Online Bus Ticket Booking in Nepal for Tihar and Chhath 2083: Apps, Fares and Refunds

As of 29 October 2026 (12 Kartik 2083). Booking dates and counters are from the Department of Transport Management (DOTM) decisions as reported by The Kathmandu Post and Onlinekhabar on 8 and 9 October 2026. Fare rates are from DOTM notices as reported by Ratopati on 8 April and 9 October 2026 (the notice PDFs are not attached on dotm.gov.np). Refund rules are from the BusSewa FAQ, Sajha Yatayat’s long-route page, Khalti’s support page and eSewa’s terms, all read on 29 October 2026. Tihar and Chhath holiday dates are from the Nepal Rastra Bank holiday list for 2083.

Online bus ticket booking in Nepal has become the practical way to get a seat home for Tihar. The Laxmi Puja to Bhai Tika holiday runs from Sunday 8 November to Thursday 12 November 2026, and Chhath follows on Sunday 15 November. That is nine days with a single working day in the middle, so most families leave the big cities between 5 and 8 November and return between 12 and 17 November.

Advance booking for the festival season opened on 9 October (23 Asoj) after DOTM met transport operators, and the same window covers Tihar travel. You can buy at the counters the department listed (New Bus Park in Gongabu, Kalanki, Balkhu, Koteshwor and Chabahil) or through eSewa, Khalti and BusSewa without queueing. This guide compares the channels, explains what a legal fare looks like, and shows what you get back if plans change.

Quick answers

The four booking channels compared

BusSewa, run by Bus Sewa Ticketing Pvt. Ltd., says it lists more than 400 routes, over 500 bus partners and 1,700 or more daily buses with 55,000 plus daily seats. eSewa and Khalti sell seats inside their own apps, and Sajha Yatayat, the public cooperative, runs its own ticketing site.

BusSewa says passengers booking advance festival tickets through its platform get discounts of up to Rs 100, as reported by ShareSansar on 9 October 2026. Khalti’s booking guide says it covers buses to more than 75 districts with over 60,000 seats a day, which points to a shared inventory with the same operators. The bus you board is the same; the refund path and gateway fee differ.

How to book a Tihar bus ticket online in Nepal

The flow is nearly identical across the apps. Here is the version for BusSewa, with notes where eSewa, Khalti and Sajha differ.

1. Open the app or site and choose the Bus Ticket service. In Khalti it sits under Travel and Adventure; in eSewa it is a tile on the home screen.
2. Enter departure city, destination and travel date. Search a day either side if the exact date shows nothing; operators add buses as demand grows.
3. Compare operators by departure time, seat type (normal, deluxe, super deluxe, sofa) and price. Night buses on long routes must have two drivers under DOTM rules.
4. Pick a seat on the seat map. On Sajha’s site a selected seat is held for 10 minutes; Khalti’s older guide mentioned a 30-minute hold, so do not leave payment for later.
5. Enter passenger name and a mobile number you will carry on the trip. The PNR and ticket go to that number by SMS, and a wrong digit is the most common reason people arrive without a ticket.
6. Pay. Check the gateway charge shown before you confirm; BusSewa states gateway charges are not refunded even when the fare is.
7. Save the ticket. Screenshot the PNR, and on BusSewa use the Print Ticket page if the operator still asks for paper.
8. Reach the boarding point early. Sajha asks for 30 minutes before departure on its ticketing site and 15 minutes on its long-route page; BusSewa says late arrival or a misread AM/PM time makes you ineligible for a refund.

If money is deducted but no ticket appears, check My Bookings before booking again (Sajha’s own advice), then contact the platform. eSewa’s terms say a pending transaction is reviewed and either marked success or reverted to your wallet; its grievance line is 1660-01-02121.

What is a legal fare this Tihar?

