Kathmandu to Delhi - suggestions?

sengster

I'll be in India and Nepal for a month in November, with the main leg of the journey finishing in Kathmandu before I return to Delhi to catch up with some friends there.

From my research, it appears that the only route back to Delhi from Kathmandu is overland: Kathmandu - Sunauli - Varanasi by bus, then train from Varanasi to Delhi (about 3 days travel).

Is there a better route which I have not discovered (baring flights as there don't seem to be many, and the few eg. Thai, are very expensive - in excess of AUD$2000).

Any advice and suggestions would be most welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation!

Nick-H

Hello Sengster, welcome to the site

Please do check through the forum structure and choose the right place to make your post. If you are unsure, then having a look at posts already in that area is a guide.

sengster

Whoops - I thought I had made this post in another section of India Mike but must have clicked a few buttons back to the Delhi city section.

Can I move this on to the India Travel Itinerary section, or does one of the Admins/Mods need to do it?

Nick-H

Yes... even the moderators get confused sometimes as to where stuff should go. A thread needs to be moved by a mod, and this particular mod is the least familiar with matters relating to the North

I moved it to the Delhi section, but on second thoughts, Crossing the Border, which deals with neighbouring countries and travel between them and India might be good.

You'd prefer Itineraries? OK... you got it

unclelach

Nepal Airlines(formerly Royal Nepal), amongst others, fly direct Kathmandu-Delhi. I paid only about AUD200-300 (from memory) last year for the trip. With the recent collapse of the Australian dollar, prices might be higher now in our money but not anywhere near AUD2000.

There are possibly still direct flights Kathmandu to Varanasi.

wonderwomanusa

I think it will take 3 days to Delhi no matter which crossing you use, but there should be direct buses to Delhi that use a crossing on the Western side of Nepal.

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vistet

Welcome sengster !

Ktm-Sonauli by bus , two-three hours by jeep to Gorakhpur, night train to Delhi. Two loong days , I´ll make a stop in Lumbini near the border next time.

You can buy the train ticket in Ktm , if you like me are daunted by the Indian Rail website.

Blog posts here

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karuna

I"m trying to figure this out. Last time I did this crossing I went Pokhara - Sunauli border by hateful bus, then idiot boy-racer taxi to Gorakhpur where I was rescued by a sedate tour company driver for the drive to Delhi.

This time I'm poor and going the opposite way.

So- Delhi to Gorakhpur by train and then figure it out by bus from there, or take the tourist bus "direct" from Delhi to Kathmandu?

The latter sounds daunting- is it an OK trip? Will I need Valium?

Erk. I'm leaning towards getting to Gorakhpur and making it up from there- any tips?

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Jorge Reverter

From Delhi to Gorakhpur you have four or five trains a day. You can take the train3022 in Delhi to Gorakhpur: 13.40 - 04.00 and then to take the first bus to Kathmadu at 05.00 direct or via Sunauli/Bhairawa and get Kathmandu around 13.00 - 14.00. The total journey from Delhi would take only 24 hours instead of the three days mentionned.

Jorge

karuna

Great stuff- can you just clarify something:

By this do you mean there's a bus from Gorakhpur right through to Kathmandu? I was assuming I would have to change buses at the border (since I have to get out to do visa stamping and purchase etc anyway). Do you mean the 5am bus leaves from Gorakhpur, or from over the Nepal border?

Wasn't so keen on arriving in Gorakhpur alone at 4am; there's a train gets in 9.15am. I assume there are fairly regular departures to KTM from the border?