What are the best things to buy in Nepal?

Nepal has large cottage industries surrounding clothing materials, wood crafts, metal works, and jewelry. Lesser-known items include tea, sculptures, rice paper, incense, spices, dolls, puppets, and trekking clothing.

Tourists visiting Nepal will often find many things unique to this region at great prices. So much so that export and shipping businesses are plentiful.

If you are planning to purchase items or souvenirs specific to Nepal, it is important to know what you are looking for. There are quite a few fakes and less than genuine items that people will try to pass off as genuine or old.

The prices below are based on low-end mark-ups after bargaining.

Read on and find out what the best buys are when visiting Nepal.

Check out the full guide to Kathmandu city for more practical information on shopping, where to go, or read about some of the best things to buy in Kathmandu below.

Did you know?

Credit cards are only just being accepted in many local stores in Kathmandu. But do be aware of excessive charges as many have an addtional 4% to your bill. It's still far better to pay in cash!


Traditional Nepali clothing


Traditional clothing in Nepal is one of the country's largest exports and most popular tourist souvenirs.

Woolen goods are produced from both yak wool and sheep wool while finer items are made from pashmina, cashmere, and silk. If purchasing finer goods, do know the difference in cashmere and silk quality before shopping.

Woolen goods are popular and relatively cheap to purchase. Popular clothing items include Nepalese woolen hats (that cover the ears), woolen sweatshirts, waistcoats, gloves, slippers, and shoes. Lighter weight tops, trousers, and coats are also widely available.

Other popular items include woven or embroidered shirts, trousers, blouses, and dresses.

Nepali traditional clothing is distinguishable by its high durability, warmth, and often from bright colors used in the materials. There is a 70s look to many clothes in Nepal, however, new modern designs are becoming more widespread in recent years.

Many of today's Nepali clothing is colorfast, but do a color check beforehand just to be sure.

Traditional Nepali woollen clothes

See a big photo of Nepalese clothing

Best places to buy traditional clothing in Nepal: Kathmandu (Thamel will have the best tourist selections, outside of Thamel for bulk buys).

Approx price of traditional clothing in Nepal: A woolen hat starts at 200 rupees.


Buying Cashmere/ Pashmina in Nepal```html


Pashmina is the name given to cashmere in Asia. Though historically many will explain that pashmina refers to the soft under hair of the goats found in Nepal. Whereas cashmere refers to the rest of the wool. This is often a selling tactic in Nepal to be aware of to boost the price.

Cashmere in Nepal

There are also several different types of quality pashmina available in Nepal, and the price varies accordingly. Examples include cashmere with silk woven into it for embroidery (expensive) or nylon woven into the material (cheap).

Cheap / fake cashmere/ pashmina from China is becoming widespread, so if you are planning to purchase an expensive piece, do your homework first. Yes, that 300 rupee scarf in many windows is a type of polyester from China.

The most common type of cashmere souvenir are scarves and ladies' shawls.

Best places to buy cashmere in Nepal: As a tourist, the best place to find cashmere in Nepal as a souvenir is Thamel. Though the prices will start quite high, so bargain hard. For larger purchases, go directly to the factories. The streets off New Road also offer some cashmere. Bhaktapur also has several stores. Learning some Nepalese will help.

Approx price of a "pashmina" scarf: A "pashmina" scarf starts at 250 rupees.

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Buying trekking gear in Nepal


Both Kathmandu and Pokhara are filled with trekking stores selling anything from sleeping bags to summit jackets and water filters.

Most of the trekking gear you will see is fake. That does not mean it's bad; it just means the original manufacturer did not produce it.

Trekking clothing is often made within the Kathmandu valley from the same material the branded manufacturers buy in China. Quality of build is what you should look out for.

Popular brands that are copied are North Face, Mammut, and Mountain Hardware clothing ranges. Check to see if the stitching is strong. Pull at it hard. Check to see if the labels are spelled correctly. Often the fakes have misspellings.

Locally fakes are known as "Fake," "China fake," and "Nepali fake." Quality is usually in the same order. Though everything will be sold at first as "original." Check out this article on buying fake goods when traveling.

