Traveling to Nepal soon and looking for the best tourist sim card to stay connected? Don't let slow overseas data roaming plans or high roaming charges ruin your trip.
This is a complete guide with everything you need to know before buying a prepaid sim card in Nepal in 2025.
Find out where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per February 2025, the best 4G/5G network coverage, info about eSIMs for Nepal, my recommendation, international sim cards and more.
Tourist sim cards are cheap in Nepal. Investing a couple dollars will make your trip to Nepal so much more convenient. However, don't expect data speed like at home. Sometimes finding a phone signal is already worth a lot!
Table of Contents
- My recommendation
- Why buying a sim card for Nepal
- Where to buy a sim card for Nepal
- Tourist sim card registration process
- Mobile internet operators in Nepal
- Best mobile data network in Nepal in 2025
- Prices Nepal sim card in 2025
- Best sim card for Nepal in 2025
- Best eSIMs for Nepal
- Buy a prepaid sim card for Nepal online
- My experience buying a sim card in Nepal
- Does a sim from India work in Nepal?
Over the last years Nepal became one of my favorite travel destinations in the world. I have returned multiple times to this lovely country and would recommend anyone to meet the amazingly lovely people of Nepal and see its utterly stunning landscapes.
Flying to Kathmandu? Here is Traveltomtom's complete guide for buying a sim card at Kathmandu Airport or if you are interested in eSIMs then check out my comparison of the best eSIMs for Nepal in 2025.
Are you traveling to more countries in Asia then you might want to check out my article about the best sim cards for Asia travel in 2025.
Some links in this article about the best sim cards for Nepal are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I earn a small commission. This is at absolutely no extra cost to you of course!
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends a Ncell prepaid sim card for Nepal as they have great sim card deals for tourists and the best mobile data network coverage in Nepal.
It must be said that comparing the network coverage maps of the mobile internet operators in Nepal is difficult as very little info is available.
My travel tip for Nepal for those travelers who want to stay connected no matter what...
Buy a prepaid sim card from both providers: Nepal Telecom and from Ncell. Prepaid sim cards are really cheap, so it won't hurt your wallet. This is also what the locals do. They all have two sim cards.
You can also choose to arrive prepared with an eSIM for Nepal. Be online as soon as the plane lands.
The best-buy eSIM for Nepal is from Airhub. They have an eSIM for Nepal with 12 GB data for $28 USD. There is also a SimOptions eSIM with 5 GB data for $14.90 USD.
For more Nepal eSIM plans check out my guide with the best eSIMs for traveling to Nepal in 2025.
There is also the option of buying a physical global travel sim card with data that has coverage in Nepal. These sim cards are particularly handy when traveling to multiple countries on one trip. Check out my comparison of the best global sim cards with data in 2025 and pick the one that suits your trip the best.
Why buying a sim card for Nepal
Staying connected avoids high roaming charges and it makes life simply much easier and therefore traveling in Nepal much more fun.
Think about using Google Maps, ordering taxis, booking hotels, killing time on endless long bus rides, waiting at the airport, etc. with a data connection on your phone you also protect yourself in emergency situations. Do not rely on Wifi in Nepal!
Bike sharing apps are popular, download Tootle and Pathao for bike sharing apps in Kathmandu and Pokhara. A taxi app is Sarathi, but don't except Uber standards.
As Traveltomtom is also on a quest to travel to every country in the world I constantly get to a lot of new places and the first thing I do is looking for the best ways to get connected.
Since I like to document everything for my travel blog you can already find more than 200 prepaid sim card and eSIM guides on Traveltomtom from all over the world: Dubai, USA, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, Turkey, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Europe, Switzerland, Europe, Asia, Singapore, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines and many more.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and eSIM advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark me!
On my second last trip to Nepal I did a Kathmandu street food tour, highly recommended! I would have never found all those places myself as we ended up in hidden courtyards and got to try the most amazing Nepal street food. Check out my vlog about my Kathmandu street food tour on my YouTube Channel.
More of my travel adventures in Nepal you can find in my blog about the Langtang Valley Trekking or click here for my Nepal packing list for 2025.
Where to buy a sim card for Nepal
Kathmandu International Airport
The best place to buy a tourist sim card for Nepal is on arrival at the airport. Check out my complete guide for buying a sim card for Nepal at Kathmandu Airport.
Sim card prices at Kathmandu are pretty similar to sim card prices in the city center. At the airport the staff is trained selling sim cards for tourists and they all speak very well English. So if you want to buy a prepaid sim card on arrival in Nepal I recommend to do so at Kathmandu Airport.
