How to Book Bus Tickets Online in Nepal (Guide 2025)

WANT TO KNOW HOW TO BOOK BUS TICKETS ONLINE IN NEPAL?

You have come to the right place! I am a foreigner living in Nepal and have mastered the ways of booking bus tickets online in Nepal.

The two best ways to buy bus tickets online in Nepal is on BusSewa or eSewa.

BusSewa is great for both short and long-term travellers in Nepal. It is great to browse bus tickets, schedule and now you can even buy bus tickets using an international bank card.

While eSewa is better for those living or staying long-term in Nepal. eSewa is an app that can be used to pay for hotel and restaurant bills, as well as for bus tickets.

Both BusSewa and eSewa are reliable, and booking bus tickets through them will save you both time and money.

How to Book Bus Tickets in Nepal

To buy bus tickets in Nepal, you have different options:

Travel agencies
At the hotel you are staying at
Bus park, or
Online

Most of the travellers stay in Thamel and there are many travel agencies there. Buying the bus ticket at travel agencies is usually one of the easiest and hassle free options.

Alternatively, many hotels are also able to arrange bus tickets. For that, just ask at the hotel reception and they will arrange it for you.

Usually, if you buy bus tickets at travel agencies or at your hotel, they will add a little bit of commission on top of the actual ticket price. If you buy it online or at the bus park, then you will just pay for the actual bus ticket price.

Buying bus tickets online (especially for foreigners travelling in Nepal) is not yet that common. But don’t worry, I have been buying bus tickets online in Nepal for over a year now and it has been working well for me.

So here is how you can buy bus tickets online in Nepal!

How to Book Bus Tickets Online in Nepal

If you want to buy bus tickets online in Nepal, there are two ways. One is that you can buy it through BusSewa.com or the other one is to buy it through eSewa.

eSewa is good if you are staying long-term in Nepal, while BusSewa is easier to use if you are just travelling in Nepal.

When to Buy the Bus Ticket

Whether you use BusSewa or eSewa, you can always just buy the bus ticket about 2 days ahead of travel. Generally, there are always plenty of buses and seats available and you don’t need to book the bus ticket too far ahead. This also makes sure that the bus is not cancelled and will operate on that day.

The only exception is during October-November when Nepal celebrates two of its biggest festivals (Dashain and Tihar) and during this time a lot of Nepalis travel home and the buses get full quickly. During this time, you can start booking the bus ticket 4-5 days ahead.

Tourist Bus in Nepal. — Tourist Bus, Nepal

Booking Bus Tickets on BusSewa

Who should use BusSewa? It is great for both short and long-term travellers in Nepal

BusSewa.com is great to browse bus tickets, schedule and now you can even buy bus tickets using an international bank card.

Most of the buses are available to book on BusSewa and on its website you can see all the available buses, seats, pick up and drop off locations.

After you book your seat, you will receive an email and text confirmation. I usually just show the bus helper the text confirmation of the bus ticket – there is no need to print out the ticket.

I found BusSewa is really easy to use. After you book the ticket, you will also receive the telephone number of the contact person at the bus company. Sometimes the bus company calls you the day before the travel to confirm the pick up time and location. If they don’t call you, it is good if you call them just to confirm the time and place.

Booking Bus Tickets on eSewa

eSewa is one of the best ways to book bus tickets online in Nepal.

Who should use eSewa? It is best for those staying long-term in Nepal

Using eSewa is best for those that stay long-term in Nepal. There is a Rs. 5,000 monthly limit unless you get your account verified. The verification process is actually not so difficult but you have to go to the eSewa office in Patan.

So, if you are only travelling in Nepal for 2-3 weeks, it is not worth it. In that case, it is better to just use BusSewa.

Here is how you can set up and book bus tickets on eSewa:

1. Download and Install the eSewa App

After downloading the app, fill in your details and the information requested on the app.

2. Verify Your Account (Optional)

After you fill in your details, you have to submit some further information to verify your account (KYC Verification). Usually the app does not let foreigners get full verification straight away, and you will have to visit the eSewa office in Patan to get it verified.

If you will only be in Nepal for a few weeks, you can still use eSewa without verification, however, the amount you can spend will be limited.

KYC Verification at the eSewa Office

If you are staying in Nepal for a few months or longer, getting the KYC verification is very useful.

There is an eSewa office in Patan and you can easily get you account verified there. Make sure to take your passport with you as they will need it to get your account verified.

