Planning a Pakistan to Nepal trip is simpler than most people expect. Pakistani passport holders get a tourist visa on arrival, the first visit each calendar year is free for up to 30 days, and Kathmandu is one connection away from Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad. What catches travellers out is everything around the visa: which airline to book, what a ticket really costs in rupees, how to split a week between Kathmandu and Pokhara, and where to eat halal.
This guide covers the whole Pakistan to Nepal journey in one place: routes and ticket prices, a full trip budget in PKR, a 7-day plan and practical tips on money, food and weather. The visa itself is explained step by step in our Nepal visit visa from Pakistan guide; here we summarise it and focus on the trip. Visa rules and fees were re-checked on official Nepal government pages on 24 October 2026.
Pakistan to Nepal quick facts (checked 24 October 2026)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visa for Pakistanis | Tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu, Pokhara and Lumbini airports and land entry points |
| Official fee | Free (gratis) for up to 30 days on your first visit in a calendar year; repeat visits in the same year USD 30 (15 days), USD 50 (30 days) or USD 125 (90 days) |
| Before you fly | Online tourist visa form on Nepaliport within 15 days of arrival (print the barcode receipt); passport valid for at least 6 months |
| Official processing | On arrival: issued at the airport desk the same day. Advance visa via the Embassy of Nepal, Islamabad: email reply generally within 4 working days, then passport submission |
| Embassy fees (advance) | PKR 8,700 (15 days), PKR 14,500 (30 days), PKR 36,250 (90 days), all multiple entry |
| Flights | No direct flight; one stop via Dubai, Sharjah, Doha or Abu Dhabi; about 9 to 15 hours door to door |
| Return ticket | Roughly PKR 200,000 to 300,000 in economy (fares seen 24 October 2026) |
| 7-day trip cost | About PKR 275,000 to 530,000 per person including flights (estimate) |
| Easy Visa can help with | Visa form and document checks, booking and itinerary review, and a pre-departure checklist |
Sources: Embassy of Nepal, Islamabad visa page, the Department of Immigration’s visa on arrival rules, the Nepal Tourism Board tourist visa page and the official Nepaliport online visa form, checked 24 October 2026.
Want us to check your documents and bookings before you fly? WhatsApp +92 331 1442249
Pakistan to Nepal at a Glance: Why It Is One of the Easiest Trips
For a Pakistani family that wants mountains, culture and a different country without months of paperwork, Nepal is hard to beat. You do not need an embassy appointment, a sponsor or a visa agent’s queue number. You land, show your passport and the printed online form, and walk out with a visa stamp that is free on your first visit of the year.
Three things make a Pakistan to Nepal trip easy to plan:
- The visa is on arrival. Nepal lists Pakistan among the nationalities eligible for a visa at the airport, and SAARC citizens get the first 30 days of the year free.
- The flight is one connection. Gulf carriers link every major Pakistani city to Kathmandu with a single change.
- The trip is compact. Kathmandu, the old royal cities of the valley and the lake town of Pokhara fit comfortably into seven days.
The trade-off is cost and time in the air. Because there is no direct flight, the ticket is the biggest part of the budget, and a one-way journey takes most of a day. Plan around that and the rest is straightforward. If you are comparing Nepal with other low-paperwork options, our list of visa-free and on-arrival countries for Pakistan puts it in context.
Nepal Visa on Arrival for Pakistanis: Free Once a Year
The Embassy of Nepal in Islamabad states it plainly: Pakistani passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, and they are eligible for a free 30-day tourist visa once per calendar year. The free visa comes from Nepal’s gratis rule for SAARC citizens, which applies to the first visit in each visa year (January to December). Any further visit in the same year is charged at the normal tourist rates.
What the visa costs
| Situation | Fee | Approx. in PKR |
|---|---|---|
| First visit in the calendar year, up to 30 days | Free (gratis) | PKR 0 |
| Children under 10 | Free (gratis) | PKR 0 |
| Repeat visit, 15 days | USD 30 | about PKR 8,300 |
| Repeat visit, 30 days | USD 50 | about PKR 13,800 |
| Repeat visit, 90 days | USD 125 | about PKR 34,600 |
| Extension inside Nepal | USD 45 for the first 15 days, then USD 3 per day | from about PKR 12,500 |
PKR figures use the 24 October 2026 rate of about PKR 277 per US dollar and are only a guide; the airport bank counter charges in dollars or another convertible currency.
How the on-arrival visa works
- Fill the online tourist visa form on the Nepaliport portal no more than 15 days before you land, and print the receipt with its barcode. Kiosks at the airport are the backup.