Phone stores in Kathmandu
When for some reason it wasn't possible to buy a Nepal sim card at the airport you will find them everywhere around Kathmandu. Souvenir shops, clothing shops, etc. Everyone seems to sell local prepaid sim card for tourists.
But be aware that these sellers somehow have to make money too and they will charge you a couple dollars more. This is an example of the prices they charged at a random shop in Thamel, the most popular tourist district in Kathmandu. Prices are often 50% higher than at the official shops.
You are better off heading to the official Nepal Telecom or Ncell shops across Kathmandu. Everywhere you buy a Nepal sim card it will be activated for you on the spot.
Official retail store Ncell or Nepal Telecom
Where to find them? Simply go to Google Maps and type in either: Ncell or Nepal Telecom. This is also where I lately bought my sim card for my trip to Nepal.
As of 2025 at the official phone stores from Ncell and Nepal Telecom they have eSIMs as well as physical prepaid sim cards.
Traveltomtom recommends official retail stores over a random phone shop. But if you know what you are doing and are a little bit tech savvy it is totally fine to get a sim card in a random shop.
If you want to support local shops then I recommend you to buy a Nepal sim card in any of the clothing shops. Remember that 2020 and 2021 Nepal was hit really hard, so when traveling to Nepal in 2025 help the local shop keepers a little bit.
Pokhara
If you for some reason want to buy a sim card in Pokhara then you can also find an official Ncell shop and a Nepal Telecom in Pokhara. They are a little bit away from the Lakeside, so you might just want to buy a sim card in Pokhara from one of the tourist shops around the lakeside area.
Online
As shown before there are lots of different eSIMs available for Nepal in 2025. eSIMs are more expensive than buying a prepaid sim card, but with an eSIM you are instantly online when the plane lands.
Check out Traveltomtom's complete guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for Nepal.
If your phone is not eSIM compatible you can order a physical prepaid sim card for Nepal via SimOptions.
Tourist sim card registration process
I have done research about buying a sim card in pretty much every Asian country: Pakistan, Maldives, Vietnam, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. and like everywhere you will have to bring your passport for identification.
But when buying a tourist sim card in Nepal they also require a passport size photo. In case you don't have one, don't worry for 50 Rupees ($0.4 USD) they will take one for you on the spot.
Tourists buying a prepaid sim card in Nepal will have to fill out a registration form as well, see the photo above.
Buying a prepaid sim card in Nepal is a little time consuming. Prepaid sim cards are cheap. But if you rather skip all this or if you simply don't want to register your sim card then look into ordering an eSIM for Nepal.
Mobile internet operators in Nepal
This is the Nepal Telecom office in Kathmandu.
There are 2 main mobile internet providers in Nepal: Ncell, which is a private company and the state owned Nepal Telecom, also referred to as NTC Namaste.
Both operators have competitive sim card prices and data packages. But don't expect mobile data speed like home!
Best mobile data network in Nepal in 2025
To find the best sim card for traveling in Nepal lets look into the network coverage of both mobile internet operators. The 4G/5G coverage maps for Nepal are pretty important as you don't want to lose connection when leaving Kathmandu. I researched the internet to find coverage maps for both Ncell and Nepal Telecom, but could only find a 4G network map of Ncell.
Is there 5G in Nepal?
As of 2025 there is still no 5G network in Nepal.
According to a news articles in 2022 they said Nepal Telecom would start tests with 5G in 2022, which got cancelled and postponed to February 2023. However, in 2023 another news article reported that Nepal Telecom put the 5G tests on hold again and in September 2024 The Kathmandu Post started with the headliner: Nepal lags behind its regional peers in adopting 5G technology.
Anyway as of 2025 there is still not 5G network available in Nepal. The fastest mobile data connection is 4G/LTE.
3G/4G network coverage map Ncell
3G/4G network coverage map NTC
Although the above mobile data network coverage maps are updated for 2025 they are definitely not 100% accurate. From my own experience traveling in Nepal I know there is much more 4G/LTE signal available.
However, the above network coverage maps are a great reference to compare the 4G/5G networks of Ncell and Nepal Telecom.
Based on my own experience it is hard to tell you which one of the two internet providers in Nepal has the best Nepal mobile network.
In remote areas finding a good mobile internet connection is hard. Some of the porters and guides on my Langtang Trekking had a Nepal Telecom and a Ncell sim card and used either one which had stronger signal.
In February 2021 Nepal Telecom published an article about having extended their 4G network with more than 2,000 new towers across the country. Nepal Telecom specifies every region where they have a NT 4G network. Not a map, but a list.
