Travel from Varanasi to Kathmandu: fly or take a ride

Kathmandu (Nepal), and Varanasi (India), are both the ancient cities which are considered as holy places for Hindus all over the world. Inter-linked for so many religious, social, cultural and business issues, both are good places to visit, and you are strongly recommended to visit another if you are planning to visit one of them. You can travel from Kathmandu to Varanasi and vice-versa, and feel the differences and similarities to enjoy your holiday and tour.

There are mainly four ways one can travel from Varanasi to Kathmandu.

Varanasi Banaras
Varanasi Banaras

 

The first is by train, but there is no direct route from Varanasi to Kathmandu, so your journey is a combination of a train and a bus. After you board the train from Varanasi, you would have to alight at Gorakhpur (or Raxaul too, which leads you to Birgunj border in Nepal) and switch to travelling in a jeep or bus from Gorakhpur or Birgunj to get to Kathmandu. Besides the inconvenience, your travel schedule would depend on the timings of the train and buses, and it could waste a lot of your precious travel time.

The second way is by a bus from Varanasi to Kathmandu. It may be the cheapest among the options, but it is the most time consuming as well. It takes almost a day (up to 20 hours), just to reach Kathmandu, and there are stopovers along the way. Since you are technically crossing international borders from Varanasi to Kathmandu, the bus ride consists of two trips. The first 10 hours is to cross the border town of Sunauli where you might have to stay overnight. After that, you board the bus from Sunauli to Kathmandu. This is a long and tiresome route, and is not usually taken due to reports of scams, where extra money is charged, and the deluxe bus you paid for turns out to be an ordinary bus.

The third way is by hiring a private car or jeep, which is costlier than a train or a bus, but you get plan your travel on your own time and make your own stops along the way. However, you still have to change jeeps or cars once you reach the Nepal border. Furthermore, the driver may sometimes direct you towards souvenir shops, where the shopkeepers entice you to buy the items. This scam allows the driver to earn commission from the shopkeeper for the items sold.

The fourth and most beneficial and convenient way to travel from Varanasi to Kathmandu is to take a direct flight. It will cost you a little more money, but it is absolutely hassle-free, and saves your time a lot (since it takes less than an hour to reach Kathmandu from Varanasi from flight) so that you can get more time in enjoying your holiday. There are no hassles of waiting and changing to another mode of transport to reach Kathmandu, and even it is a convenient way to book your ticket, since you can do it from anywhere.

Patan Durbar Square, Nepal
Patan Durbar Square, Nepal

In case of the flight as mentioned, there are several airlines, which operate their flights in the route. And to recommend one of them, which gives a good offer and service at a reasonable price, Buddha Air can be a good option. Buddha Air is a leading airlines company of Nepal that has been in operation for 17 years. It is one of the safest airlines and the first to introduce international sector destinations like Varanasi in Nepal. It has been operating flights from Varanasi to Kathmandu and vice versa for three years. Furthermore, the airfare offered by Buddha Air is one of the cheaper rates you can find. Besides this, your travel is more comfortable and less tiresome. With the added benefit of more time on your hands, you get to see more of the religious and historical places that Kathmandu has in offer for you. Some of them are Pashupatinath, Swyambhunath, Boudhanath, Basantapur Durbar Square, and Thamel.

Buddha Air has also launch Buddha holidays to provide the best holidays packages in Nepal


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