# eSIM for Nepal

Viasimo's Nepal eSIM starts at $3.79 for 1 GB over 7 days, running on Ncell and NT Mobile with 4G LTE where available. Plans last 3 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.

Canonical page: https://viasimo.com/destinations/nepal/

## Nepal eSIM prices

| Plan | Data | Days | Price | Price per GB |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited, 3 days | Unlimited | 3 | $20.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 5 days | Unlimited | 5 | $31.99 | - |
| 1 GB, 7 days | 1 GB | 7 | $3.79 | $3.79 |
| Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited | 7 | $44.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 10 days | Unlimited | 10 | $61.99 | - |
| 2 GB, 15 days | 2 GB | 15 | $6.99 | $3.50 |
| 3 GB, 15 days | 3 GB | 15 | $9.00 | $3.00 |
| Unlimited, 15 days | Unlimited | 15 | $90.99 | - |
| 3 GB, 30 days | 3 GB | 30 | $10.99 | $3.66 |
| 5 GB, 30 days | 5 GB | 30 | $14.99 | $3.00 |
| 10 GB, 30 days | 10 GB | 30 | $29.99 | $3.00 |
| 20 GB, 30 days | 20 GB | 30 | $54.99 | $2.75 |
| Unlimited, 30 days | Unlimited | 30 | $174.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 60 days | Unlimited | 60 | $339.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 90 days | Unlimited | 90 | $499.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 180 days | Unlimited | 180 | $994.99 | - |

## Which networks does the Nepal eSIM use?

- **Ncell**: 4G LTE
- **NT Mobile**: 4G LTE

Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.

The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026.

## eSIM Details

- **Data**: 1 GB – 20 GB or unlimited
- **Validity**: 3–180 days
- **Speed**: 4G LTE
- **Hotspot / tethering**: Supported on most devices
- **Activation**: Starts when you first connect in your destination
- **Speed management**: Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced
- **Top-ups**: Add more data from your account, before the plan expires
- **Text messages (SMS)**: Data only: use an app for verification codes
- **Connects via**: Singapore
- **Unused validity**: 180 days before it must be installed

## Nepal: what to know before you land

Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/nepal/#destination-guide · Researched October 2026 by Viasimo

This eSIM works on Nepal's two networks, Nepal Telecom (NT Mobile) and Ncell, using 4G. Nepal doesn't have public 5G yet. Before you go, note that solo trekking is no longer allowed in national parks, that mountain flights to places like Lukla are often grounded by weather, and that in September 2025 the government blocked 26 social media platforms for several days.

### Nepal: quick facts

| Fact | Nepal |
| --- | --- |
| Emergency number | 100 (police), 1144 (tourist police), 102 (ambulance), 101 (fire) |
| Main airports | Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu (KTM); Pokhara International Airport (PKR); Gautam Buddha International Airport, Bhairahawa (BWA) |
| Plug types | Type C, D, M (230V) |
| Currency | Nepalese rupee (NPR) |
| Apps worth having | WhatsApp, Maps.me, Google Translate, Google Maps |

### Licensed guides, TIMS cards and keeping in touch on trek

(Nepal · https://viasimo.com/destinations/nepal/#guide-licensed-guides-tims-cards-and-keeping-in-touch-on-trek)

Trekking rules have tightened. Foreign independent trekkers must now hire a local **guide or porter** in Nepal's national parks and protected areas, and you'll need a trekking permit and a **TIMS** (Trekking Information Management System) card for the main trekking regions. Breaking park rules can lead to a fine or being removed from the protected area.

This matters for staying in touch, because your guide becomes your backup. The UK Foreign Office warns that mobile coverage is limited in remote areas, including long sections of the Annapurna Circuit, and suggests hiring a satellite phone and telling family when you'll be out of contact. Ask your guide which network their local SIM uses. If it's not the same as the one your phone has connected to, one of you may have a signal where the other doesn't.

