Nepal

No visa is needed. Indian citizens can enter with a valid passport or a voter ID card issued by the Election Commission of India. Aadhaar and PAN cards are not accepted for adults; Aadhaar has been allowed for travellers under 15 and over 65. Children may need a birth certificate or school ID. Airlines check documents strictly, so carry your passport if you have one. Check current status before you travel.

Yes, widely. Indian ₹100 and smaller notes are accepted in most shops, hotels and bus counters, at the fixed rate of 1 INR = 1.6 NPR. After 2016 larger INR notes were banned in Nepal; in 2026 Nepal Rastra Bank allowed post-2016 ₹200 and ₹500 notes up to ₹25,000 per person. Many small shops still prefer ₹100s, and change comes in NPR. Check current status before you travel.

A saver week by road from Gorakhpur via Sunauli, using buses and budget hotels, costs about ₹18,000–25,000 per person. A Poon Hill teahouse trek adds ₹3,000–4,500 a day including a shared guide. Everest Base Camp is ₹95,000–1,10,000 because of Lukla flights. Comfort trips with a car and good hotels run ₹7,000–12,000 a day, and signature trips ₹25,000–45,000 a day.

October and November give the clearest mountain views and the most stable trekking weather. March and April are the second-best window, with rhododendron flowers but more haze. December to February suit the Kathmandu valley, Pokhara and low treks. June to September is monsoon: avoid treks south of the main range, but Upper Mustang and the Jomsom–Marpha valley are at their best then.

Since 1 April 2023 Nepal's rule is that foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas must trek with a licensed guide arranged through a registered agency. The Khumbu municipality around Everest has not applied it, so independent trekking there has continued. How checkposts apply the rule to Indian trekkers has varied, and restricted areas like Upper Mustang always need a guide. Check current status before you travel.

Above 3,000 m, raise your sleeping altitude by no more than 300–500 m a night and take a rest day every 1,000 m. On the Everest trail that means two nights at Namche and two at Dingboche. Drink 3–4 litres of water, skip alcohol early, and descend if headache, vomiting or breathlessness at rest get worse. Talk to your doctor about acetazolamide before you go.

Nepal is one of the easier Himalayan countries for women travelling alone. Thamel and Lakeside Pokhara are used to solo travellers, and hostels such as Zostel Kathmandu have female dorms. On treks, use a licensed guide from a registered agency, share a room only with people you know, and tell your lodge your plans. Avoid walking alone late at night in city back lanes.

Indian roaming is expensive and not included in many prepaid plans, so most travellers buy a Nepal Telecom or Ncell SIM with a passport and photo. Data is good in cities and on main trek routes up to Namche and Ghorepani. UPI payments to Nepali merchants work at many larger shops through tie-ups between NPCI and Nepali payment networks, but carry cash for teahouses.

Yes. At the border customs office you get a vehicle permit called a bhansar, paid per day, plus your registration, licence, insurance and pollution papers. Indian cars are common on the Sunauli–Pokhara and Raxaul–Kathmandu roads. Mountain roads are narrow, and the Kathmandu–Pokhara highway has long construction stretches. Upper Mustang and some park roads have their own rules. Check current status before you travel.