Kathmandu eSIM
Data plans for Nepal
Kathmandu is the staging post for every Nepali trek, and the part of the trip where you sort permits, flights and gear before the connection to Lukla or Pokhara. A travel eSIM works from arrival at Tribhuvan — useful, because domestic flights here are weather-dependent and plans change by the hour.
Landing at Tribhuvan International (KTM)
Arrivals can be slow and the taxi approach outside is persistent. Pathao and InDrive both operate in the city and give a fixed fare; the prepaid taxi desk inside is the other reliable option.
We don't have Nepal plans available just yet, but we're adding new destinations all the time.
Discover other destinations →Which networks you'll be on in Kathmandu
Siima eSIMs for Nepal ride Ncell and Nepal Telecom. Ncell generally has the better coverage on the Everest side; Nepal Telecom reaches further into some of the remoter districts.
Coverage around Kathmandu
Thamel and the valley
Good 4G across Thamel, the Durbar squares, Boudhanath and Patan. Traffic and dust are the constraints in the valley, not signal.
The Everest region
Coverage reaches a surprising way up the Khumbu — Namche Bazaar and much of the main trail have signal, and it thins above Dingboche. Teahouses sell paid Everest Link Wi-Fi where mobile data stops.
Annapurna and Pokhara
Pokhara and the lower Annapurna villages are well covered. The Thorong La pass and the higher circuit sections have long gaps.
Domestic flights and Lukla
Lukla flights are cancelled and rescheduled constantly for weather. Live data at the airport and in Thamel is the difference between hearing about a change and sitting through it.
How much data you need
Kathmandu plus a two-week trek is 3–5 GB. You use much less on the trail than expected — the signal is intermittent and the days are long.
Work it out with our data usage calculator →