South Asia
Can you drink tap water in Nepal?
NoNo, drink bottled
Can you drink the tap water in Nepal?
Don't drink the tap water. Don't drink tap water. Use refill stations or purification tablets; popular trekking routes have safe-water stations that cut plastic bottles.
Key facts
- Safely managed drinking water: 16% of people (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP).
Tap water by place in Nepal
| Place | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water or ice from unknown sources. Use refill stations, filters or sealed bottles. |
| Pokhara | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water. Lakeside refill stations and hotel filters are common; use sealed bottles otherwise. |
| Chitwan | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water. Use sealed bottles, guesthouse filters or purification tablets. |
| Namche Bazaar | No, drink bottled | Use safe-water refill stations (about NPR 100–150 a litre), or boiled and treated water. Purification tablets save money and plastic. |
| Bhaktapur | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water. Use sealed bottles or the filtered water guesthouses provide. |
| Lumbini | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water. Use sealed bottles or guesthouse filters; refill where monasteries provide it. |
| Patan | No, drink bottled | Don't drink tap water. Use filtered water, refill stations or purification tablets; guesthouses sell safe water. |
Tap water by place
Sources
- World Bank: safely managed drinking water
- US State Department travel advisory
- Nepal Tourism Board: Tourist Visa
- Nepal Tourism Board: TIMS Card and guide rule
- Department of Immigration online services
- Ncell Tourist SIM
- Speedtest Global Index: Nepal
- World Bank open data
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