- Fill the arrival card on the plane or in the hall.
- If your visit is not free, pay at the bank counter and keep the receipt.
- Hand your passport, form receipt and payment receipt (if any) to the immigration officer, who issues the visa if satisfied.
Carry a passport valid for at least six months, a return ticket, your hotel booking and enough money for the trip. The officer decides at the desk, so a tidy set of papers matters even when the visa is free.
The advance visa option
If you prefer to land with a visa already in your passport, the Embassy of Nepal in Islamabad issues advance tourist visas: PKR 8,700 for 15 days, PKR 14,500 for 30 days and PKR 36,250 for 90 days. You submit the online mission form, email your documents and usually hear back within 4 working days. Most leisure travellers skip this and use the free visa on arrival. For the full document list and both paths in detail, read our step-by-step Nepal visa guide for Pakistanis.
Pakistan to Nepal Flights from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad
There is no direct scheduled flight between Pakistan and Nepal at the moment, so every Pakistan to Nepal flight connects in another country. The good news is that the Gulf hubs make it a one-stop trip from almost any Pakistani city.
| Connection | Main carrier | Pakistani cities served | Typical flying time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai (DXB) | flydubai | Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan, Sialkot, Quetta | 2 to 2.5 h + about 4 h |
| Sharjah (SHJ) | Air Arabia | Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other cities | 2 h + about 4.25 h |
| Doha (DOH) | Qatar Airways | Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad | 2.5 h + about 4.75 h |
| Dhaka (DAC) | Biman Bangladesh Airlines | Karachi (seasonal) | 3.75 h + about 1.75 h |
flydubai is the option most travellers from smaller Pakistani cities end up on, because it flies from Faisalabad, Multan and Sialkot as well as the big three. Before you book, it helps to know how the airline appears on your ticket: flydubai’s FZ code and Dubai base on IATA.co show what to look for on each leg of a two-flight booking. Air Arabia via Sharjah is often the cheapest choice, while Qatar Airways usually costs more but tends to include a bigger checked-baggage allowance.
Distance and journey time
In a straight line, Lahore is about 1,140 km from Kathmandu, Islamabad about 1,360 km and Karachi about 1,840 km. Because you fly west to the Gulf first, the real flying distance is much longer. Expect 6 to 7 hours in the air plus a layover of 2 to 8 hours, so 9 to 15 hours door to door is normal.
Booking tips for this route
- Book one ticket for both legs. If the first flight is late, the airline must rebook you. Two separate tickets leave you on your own.
- Pick a layover of at least 2 hours. Shorter connections in Dubai or Doha are allowed but stressful with children.
- Check the transit rules. Pakistanis connecting airside on one ticket normally do not need a UAE or Qatar visa; leaving the airport is a different matter.
- Ask for a left-side window seat (seat A) on the leg into Kathmandu; flying in from the west, the Himalaya is on your left on a clear day.
Pakistan to Nepal Ticket Price and Full Trip Cost in PKR
The Pakistan to Nepal ticket price is what decides your budget. On 24 October 2026, Air Arabia’s own fare pages showed one-way economy seats from about PKR 105,000 from Karachi and PKR 120,000 to 141,000 from Lahore and Islamabad, and return fares from Lahore around PKR 242,000 to 257,000. flydubai and Qatar Airways fares vary by date, so compare all three for the same days. Treat these as a snapshot: prices change daily and rise sharply in the last two weeks before departure.
| Route (economy, return) | Typical range | When it is cheaper |
|---|---|---|
| Lahore to Kathmandu | PKR 220,000 to 300,000 | January to February, booked 6+ weeks ahead |
| Karachi to Kathmandu | PKR 200,000 to 290,000 | Midweek departures |
| Islamabad to Kathmandu | PKR 220,000 to 300,000 | Outside Eid and school holidays |
7-day Nepal trip cost per person
The budget below assumes two people sharing a room, a free first-visit visa and a mix of restaurants. It is an estimate, not a quote.
| Item | Budget | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|
| Return flight from Pakistan | PKR 200,000 | PKR 300,000 |
| Visa (first visit of the year) | Free | Free |
| Hotels, 6 nights (your share of a double room) | PKR 25,000 | PKR 60,000 |
| Food, 7 days | PKR 21,000 | PKR 42,000 |
| Kathmandu to Pokhara and back | PKR 5,000 (tourist bus) | PKR 80,000 (flights both ways) |
| Taxis, entry tickets, boat, sightseeing | PKR 15,000 | PKR 35,000 |
| SIM card, travel insurance, extras | PKR 8,000 | PKR 15,000 |
| Total per person | about PKR 275,000 | about PKR 530,000 |
Two easy savings: take the tourist bus at least one way between Kathmandu and Pokhara, and travel on your free visit rather than squeezing a second trip into the same calendar year. Families with children under 10 also save, because their visas are free as well.
