Nepal is a beautiful small country located in the
foothills of the Himalayas. It is a neighboring country of India. India’s
bilateral relations with the country and Bhutan are very good. So, an Indian
can easily visit these countries without any passport or visa. There are some
of the best tourist destinations situated in the country, which attract all the
tourists of India. The article is about how
to visit Nepal from India and the required procedure for the tour.
How to visit Nepal from India
Best border to visit Nepal from India
Kathmandu is the capital city, and the neighboring
country shares its border with the states, like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
West Bengal, Bihar, and Sikkim. There are several ways to visit the country
from India by bus, train, and flight. Now arises a question: which border is best to enter Nepal from India? The most common routes to enter the
neighboring country from India are the Sonauli Border (in south Nepal), the Panitanki
Border (east Nepal), the Raxaul/birgunj Border (west Nepal), and the Jaynagar-Janakpur
Border. If your location is near West Bengal, then the nearest border will be
Raxaul-Birgunj. If your hometown is Darjeeling or you are from Northern India,
then your easiest route will be the Panitanki Border. The place is located in the
east of the country. If your location is in West Bengal, your nearest entry
will be the Raxaul border. Raxaul is a place in the Indian state of Bihar, whereas
Birgunj is a place in Nepal. If your location is in Bihar, your common route will
be Jaynagar-Janakpur. Jaynagar is a border town in India, whereas Janakpur is
in Nepal.
Sonauli Border
Sonauli is a popular city located in the Mahrajganj
district, Uttar Pradesh. The Indo-Nepal zero point is around 75 km away from the
district city of the Mahrajganj and around 90 km away from Gorakhpur.
Image: wikimedia.com
Sonauli India-Nepal Border
The Sonauli Border is the most common route used in the
India-Nepal tour. If you are in Gorakhpur or a nearby place in Uttar Pradesh,
you have to reach the Sonauli border located in south Nepal to travel to the
mountain country. You will find buses from the Maharana Bir Pratap Stachu point
to reach Sonauli gate. The bus ticket price will be around Rs.150 per person. There
will be a gate in Sonauli, and you need a valid document as an Indian to checking
in Nepal from India. After checking in Nepal, in the place called Belahiya, you
can collect a SIM card and can change currency from the city.
How to Visit Nepal by Train
You can easily reach any border or nearby area by
train from your hometown, which is nearest your location. If your location is in
Uttar Pradesh, you can visit Nepal via Sonauli. Sonauli is a common border
route in Uttar Pradesh. Nautanwa Railway Station is the nearest railway station,
only 7 km away from Sonauli Border. Nautanwa is well connected with Gorakhpur
city by rail.
If your location is in Bihar in India, your nearest
entry border will be Jaynagar. You will have to reach Jaynagar Railway Station
by train from your hometown. You will find a train from Joynagar to Janakpur.
Joynagar is the last station in India and it is the popular Indo-Nepal border.
Kolkata to Nepal by train
You can visit Nepal from Kolkata by train and bus. The
nearest Nepal–India border is Raxaul. There are two trains from Kolkata Howrah
station to Raxaul. One is the Howrah-Raxaul
Express, Train No. 13043, which runs 2 days a week, Wednesday and Friday,
departs HWH station at 23:00, and arrives in Raxaul at 13:35; the travel time
is 14 h 35 min. The other train, Mithila
Express, train No. 13021, which runs daily from Hawrah station to Raxaul,
departs HWH at 15:50, and arrives in RXL 9:15; the travel time is 17 h 25 min.
You will go to the entry gate in Nepal by auto rickshaw. After crossing the India
border, your entry will be Birgunj in Nepal. There will be buses available to
reach major cities in Nepal.
How to Visit Nepal by Road
If you want to visit Nepal by road with a personal
car, you have to go to visit your nearest border and enter Nepal by showing
your ID proof. You have to make an RTO permit, which is Bonshar, and you have
to need for entry car or Bike. You will have to collect a form from the Bonshar
office of Rs.100, situated in the Nepal Border. After filling out the form, the
form must be submitted to the Bonshar office, along with a payment of Rs.400
per day as RTO fees.
Delhi to Kathmandu
You can also visit New Delhi to Kathmandu by Flight.
Kathmandu is the capital city in Nepal. The distance from New Delhi to
Kathmandu is around 960 km by air, and travel time will be around 2 h 40
minutes. An Indian can visit Nepal without a passport or visa, and needs only a
valid Indian document like a voter ID for airport check-in. (in some cases, an
Aadhar card is not allowed). You can change your currency at the Airport.
Delhi to Kathmandu by train
You can also travel by train from Delhi to Nepal. There
are several trains that run from Delhi to Raxaul (Border). These are as
follows:
Satyagrah
Express
You will find a train, Satyagrah Express (15274) runs
daily from Ananda Bihar Railway Station to Raxaul. The train departs from Delhi at 5:25 PM and
arrives at Raxaul at 5:00 PM the next day; the travel time is around 23 hours and
35 minutes, and the distance is around 955 km. From Raxaul, to enter Nepal,
Birgunj, and then reach Kathmandu.
Sadhbhawna
Express
Another train, Sadhbhawna Express (14016), runs every Sunday
and Friday from New Delhi Station and departs the station at 4:25 PM and
arrives at Raxaul, the next day at 10:00 PM, with a journey time of 1 day 5 h
35 minutes.
Jygfetsival
Special
The train runs from New Delhi station every Wednesday
and Saturday at 9:20 AM and reaches Raxaul at 4:42 AM; the journey time is 19 h
22 minutes.
Best time to visit Nepal
You can visit the destination all year round, but the
best time will be from October to May; at that time the weather will be
pleasant and comfortable. The tour in the rainy season will be a little bit in a
hilly place.
Required Documents
Indians do not need a passport or visa to travel to
Nepal. Indians can also visit another neighboring country, Bhutan, without a
passport and visa. You need a voter ID, a Pan card, an Aadhar card (any valid
document), and 2 copy photos (passport-size).