Best trekking gear buys include: trekking shirts, jackets, trousers, socks, and shorts. Worst buys include trekking boots, crampons, and low-quality sleeping bags.

Items to be careful of include any climbing gear (unsafe), water bottles (check the type of plastic—not all are BVA-free, plus seals, and test it), trekking boots (fall apart), sunglasses (not UVA-protected), and batteries for your devices (they don't last).

Going trekking and looking for what equipment you need? Check out Equipment you need for trekking in Nepal.

Best places to buy trekking gear in Nepal: If you are looking for original trekking gear products, try "The Real North Face Store" opposite Fire & Ice on the outskirts of Thamel (ask of Sabina and tell her I sent you) or several of the other stores along that row. Prices are nearly the same as Europe or the USA. But they are usually originals. Trekking boots are again hard to come by for larger sizes, and quality is so-so.

There are a few other stores opening up in Thamel selling gear from South Korea but quality varies. Sonam is one store gaining a good reputation.

Pokhara's Lakeside has more than an ample selection of trekking gear stores, and it's a lot easier to navigate than Thamel. The Real North Face have opened a new store in Pokhara which does have genuine items but the cost is quite high.

If you are trekking and your gear breaks, some of the lower villages will have stores selling second-hand, abandoned, and some new gear. Don't expect to find good quality, and it will be more expensive than in the big cities.

Bargain hard.

Approx price of trekking gear: N/A

There's an extensive list and maps of trekking stores and where to go in my guidebook to Nepal.


Singing Bowls


Possibly the nicest souvenir ever made! Yes, Singing Bowls are that good.

Made of metal, a singing bowl's rim is rubbed in a circular motion by a small wooden stick to produce a low/high pitch sound.

Aside from the sound, the theory behind the singing bowl is that the sound causes a vibration in the air which has healing qualities. If you come across a very large singing bowl, have the vendor make it "sing" next to your stomach and feel the vibrations run through you!

There are basically two types of singing bowl: machine-made and hand-made. The latter is getting scarce and expensive. They are usually a plain brass color and have a beaten quality about them. More modern singing bowls have decorative colored paint on them.

Machine-made singing bowls are perfectly symmetrical and highly decorated.

Singing bowls in Nepal

Best places to buy Singing Bowls in Nepal: Kathmandu (watch out in Thamel for high prices), Durbar square has the best prices.

Approx price of a small Singing Bowl: 600 rupees.


Buying Gold / Silver / Jewelry in Kathmandu


Kathmandu is well known as being a great place to pick up quality silver, silver-based jewelry, and gold.

Silver and gold are brought in via India and are generally over 92% Sterling and 24 carat. The wholesale price per gram is published every day on the newspapers.

Once in Nepal, silver and goldsmiths make fine Nepali-style jewelry products from it.

Semi-precious stones (India) are used in much of the jewelry found in Nepal.

Do watch out for Chinese imports of expensive-looking but near worthless jewelry.

Best places to buy Jewelry in Nepal: Kathmandu (Avoid the main Thamel area; try the side streets on the outskirts).

Approx price of Jewelry: N/A.


Bead, bone & stone jewelry


Kathmandu is world famous for its bead artisans. They make bracelets, necklaces, keyrings, and much more from semi-precious stones, seeds, bone (yak), and beads.

Everything from Bodhi seeds to precious Rudraksha seeds are available from bead shops throughout Thamel. It's also possible to have custom-made jewelry created as per your design. Do read more about where to buy beads in Nepal.


Nepali handicrafts / cultural handicrafts


Nepal's second biggest tourist souvenir market is handicrafts. Much of this is settled around cultural handicrafts such as singing bowls, prayer wheels, pottery, and small to mid-sized metal trinkets.

The most famous handicraft export is singing bowls. These heavy metal bowls are used to produce a high-pitched sound when the rim is rubbed in a circular manner, which causes a vibration. The vibrations from singing bowls are said to have healing properties.

Traditionally made singing bowls are metal bowls beaten by hand. These are not as nice looking as the near-perfect machine-made bowls that are more commonly found. However, they are quite a bit more expensive.

Other handicrafts like prayer wheels, kettles, door knockers, traditional masks, knives, and trinkets are often mass-produced and made to look a lot older than they are (thereby fetching a higher price).

