The best eSIM for Nepal
Home to Mount Everest and a spiritual heartland. Here is the plan we would pick today, the live pricing for every plan we track, and the practical things to know before you fly.
The lowest price-per-gigabyte we currently track for Nepal. A solid fit for most one-to-two-week trips with maps, messaging, and the occasional photo upload.
| Provider | Data | Days | Price | $/GB | Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nomad | 20GB | 45 | $36.00 | $1.80 | Get → |
| Nomad | 15GB | 30 | $28.00 | $1.87 | Get → |
| Nomad | 10GB | 30 | $24.00 | $2.40 | Get → |
| Nomad | 5GB | 30 | $15.00 | $3.00 | Get → |
| Nomad | 3GB | 30 | $12.00 | $4.00 | Get → |
 GoMoWorld | 4GB | 30 | $19.99 | $5.00 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 6GB | 30 | $29.99 | $5.00 | Get → |
| Nomad | 1GB | 7 | $6.00 | $6.00 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 1.5GB | 30 | $10.99 | $7.33 | Get → |
 Roamless | 1GB | PAYG | $9.95 | $9.95 | Get → |
| Roamless | 2GB | PAYG | $19.90 | $9.95 | Get → |
| Roamless | 5GB | PAYG | $49.75 | $9.95 | Get → |
| Roamless | 10GB | PAYG | $99.50 | $9.95 | Get → |
| Roamless | 3GB | PAYG | $29.85 | $9.95 | Get → |
 Saily | 1GB | 7 | $9.99 | $9.99 | Get → |
 GigSky | 10GB | 30 | $149.99 | $15.00 | Get → |
Prices are live and may change. Google Fi is excluded from the value ranking because it is a full phone plan rather than a travel data plan.
Ncell and Nepal Telecom (NTC) both run 4G across Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Ncell has stronger 4G availability in the tourist districts (Thamel, Boudha, Pashupatinath); NTC is the only carrier reaching some of the more remote village outskirts.
Pokhara city, Lakeside and Sarangkot viewpoint are all well covered. Trail signal along the Annapurna Circuit and ABC trek varies: most teahouse villages have at least NTC, but the higher passes (Thorong La at 5,416 m) reliably drop out for hours.
Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche and the main villages on the EBC trek have signal via NTC. Higher altitudes (Lobuche, Gorak Shep, EBC itself) thin dramatically; the commercial Everest Link WiFi at teahouses (paid by the hour) is the practical supplement.
The park entrance and Sauraha town are covered by both carriers. Jungle safari interiors and the elephant breeding centre area lose signal; the riverside resorts have Wi-Fi for guests but no cell signal during game drives.
Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, has solid coverage at the sacred garden and the international monastic zone. The southern Terai plains and the highways to the Indian border are well covered; agricultural villages between sites can be variable.
The trekking region beyond Jomsom into upper Mustang has minimal coverage. Lo Manthang and the ancient Mustang villages are essentially offline; treat the trek as a multi-day disconnect and brief loved ones before you head north.
Kathmandu
- Arriving
- Tribhuvan International (KTM) is about 6 km from the Thamel tourist hub. There is no rail link, so transfers are by taxi or the Pathao and InDrive ride apps. The airport has 4G from Ncell and Nepal Telecom (NTC). Have data ready for the trekking-permit logistics and the domestic flight bookings to Pokhara and Lukla.
- On the subway and rail
- Kathmandu has no metro or urban rail; the city moves by taxi, the Pathao and InDrive ride-hail (both car and motorbike), microbuses and tempos. Traffic and dust are heavy, so the ride apps and live navigation are genuinely useful. Coverage holds across the tourist and heritage districts throughout.
- Free public WiFi
- Hotels and cafes across Thamel, the malls (Civil Mall, Labim Mall) and the larger restaurants provide WiFi. The Durbar Square ticket areas have some hotspots. KTM airport has terminal WiFi. Connectivity is easy in Thamel, with a working SIM covering the heritage sites and day trips.
- Coverage in the city
- Ncell and Nepal Telecom (NTC) both cover Thamel, the Kathmandu Durbar Square, Boudhanath stupa, Pashupatinath, Patan and Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple). Ncell is strong in the city; NTC has the wider rural reach for the treks beyond. Coverage is solid across the whole Kathmandu Valley.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- Ncell and NTC have desks at KTM arrivals and shops across Thamel, with passport and photo registration required. The Ncell tourist SIM is popular and cheap. An international travel eSIM that includes Nepal is also an option, though a local SIM with NTC is worth it if you plan to trek.
Pokhara
- Arriving
- Pokhara Regional International (PKR) opened in 2023, alongside the older domestic airport, with flights from Kathmandu taking around 25 minutes. Taxis run to the Lakeside tourist strip. Many visitors instead take the tourist bus from Kathmandu (six to eight hours). Have data ready for the paragliding and Annapurna trek bookings.
