If you are looking to head from Tribhuvan International Airport to the centre of Kathmandu by taxi, there are a few things to take into account. We will talk about the price, where to get a taxi, how to buy prepaid taxis, and whether you can take prepaid taxis from Kathmandu Airport to other cities. 

What is the prepaid taxi service at Tribhuvan International Airport?

The prepaid taxi service at Tribhuvan International Airport is a great way to get to your destination quickly and without any hassle. Simply pay the fare in advance, and you’ll be whisked away to your hotel or other destination in no time. In addition, you will not need to haggle with taxi drivers outside of the airport, and you will pay a fair price for your taxi ride.

Where to buy your prepaid taxi from Kathmandu Airport?

There are two desks in Kathmandu Airport where you can buy your prepaid taxi ticket. The first one can be found just outside the luggage collection hall. Walk through customs and head to the Taxi desk in front of you. We almost always use a prepaid taxi and notice that this desk is not always staffed. If nobody is to be found at this desk, walk through the long carpeted hall towards the elevators. Here you will find a few local shops, such as a liquor store, a sim card shop, a travel agent, and another desk for the prepaid taxis in Kathmandu. Again, this desk will always be staffed.

How much is a prepaid taxi at Kathmandu Airport?

Behind the sales clerk, you will see a large board with different prices. For example, a trip to Thamel will cost you about 700 NPR, while going to Patan or Jhamsikhel will set you back 800 NPR. This means that the prices are slightly higher than when using Uber or Lyft-like services such as Pathao. However, we do not always seem to get a Pathao from the airport (to the airport is no problem), so we take a prepaid taxi instead.

It is important to mention there is a 100 NPR surcharge ($1) if you are requesting a taxi after 21:30.

Where to get your prepaid taxi at Tribhuvan International Airport?

Once you have bought your prepaid taxi ticket at Tribhuvan International Airport, you take your ticket, and your luggage down the walkalator (do not use the elevators, even if they ask you to. It will take ages!) walk outside. Turn right out of the door towards the taxi stand – do not cross the road. A man with a large wad of the same tickets as yours will help you get a taxi driver. Most airport taxis are large and can hold quite a lot of luggage!

Can you haggle with the taxi drivers outside Tribhuvan International Airport?

You are free to try and haggle down the price of a taxi ride outside of Tribhuvan International Airport. Take the prepaid taxi price as a place to start – especially since that price is a tad higher than you would normally pay (50 to 100 NPR, not much). Do keep in mind you might not go back to the airport to buy a ticket. There often is a guy outside by the taxis holding a wad of pink papers where you might be able to buy a prepaid taxi ticket.

Can you get prepaid taxis to other cities?

Yes! You can get prepaid taxis to other cities as well! Simply ask the people at the desk how much it would cost you. Coincidentally my husband and I did this last year when we were due to fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur from the domestic terminal. Unfortunately, our flight was canceled, and we needed to get to Chitwan that day. We had called a travel agent we knew, and although they could take us to Chitwan for 8000, they had nobody available. The price at the prepaid taxi rank was 10.000, but we were able to haggle down the price to 8000 after talking to a taxi driver directly.

Would you recommend taking a prepaid taxi to another city from Nepal Airport?

Taking a prepaid taxi to another city from Kathmandu Airport is not always recommended. Why? Because they can be more expensive than a hotel transfer.

When heading to Bhaktapur, it is good to ask your hotel for a hotel transfer. When we were tourists here, we were quoted $50 one way (omg) from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur by a taxi service here in Kathmandu, which ultimately meant that we canceled our trip Bhaktapur. Our local taxi guy is not cheap, but he is reliable, and he charged us $25 (or $30 after covid) there and back in the past. However, last time, the hotel we stayed at quoted us $8 to drop us back of in Lalitpur! So we stayed in Shiva Guesthouse, which is my favorite hotel in Bhaktapur!

If you want to head to Pokhara, I would recommend flying. The flight takes about 30 minutes from take-off to landing, while driving to Pokhara will take you 6 to 9 hours (with 6 being a lucky exception). The roads are not great, and if you often suffer from car sickness, I would advise against it as cars and busses weave through traffic on a one-lane road. I hate it.