Useful Mobile Apps in Nepal for Every Traveller (2024)

ByTravelling Mandala

LOOKING FOR THE MOST USEFUL MOBILE APPS IN NEPAL?

You’ve come to the right place as I have been visiting and periodically living in Nepal since 2015, and these are the most useful apps you will need to have in Nepal.

Here you will find the best Nepali apps for booking taxis, ordering food, getting around on public transport, topping up phones, or ordering online. All these apps come handy in every day life whether you are travelling or living in Nepal.

Useful Mobile Apps in Nepal: A Quick Guide

If you don’t have much time, here is a quick list of the must-have mobile apps in Nepal:

Useful Mobile Apps in Nepal

Taxi

Although Nepal does not have Uber or Grab, it has other reliable taxi apps that work great. These include taxi apps such as Pathao, inDrive, Taximandu and Tootle. Pathao and InDrive tend to be the most popular taxi apps in Nepal but the others work just as well.

  • Kathmandu: Pathao, InDrive, Taximandu and Tootle all work in Kathmandu
  • Pokhara: only inDrive works in Pokhara

There are two types of taxis you can book through the taxi apps in Nepal: car or motorbike. The motorbike taxi tends to be the cheapest, around Rs. 100-150/trip within Kathmandu. While the car taxi is also still considered pretty cheap compared to taxi prices in Europe (around Rs. 400-500/trip).

After you book your trip, the driver usually calls you to confirm the pick up location. Not all the drivers can speak English, so just keep repeating “I am at the pick up location” as they will understand that and come pick you up.

After that you can track the car as it nears to your pick up point. It is best if you have the exact cash as the driver may not have change to give you back.

Want to know how to get around Kathmandu by public transport? Check out my post on how to get around Kathmandu by public transport.

Pathao

inDrive

Taximandu

Tootle

Mobile Network Providers

Two of the network providers in Nepal are NCell or Nepal Telecom. I found their coverage more or less the same, but some trekkers have reported better coverage of Nepal Telecom in the mountains.

Either network you choose, it is best to download their mobile app as well. If you have their app, you will be able to track your data usage or top up your data.

You can buy recharge cards in small shops or top up your number through the app. After you top up your phone, check for the best data top up deals within the app.

Check out here how to get a SIM card in Nepal.

Ncell

Nepal Telecom

Public Bus Route Planner

Getting around Kathmandu by public bus can seem a bit chaotic. I usually recommend taking the public bus only if you are staying in Kathmandu for a longer period of time.

If you are just in Kathmandu for a couple of days, using taxi apps like Pathao will save you time and having to bargain for taxi prices.

If you are ready to brave the Kathmandu traffic and public bus, then the Baato Maps app gives a good idea on the bus routes. In general, there are few actual stops that are clearly marked as a bus stop in Kathmandu and often you will just have to hail the bus on the side of the road.

Baato Maps

Food Delivery

There are two Nepali apps that work well for food delivery: Foodmandu and Pathao (through Pathao you can order both food and taxis). It is best to have the exact amount of cash for the food and a little bit extra if you want to tip the delivery person.

Foodmandu

Pathao

Nepali Calendar

Do you want to follow the upcoming Nepali holidays? Check out the Hamro Patro app that has a calendar with all the upcoming Nepali holidays marked in red.

Although, it is partially in Nepali, you will be able to spot the public holidays easily in the red letters. Check out here the list of festivals and public holidays in Nepal in 2024.

Hamro Patro

Offline Maps

If you are going trekking in Nepal, make sure to download one of these offline map apps. These apps are the best for checking trekking routes offline.

You will have to download the specific maps beforehand, and afterwards, you will be able to load the map without needing a network or wifi connection.

I usually use maps.me while trekking in Nepal and it has been working great.

Maps.me

Mapy.cz

Air Quality

The air pollution can reach incredibly high levels in Kathmandu and become very unhealthy. In this app, you can keep track of the air quality in Kathmandu and other cities in Nepal.

If you spend a lot of time walking outside, it is generally best to wear a face mask so as to protect you from inhaling the dusty, polluted air. If you don’t have a reusable face mask, the price of a surgical mask is around Rs. 5-10.

IQAir AirVisual

Digital Payment

Payments through digital wallets have become very popular in Nepal in the last few years.

Mobile apps in Nepal such as eSewa, Fonepay and Khalti are accepted widely in shops, restaurants and hotels. These apps can also be used to top up your phone, buy tourist bus tickets or cinema tickets.

These Nepali apps are best if you are staying in Nepal long-term (or at least a couple of months).

I usually use eSewa to buy tourist bus tickets for my trips. It is pretty easy once you set it up – check out my guide on how to set up eSewa and buy bus tickets online.

eSewa

Fonepay

Khalti

Online Shopping

There is not really Amazon delivery in Nepal. Some businesses can get items delivered through Amazon to Nepal but to be honest the process seems a bit too much hassle.

Nepal’s local solution to online shopping is through Daraz. It does not have as wide-range of choices as Amazon but it is reliable.

Daraz

When ordering through Daraz, the delivery is quick and the items are usually delivered within 1-2 days.

The good thing about Daraz is that you can choose the option to pay cash on delivery. I recommend to choose the option to pay cash on delivery so that you only pay once your item is delivered.

Tips when ordering from Daraz:

Sometimes, Daraz does not deliver the exact item that you purchased. For example, they send the item you ordered but in a different colour.

For this reason, it is best if you open the package while the delivery guy is still there. If you did not receive the exact same item, you can return it with the delivery guy straight away.

Track Earthquakes

Nepal is prone to various natural hazards, including flooding, landslides and earthquakes. In general, there is no early warning system for earthquakes in Nepal.

So, these apps do not work as an early warning, they simply send a notification after any earthquake has happened around the world.

You can set the notifications to only show earthquakes above magnitude 5. If any earthquakes happen in Nepal, you will be able to see it in one of these apps afterwards to check the epicentre and magnitude.

My Earthquake Alerts

Earthquake

Digital Newspaper Apps

When you are abroad, it can be nice to stay up-to-date with news, especially to follow news in the country your are staying in.

Two of the biggest English language newspapers in Nepal are the Himalayan Times and the Kathmandu Post. Check out their apps to stay up to date of the news in Nepal.

The Kathmandu Post

Himalayan Times

FAQ: Mobile Apps in Nepal

In which cities is Pathao available in Nepal?

Pathao is currently only available in Kathmandu. Pathao has recently announced that they would roll out the services to an additional 17 cities across in Nepal, however, it is yet to be implemented.

If successful, the additional cities for Pathao will include Pokhara, Janakpur, Bhairahawa, Butwal, Nepalgunj, Biratnagar, and Dhahran among others.

How much is the fare per km for Pathao?

For motorbike taxi:

  • Base Fare: Rs. 30
  • Fare per km: Rs. 18.50

For car taxi:

  • Base fare: Rs. 125
  • Fare per km: Rs. 50

Does InDrive work in Nepal?

Yes, it does. InDrive operates taxi booking services in two cities in Nepal: Kathmandu and Pokhara. In fact, InDrive is the only taxi app that operates in Pokhara as of 2024.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are a couple of useful Nepali apps that are good to have while travelling in Nepal.

I would say the most important mobile apps in Nepal include taxi apps (Pathao, InDrive), mobile network apps (NCell or Nepal Telecom) and offline map apps (Maps.me).

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