- On the subway and rail
- Pokhara moves by taxi, the Pathao ride app and tourist buses; the Lakeside area along Phewa Lake is the walkable tourist hub. There is no metro. Boats cross Phewa Lake to the Tal Barahi temple. Coverage holds across Lakeside and Sarangkot; the Annapurna trek beyond is where signal thins on the high passes.
- Free public WiFi
- Hotels and cafes all along the Lakeside strip provide WiFi, as do the paragliding operators and the boat docks. PKR airport has terminal WiFi. Connectivity is easy in Pokhara town, with a working SIM covering Sarangkot and the lower trek approaches.
- Coverage in the city
- Ncell and NTC both cover Pokhara, the Lakeside strip, the Sarangkot sunrise-and-paragliding viewpoint, the World Peace Pagoda and Phewa Lake. As the gateway to the Annapurna Circuit and ABC trek, the teahouse villages mostly have at least NTC; the high passes such as Thorong La at 5,416 m reliably drop out for hours.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- Ncell and NTC have shops along Lakeside. It is often easiest to buy the SIM in Kathmandu on arrival. NTC is the better pick if you plan to trek, given its rural reach. An international travel eSIM including Nepal covers the towns well for non-trekkers.
Grab an eSIM before you arrive in Nepal to skip local SIM queues. Most urban areas offer 4G or better, while rural regions can slow down, so keep offline maps handy. Activating the eSIM in advance ensures you are connected the moment you clear customs.
Nepal draws trekkers, mountaineers, and culture seekers to the Himalayas, but its mobile infrastructure reflects the extreme geography. Ncell and Nepal Telecom provide 4G in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and the Terai lowland cities. In Kathmandu, coverage handles navigation through the chaotic streets of Thamel, booking tours, and staying connected while visiting temple complexes. Pokhara's lakeside area also has reliable service for planning Annapurna treks.
Once you head into the mountains, connectivity becomes unpredictable. Popular trekking routes like Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp have scattered coverage from Ncell towers at certain elevations and village stops, but long stretches will have no signal at all. Teahouses along major routes increasingly offer paid Wi-Fi, though speeds are slow.
Data costs are among the cheapest in Asia, and international eSIM providers cover Nepal affordably. Download everything you need before heading to altitude - offline maps, translation tools, and emergency contact information are essential.
- Download offline maps and trekking route information before heading into the mountains
- Ncell has some coverage along popular trekking routes but expect significant gaps at higher elevations
- Teahouse Wi-Fi on major treks is available for a small fee but speeds are very limited
- Kathmandu and Pokhara have reliable 4G for planning, booking, and everyday travel needs
- Data is extremely cheap - load up on a generous plan before leaving urban areas
Average Data Cost
~$3-$10/GB
Network Quality
4G in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Terai cities. Scattered 3G/4G on popular trekking routes. No coverage at high elevations and remote areas.
eSIM Availability
International travel eSIM providers cover Nepal at very affordable rates. Local eSIM adoption is limited and not practical for short-term visitors.
Major Carriers
Recommended Providers for Nepal
Plans for Nepal
From $6.00
Plans for Nepal
From $3.99
Plans for Nepal
From $9.95
Pay-as-you-go: $9.95/GB
Plans for Nepal
From $9.99
Plans for Nepal
From $10.00
Pay-as-you-go: $10.00/GB
Plans for Nepal
From $10.49
- 1
Buy and install at home on WiFi.
Installation is not the same as activation. You can install the Nepal eSIM days ahead and only switch it on after you land, which avoids burning days of validity in transit.
- 2
Screenshot your current APN before you swap.
If you ever need to switch back to your home line quickly, that screenshot saves a support call from a foreign airport.
- 3
Decide on your dual-SIM strategy.
Keep your home line on for SMS-based bank logins, two-factor codes, and emergency calls. Set the travel eSIM as the data line only. Most modern phones can do both simultaneously.
- 4
Disable iMessage on the travel eSIM line.
Otherwise iMessage will try to re-activate against the new line on arrival and you will spend the first ten minutes troubleshooting it instead of finding the taxi rank.
- 5
Download offline maps for Nepal.
Google Maps and Apple Maps both support offline regions. Pull them down on home WiFi so a flaky activation never leaves you without a route from the airport. Our offline maps guide walks through it step by step.
- 6
Activate at the airport, not before.
Once the validity timer starts it does not pause. A 15-day plan you turn on the morning of departure burns a full day of validity before you even land.
We are building this section from real, verified traveler submissions rather than stock testimonials, so it stays empty until we have notes we can stand behind. If you have used an eSIM in Nepal recently, a one-paragraph note on what worked (and what did not) helps the next traveler.
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Pricing on this page is pulled live from our database and refreshed every four hours. Coverage notes are sourced from carrier roaming agreements and updated when carriers change partners. Provider rankings are determined by price-per-gigabyte and plan flexibility, not by who pays the largest commission.