Before you set off, swap WhatsApp numbers with your guide and your trekking agency in Kathmandu, and send someone at home your itinerary, with the dates you expect to be over passes like Thorong La. Download each day's map section on teahouse wifi or while you have signal in the village, since you may not have it higher up.

### Lukla, Jomsom and grounded mountain flights

(Nepal · https://viasimo.com/destinations/nepal/#guide-lukla-jomsom-and-grounded-mountain-flights)

Flights to mountain airstrips are often delayed or cancelled because of poor weather. This is especially true of flights to Lukla for the Everest region. The UK Foreign Office advises carrying enough cash to cover delays, because ATMs and card payments may not be available in remote places.

There's also a safety issue to consider. No Nepali airline currently meets international safety standards. All of them are on the UK Air Safety List, which bans them from operating commercial flights to or from the UK, and plane and helicopter crashes in Nepal have killed at least 100 people over the past five years. Check the list and your insurance policy before booking a mountain flight or a helicopter transfer.

Your eSIM helps most on the ground. If a flight is cancelled, rebooking usually happens by phone or WhatsApp through your agency, so keep their number saved and your data turned on at the airstrip. Build at least one spare day into your schedule before an international flight from Kathmandu, and take screenshots of your bookings in case Lukla or Kathmandu airport has no signal.

### The September 2025 social media ban and protests

(Nepal · https://viasimo.com/destinations/nepal/#guide-the-september-2025-social-media-ban-and-protests)

On **4 September 2025** Nepal's government blocked 26 social media platforms, including X, YouTube, Signal and Snapchat, because they hadn't registered under new rules from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The ban sparked large youth-led protests, was lifted on the evening of **8 September**, and Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli resigned the next day. Sushila Karki became interim prime minister and elections were set for 5 March 2026.

The ban only lasted a few days, but the platform registration rules behind it are still in place. If you're relying on one messaging app to stay in touch, have a backup. Agree with family which app you'll use and keep email as a fallback.

The UK Foreign Office says protests and strikes are fairly common in Nepal. They can start at short notice, turn violent, disrupt transport and lead to curfews. Check local media on your phone before travelling across Kathmandu, and stay away from demonstrations. Save the tourist police number, **1144**, which is staffed by people who speak good English.

### Nepal Telecom and Ncell: 4G across seven provinces, no 5G yet

(Nepal · https://viasimo.com/destinations/nepal/#guide-nepal-telecom-and-ncell-4g-across-seven-provinces-no-5g-yet)

Nepal has two mobile operators. **Nepal Telecom** is state-run, and its mobile service is branded NT Mobile. **Ncell** broke Nepal Telecom's GSM monopoly when it launched in 2005. Your eSIM can use either network and connects on 4G/LTE.

Nepal Telecom launched 4G in January 2017 in all seven provinces and added VoLTE (calls over 4G) in 2021. 5G has only been tested internally in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Birgunj, so neither network offers public 5G. Don't expect it, whatever your phone supports.

Having both networks available helps in the hills. Coverage on trekking routes is limited, but your phone will use whichever operator has a tower in range, which gives you two chances of a signal instead of one. Leave network selection on automatic. If you have bars but no data, switch to manual and choose the other network.

### Sources for the Nepal guide

- [Nepal travel advice: safety and security (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nepal/safety-and-security)
- [Nepal travel advice: getting help (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nepal/getting-help)
- [2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Nepalese_Gen_Z_protests)
- [Nepal Telecom (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal_Telecom)
- [Plug, socket and voltage by country (World Standards)](https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plug-voltage-by-country/)

## Seven days in Nepal: Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur and Pokhara

7-day itinerary · 7 days · Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/nepal/#itinerary

A first week without a full trek: the temples and stupas of the Kathmandu Valley's three royal cities, then a short flight to Pokhara for the lake, a Himalayan sunrise from Sarangkot and a spare day built in for weather.

**When to go:** October to November gives the clearest mountain views after the monsoon, with March to April next best for rhododendrons; June to September is monsoon, when cloud hides the peaks and roads and flights are often disrupted.