Therefore it is hard to tell you which mobile internet network in Nepal is the best. When traveling to Nepal and going off the beaten path just be prepared to be offline and in case you find a phone signal make the most of it!
Another Traveltomtom travel tip for Nepal is to buy 2 sim cards from both mobile internet operators and when going off the beaten path switch to the sim card that is working. Thank me later!
Prices Nepal sim card in 2025
All info and prices are updated in February 2025 and prices are in Nepalese Rupee (NPR): 100 NPR = $0.72 USD and $1 USD = 139 NPR.
You will see that prices for Nepal prepaid sim cards with data are among the cheapest you have ever seen.
Nepal Telecom
At Kathmandu Airport they give away free sim cards to tourists. You only have to register, give a copy of your passport and a photo. In the official Nepal Telecom shop in Kathmandu city the same procedure will cost you 90 NRS ($0.70) and it comes with 50 NRS ($0.40) credit.
Nepal Telecom offers a wide range of data and voice plans, literally something like 50 different ones. The above pictures is an indication of what prices you can expect in 2025:
- 5 GB data for 28 days = 290 NPR - $2.1 USD
- 25 GB data for 28 days = 800 NPR - $5.8 USD
As you can see the prices for Nepal Telecom data packages are super cheap. Probably one of the cheapest prepaid sim cards in the world! If you buy the 25 GB data package you pay less than $0.25 USD per 1 GB data.
The same Nepal Telecom data package at Kathmandu Airport is $10 USD, that is almost 50% more expensive, but we are talking about $4 USD.
There are also endless social media packages, voice packages and more. For more info check the Nepal Telecom website. In Nepal Telecom stores in Nepal they only provide physical prepaid sim cards, there are no eSIMs for tourists available.
Ncell
An Ncell Nepal sim card costs 110 NRS ($0.8 USD) and you also have to register with a passport size photo and your passport copy. It does come with 30 NRS ($0.2 USD) and 1 GB data for 3 days or you buy one of their data, voice, combo plans.
Ncell also has uncountable prepaid plans available and the above 3 are just a selection. There are a ton of social media packages per application, so a TikTok plan, a YouTube plan and so on.
- 1.5 GB per day for 28 days = 599 NPR - $4.3 USD
- 60 GB data for 28 days = 599 NPR - $4.3 USD
- 5 GB data for 7 days = 145 NPR - $1 USD
For more info check the Ncell Nepal website.
Best sim card for Nepal in 2025
The charm of traveling to Nepal is being offline and being one with nature, but I understand we want to stay connected for many reasons.
Traveltomtom is an advocate for using eSIMs when traveling abroad. But Nepal eSIMs are more expensive than local prepaid sim cards. SimOptions has Nepal eSIMs starting from $4.5 USD. There is an Airhub eSIM for Nepal with 12 GB data for $28 USD.
It is hard to define what is the best prepaid sim card for tourists in Nepal in 2025. But one thing is certain: prepaid sim cards in Nepal are super cheap.
Getting connected in Nepal is most probably one of the cheapest in the world. For example: 5 GB data for 7 days cost a little over $1 USD.
In all honesty it doesn't matter so much which prepaid sim card you buy for Nepal. In fact if you really need to stay connected all the time then buy 2 prepaid sim cards: one from Nepal Telecom and one from Ncell. That is what the locals do!
Best sim card for Langtang Valley trek
The most amazing thing I did on my one of my last trips to Nepal was the Langtang Valley trek. Being offline is one of the main reasons why I love hiking in the Himalayas so much but nowadays there is a phone signal almost everywhere. On the Langtang Valley trek there was only a Nepal Telecom phone signal available, as I had an Ncell sim card I was offline for 7 days.
Best sim card for Annapurna Circuit
In 2013 I went trekking in the Annapurna region and back then there was no phone signal at all. Nowadays things have changed and I asked experienced guides that trek there every month and the best sim card in Nepal for trekking in Annapurna is Nepal Telecom. Nepal Telecom has much better phone reception in the Annapurna region than Ncell.
Best sim card for Everest Basecamp
On the contrary according to the guides and porters Ncell is the best sim card in Nepal for trekking to Everest Basecamp. So if you travel to Nepal for the Everest Basecamp Trek make sure to buy an Ncell sim card as your primary way to stay connected.
Best eSIMs for Nepal
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Nepal in 2025 is an eSIM for Nepal. You can arrange everything online and no more swapping physical sim cards or visiting a sim card shop in Nepal.
You order an eSIM for Nepal on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have a Nepal eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Nepal it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
For more info check out Traveltomtom's guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for Nepal.
Here are some recommendations.
