How to Travel to Janakpur, Nepal (By Bus, Flight)
Looking for information on how to travel to Janakpur?
I’ve got you covered! I travelled between Kathmandu-Janakpur as well as Pokhara-Janakpur, and if you go by bus, you should be prepared for a long journey.
Janakpur is 220 km south-east of Kathmandu, near the border with India. You can travel to Janakpur either bus bus, minivan or flight. The easiest way to travel to Janakpur is from Kathmandu as the two cities are connected by direct flights and buses.
The bus from Kathmandu to Janakpur takes around 12 hours and costs Rs. 1,000-1,200. The minivan (Hiace) from Kathmandu to Janakpur takes around 8-9 hours and costs Rs. 1,100. While, the flight from Kathmandu to Janakpur takes 25 minutes and costs USD 57 (Rs. 7,500) for foreigners and Rs. 4,200 for Nepali citizens.
Here is everything you need to know about how to travel to Janakpur!
How to Travel to Janakpur
Janakpur is well connected to Kathmandu and so the easiest is to travel to Janakpur from Kathmandu. From Kathmandu, there are direct flights, buses or minivans.
If you plan to travel to Janakpur from other places in Nepal (such as Pokhara or Chitwan), there are no direct flights or buses, so the journey will take slightly longer.
How to Travel from Kathmandu to Janakpur
Kathmandu to Janakpur Distance
Janakpur is about 220 km from Kathmandu. The two cities are connected by night buses and minivans (day-time) that go on a daily basis.
Kathmandu to Janakpur Bus
All the buses going from Kathmandu to Janakpur are night buses. The night buses leave around 5 pm from Kalanki and Gaushala in Kathmandu. Some of the buses also stop at the Gongabu Bus Park.
The bus passes through the Ring Road from Gaushala to Kalanki, so if you live near the Ring Road, you can also call the bus company and may be able to get them to pick you up at your stop (e.g. Swoyambhu).
Once in Janakpur, get off at Ramamand Chowk, as it is the closest stop to the touristy area.
Kathmandu to Janakpur Bus Time
The night bus leaves 5-6 pm and from Kathmandu and takes around 12 hours to get to Janakpur. The bus usually arrives in Janakpur around 6 am the next morning.
It takes this long as the bus goes around in a loop towards Mugling and Bharatpur (west of Kathmandu) and then it turns east towards Janakpur.
This is because only the highway to the west of Kathmandu is built “wide enough” for buses to drive on.
Kathmandu to Janakpur Bus Ticket Price
The price of the bus ticket from Kathmandu to Janakpur costs Rs. 1,000-1,200.
Kathmandu to Janakpur Hiace (Minivan)
If you prefer to travel during day-time, there are minivans that leave in the morning. The minivans leave around 7-8 am in the morning from Kathmandu and take around 8 hours to get to Janakpur. The price of the ticket for the minivans is Rs. 1,100 from Kathmandu to Janakpur.
The minivans take a shorter time to get to Janakpur as they go on a shorter route. The shorter route goes towards the east of Kathmandu (passing by Bhaktapur and Dhulikhel) and then all the way down to Janakpur.
This road is narrower and has many loops, which usually makes many people sick in the minivan. If you tend to get motion sickness, make sure to be careful not to eat much in the first half of the trip and have plastic bags ready in case you get sick.
Kathmandu to Janakpur Flight
There are daily flights between Kathmandu and Janakpur. It is a short 25-minute flight and costs USD 57 (Rs. 7,500) for foreigners and Rs. 4,200 for Nepali citizens.
How to Travel from Pokhara to Janakpur
Pokhara to Janakpur Distance
Janakpur is 382 km from Pokhara. There are no direct buses connecting Pokhara to Janakpur, so first you have to take a bus to Butwal.
Pokhara to Janakpur Bus
Bus Route:
➡️ Pokhara to Butwal, then from Butwal to Janakpur
Getting from Pokhara to Janakpur is a bit trickier as there are no direct buses. The best option is to take a bus from Pokhara to Butwal (via Waling or Syangja) and then change to another bus from Butwal to Pokhara.
