Kathmandu to Pokhara by Bus: The 2026 Backpacker Guide

The bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara is about 200 km. On paper that's a six or seven hour ride. In 2026 it's usually eight to ten, and sometimes twelve, because the Prithvi Highway is still being widened in sections and traffic backs up at the bottlenecks. If you go in expecting that, the trip is fine. It might even be one of the better days you spend in Nepal: river gorges, terraced hills, a dal bhat lunch stop and a bus full of people heading to the same lake as you.

Here's what we'd tell a friend before they booked.

The short version

• Bus: tourist bus, departs around 7:00 AM from Sorhakhutte (Kantipath side of Thamel, a short walk west)
• Price: approx NPR 1,200–1,800 for a standard or VIP sofa bus, more for premium
• Time: plan for 8–10 hours
• Arrives: Tourist Bus Park in Pokhara, about 2 km from Lakeside
• Book: the day before, through your hostel or any travel desk in Thamel

Your options, honestly compared

Tourist bus (what most backpackers take)

This is the default, and for good reason. Tourist buses leave from Sorhakhutte every morning, all at roughly the same time, so the street turns into a long line of buses and porters throwing backpacks on the roof. You get an assigned seat, a breakfast stop and a lunch stop.

There are a few grades, and the names (deluxe, VIP, luxury, premium) get used loosely. The thing that actually matters is the seats. Ask the agent whether it's a "sofa" bus with 2x1 seating or a regular 2x2. Sofa buses cost a bit more and are worth it on a long day.

Rough prices for 2026 (approx, they move with fuel prices and season):

• Standard / deluxe 2x2: NPR 1,200–1,400
• VIP sofa 2x1: NPR 1,600–1,800
• Premium (lunch, water, fewer seats): NPR 2,100–3,500

Companies you'll see on the tickets include Mountain Overland, Swift Holidays and Pokhara Jagadamba. Jagadamba launched a new VIP service in late 2025 with electric reclining seats, priced at NPR 1,700 without lunch or NPR 2,100 with lunch. Some travellers report foreigners being quoted higher on premium buses, so check what's included before you pay.

One thing we'd flag: you'll still find blogs telling you to take Greenline. Several up-to-date guides say Greenline no longer runs this route. Don't hand anyone money for a "Greenline ticket" without seeing the bus company's name on the receipt.

Local bus or microbus

Cheaper, roughly NPR 700–1,000, and they leave from Gongabu (New Bus Park) or Kalanki throughout the day. They stop constantly and the seats are tight. If you're on a really tight budget and don't mind standing for a stretch, it works. For a first trip, we wouldn't.

Night bus

Some operators run evening departures (around 7–8 PM) from Balaju area. You save a hostel night. You also lose the view, which is half the reason to go by road, and night driving on this highway isn't something we'd choose. Your call.

Flying

Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines both fly Kathmandu to Pokhara, about 25–30 minutes in the air, landing at the domestic airport a short taxi ride from Lakeside. Foreigners pay a dollar fare that's many times the bus price (check the airline sites for the current fare; it changes a lot). If you've only got a few days in Nepal, flying makes sense. If you've got two weeks and a backpacker budget, take the bus.

How to book

Book the day before. Every hostel in Thamel has a travel desk or a friend with one, and they'll sell you a ticket for the morning bus. The online booking sites exist, but plenty of travellers say walking into an agent is cheaper and just as reliable.

A few tips:

• Ask for a seat in the front half. The back bounces more, and on a road this rough you'll feel it.
• Check the seat number on the ticket. There's a common story of two passengers holding the same seat number. Having it written down helps.
• Ask the price at two or three desks. We've seen the same bus sold with a few hundred rupees difference between agents. Hotel desks tend to be the priciest.
• Peak season fills up. October, November and March–April are busy. Book two days ahead if you can.

If you're staying at Alobar1000, Hello KTM Hostel or Rest Up Kathmandu, you're close enough to walk to the buses in the morning. That's a big part of why we like staying in Thamel the night before. Browse more options on our Kathmandu hostels page.

The morning of the trip

Be at Sorhakhutte by 6:30 AM. The buses are parked in a long row along the road and your ticket will have a bus number on it. Ask a porter or the bus staff, they'll point you right.

Your big bag goes on the roof or in the hold. Keep a day bag with you with:

• Water (at least a litre)
• Snacks. Biscuits and a couple of bananas go a long way during traffic jams
• A power bank. The USB port above your seat may or may not work
• A scarf or buff for dust
• Motion sickness tablets if you get queasy. The road out of the valley is all switchbacks
• Small notes for the food stops and toilets (approx NPR 20–50 for toilets)

Grab a tea and a sel roti from one of the stalls if you have time. You won't be eating again for a few hours.

What the ride is actually like

The first hour is the slowest. Getting out of Kathmandu, through Kalanki and up over the valley rim at Naubise, can take a long time if traffic is bad. After that the road drops down to the Trishuli River and follows it for a long stretch. This is the pretty part: rafting camps, suspension bridges, small roadside towns.

Breakfast is usually around 9:00–9:30 AM at a roadside restaurant. Lunch is somewhere past Mugling, where the road to Chitwan splits off. Mugling is also where delays are most likely, so if you're going to be stuck, it'll probably be around there.

Lunch at the stop is usually a dal bhat set. The price is set by the restaurant, and expect to pay tourist rates (approx NPR 400–700). It's not the best dal bhat you'll have in Nepal. It's fine. Refills are normal.

The last stretch from Damauli to Pokhara is greener and flatter, and on a clear day you start seeing the Annapurnas and Machhapuchhre poking above the hills. Sit on the right side for the river views on the way out. That side gets more sun, though, so on a hot day the left side is cooler.

Arriving in Pokhara

Tourist buses finish at the Tourist Bus Park, which is about 2 km from Lakeside. You can walk it in roughly 40–45 minutes if you're travelling light. Most people grab a taxi, which costs around NPR 300 (approx; agree on the price before you get in). Some buses go on to drop off nearer Lakeside, so ask the driver's helper.

Lakeside is where nearly every backpacker stays. It's walkable, close to the boat docks on Phewa Lake, and full of cafés and trekking shops. A few hostels we've listed that are easy to reach from the bus park:

• Lazy Lads Backpackers Hostel, Lakeside
• Hostel The Billabong Garden, Lakeside
• Hostel Nepal, Lakeside
• International Youth Hostel, Pokhara

See all of them on our Pokhara hostels page. If it's your first time there, our Pokhara travel guide covers what to do once you've dropped your bag.

Going back: Pokhara to Kathmandu

It works the same way in reverse. Tourist buses leave Pokhara's Tourist Bus Park at around 7:00–7:30 AM, and your hostel can book you a ticket the day before. Many include a free pickup from Lakeside, so ask. Coming into Kathmandu in the afternoon can be slow, and the drop-off is back near Sorhakhutte, close to Thamel.

What it'll cost you, all in

For a one-way trip on a VIP sofa bus, a realistic day looks like this (approx):

• Bus ticket: NPR 1,600–1,800
• Breakfast and tea: NPR 250–400
• Lunch: NPR 400–700
• Snacks and water: NPR 200
• Taxi to Lakeside: NPR 300

That's around NPR 2,750–3,400, or roughly USD 20–25. For a full daily budget across Nepal, see our Nepal on a budget guide.

Our take

Take the tourist bus, pay the extra few hundred for a sofa seat, book through your hostel the day before, and don't plan anything for the evening you arrive. You'll be tired, and Lakeside at sunset is the best place to be tired in Nepal.

Cover photo: Pokhara-bound tourist bus at a rest stop, by calflier001, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.