Cost to expect for route in the Kathmandu valley, and North India...

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Barnak
Barnak

Hello all,

I'm planning a solo trip in Kathmandu's valley for this summer (total time of 3.5 to 4 weeks in jully), followed by an extension to India (2.5 weeks in the end of jully, start of august). I need to know what cost should I expect for everything : typical guest house/hotel, restaurants, and transport for the various sites listed below. Take note that I'm looking for modest but clean hotel rooms (2 to 3 stars hotels). No luxury hotels (4 stars and up) ! The numbers shown below aren't the day number, but just a chronological order.

0 - Arrival in Thamel.  Some rest.
1- Visit of Swayambunath, which is close to Thamel.
2- Visit of Buddhanath (big white stupa).
3- Visit of Pashupatinath (cremations site).
4- Buddhanilkantha Temple (sleeping vishnou).
5- Move to Bakthapur (change of hotel).
6- Visit of Panauti.
7- Visit of Namo Buddha (monastery).
8-  Return to Bakhtapur.  Some rest.
9- Nagarkot (what to see there ?).
10- Changu Narayan (is this place damaged by the 2015 earthquake ?).
11- Return to Bakhtapur.  Some rest.
12- Patan (this site was devastated)
13- Kirtipur (what to see there ?).
14- Chobhar (temples and caves).
15- Khokana (is this place devastated by the 2015 earthqauke ?).
16- Pharping (temples and caves).
17- Dakshinkali (sacrifice temple).

The Nepal part would last a total of about 3,5 to 4 weeks (24 to 28 days). I'll then take a plane from Kathmandu to Varanasi (India) :

18- Flight from Kathmandou to Varanasi. Some rest.
19- Full week in Varanasi. I would like to do some Yoga there.
20- Varanasi to Bodh Gaya with a private driver.
21- One or two days in Bodh Gaya.
22- Flight from Bodh Gaya to Delhi. Transfer to Rishikesh (flight and car).
24- Full week in Rishikesh. I would like to do some Yoga there.
25- Return to Delhi (car and flight).
26- Back home.

The India part would last a total of about 2.5 weeks (approx 18 days).

So how much money (in US$) should I bring with me ? How much should I expect to pay for the Nepal part, and for the India part ?

Take note that this trip would be done during the monsoon. So I do expect some heavy rain and some hot temperatures, especially in India. How hot do you think it would be, in Bodh Gaya, Varanasi and Rishikesh ? I'm planning to do some Yoga in Varanasi and Rishikesh.

Any comments about this planned trip ? Any advice ?

Edited by Barnak
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Pirate_At_50
Pirate_At_50

So how much money (in US$) should I bring with me ?

Were it me (and it has been 3 times to Nepal so far), I'd have $100 or so stashed and use my ATM card.

Every form of addiction is bad, no matter if it is alcohol, morphine or idealism - Carl Jung
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Barnak
Barnak
In response to #1

You trust the cash distributors in Nepal and India, while your bank acount is in America ? What if you're there and it's not working ? And if it's working, what about the change rate ? You may pay a lot for the service.

Edited by Barnak
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Pirate_At_50
Pirate_At_50

Welcome to Thorn Tree.

If you weren't brand new, those would be really lousy questions. But since I've been using my ATM card CONTINUOUSLY in Europe and Asia for over 8 years now, we'll cut a little slack. I even have 15k in Nepali rupees for when I arrive in May.

Get yourself a decent card at a decent bank and the time, energy & money you'll save haggling with the money-changing crooks will be plentiful. You don't think that they work for free, do you? And running around with a huge bundle of American dollars invites trouble.

Every form of addiction is bad, no matter if it is alcohol, morphine or idealism - Carl Jung
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landfall38
landfall38

#2 & #3: both posts have some valid points. We have found ATM rates to be reasonable, and personally have not had errors between Nepal ATM and our NA banks.

However, ATMs in Nepal do not always work; and sometime specific cards (from a "decent" bank) haven't worked, so we switched to a different card (we always carry cards from 2 different banks). More practically, getting enough cash for a long trek will require multiple withdrawals at max amount, taking multiple days. Not everyone wishes to wait several days in Kathmandu until enough rupees obtained.

We don't find dealing with moneychangers in Nepal a problem (and there are also banks).

When trekking, one must carry funds in cash, almost all in rupees. With few exceptions (perhaps Namche), depending on ATMs and/or exchanging foreign currency on the trek would be difficult to impossible.

Edited by landfall38
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Barnak
Barnak
In response to #3

Get yourself a decent card at a decent bank and the time, energy & money you'll save haggling with the money-changing crooks will be plentiful. You don't think that they work for free, do you? And running around with a huge bundle of American dollars invites trouble.

Oh well, yes, it would make my life easier if I could only bring a few dollars only, before finding a cash machine.

But then, where in Kathmandu, Bakthapur and other major places in the Kathmandu's valley are located the cash machines ? And do they recognize the Cirrus/Maestro/Interac protocols ?

Also, I may need the same in India, in Varanasi, Bodh Gaya and Rishikesh.

EDIT : My questions are also about the cost of modest/clean hotel/guest houses in the Kathmandu's valley, and the price of a typical good meal, and the price of taxis to bring me from, say, Thamel to Bakhtapur, and back.

Hotel room : is 10$US/night for a reasonable three stars hotel ? Or more in the 30$US range ? Or course, I may need to negociate the price, but what to expect ? I'm on a tight budget here.

Typical good meal : 5$US, 10$US ? Or much less ?

1L mineral water bottle : is 1$US right ? Or is it 2$ or more for the tourists ?

Taxi transport from Thamel to Bakhtapur : is it around 10$US ? I know that I'll need to bargain with the driver, but what should I expect to get, typically ?

I'll have to go from Bakhtapur to other places in the valley (Panauti, Namo Bouddha, Changu Narayan, etc. See the list above). So what cost for the various typical hotel, meal and transport ?

Edited by Barnak
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Pirate_At_50
Pirate_At_50

This time I booked using Agoda.com. Any price you want is on there.

Guidebooks have all the simple things. I understand that Lonely Planet has good ones.

Every form of addiction is bad, no matter if it is alcohol, morphine or idealism - Carl Jung
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Barnak
Barnak
In response to #6

This time I booked using Agoda.com. Any price you want is on there.

I don't know that one. Please, could you post a specific link to a price list for Nepal/India ? I know I could search myself, but this is why I asked the question here in the first place.

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landfall38
landfall38

OP: The answers to your questions are available (i) from a good guide book such as Lonely Planet and (ii) from online booking sites (as suggested). Your questions are asking others to do (too much) of your research for you.

And questions regarding prices in India should be posted in India forum.

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Barnak
Barnak
In response to #8

But then what is the purpose of this forum ?

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