Not sure your bank statement, hotel bookings and return ticket tell a consistent story? Send them on WhatsApp and our team will check them before you fly.
7-Day Nepal Itinerary: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Nagarkot and Pokhara
This plan suits a first trip and keeps hotel changes to three. It works for families, couples and groups of friends, and every day has a slow start option for parents and older travellers.
Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu
Clear immigration at Tribhuvan International Airport, buy a local SIM in the arrivals hall and take a prepaid taxi to Thamel or the quieter Lazimpat area. Keep the evening light: a walk to Durbar Marg, dinner at a halal restaurant nearby and an early night.
Day 2: Kathmandu’s old city
Start at Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa with views across the valley, then spend late morning in Kathmandu Durbar Square among the old palace courtyards and pagoda temples. After lunch, head to Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world, and sit at a rooftop cafe as the evening crowd walks around it. If it is a Friday, plan Jumu’ah at one of the mosques near Ghantaghar (see the halal section below).
Day 3: Bhaktapur and Nagarkot
Drive about an hour to Bhaktapur, the best preserved of the valley’s three royal cities, with its brick squares, potters and the five-storey Nyatapola temple. Try the local yoghurt, juju dhau, then continue up to Nagarkot (about 45 minutes) and check into a hotel on the ridge for sunset.
Day 4: Nagarkot sunrise, then Pokhara
On a clear morning Nagarkot shows a long sweep of Himalayan peaks at sunrise. After breakfast, drive back to Kathmandu airport for an afternoon flight to Pokhara (about 25 minutes). Spend the evening on Lakeside, the promenade along Phewa Lake.
Day 5: Sarangkot and Phewa Lake
Leave before dawn for Sarangkot, where the sun lights up the Annapurna range and the fish-tail peak of Machhapuchhre. Later, take a painted wooden boat across Phewa Lake to the small Tal Barahi island temple and walk or drive up to the white World Peace Pagoda for the view back over the town. Paragliding from Sarangkot is popular if you have the nerve.
Day 6: Pokhara at your own pace
Visit Davis Falls and Gupteshwor Cave across the road, then the International Mountain Museum, which children enjoy. In the afternoon, choose between quiet Begnas Lake, a short hike or simply a long lunch by the water.
Day 7: Back to Kathmandu and home
Take a morning flight to Kathmandu and connect to your international flight. Mountain weather can delay small domestic planes, so leave at least 5 to 6 hours between the two flights, or fly back on Day 6 evening if your international flight leaves early.
Five days only? Drop Nagarkot and one Pokhara day. Ten days? Add Patan, Chitwan National Park for a jungle safari, or Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha, which also has an international airport.
Kathmandu to Pokhara: Flight, Tourist Bus or Private Car?
Kathmandu to Pokhara is about 200 km by road on the Prithvi Highway but only about 25 minutes by air. Which one makes sense depends on your time, budget and how your family handles winding roads.
| Option | Time | Approx. cost (one way) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic flight (Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines) | About 25 minutes in the air | USD 90 to 145 (foreign fare), about PKR 25,000 to 40,000 | Short trips, travellers who get carsick |
| Tourist bus | 6 to 8 hours, often longer | NPR 800 to 2,000, about PKR 1,500 to 3,700 | Budget travellers, scenery lovers |
| Private car or jeep | 5 to 7 hours | NPR 12,000 to 20,000 per vehicle | Families and groups who want stops |
Nepal’s domestic airlines charge foreign passport holders a separate fare in US dollars, so do not compare your price with what a Nepali friend pays. Morning flights are the most reliable; cloud often builds in the afternoon.
Tourist buses leave Kathmandu in a convoy around 7 am, stop for breakfast and lunch at riverside restaurants and follow the Trishuli River for much of the way. A good compromise for families is to fly one way and take the bus or a private car the other, which halves the cost and still shows you the countryside. A private car can also stop at the Manakamana cable car or the hill town of Bandipur.
Halal Food, Mosques and Nepali Currency to PKR
Halal food
Muslims make up about 5 percent of Nepal’s population, and halal food is easier to find than many Pakistani travellers expect. In Kathmandu, the streets around Ghantaghar, Durbar Marg and parts of Thamel have halal restaurants serving biryani, karahi and kebabs alongside Nepali dishes. In Pokhara, several halal eateries sit along Lakeside. Elsewhere, Nepali food is naturally friendly to Pakistani tastes: dal bhat (rice, lentils, vegetables and pickle) is filling and vegetarian, and vegetable or paneer momos are a safe snack. Ask “halal chicken?” before ordering meat; restaurants are used to the question.