### Day 1 in Nepal: Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swayambhunath

- **Base:** Kathmandu
- **Getting there:** Tribhuvan International Airport is about 6 km from Thamel, around 20 to 40 minutes by pre-paid taxi.
- **Plan:** Start at Kathmandu Durbar Square, part of the UNESCO-listed Kathmandu Valley, to see the old royal palace of Hanuman Dhoka, the Kumari Ghar where the living goddess lives, and the pagoda temples rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake. Walk north through the old bazaar of Asan and Indra Chowk to Thamel. In the late afternoon, climb the steps to Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa with resident monkeys, for sunset over the valley.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G from Nepal Telecom and Ncell across central Kathmandu; this plan is 4G only. Crowded areas and power cuts at towers can slow data in the evening.

### Day 2 in Nepal: Pashupatinath and Boudhanath

- **Base:** Kathmandu
- **Getting there:** Pashupatinath to Boudhanath is about 2 km, a 30-minute walk or 10 minutes by taxi.
- **Plan:** Visit Pashupatinath, Nepal's most important Hindu temple, on the Bagmati River. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main shrine but can watch from the east bank, where open-air cremations take place; be respectful and avoid photographing mourners. Walk or take a short taxi ride to Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world, and join the clockwise circuit of pilgrims with prayer wheels at dusk.
- **Mobile signal:** Reliable 4G at both sites. Boudhanath's ring of buildings around the stupa can make the signal weaker at ground level.

### Day 3 in Nepal: Patan Durbar Square

- **Base:** Kathmandu
- **Getting there:** Patan is about 5 km south of Thamel, 20 to 30 minutes by taxi.
- **Plan:** Cross the Bagmati to Patan, the city of fine metalwork and Newar architecture. Spend the morning in Patan Durbar Square, with the stone Krishna Mandir and the Patan Museum, set in a restored palace courtyard with an excellent collection of bronzes. Walk the lanes to the Golden Temple, Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, and the Mahabouddha temple of a thousand Buddhas, watching craftspeople at work in the courtyards.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G throughout Patan. The narrow courtyards and brick lanes can weaken it, so download a map before you start.

### Day 4 in Nepal: Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan

- **Base:** Kathmandu
- **Getting there:** Bhaktapur is about 15 km from Kathmandu, roughly 45 minutes by taxi; Changu Narayan is around 20 minutes further north.
- **Plan:** Head east to Bhaktapur, the best-preserved of the valley's royal cities. See the five-tiered Nyatapola Temple on Taumadhi Square, the 55-Window Palace and the Golden Gate on Durbar Square, and Pottery Square, where clay is still thrown on hand-turned wheels. In the afternoon, take a taxi to Changu Narayan, the valley's oldest temple, on a ridge with carvings dating back to the 5th century.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G in Bhaktapur and on the road. The ridge at Changu Narayan has a usable but weaker signal.

### Day 5 in Nepal: Fly to Pokhara and Phewa Lake

- **Base:** Pokhara
- **Getting there:** Kathmandu to Pokhara is a 25 to 30-minute flight, often delayed by weather; by road it is about 6 to 8 hours.
- **Plan:** Take a morning flight to Pokhara, where the Annapurna range rises above the town on clear days. Hire a boat on Phewa Lake to the island temple of Tal Barahi, then cross to the far shore and walk up to the World Peace Pagoda, about 45 minutes uphill, for views back over the lake and the peaks. Return to Lakeside for the evening.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G across Pokhara and Lakeside. Signal is weaker on the water and on the forest path up to the pagoda.

### Day 6 in Nepal: Sunrise at Sarangkot and the Mountain Museum

- **Base:** Pokhara
- **Getting there:** Sarangkot is around 30 minutes by taxi from Lakeside, plus a short climb to the viewpoint.
- **Plan:** Leave before dawn for Sarangkot, a hilltop above the lake where the sunrise lights up Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machapuchare. Return for breakfast, then visit the International Mountain Museum for its exhibits on Himalayan peoples, climbing history and geology. In the afternoon, see Davis Falls and Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave across the road, then look down into the narrow Seti River gorge from the K.I. Singh Bridge in the old town.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G at the Sarangkot viewpoint and around the museum. Inside the Gupteshwor cave there is no signal.

