Visa and Airport Information

Unless you are a citizen of Nepal or India, you will need a visa to enter Nepal. You are welcome to obtain this from the Embassy of Nepal in your home country. However, Nepal also offers visa-on-arrival facilities to citizens of most countries. For this you will need to carry US$ 30 in cash, and two passport size photos. You will receive the application form before landing in Kathmandu, and you will need to stand in the typically slower-moving visa on arrival line at airport immigration.

Please note that visa-on-arrival is NOT available to citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Somalia, Ethiopia, Liberia, Cameroon, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Nigeria. If you are a citizen of one of these countries you will need to obtain your visa before flying to Nepal.

For more information please visit http://www.nepalimmigration.gov.np/.
Please note: For those travelers who are government employees required to travel on an Official Passport, you will need to work through your agency to obtain the appropriate paperwork to apply for a visa well in advance of your trip. Please make sure to carry the invitation letter along with you at immigration in case of any queries.

Kathmandu airport is quite small, if you are lucky you can be out within 20 minutes after landing. But if many flights have landed before yours, it may take 1-2 hours to clear immigration and customs.

Currency exchange
Hotels, airlines, travel agencies and major department stores take international credit cards. Otherwise, most transactions in Kathmandu require cash (in Nepali Rupees). We recommend that you change money at the airport bank counter upon arrival. There are commercial banks within a few kilometers of the hotels, but their working hours are limited, you might not be able to go during the meeting. The hotel front desk can also change money. ATMs are common around Kathmandu. However, ATM machines in Nepal typically only provide small amounts (~USD120) per transaction with foreign cards, and your ATM fees might add up. Exchange rates fluctuate. At the time of writing it is about ~103 Nepali Rupees to the US dollar.

Electricity
Electricity service throughout Nepal is 220 Volts AC, 50 Hz. You will find different types of power plugs used in Nepal, including continental European and British ones. If you plan to use equipment from your county such as a personal computer or mobile phone, we recommend that you to bring a plug adapter.

Weather, Clothing, and Shoes
December is the beginning of the winter season. The average high temperatures are around 11°C reaching highs on average of 18°C and dropping to an average minimum temperature of 4°C.  During the winter, nights can get quite chilly, generally dipping to the freezing temperature, so make sure you have warm clothes with you.
Kathmandu is at 1325 meters above sea level (4300 ft), at 27.7 degrees north. The sun can be intense, bring appropriate sun protection.  Many streets in Kathmandu are uneven and dusty or muddy, so bring appropriate walking shoes. There are also opportunities for short hikes nearby.