Pokhara eSIM
In Pokhara you connect to Ncell or NTC, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 21 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- Ncell and NTC
- Typical speed in Nepal
- 21 Mbps typical, 5 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- 4G only
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Pokhara
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $9.89 | $9.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $6.30 | $18.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $5.58 | $27.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $4.99 | $49.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $4.39 | $87.89 |
How Nepal compares across Asia
- Regional typical speed
- 42.95 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, Ncell, NTC
- 5G
- 4G only
- Next fastest nearby
- Myanmar, 22 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Afghanistan, 19 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 2: Kathmandu, Pokhara
Landing at Pokhara International Airport (PHH)
- Airport
- PHH / VNPR
- Also serves
- Pokhara Airport (old domestic airport) (PKR)
Getting into Pokhara
- Road transfer between Pokhara International Airport and Pokhara (PHH)
Worth knowing about Pokhara
- Pokhara International Airport opened on 1 January 2023 but still has no regular scheduled international services, so most foreign arrivals reach Pokhara via Kathmandu.
- Pokhara has two airports with confusingly similar names: the new international one (PHH) and the old domestic field (PKR) 3 km west, which still runs STOL flights to Jomsom.
- Unresolved air route disputes with India have limited the new airport's international growth.
- Ncell registers tourist SIMs and eSIMs only against an original passport, selling them at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and at Ncell centres, in 7, 14 and 28 day plans.
- Nepal's regulator blocks handsets absent from its Mobile Device Management System. Phones cleared through customs for personal use are registered automatically; others need an online filing with a passport scan and an immigration stamp.
- Visa on arrival is issued at Pokhara International Airport as well as Kathmandu, at USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days and USD 125 for 90 days, multiple entry.
- The Nepal Tourism Board calls Pokhara one of the few places on earth where mountains above 6,000 m can be seen unobstructed from an altitude of 800 m within 28 km.
- The Nepal Tourism Board describes Pokhara valley as the gateway to the Annapurna region, with the Annapurna range forming the backdrop to the city.
- The Pokhara Valley Lake Cluster, nine lakes including Phewa, Begnas and Rupa, was listed as a Ramsar site on 2 February 2021.
- Lakeside, also called Baidam, on the eastern shore of Phewa Lake is the resort strip of hotels, restaurants and shops, with the Taal Barahi temple on an island offshore.
- The Prithvi Highway runs 174 km from Naubise on the Tribhuvan Highway to Prithvi Chowk in Pokhara. Its construction was completed in 1974.
- Buddha Air states it operates more than 17 flights a day from Kathmandu to Pokhara, with a flight time of about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Trekkers on Annapurna and other listed routes need a TIMS card issued through a registered trekking agency at tims.ntb.gov.np, priced at NPR 2,000 for non SAARC nationals and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals.
- Sarangkot, the paragliding and sunrise viewpoint above the city, is 11.3 km from Lakeside Pokhara, a drive of at most 30 minutes according to the Nepal Tourism Board.
Sources for this page
Other cities in Nepal we cover
- Kathmandu
- 147 km from Pokhara, nearest airport KTM