Airhub
Airhub is a marketplace for eSIMs meaning they sell a lot of different eSIM plans from multiple providers. Sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. The Traveltomtom Team wrote an extensive Airhub review for more info on how Airhub eSIMs work.
For Nepal Airhub only has 3 eSIM plans:
- 4 GB data for 30 days = $10 USD
- 7 GB data for 30 days = $16.5 USD
- 12 GB data for 30 days = $28 USD
Click here for more info or to order an eSIM for Nepal via Airhub.
Airhub has some truly amazing data-only eSIMs for Nepal. The Airhub eSIMs operate on the 4G/LTE Ncell network. These Airhub eSIMs are data-only and incoming or outgoing calls or sms are not supported.
SimOptions
SimOptions is another very reputed eSIM provider that is very much recommended by Traveltomtom. Ordering your tourist eSIM for Nepal through SimOptions is done fast and easy. Check out our full SimOptions review for more detailed info.
Here are the Nepal eSIMs deals from SimOptions:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $9.90 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $14.90 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $44.90 USD
- 30 GB data for 30 days = $69.90 USD
- 50 GB data for 60 days = $99.90 USD
Click here to order an eSIM for Nepal via SimOptions.
The SimOptions Nepal eSIMs are data-only and do not come with a phone number. Incoming and outgoing calls/sms are not supported. SimOptions does not specify on which network their eSIMs operate in Nepal.
Airalo
Airalo is a trusted eSIM provider that sells eSIMs for pretty much every country in the world. Unfortunately for Nepal they only have 1 eSIM plan for 2025:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $9.5 USD
Click here for more info or to order a Nepal eSIM via Airalo.
The data-only eSIM from Airalo operates on the 4G/LTE mobile data network of Ncell.
Make sure your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering an eSIM for Nepal.
For more eSIM plans for Nepal check out my comparison of the best eSIMs for traveling to Nepal in 2025.
Buy a prepaid sim card for Nepal online
If your phone is not eSIM compatible but you would like to order a sim card for traveling to Nepal online before your trip then check out the following.
Arrive prepared in Nepal with an international prepaid sim card. You order them online and a physical prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address. You put this sim card in your phone and it automatically connects to an available network upon arrival in Nepal, basically when the plane lands you are instantly online.
SimOptions is the only sim card provider that sells physical prepaid sim cards for Nepal:
- 1 GB data for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here for more info or to order this internaitonal sim card for Nepal via SimOptions.
Last reminder that if your phone is eSIM compatible you can arrange everything within just a couple minutes on the internet. Here is my comparison of the best eSIMs for Nepal in 2025.
My experience buying a sim card in Nepal
Here are some travel stories from my past experiences buying a tourist sim card in Nepal.
On previous trip I always used to buy a sim card for Nepal on arrival at Kathmandu Airport. Depending on where I go I choose my main sim card or sometimes I buy a sim card from both operators.
I like that Ncell has a huge data pack for just $6 USD and no data restrictions per day and for trekking Everest Basecamp it is the recommended sim card. Although lately I had both sim cards and actually found out that Nepal Telecom had equally good phone reception on the Everest Basecamp trek as well.
On my last trip to Nepal I used an eSIM from SimOptions, just to get through the first day so I didn't need to buy a sim card at Kathmandu Airport and could go straight to my hotel.
When it comes to mobile data speed I recommend you to have little expectations when traveling to Nepal. Uploading Instagram stories always used to be a nightmare especially if you are off the beaten path. Things have changed for the better and upload speed got faster over the last years.
Data speed in Nepal drops significantly when you are traveling away from Kathmandu. Watching TikToks for some reason is mostly no problem and works pretty much good, even on a 3G signal for some reason. Uploading on 3G is simply a disaster!
Does a sim from India work in Nepal?
Something frequently asked is if Indian sim cards work in Nepal. Yes, they work, but only if you activate a data roaming plan. You can't use your Indian data bundles and calling minutes in Nepal, you will have to pay an extra charge. Therefore also for Indian tourists it is better to buy a Nepal sim card when traveling in Nepal or ordering an eSIM for Nepal online.
Here is some Nepal travel inspiration. Check out my blogs about Langtang Valley Trekking, Nepal Street Food Tour in Kathmandu, What To Pack for Nepal and many more.
I am traveling the world continuously since 2012 and the first thing I do when arriving in a new country is buying a sim card. As Nepal is one of the cheapest countries to travel in the world, buying a prepaid sim card is not going to break the bank. As per February 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries around the world.
I hope the above tips for finding the best Nepal sim card for your trip were helpful. Please share it in Facebook Group, tweet it on X or pin it on Pinterest. You will make me smile big time!
Enjoy your trip to Nepal!