Mosques and prayer
Kathmandu’s two best-known mosques, the Nepali Jame Masjid and the Kashmiri Takiya Masjid, stand close to each other near Ghantaghar and Ratna Park, a short taxi ride from Thamel. Both are used for daily prayers and Jumu’ah. In Pokhara, ask your hotel for the nearest mosque and carry a light prayer mat for sightseeing days.
Nepali currency to PKR
Nepal uses the Nepali rupee (NPR). On 24 October 2026, 1 NPR was worth about PKR 1.82, so NPR 1,000 is roughly PKR 1,800, and USD 1 bought about NPR 152. Check the day’s rate on the Nepal Rastra Bank exchange rate page before you change money.
- Carry US dollars, not Pakistani rupees. PKR is hard to exchange in Nepal. Clean, recent USD notes get the best rate at licensed money changers in Thamel and Lakeside.
- Use ATMs for top-ups. Kathmandu and Pokhara have plenty, though each withdrawal carries a fee and a limit.
- Cards work in hotels and bigger restaurants, but taxis, small shops and boat operators want cash.
- Tell your bank you are travelling so your card is not blocked abroad.
Best Time to Visit Nepal from Pakistan (and a Word on Trekking)
The best time to visit Nepal is October to November, when the monsoon has cleared the air and mountain views are sharpest. March to April is the second-best window, with warm days and rhododendrons in bloom. December to February is cold, especially at night, but often crystal clear and cheaper for flights. June to September is monsoon season: green and quiet, but views are often hidden and roads can close after landslides.
| Months | Weather | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| October to November | Dry, clear, mild days | First trips, mountain views, families |
| December to February | Cold nights, clear mornings | Budget travel, winter holidays |
| March to April | Warm, some haze, flowers | Spring breaks, light hikes |
| June to September | Monsoon rain | Only flexible travellers |
For Pakistani families, the December winter break and the period after school exams fit well, but avoid the week of Eid if you want lower fares.
Trekking
Short hikes around Pokhara and Nagarkot need no permit. Proper treks, such as Poon Hill or Annapurna Base Camp, require trekking permits, and since April 2023 foreign trekkers in most areas must go with a licensed guide. A registered trekking agency in Kathmandu or Pokhara arranges both. Take travel insurance that covers high altitude if you plan to trek.
If you enjoy island and mountain combinations, Nepal pairs well with a later beach trip; see our Sri Lanka trip guide or the Maldives trip from Pakistan planner, both easy for Pakistani passports.
Pakistan to Nepal FAQs
How can I go to Nepal from Pakistan?
By air, with one connection. flydubai via Dubai, Air Arabia via Sharjah and Qatar Airways via Doha all link Pakistani cities to Kathmandu on a single ticket. Fill the Nepaliport online visa form before you fly and get your visa on arrival.
Is the Nepal visa free for Pakistanis?
Yes, for up to 30 days on your first visit in each calendar year. A second visit in the same year costs USD 30, 50 or 125 depending on the length of stay.
Is there a direct flight from Pakistan to Nepal?
No scheduled direct flight operates at the moment. Every Pakistan to Nepal journey connects, most often in Dubai, Sharjah or Doha.
Can I travel from Pakistan to Nepal by road?
Not in any practical way. A road trip would mean crossing India or Tibet, each with its own visa and permit rules, so almost everyone flies.
How much money do I need for a week in Nepal?
Plan on PKR 275,000 to 530,000 per person including the flight, or about PKR 75,000 to 230,000 for spending inside Nepal. Bring most of it in US dollars and carry the rest on a card.
Do I need a hotel booking and return ticket for the visa on arrival?
The officer can ask for them, and the Embassy requires both for advance visas, so carry printed copies. A clear return date and a booked hotel make the desk check quick.
Can Easy Visa guarantee my entry to Nepal?
No. Nepal’s immigration officers decide at the border, and no honest consultant can promise the outcome. Easy Visa checks your form, passport validity, bookings and funds so you arrive prepared.
Ready to plan your Pakistan to Nepal trip? Read the full Nepal visit visa guide for Pakistanis, then chat with a Visa Expert about your dates. Send your travel month, departure city and number of travellers on WhatsApp +92 331 1442249 and we will check your documents and itinerary before you book. You can also visit our office in DHA Lahore, explore tourist visa services, browse more easy countries for Pakistani travellers or start on the Easy Visa homepage.
