Kathmandu, Nepal

Getting around Kathmandu

How to travel around Kathmandu — 5 options, what they cost, and which booking apps fix the fare before you go.

Last updated 2026-08-11

1. Pathao and InDrive

Bike and car hailing, and the way to avoid the taxi negotiation entirely.

2. Taxis

Metered by law and almost never on the meter in practice.

Watch outAgree the fare first, or use an app. Airport arrivals are where the widest quotes appear.

3. Tribhuvan airport transfer

Only about 6km from Thamel, but traffic makes it 30–60 minutes.

4. Tourist buses to Pokhara

Greenline and similar run the seven-hour road west, booked a day ahead.

5. Domestic flights

Twenty-five minutes to Pokhara or Lukla, and weather cancellations are routine rather than exceptional.

Tip: Leave a spare day either side of an internal flight.

Booking apps in Nepal

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

Pathao

Motorbike and car hailing, the usual way to avoid Kathmandu's taxi haggling.

Coverage: Kathmandu valley and Pokhara.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.

InDrive

Fare-negotiation ride-hailing, widely used in the valley.

Coverage: Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.

Tootle

The original Nepali bike-hailing service.

Coverage: Kathmandu valley.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.