Kathmandu is a bustling and lively city of Nepal. While the city welcomes you with its cultural beauty, the chaos, pollution and the traffic are yet undeniable. Here is a traveler’s guide that will help you to get in and around Kathmandu easily.
Airport
Tribhuvan International Airport is the only international airport of Nepal which is located in Kathmandu. Direct flights are available from few cities outside the country. The visitors from most of Europe, Africa, North and South America and Australia can reach Kathmandu mostly with one change of flight.
Domestic flights are easily available from/to the major cities of Nepal like Pokhara, Bharatpur, Janakpur, Biratnagar etc. However, the flights are likely to be delayed most of the time.
Access of Public Transportation from Airport:
You can easily get taxi from the airport to reach your destination. Pre-paid taxis will charge fare as per government rules which you will find at the display board at the airport. Regular taxis are also available. They cost around NPR 400-500 to Thamel. You can get to the place at around Rs. 300 if you get a taxi at the end of parking lot and if you have good bargaining skill. The taxis don’t have to pay airport entrance fee there. It’s always better if you negotiate the fare beforehand. Google maps can be a great help for you to find your way around the city. Another alternative can be finding buses from the Ring road outside the airport. However, this option is not very convenient when you are with your luggage.
Bus stations
There are two main Bus Stations in Kathmandu, Old bus park and Gongabu New bus park. You can get buses from/to most of the cities there. It also provides few bus services to the neighboring countries nevertheless for long distance roadways are slow and exhausting.
To get around the city, there are Sajha bus service, micro vans and tempos. These are usually crowded but are the cheapest means of transportation in the city. Carry 5, 10 or 20 rupees note for your ease when you choose to travel by these. You either pay the fare to the driver or the assistant.
Taxi
Taxi are the easiest and the most comfortable way to get around Kathmandu. Get ready to bargain on the fare with the driver as they might charge you more than the actual fare. Telling the driver to strictly use the taximeter can be helpful up to some extent. Alternatively, you can book your ride online with cab service providers like Onver Smart Taxi. You can pay whatever the taximeter shows to these cabs. They are reliable and free of bargaining hassle.
Ride-sharing apps
Tootle and Pathao can be great help. They are the ride-sharing apps within Kathmandu valley that will connect you with the two-wheelers willing to share the ride. Tootle is available from 6 am to 9 pm whereas Pathao is a 24 hours service. Two-wheelers can escape the traffic better and are cheaper than taxi. Tootle charges NPR 60 for first 3 Kms, from 3-6 Km is additional Rs 18/km and for more than 6 Km is additional Rs 25/km. Similarly, Pathao has base fare Rs. 30 and a rate of Rs. 15/km.