Pokhara to Butwal (via Waling or Syangja):
When you book the bus ticket from Pokhara to Butwal, it is important that you book the bus that goes via Waling or Syangja. This bus will take you straight from Pokhara down south to Butwal. This is the shorter route.
There are some other buses that go from Pokhara to Butwal via Narayangadh – these buses go towards Mugling (east) and then down to Butwal which takes much longer.
There are buses leaving in the morning around 8 am, as well as in the evening around 8 pm from the Tourist Bus Park in Pokhara to Butwal. The bus ticket from Pokhara to Butwal costs between Rs. 800-1,200.
Once you get to Butwal, the bus from Butwal to Janakpur leaves from the Butwal Bus Park.
Butwal to Janakpur:
Once you are in Butwal, there is a night bus that goes daily to Janakpur. It is an AC/Deluxe bus and costs around Rs. 1,400.
This is the only bus that directly connects Butwal to Janakpur and it leaves from the Butwal Bus Park at 6:45 pm in the evening. In total, it takes around 12 hours to get from Butwal to Janakpur.
Pokhara to Janakpur Flight
There are no direct flights from Pokhara to Janakpur, so if you really want to go by plane, then first you would have to fly to Kathmandu and then take another flight to Janakpur.
How to Travel from Chitwan to Janakpur
Chitwan to Janakpur Distance
Janakpur is 239 km from Sauraha (Chitwan). There is no direct bus from Sauraha to Janakpur, but you can take a local bus from Sauraha to Ratnanagar (1 hour) and then take a bus from there to Janakpur.
Chitwan to Janakpur Bus
Getting from Chitwan to Janakpur is also a bit tricky as you will have to change buses. First, you will have to take the bus from Sauraha Bus Park to Ratnanagar and then change buses to go to Janakpur.
If you are coming from Sauraha, the best way is to get the bus ticket through a travel agent. As the bus you will have to catch in Ratnanagar is coming from other cities in Nepal (Butwal), you will have to give a call to the bus to make sure they pick you up in Ratnanagar.
So for this reason, it is best if a travel agency handles getting your ticket to make sure that the pick up location is correct and that the bus is aware to stop for you in Ratnanagar.
Where to Get on the Bus in Chitwan (Sauraha)?
First, you will have to take a bus from the Tourist Bus Park in Sauraha to Ratnanagar (max 1 hour by bus). Once in Ratnanagar, you can change to another bus at the Sauraha Chowk in Ratnanagar.
Chitwan to Janakpur Flight
There is no direct flight from Bharatpur (Chitwan) to Janakpur, and so first you’d have to fly to Kathmandu, and then to Janakpur.
Buses in Nepal
There are no tourist buses operating to Janakpur, only Deluxe/AC buses or minivans. Nepal has mountainous roads so in many cases, bus travel in Nepal can take up the whole day.
The Deluxe/AC buses are not as comfortable as the tourist buses but they are still not too bad. Sometimes, the Deluxe/AC buses are almost as good as the tourist buses. (Except for the sofa seat tourist buses, which are the most comfortable!)
As the bus journeys can take long hours, sometimes, even the tourist buses can feel uncomfortable. This is due to the bumpy roads and long hours on the bus.
⚡ Get your power bank now so you don’t have to worry about charging your phone on long bus rides in Nepal!
How to Buy the Bus Ticket to Janakpur
If it’s your first time in Nepal, the easiest way to get a bus ticket is if you buy it at a travel agency or ask your hotel to arrange it for you.
Travel Agency: There are many travel agencies in big cities in Nepal (Kathmandu, Pokhara, Sauraha/Chitwan) selling tourist bus tickets. It is quick and easy to buy the ticket through an agency, though usually they will charge a higher price as they also add commission to the price.
At Your Hotel: Most of the hotels can also arrange a bus ticket for you. Just ask at the reception and they will be able to get the bus ticket for you.
