Road Trips in Nepal

The Prithvi Highway follows the Trishuli River west from Kathmandu, past rafting camps and roadside fish stalls, to Mugling, then the Marsyangdi and Seti valleys to Pokhara. Break it up. At Kurintar, a cable car climbs to Manakamana Temple, and near Dumre a side road winds 8 km uphill to Bandipur, a Newar trading town of brick houses and a car-free main street, with Himalayan views from the ridge at dawn. A night in Bandipur turns a long transit day into two short ones.

From Pokhara the Siddhartha Highway twists south through Syangja to Tansen, an old hill town above the Kali Gandaki with Newar houses and the Rani Mahal palace on the river below. Then it drops to Butwal and the plains, an hour from Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. From Lumbini the East-West Highway runs flat and fast to Narayangadh and Chitwan National Park, where you leave the car for jeep safaris, and from there it is about five hours back to Kathmandu. Our Nepal itineraries fit this loop into 10 and 14 days.

The road from Beni to Jomsom follows the Kali Gandaki through one of the deepest gorges on earth, with Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I on either side, past the hot springs at Tatopani, the apple orchards of Marpha and the medieval village of Kagbeni, to the pilgrimage temple at Muktinath at about 3,800 m. Surfaces range from fresh asphalt to rock and river crossings, so most travellers go by local jeep or a hired 4WD with driver, and riders take Royal Enfields in small guided groups.

North of Kagbeni the road continues into Upper Mustang to the walled town of Lo Manthang, which needs a restricted area permit of USD 500 for 10 days through a licensed agency. Allow time to acclimatise, and note that wind and dust pick up every afternoon.

The shortest road trips start in the Kathmandu Valley. Drive east via Bhaktapur to Nagarkot for sunrise over the Himalaya, or along the Araniko Highway to Dhulikhel and the monastery at Namobuddha. The Tribhuvan Rajpath, Kathmandu’s first road link to India, climbs over the hills to Daman at about 2,300 m, where a viewpoint looks along the Himalaya, then hairpins down to Hetauda in the Terai. It is slower than the main highway, quieter, and one of the most scenic drives in the country.

In the east, the Mechi Highway climbs from the plains near the Indian border into the tea country of Kanyam and Ilam, with green terraced estates, cool weather and views of Kanchenjunga on clear mornings. Fly to Biratnagar or Bhadrapur to start.

In the far west, the Karnali Highway runs north from Birendranagar (Surkhet) to Jumla, a long, rough day or more with landslide risk in the rains, and jeeps continue towards Rara Lake in Rara National Park. This is an expedition for experienced travellers with a local driver, not a holiday drive.

Self-drive car hire barely exists in Nepal. Most travellers book a car or jeep with a driver through a hotel or agency for about USD 50 to 100 a day, plus the driver’s food and lodging on overnight trips; a 4WD costs more on mountain roads. If you do drive, you need an International Driving Permit with your home licence, and some sources say it covers only short stays, so check with the rental company. Traffic keeps left, the horn is used constantly, and buses overtake on blind bends.

Scooters rent for about NPR 1,000 to 2,500 a day in Thamel and Pokhara, and Royal Enfields cost more; your IDP must include the motorbike category, and many insurance policies exclude riding without a home motorbike licence. Fuel stations are in every town but thin out on mountain roads, so fill up before you leave the highway. Indian-registered vehicles need a customs permit at the border. Read our getting around guide for buses and flights, and the South Asia road trips guide for neighbouring routes.