### Day 7 in Nepal: Back to Kathmandu and the Garden of Dreams

- **Base:** Kathmandu
- **Getting there:** Pokhara to Kathmandu is a 25 to 30-minute flight.
- **Plan:** Fly back to Kathmandu in the morning. Keep this day as a buffer: mountain-area flights are often delayed, so do not book your international departure for the same morning. In the afternoon, take a break in the Garden of Dreams, a restored neo-classical garden near Thamel, and visit the Narayanhiti Palace Museum, the former royal palace, before a final evening in the old town.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G at both airports and across Kathmandu. Keep your agency's WhatsApp number to hand in case of a flight change.

### Staying connected on this Nepal route

- Your eSIM uses Nepal Telecom and Ncell on 4G only; if you have bars but no data, choose the other network manually.
- Have a back-up messaging app and email: social media platforms were blocked for several days in September 2025.
- Leave a spare day before your international flight, as Kathmandu to Pokhara flights are often delayed by weather.
- If you add a trek, you need a licensed guide or porter in national parks; swap WhatsApp numbers before you set off.

### Sources for the Nepal itinerary

- [Nepal Tourism Board](https://ntb.gov.np/en)
- [UNESCO World Heritage: Kathmandu Valley](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/121)
- [GOV.UK: Nepal safety and security](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nepal/safety-and-security)
- [GOV.UK: Nepal getting help](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nepal/getting-help)
- [Nepal Telecom (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal_Telecom)

## About this eSIM

Nepal splits neatly into two connectivity worlds: the valleys and highway towns, where a data line behaves much as it would anywhere, and the trekking routes above them, where it does not. Knowing which one you are in on any given day is most of what you need to plan for. A Nepal eSIM covers the first world properly and gives you a fighting chance in the second, without you having to hunt for a shop counter on your first jetlagged morning.

### Getting online when you land

Set the profile up at home, over wifi, before your flight. The install itself needs a working connection, and Tribhuvan arrivals is not where you want to find that out; the queues are slow and the wifi is not something to depend on.

Once you have landed, come off airplane mode, enable the travel line, and make it the line your phone uses for data. Data roaming is a per-line toggle, so switching it on for the eSIM does not switch it on for your home number. Turn mobile data off on your home line, leave its calls and texts alive, and you are done.

Being online at that point solves the first real problem of the trip, which is getting into the city. Traffic in the Kathmandu Valley makes any estimate optimistic, so having a live map, a ride app and your guesthouse address on screen is worth more here than in most places.

### The networks you'll be on

The networks behind your line in Nepal are Ncell and NT Mobile, both running 4G LTE, and your phone attaches to whichever has the better signal. There is no 5G layer, and honestly it would not change much: what limits you here is terrain and tower placement, not the radio generation. Your phone falls back from 4G/LTE to 3G on its own as you move between valleys, and there is nothing for you to switch.

Expect the connection to feel fast enough in Kathmandu and Pokhara and to degrade with altitude and distance from the road. That is the whole pattern, and it is more useful to remember than any figure.

### Where coverage holds, and where it thins

The Kathmandu Valley is well served, so Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur are easy. Pokhara is solid around the lake and through town. The lowland Terai holds up around Chitwan, Bharatpur, Lumbini and Nepalgunj, and the Prithvi Highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara keeps you connected for most of the drive, with dead spots in the river gorges.

Above that, be realistic. On the Everest side you will find signal in and around Lukla and Namche Bazaar and then lose it repeatedly as you climb; higher villages and Base Camp itself are not something to count on. The Annapurna Circuit is patchy from Manang upward and effectively gone over Thorong La. Langtang, Manaslu, Upper Mustang, Dolpo and the far west are sparse to non-existent, and side valleys can cut out even where the main trail has a bar or two.