Fares for buses crossing province lines are set by DOTM, not by the operator. The department’s automatic formula revises them whenever diesel moves 5% or more. The latest passenger revision raised fares by 16.71% from 8 April 2026, as reported by The Himalayan Times, and the department’s website lists a further adjustment notice effective 16 Baisakh 2083 (29 April 2026). The per-km rates in the table are from Ratopati’s report on the April notice.

Our calculation: Kathmandu to Pokhara is roughly 200 km by road, so the normal fare on that section comes to about Rs 756, a deluxe seat to about Rs 907, and a super deluxe seat to about Rs 1,088. These are ceilings for buses with a DOTM route permit. Tourist buses with sofa seats, lunch and air conditioning sell at their own prices, which is why you see Rs 1,400 to Rs 2,200 on operator sites for the same road.

Two things stay fixed during festivals. The fare does not rise for Tihar; the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs told Onlinekhabar on 8 October that vehicles charging above the approved rate would face action. And students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities keep their mandatory concessions every day of the year, on showing original ID. Sajha Yatayat gives a 45% discount for two students, two senior citizens and one person with a disability per bus, but only at the counter, not online.

For Pokhara readers, a Pokhara-Kathmandu seat booked through any app should sit close to the figures above unless the bus is a tourist-class service. Fares within Gandaki Province (Pokhara to Baglung, for example) are set by the provincial government, so the DOTM table does not apply there.

Refund and reschedule rules, platform by platform

This is where the channels differ most, and where most complaints start.

A few points from the fine print. BusSewa says an operator’s own policy overrides its schedule, so read the policy line on the bus you choose. If the operator reschedules because of weather, road conditions or a strike, BusSewa allows a full refund minus gateway charges, and if the operator cancels it will tell you and may offer another bus. Khalti says it is a ticket seller and has no role in setting cancellation charges, and that any claim for a late or cancelled bus is settled with the operator. Where a coupon was used, Khalti calculates the refund on the discounted price.

None of the platforms offers a reschedule button. Changing the date means cancelling under the rules above and booking again, so book the date you are sure about.

Seat scams and how to avoid them during the festival rush

Festival demand brings touts and fake sellers. These are the patterns customers describe to us in Pokhara each year.

1. A Facebook page or Messenger account offers “confirmed Tihar seats” and asks for payment to a personal wallet number. A real ticket always comes with a PNR from the platform, and the platforms do not sell through personal wallet numbers.
2. A screenshot of a ticket is resold. Only the passenger whose name and phone number are on the PNR can board, so a screenshot proves nothing.
3. A counter agent quotes a “festival fare” above the DOTM rate. Ask for the fare list; counter staff at the main hubs are required to wear uniforms and ID cards during the booking period, according to the federation’s briefing to Onlinekhabar.
4. A booking link arrives by SMS. Open the app yourself instead of tapping the link, and never share an OTP.

If you are overcharged or sold a fake ticket, call Hello Sarkar at 1111, the traffic police at 103 or Nepal Police at 100. DOTM has also published a festival transport hotline on its home page for complaints about public buses. The department’s 12 October 2026 notice (2083/06/26) adds that bus operators must stop only at clean, reasonably priced eateries and tells passengers to report bad food or overpricing on 100.

Route notes: Pokhara, Kathmandu and the Terai

Long and medium routes have run on open route permits since Ghatasthapana. Onlinekhabar reported the window lasts until 6 November; The Kathmandu Post reported 27 October. Our reading is that the longer window is the one that matters for Tihar, but check with the operator if your bus is a festival-only service.

• Pokhara to Kathmandu: night and early morning departures sell out first for 6 and 7 November.
• Kathmandu to the Terai (Birgunj, Janakpur, Biratnagar): most Chhath travel goes this way around 12 to 14 November, at the Rs 3.42 per km long-route rate.
• Return journey: book the return at the same time if the app shows it; 16 and 17 November seats fill as fast as the outbound ones.

Update your payment apps before you travel; our guide to essential mobile apps for Nepal lists the ones worth having. If you drive instead, our breakdown of traffic fines in Nepal covers what the festival checkpoints charge.