You can get the KYC verification even if you are on a Tourist Visa in Nepal. Plus, they speak pretty good English at their office and the process is quick.

2. Deposit funds into your account (using an international bank card)

If your KYC is NOT verified: If you do not get your KYC verified, the spending is limited to only Rs. 5,000/month (USD 38).
If your KYC is verified: Your limit will be Rs. 500,000 (around USD 3,700) per month, so basically you have unlimited access. I recommend still to just only deposit a smaller amount and then top it up later of needed.

3. Select your ticket (departure, destination and date) and browse the options available

There are many bus and jeep options available to travel all over Nepal. For one route, you will see all the buses available for the selected date.

book online bus tickets in nepal — **Choose ‘Bus Ticket’ in the app**

**Select your departure-arrival points and date**

4. Select your bus and seat number. Then select ‘Book Now’

5. Select your boarding point

Here it is best to select the boarding point which is closest to your accommodation.

E.g. If you are planning a trip to Pokhara or Chitwan and you are staying in Thamel, then select the boarding point for ‘Sorhakhutte’. Sorhakhutte is only a few minutes’ walk from Thamel and it is the most popular boarding point for those staying in Thamel.

6. Fill in your contact details and click ‘Continue Booking’

**Select your boarding point and fill in your contact details**

7. Check that all the information is correct and click ‘Confirm’

8. Complete your booking

After completing the booking, you will receive a text and email confirmation.

On the day of your travel, just show your confirmation text to the bus helper (no need to print any ticket, the digital confirmation is sufficient).

Nepal Transport Guides

Planning a bus trip in Nepal? Check out my Nepal transport guides:

Bus Travel in Nepal: Nepali Buses and How to Get Around
How to Get from Kathmandu to Pokhara
How to Get from Pokhara to Kathmandu
How to Get from Pokhara to Chitwan
How to Get from Chitwan to Pokhara
How to Get from Kathmandu to Chitwan
How to Get from Chitwan to Kathmandu
How to Get to Bardia National Park
How to Get to Bandipur
How to Get to Janakpur
How to Get to Tansen (Palpa)
How to Get to Lumbini
How to Get to Gorkha
How to Get to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve

FAQs: How to Book Bus Tickets Online in Nepal

How to book bus tickets on eSewa?

It is easy to set up and book bus tickets through the eSewa app in Nepal. Booking bus tickets on eSewa will save you both time and money as you can buy tickets anytime, anywhere.

After you set up your eSewa account on the app, make sure to get your account verified (KYC verification). The KYC verification will grant you pretty much unlimited transactions per month.

If you are having problems getting the KYC verified, visit the eSewa office in Patan and the staff will verify your account.

Is it safe to book bus tickets online in Nepal?

Yes, it is totally safe to buy bus tickets through BusSewa and eSewa in Nepal. They are reliable and the bus company usually contacts you the evening before the trip to confirm the pick up time and location.

After you complete your booking, you are also provided the telephone number of the bus company, so you can also call the bus company to confirm the pick up location.

From my personal experience, as a foreigner living in Nepal, I have used both BusSewa and eSewa to buy bus tickets for more than a year and never had any problems.

When should I buy the bus ticket on eSewa?

I would say it is best to buy the ticket about 2 days before travel.

Usually, when travelling in Nepal by bus, you do not need to plan too far ahead. Most of the times, you can get a bus ticket one day before travel or even just by showing up in the morning.

However, if you want to have options for some of the better seats (in the front!), it is best to make the booking 2 days ahead.

💡 Note: The two biggest festivals in Nepal (Dashain and Tihar) usually fall in October-November. So if you are planning your travel during this time, I would recommend to book the bus tickets 5-6 days ahead. It is because during this time, a lot of Nepalis travel home for the holidays and the buses get completely full.

How much is a bus ticket in Nepal?

The prices of the bus tickets in Nepal are usually between Rs. 800-2,000. The price depends on which type of bus your are travelling with.

The Deluxe/ AC type of buses are usually around Rs. 800-1,200, while the tourist buses are around Rs. 1,100-1,500.

The highest quality buses in Nepal are the tourist, sofa seat buses. The sofa seat buses are run by Swift Holidays and Baba Adventure and operates between Kathmandu-Pokhara and Kathmandu-Chitwan. The price for sofa seat buses are Rs. 1,600-2,000.