Load-Shedding & Power in Kathmandu: What Travellers Should Know
Is load-shedding still a thing in Kathmandu? What to know about power cuts, backup, and choosing accommodation that stays on.
If you've read older Nepal travel accounts, you'll have seen dire warnings about "load-shedding" — scheduled power cuts that once left Kathmandu dark for hours every day. The good news: it's far better than it was. But power is still worth understanding, especially if you work online.
The short version
Kathmandu's electricity supply has improved dramatically since the worst load-shedding years. For most of the year, the city has stable, round-the-clock power. Long scheduled cuts are largely a thing of the past.
But outages still happen
Power isn't 100% guaranteed. You may still get:
- Short unscheduled cuts — a few minutes to an hour, often after storms or during peak demand.
- Occasional dry-season strain — Nepal's power is heavily hydro-based, so the pre-monsoon dry months (spring) can see more instability.
- Local faults — transformer or line issues affecting one area.
For a sightseeing holiday, none of this matters much. For remote workers and anyone dependent on connectivity, it's worth planning for.
Why backup power matters for your stay
The single best protection is accommodation with backup power — an inverter/battery system or generator that keeps lights, Wi-Fi and sockets running through a cut. Better apartments and hotels have this as standard; budget places often don't.
When you book, it's a fair question to ask: "Do you have backup power / an inverter?" Our apartments run inverter backup precisely so a cut doesn't interrupt a work call or leave you in the dark.
Practical tips
- Keep devices topped up. Charge your laptop and power bank when you have power so a cut doesn't strand you mid-task.
- Carry a power bank for phone-based navigation and calls out and about.
- Have a mobile-data fallback. If home Wi-Fi drops, tethering to a local SIM keeps you online. Good for work; see our remote-work café guide for backup workspaces too.
- A small torch or headlamp is handy for the occasional evening cut.
Bottom line
Don't let old horror stories put you off — Kathmandu's power is reliable most of the time. Just pick a place with backup, keep your batteries charged, and a stray outage becomes a non-event rather than a lost afternoon.
Staying in Kathmandu? Our self-check-in serviced apartments in Lazimpat put you a short walk from the city's best cafés, restaurants and embassies — with fast Wi-Fi, a full kitchen and inverter backup power. See the apartments →