Frequently asked questions

Is online bus ticket booking in Nepal cheaper than the counter?

The fare is the same; DOTM sets it. Online you pay a gateway charge but may get a platform discount or cashback. The real saving is the queue at Gongabu.

What happens if the bus does not run on the day?

BusSewa refunds the fare minus gateway charges if the operator cancels or reschedules for weather, road or strike reasons. On Khalti and eSewa the claim goes to the operator. Keep the PNR and any SMS from the operator.

Do senior citizens get a discount on online tickets?

The concession is mandatory, but Sajha applies it only at the counter, and the apps generally do not have a concession fare option. Buy at the counter with original ID if you need the discount.

How early should I book for Tihar 2083?

Advance booking has been open since 9 October. For 6 and 7 November departures from Kathmandu, and 12 to 14 November departures to the Terai, book as soon as you know your date; seats on the popular times go first.

Conclusion

Online bus ticket booking in Nepal works well for Tihar and Chhath if you treat the platforms as what they are: seat sellers for the same buses, each with its own refund path. BusSewa publishes a clear cancellation schedule, Sajha has a flat 50% rule, and Khalti and eSewa pass the decision to the operator. Check the fare against the DOTM per-km rate, book the date you are sure about, keep the PNR on the phone you will carry, and report any overcharging on 1111 or 103.

Sources

• The Kathmandu Post, “Bus ticket bookings open ahead of festival rush” (9 October 2026): https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/10/09/bus-ticket-bookings-open-ahead-of-festival-rush
• Onlinekhabar English, advance ticket booking and permit decisions (8 October 2026): https://english.onlinekhabar.com/?p=594830
• ShareSansar, “Bus Sewa Opens Advance Ticket Booking for Dashain” (9 October 2026): https://www.sharesansar.com/newsdetail/bus-sewa-opens-advance-ticket-booking-for-dashain-2026-10-09
• The Himalayan Times, “Govt raises inter-province public transport fares, effective immediately” (8 April 2026): https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/govt-raises-inter-province-public-transport-fares-effective-immediately
• Ratopati English, DOTM per-km passenger fare revision (8 April 2026): https://english.ratopati.com/story/58038/long-distance-public-transport-in-the-terai-remains-at-rs-342-per-kilometer
• Ratopati English, electric vehicle fare notice with deluxe surcharge and complaint lines (9 October 2026): https://english.ratopati.com/story/83033/electric-vehicle-fares-made-public-how-much-on-which-routes-with-list
• Department of Transport Management, fare adjustment notice effective 2083/01/16 and festival notices: https://dotm.gov.np/
• BusSewa, FAQ (cancellation schedule, payment methods, ticket delivery): https://bussewa.com.np/faq
• Sajha Yatayat, long-route services, fares and cancellation rule: https://sajhayatayat.com.np/long-routes
• Sajha Yatayat online ticketing: https://ticketing.sajhayatayat.com.np/
• Khalti, support page on ticketing and cancellation: https://khalti.com/info/support/flight-and-movie-ticketing/
• Khalti blog, “Khalti बाट आरामदायी Bus यात्रा” (5 February 2024): https://blog.khalti.com/tips/ticketing/khalti-bus-ticketing/
• eSewa, terms and conditions (merchant refund policy): https://blog.esewa.com.np/terms-and-conditions
• Nepal Rastra Bank, bank holiday list 2083 (Tihar and Chhath dates): https://www.nrb.org.np/

This article is general information checked on the dates stated; fares, refund rules and offers can change, so confirm on the platform before you pay.

Written by

Rabin Paudel

Rabin Paudel is the Founder of Digital Solution, a Content Creator, and an AI Trainer. He shares practical and easy-to-understand content on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Literacy, Online Services, FinTech, and Technology. His mission is to make technology simple, accessible, and useful for everyone.

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