Travel guide · Nepal
The Best Travel Apps for Nepal
Offline maps, ride-hailing, payments, translation and trekking maps — the best apps to download before visiting Nepal.
The right apps turn Nepal from daunting to easy — download offline maps, a ride-hailing app, a translation tool and any trekking maps before you fly, and you will navigate cities, hail rides, bridge the language gap and find your way on the trail with confidence. Most work best when set up on home wifi and saved for offline use, since coverage thins outside the cities. Pair this with our getting around Nepal guide for the on-the-ground transport picture.
Maps and navigation
In the cities, Google Maps handles navigation and finding businesses well, but its coverage fades in rural and mountain areas. For offline use, Maps.me and Organic Maps are popular, letting you download whole regions and navigate without signal. Trekkers should add a dedicated trail app with downloadable topographic maps and GPS tracks for their route. Whatever you choose, download your maps over wifi first — our wifi in Nepal guide explains where you will and will not have a connection.
Getting around: ride-hailing
Ride-hailing has transformed city transport. Pathao and inDrive are the most widely used apps in Kathmandu and Pokhara, offering both motorbike and car rides that are often cheaper and clearer than haggling with taxis — inDrive even lets you propose your own fare. Coverage is strongest in the larger cities; in smaller towns you will still rely on metered or negotiated taxis, as covered in our getting around Nepal guide.
Payments
Digital wallets are everywhere in Nepali daily life. eSewa and Khalti power shop payments, top-ups and bills, and QR-code payments are common in city businesses. Fully setting them up often needs a local bank account or number, so many short-term visitors stick to cash and cards — but it helps to recognise the systems you will see at every counter.
Communication and translation
English carries you a long way, but a translation app is invaluable when it runs out, especially in rural areas — see our note on whether English is widely spoken in Nepal. Pair it with a few useful Nepali phrases for warmer exchanges, and keep your usual messaging apps handy for staying in touch with guides and accommodation.
Set up before you land
Do your downloads on home wifi: offline maps for your destinations, a ride-hailing app, a translation tool, your trekking map app with regions saved, and a connectivity plan — our best eSIM for Nepal guide helps you arrive already online. For the rest of the day-to-day basics, browse the Nepal practical travel essentials collection.
Frequently asked questions
What ride-hailing apps work in Nepal?+
Pathao and inDrive are the most widely used ride-hailing apps in Kathmandu and Pokhara, offering both motorbike and car rides, often cheaper and clearer than negotiating with taxis. inDrive lets you propose your own fare. Coverage is best in the bigger cities, while smaller towns still rely mainly on metered or negotiated taxis.
What is the best maps app for Nepal?+
Google Maps works well in cities for navigation and finding businesses, but coverage thins in rural and mountain areas. Maps.me and Organic Maps are popular for offline use, and many trekkers use dedicated trail apps with downloaded topographic maps and GPS tracks. Download your maps over wifi before heading somewhere with weak signal.
Are there useful payment apps in Nepal?+
Yes. Digital wallets such as eSewa and Khalti are widely used by Nepalis for everything from shop payments to top-ups, and QR-code payments are common in cities. They can require a local bank account or number to fully set up, so many short-term visitors stick to cash and cards, but it is handy to recognise the systems you will see everywhere.
Which apps should I download before arriving in Nepal?+
Before you fly, download offline maps for your destinations, a ride-hailing app like Pathao or inDrive, a translation app for when English runs out, your messaging apps, and any trekking map app you need with the relevant regions saved. Setting these up on home wifi means they are ready the moment you land.
