About Nepal

Nepal is a country of amazing extremes. Its beauty evokes the kind of magic that few tourists destinations in the world can hope to match. The elevation of the country ranges from 60 meters above sea level to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest 8848 meters, all within a distance of 150 kilometers resulting in climatic conditions from sub-tropical to arctic. The northernmost strip is mountainous which includes 8 of the 10 highest mountains in the world including the highest Mt. Everest 8848 meters (Sagarmatha).

Nepal is a land of great aesthetics, the greatest of them being the Lord Buddha who was born in the erstwhile kingdom of Lumbini. It is also a treasure trove of culture and architecture. Monuments, temples and monasteries dating back to per-historic period abounds her historic cities. Nepal is home to ethnic groups and sub-groups speaking over 93 languages and dialects.

Nepal offers an astonishing diversity of sightseeing attractions and adventure opportunities found nowhere else on earth. Nepal provides something for everybody- tourist, trekker, river runner, wildlife, enthusiast, poet, artist, scholar or the weary in search of a personal Shangrila. Numerous annual festivals are celebrated throughout the year in traditional style highlighting enduring customs and beliefs.

Nepal occupying only 0.1 % of the total landmass of the earth- is home to:

• 2% of all the flowering plants in the world;
• 8% of the world’s population of birds (more than 848 species);
• 4% of mammals on earth;
• 11 of the world’s 15 families of butterflies more than 500 species;
• 600 indigenous plant families;
• 319 species of exotic orchids.

Area: 147,181 Sq. Km

Location: Situated between China in the north and India in the south, east and west.
Capital: Kathmandu
Population: 23.1 Million
Language: Neapli is the national language, written in Devnagari script. Many different ethnic groups have their own languages for dialects. However travel-trade people understand and speak English.
People and Culture: Nepal has more than 101 ethnic groups and 93 spoken languages.

Religion: Hindus and Buddhism constitute two major religions of Nepal.

Climate: Nepal has four climatic seasons

1) Spring: March-May,
2) Summer: June-August
3) Autumn: September-November and
4) Winter: December-February

Nepal can be visited the whole year round.

Currency: Nepalese Rupees (NRS.) (approximately US$ 1 equals NRs. 71 as of February 2007)
National Bird: Impend Pheasant Danfe
National Flower: Rhododendron arboretum (LALI GURANS)
Political System: Multi- party Democracy.
What to wear: Light weight clothing is recommended for May through October. Warm garments are required in October-March. An Umbrella or a raincoat is a must for the rainy season.

Entry Procedures & Visa Rules

Free visa for all tourists who visit Nepal for 3 days or less.
Free visa for tourists of SAARC countries and People's Republic of China.

Visa Fee:
Single entry - US$ 30 days for 60 days
Multiple entry - US$ 50 + US$ 30.
Visa will be extended subsequently for 30 days each upon payment of US$ 30 for a maximum period of 150 days in a visa year (Jan-Dec).
Visa can be obtained either on arrival in Nepal or from Nepalese Embassy or Consulate or other Mission offices abroad. Two passport size photographs required.
Indian nationals do not require visa to visit Nepal. However, Indians traveling to Nepal have to show upon arrival at entry point any one of the following documents while travelling between the two countries. Valid national passport, Voter’s Identity card issued by the Election Commission of India, or an identify card with photograph issued by the Central or State Government of India. Temporary identity card with photograph issued by Nepal-based Indian diplomatic missions for identification of Indian nationals will also be considered in case of exceptions. Children under 10 years not need to show any identification. For students between the age of 10-18 years, School/College photo ID Card is valid.
For further information please refer:
Dept. of Immigration, Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu
Tel: 00-977-1-4223681/ 4470650

Foreign Exchange and Credit Cards

Foreign currencies must be exchanged only through the banks or authorized foreign exchange dealers. The receipts from such transaction are to be obtained and retained. Major Banks, hotels, and the exchange counters at Tribhuvan International Airport provide services for exchanging foreign currency. Exchange rates are published in English dailies such as The Rising Nepal, The Kathmandu Post and The Himalayan Times.
Payment in hotels, travel agencies, and airlines are made in foreign exchange. Credit cards like American Express, Master and Visa are widely accepted at major hotels, shops, and restaurants. Remember to keep your Foreign Exchange Encashment Receipt while making foreign exchange payments or transferring foreign currency into Nepalese rupees. The receipts may be needed to change left-over Nepalese Rupees into hard currency before leaving the country. However, only 10 percent of the total amount may be converted by the bank. ATM is widely in use in Kathmandu.

Important note for the Indian nationals and travellers visiting Nepal via India
Indain Currency Rs. 500 and Rs 1000 bills (notes) is not allowed to be brought into Nepal and will not be exchanged and will not be accepted for transaction of any kind.

How to Enter Nepal?

By Air: Nepal Airlines is the National Flag Carrier of Nepal with flights to/ from Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Osaka, Shanghai and Singapore. Beside that other International Airlines are operating from/ to Kathmandu are Austrian Airlines (Vienna), Air Arabia (Sharjah), Air China (Lhasa), Air Sahara (Delhi), (Biman Bangladesh (Dhaka), Gulf Air (Baharain, Muscat), GMG Airlines (Dhaka), Indian Airlines (Delhi, Kolkotta, Varanasi), Jet Airways (Delhi), Korean Air (Seoul), PIA (Karachi), Qatar Airways (Doha), Royal Druk Air (Delhi, Paro), Thai Airways (Bangkok).
 ▪ All above mentioned flights land and take off from/ to Tribhuvan International Airport.

