SIM & internet
SIM card and internet in Nepal
Two operators share the country: Ncell and Nepal Telecom (NTC). A local SIM card costs a few dollars, can be bought at the airport with your passport, and gives good speeds in towns. Wifi is free in almost all hotels and cafés.
Ncell or Nepal Telecom?
Private
Ncell
A stand in the arrivals hall at Kathmandu airport, “Tourist” packs designed for travellers, eSIM available. Very good coverage in towns and busy valleys.
State-owned
Nepal Telecom (NTC)
Packs often a little cheaper and better coverage in the mountains. The choice of trekkers (see Trek Nepal). Shops in every town.
Buying a SIM card
- Where: at the airport stand on arrival, or in an official Ncell or Nepal Telecom shop in town (street resellers also register cards, but check it's activated before you leave).
- Documents: passport (with visa) and a passport photo; if you don't have one, the shop takes your picture on the spot for a few dozen rupees.
- Time: 10 to 15 minutes for registration and activation.
- Price: the card costs about a hundred rupees; data packs range from about 500 NPR (≈ €3) (one week) to 1,000 to 1,200 NPR (≈ €6 to €7) (one month, several dozen GB).
eSIM
Ncell and Nepal Telecom offer eSIMs in their official shops, with the same passport registration. International eSIMs bought before you leave (through an app) also work, with no formalities on the spot, but cost much more for the same data, and usually don't give you a Nepali number (useful for Pathao or booking by phone).
Wifi and electricity
- Wifi: free in almost all hotels, guesthouses and cafés in towns; decent speeds in Thamel and Lakeside, more hit-and-miss elsewhere.
- Sockets: 230 V; type C sockets (European two-pin), D and M (Indian three round pins). A universal adapter is useful.
- Power cuts: daily load-shedding ended in 2018, but occasional cuts still happen; hotels often have an inverter or a generator.
You get your visa on arrival, at Kathmandu airport or at the border: form, fees and pitfalls to avoid on our dedicated site.
Visa Nepal →Fancy a few days of walking? Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Langtang… permits, guides, transport and day-by-day itineraries on our trekking site.
Trek Nepal →Comments
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