Online on BusSewa: It is also possible to buy bus tickets online on BusSewa.com. The platform is easy to use and you can pay for the ticket with an international bank card. It is usually best to just buy the bus ticket 1-2 days ahead of travel and here you can read my tips and tricks for booking bus tickets online in Nepal.
Browsing Bus Tickets Online in Nepal
If you just want to browse bus tickets online, you can also use BusSewa.com. BusSewa is a great platform and easy to use. You can use it to browse bus schedules, tickets and prices, even if at the end you prefer to buy the bus ticket from a travel agency in person.
How to Buy Flight Tickets in Nepal
Buddha Air is considered as one of Nepal’s more trusted airlines. Check out Buddha Air’s website for schedules and prices.
Tips for Taking a Flight in Nepal
Book a Morning Flight
Flights often get delayed or cancelled due to bad weather in Nepal. The earlier your flight is, the most chance you have of flying out that day.
Once the weather clears, they start the flights take off in the order they were supposed to fly.
This means that if you were going to fly on the first flight in the morning, your flight will be the first one to fly out. If you were on a later flight, your flight might get delayed to the next day.
Hotels in Janakpur
📍 Best Mid-Range Hotel: Hotel Welcome
Things to Do in Janakpur
Janakpur is mostly famous for its Hindu temples and those coming here to perform praying ceremonies. Here are some of the best places to visit and things to do in Janakpur:
- Janaki Mandir (Janaki Temple)
- Shree Ram Janaki Biwah Mandir
- Shop for Mithila paintings
- Try Indian street food and sweets
- Janakpurdham Railway Station (Nepal’s Only Railway Station)
Nepal Transport Guide
Looking for information on how to get to other destinations in Nepal? Check out my transport guides:
- How to Get from Pokhara to Kathmandu
- How to Get from Kathmandu to Pokhara
- 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 Tansen (Palpa)
- How to Get to Lumbini
- How to Get to Gorkha
- How to Get to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
FAQs: How to Travel to Janakpur
How far is Janakpur from Kathmandu?
Janakpur is 220 km from Kathmandu and it takes around 12 hours to get there by bus. The flights takes only 25 minutes from Kathmandu to Janakpur, and in addition, you can also take a minivan which takes around 8 hours.
Is there any train from Janakpur to Kathmandu?
No, there is no train from Janakpur to Kathmandu. Janakpur is the only city in Nepal that has a railway station, however, it is a small railway network, only connecting Janakpur to India.
How much is the ticket from Janakpur to Kathmandu?
If you travel from Janakpur to Kathmandu, the ticket price of the night bus costs Rs. 1,000-1,200. The price of the ticket for minivan costs Rs. 1,100, while the flight ticket costs USD 57 (Rs. 7,500) for foreigners and Rs. 4,200 for Nepali citizens.
How long is the bus from Kathmandu to Janakpur?
The bus from Kathmandu to Janakpur takes around 12 hours to get there. The buses usually leave at 5-6 pm in the afternoon from Kathmandu and arrive around 6 am the next morning.
How many kilometers from Pokhara to Janakpur?
Janakpur is 382 km from Pokhara. There are no direct buses connecting Pokhara to Janakpur, so first you have to take a bus to Butwal. Then, once you are in Butwal, you can change to another bus from Butwal to Janakpur.
Conclusion
Janakpur is about 220 km south-east of Kathmandu, near the border with India. You can travel to Janakpur either bus bus, minivan or flight. The easiest way to travel to Janakpur is from Kathmandu as the two cities are connected by direct flights and buses.
The night bus from Kathmandu to Janakpur takes around 12 hours and costs Rs. 1,000-1,200. The minivan (Hiace) from Kathmandu to Janakpur takes around 8-9 hours and costs Rs. 1,100. While, the flight from Kathmandu to Janakpur takes 25 minutes and costs USD 57 (Rs. 7,500) for foreigners and Rs. 4,200 for Nepali citizens.