By Land: All visitors entering Nepal by land must use no other entry points other than 1) Kakarbhitta 2) Birgunj 3) Belhiya, Bhairahawa 4) Nepalgunj 5) Dhangadi and 6) Mahendra Nagar in the Nepal-India border and 7) Kodari in the Nepal-China border. The overland tourist’s entering the Kingdom with their vehicles must possess an international carnet or complete customs formalities.

Custom Formalities

Customs: All baggage must be declared and cleared through the customs on arrival at the entry. Personal effects are permitted free entry. Passengers arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) without any dutiable goods can proceed through the Green Channel for quick clearance without a baggage check. If you are carrying dutiable articles, you have to pass through the Red Channel for detailed customs clearance.
Import: Apart from used personal belongings, visitors are allowed to bring to Nepal free of duty cigarette (200) or cigars (50), distilled liquor (one 1.15 liter bottle), and film (15 rolls). You can also bring in the following articles free of duty on condition that you take them out with you when you leave: binocular, movie or video camera, still camera, laptop computer, and portable music system.

Export: The export of antiques requires special certification from the Department of Archeology, National Archive Building, Ram Shah Path, Kathmandu. It is illegal to export objects over 100 years old like sacred images, paintings, manuscripts that are valued for culture and religious reasons. Visitors are advised not to purchase such items as they are Nepal's cultural heritage and belong here.
For more information on customs matters, contact the Chief Customs Administrator, TIA Customs Office (Phone: 4470110, 4472266)

Airport Tax +Tourism Service Fee (TSF)

1) International Sector

a) Airport Tax: Rs. 791 .00 + TSF: Rs. 565.00 for departure to SAARC (South Asian) countries:
b) Airport Tax: Rs. 1130.00 + TSF: Rs. 565.00 for departure to other international destinations.

2) Domestic Sector

a) Rs. 169.50 for all the sector

Time and Business Hours

Nepal is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT.

Business hours within the Valley: Government offices are open from 9 am to 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday in the Kathmandu Valley. Outside the Kathmandu Valley it opens on Sunday also. Banks are open from Sunday through Friday from 10 am to 3.30 pm. open until 12 pm only on Friday. Most Business offices are open from 10 am to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Embassies and international organizations are open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Most shops open after 10 am and close at about 8 pm and are usually closed on Saturdays.

Business hours outside the Valley: Government offices outside Kathmandu valley open from 10 am to 5 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday. On Fridays they remain open until 3 pm. Banks are open from Sunday through Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm. On Fridays, banks remain open until 12 pm only. Business offices are open from 10 am to 5 pm Sunday through Friday. Embassies and international organizations are open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Most shops open after 10 am and close at about 8 pm and are usually closed on Saturdays.

Holidays: Nepal observes numerous holidays, at the least a couple in a month. So please check the holiday calendar. Government offices observe all the national holidays and banks observe most of them. Businesses observe major holidays only.

Communication Facilities

Postal Services: The Central Post Office located near Dharahara Tower, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The counters are open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and provide stamps, postcards and aerograms. Post Restante is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Express Mail Service ( EMS) is available at GPO and at Thamel, Basantapur and airport postal counters.

Telephone Services: Telephone, fax, telex and telegraph services are available at the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation at Tripureshwor. Hotels and private communications centers provide long distance telephone. For calling from outside, country code for Nepal is 977 and the area code for Kathmandu is 1.

Internet Services: Several Internet cafes and communication centers have opened up in the Valley and around the country in the past few years. Visitors only have to find a place they are most comfortable in to use the facilities to keep in touch with home. E-mail and Internet services are also offered by hotels.


Electricity: Major towns have electricity and the voltage available is 220-volts and 50 cycles. Load shedding is sometimes experienced. However, most major hotels have installed their own generators.

SOME DO’S AND DON'TS

• The form of greeting in Nepal is "NAMASTE" and is performed by joining the palms together.
• Before entering a Nepalese home, temple, and stupa remember to remove your shoes.
• Be careful not to use your spoon, fork or a hand being used for your eating to touch other's food, plate, cooking utensil or the serving dish. Do not eat from other people's plate and do not drink from other people's bottle or glass. It is considered impure by the Nepalese.
• Never touch anything with your feet. This is considered an offence among Nepalese.
• While travelling dress appropriately. Women should specially avoid dressing in skimpy outfits.
• Seek permission first before entering a Hindu temple. Many Hindu temples do not allow westerners or non-Hindus to enter.
• Leather articles are prohibited to be taken inside the temple precinct.
• Walking around temples or stupas is traditionally done clockwise.
• Take photographs only after receiving permission for the object or person being photographed.
• Public displays of affection between man and woman are frowned upon. Do not do something that is totally alien to our environment.
• Remember, many times, when a person shakes his head from left to right, he may mean "Yes".
• Develop a genuine interest to meet and talk to Nepalese people and respect their local customs.