Weather makes it worse. Cloud, snow and a cold battery all conspire against you at altitude, and a phone that shows one bar may still fail to send anything. Treat any signal above the road head as a bonus, not a plan.

### What you'll actually use data for here

Down low, it is ordinary travel use: ride-hailing in Kathmandu, restaurant and permit queries, bus and flight rebooking when a Lukla or Pokhara departure slides because of weather, and messaging your guesthouse when you arrive later than promised. Domestic flight schedules here move often enough that being reachable is genuinely useful.

On trek, the pattern changes. You will use data in short deliberate bursts: a check-in message home from a village with signal, a weather forecast for the pass, confirming the next teahouse, and downloading tomorrow's map section while you have something to download it on. Trekking navigation should be offline maps and a downloaded route file, never live search.

The other real use is logistics around permits, guide arrangements and transport, all of which get handled by message. Photos and video can wait until you are back in a town with power and a stable connection.

### Before you fly

Install the profile at home and confirm it activates, then leave the line off until you land.

Download offline maps covering the valley, your trekking region and the highway between them, plus your route file if you are using a navigation app. Do this on hotel wifi in Kathmandu at the latest.

Save your guesthouse, agency and guide contacts to the phone rather than leaving them in an email you cannot open.

Bring a power bank and a charging cable that works with what teahouses actually offer. Cold drains batteries fast, charging above the road head is limited, and a dead phone is worse than a weak signal.

Keep your home line live for calls and texts so anything urgent from home still reaches you when you drop back into coverage.

Finally, tell whoever is tracking you at home roughly when you expect to be offline. It saves a lot of worry when you go quiet for three days over a pass.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does an eSIM work in Nepal?

Yes. Your Nepal eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are Ncell, NT Mobile. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in Nepal yet.

### Do I get 5G in Nepal?

No. Ncell, NT Mobile do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Nepal, so your eSIM connects over 4G LTE or slower. Anyone claiming 5G for this destination is quoting a spec sheet, not the network you will actually get.

### Can I trek alone in Nepal?

Not in national parks or protected areas. Foreign independent trekkers must now hire a local guide or porter there, and the main trekking regions also require a permit and a TIMS card. The UK Foreign Office warns that phone coverage is limited on long stretches of routes such as the Annapurna Circuit, so your guide is also an important backup if your phone has no signal.

### Is there 5G in Nepal?

Not for the public yet. Nepal Telecom has only tested 5G internally in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Birgunj. Both Nepal Telecom (NT Mobile) and Ncell run 4G, which Nepal Telecom launched in January 2017 in all seven provinces. This eSIM connects to either network on 4G/LTE.

### Did Nepal ban social media?

Briefly. On 4 September 2025 the government blocked 26 platforms, including X, YouTube, Signal and Snapchat, because they hadn't registered under new rules. The ban was lifted on 8 September after large protests, and the prime minister resigned the next day. Because the registration rules remain, have a backup messaging app and email in case something is blocked again.

### What happens if my Lukla flight is cancelled?

Mountain flights are often delayed or cancelled because of weather, so leave at least one spare day before your international flight home. Your trekking agency will usually rebook you by phone or WhatsApp, so keep your data on and their number saved. UK advice is to carry cash for delays, as ATMs may not be available, and to note that all Nepali airlines are on the UK Air Safety List.

### What is the tourist police number in Nepal?

Call 1144 for the tourist police, whose staff speak good English. Other emergency numbers are 100 for police, 102 for an ambulance and 101 for fire. The Kathmandu tourist police office is on 01 5347041. Because the eSIM is data only, call from your home SIM or ask your guide or hotel to call.

### How much data do I need for 7 days in Nepal?

For 7 days in Nepal, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $3.79 and unlimited data for $44.99. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone.

## Information and verification

- **Prices and plans**: Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in. Verified October 30, 2026.
- **Host networks**: The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026.