 2015 reportedly blocked the Kathmandu-Lhasa road but it's believed the road is now open again.

Weekly bus service between Kathmandu & Lhasa? 

Since around 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 $400 (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.

Find hotels in ...

		◄ Favourite hotel search & price comparison: hotelscombined.com
		www.hotelscombined.com checks all the main hotel booking sites at once to find the widest choice of hotels & the cheapest seller.  It's been named as the World's Leading Hotel Comparison Site in the World Travel Awards and I recommend it to find hotels in even the smallest places and to check that another retailer isn't selling the same hotel for less. ► Favourite hotel booking site: www.booking.com www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site, and unless HotelsCombined throws up major price differences I prefer doing my bookings in one place here.  You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens.  It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when putting a trip together.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

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

Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...

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 myself.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, try Columbus Direct or use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!

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