Cash, cards, SIMs and wifi in Nepal, and what to sort out before you trek
There are no ATMs above the road head, teahouses don't take cards, and your signal stops before the good views start. Plan for all three.
By the Lakeshore team · 6 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
I'm the person who answers the phone here, and these are the questions I get most in the week before someone arrives. None of them are exciting, but they'll all affect your trip more than the brand of your jacket.
Take more cash than you think, in smaller notes than you think, and assume you'll be offline for the top few days of any trek.
The rest of this page is what I tell people on the phone.
Cash on the trail
There are no ATMs above the road head on any trek we run, and teahouses don't take cards. Whatever cash you carry in has to last you for two weeks.
Budget roughly 1,500 to 2,500 rupees a day on top of your package for hot showers, device charging, wifi vouchers, drinks, snacks and the odd beer. You'll spend less if you skip the shower and the beer. Prices climb steeply with altitude, because everything up there arrived on somebody's back.
Bring it in small notes. Nobody at 4,000 m can change a 1,000 rupee note at breakfast, and it's the single complaint we hear most often. Break your big notes in Pokhara before you leave.
ATMs and changing money
Pokhara and Kathmandu have plenty of ATMs. The limit per withdrawal is lower than most visitors expect and each withdrawal carries a fee, so take out the maximum each time instead of making several small withdrawals.
Bring some USD or EUR cash as a backup. Card networks go down, and if a machine eats your card on a Friday evening, your whole weekend goes with it.
Tell your bank you're travelling. A blocked card is worse here than at home, because you often can't fall back on a second payment method.
SIM cards and signal
Ncell and Nepal Telecom both sell tourist SIMs at the airport and in town. You need your passport and a photo. NTC usually has better coverage in the mountains, and Ncell is often faster in the cities. Data is cheap by most visitors' standards.
On the Annapurna routes you'll have patchy signal up to about Chhomrong and very little above it. On Mardi's ridge and at Annapurna Base Camp, assume you'll have none. In the Khumbu there's a separate paid mountain network along the main trail. Before you leave, tell people at home which stretch you'll be out of contact for, and agree when you'll next check in. Two days of silence is normal on a trek, and terrifying for a parent who wasn't warned.
Charging and wifi
Lodges charge per device per hour, and it gets expensive high up where the power is solar. A power bank solves it. Pay to charge the bank, then charge everything else from it.
Cold flattens batteries fast. On cold nights, sleep with your phone and power bank inside your sleeping bag, because a phone left on a windowsill at 4,000 m can be dead by morning.
Wifi is sold by voucher on the main routes. It's slow, and it stops completely near the top. Download your maps, books and music before you leave Pokhara.
Paying us, and paying for things generally
We take a deposit to hold your dates and permits, and the balance before you start walking. You get a written breakdown first, with government permit fees on a separate line. Ask us which payment methods work for your dates.
In Lakeside, the bigger restaurants and shops take cards, usually with a surcharge. Small shops, taxis and everything on the trail are cash only. Keep small notes for taxis and tea. That habit alone makes a week in Nepal run smoothly, and it takes five minutes at a bank.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
How much cash should I take on a two-week trek?
Roughly 25,000 to 35,000 rupees for daily extras and tips, plus a contingency. Take it in 100s, 500s and a few 1,000s, not all in large notes.
Can I pay for the trek by card?
Ask us when you enquire. We'll tell you which methods we can take and mention any card surcharge up front, instead of adding it quietly later.
Is Nepali currency available outside Nepal?
Rarely, and you don't need it. Bring USD or EUR and change it here, or use an ATM when you land.
Do I need a SIM if I have roaming?
A local SIM is far cheaper and usually has better coverage in the mountains. Buying it takes ten minutes with a passport and a photo.
Is there wifi at Annapurna Base Camp?
Sometimes, slowly, and for a fee. Plan to be offline from Deurali upward, and enjoy the quiet.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates, and we'll tell you whether Permits & TIMS Service is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830