Real antiques are not allowed to leave Nepal without certification from the Government. These items are actually hard to come by. Most people are quite happy purchasing an item that looks and feels authentic, just beware of those trying to sell it as an antique.

Woodcarvings in Nepal

See a big photo of Nepalese wood carvings

Best places to buy handicrafts in Nepal: Kathmandu (watch out in Thamel for high prices), Durbar square has the best prices while New Road/Paknajol for bulk items. Bhaktapur if you spend some time there.

Approx price of a small Buddha statue: 500 rupees.


Incense, teas, spices & honey to buy in Nepal


You can't walk down a street in Nepal without smelling the rich incense that is used every morning to usher in the new day.

Today, most of the incense comes from India and China. Indian/Nepalese incense is generally easier to find and much better quality. Chinese incense, on the other hand, is usually very low quality. There are a few monasteries in Nepal who are making incense but do understand that most of the ingredients may not be from Nepal. Genuine Nepalese incense is considered to be blended in Nepal.

Tea may well be Nepal's next big thing. Grown in the east of Nepal, it's comparable to "Darjeeling Tea" from India, but better. Maloom Tea Estate is the best known, along with Mist Valley Tea Industry & Gorkha Tea Estate. If you know your tea, then Nepal is a great destination. You can find out here about where you can buy tea in Nepal.

Honey from Nepal has always been a popular product for people in the know. Often from the Terai region, there are different flavors depending on the pollen the bees use. Mustard honey, butter honey, and the famous rock honey are some of the favorites. Do watch out for fake honey though. Learn more about honey from Nepal.

Spices found in Nepal are again largely imported from India. However, there are some local industries, and many spices are blended once in Nepal. Masala is perhaps Nepal's most favored spice blend. Individual spices include cardamom, cumin, chili pepper, pepper, fenugreek, and saffron.

Incense in Nepal

See a big photo of Nepalese incense

Best places to buy Incense, Tea or Spices in Nepal: Kathmandu

Approx price of Incense: 50 rupees for 10 sticks (mixed).


Dolls & puppets in Nepal


A much less known industry, Bhaktapur is fabled for its dolls and puppets. Everything from string puppets to hand puppets are handcrafted here. Locally made dolls can be purchased individually or in bulk.

Papier mache doll in Nepal

Read more about traditional puppets from Nepal

Best places to buy puppets and dolls in Nepal: Bhaktapur

Approx price of a papier mache puppet: 800 rupees.


Paintings and Thangkas in Nepal


Thangkas or Thankas originated in Nepal, which are traditional authentic Buddhist cultural and religious artistic paintings made from embroidery. They come in pocket sizes all the way to huge wall hangings. Today some are reprints so watch out. More expensive Thangkas have gold and silver mixed into the silk.

Thangka painting in Nepal

See a larger photo of Nepalese Thangka store

Best places to buy Thankas: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Patan, and Pokhara (watch out in Thamel for high prices)

Approx price of a small thanka painting: 2000 rupees.


Buying Rice Paper in Nepal


Rice paper is made by hand from rice husks. Most often it is used as the base for paintings and manuscripts. Today rice paper forms an important part of the tourist souvenir industry. Beautiful rice paper journals, diaries, and photo albums can be purchased with ease.

Rice paper in Nepal

See a larger photo of Nepalese rice paper

Best places to buy rice paper: Thamel, Kathmandu, and Bhaktapur.

Approx price of a small notebook: 150 rupees.



Buying a Khukuri - the Gurkha Knife in Nepal


A Khukuri is the long curved blade traditionally used by the Nepalese Gurkha soldiers. Today there are dedicated Khukuri stores in Nepal selling elaborate designs. Khukuri's are still in use throughout Nepal but are much less elaborate.

Traditional Khukuri's come with two small attachment blades: one for sharpening the main blade and the other as a pen knife. Read more about Khukuri knives

Best places to buy rice Khukuri's: Thamel, Kathmandu, and Bhaktapur.

Approx price of a small khukuri knife: 1500 rupees.


How to ship things home from Nepal


With all these great items for sale in Nepal, it's no wonder exporters, cargo, and shipping agents are easy to find.

It is important to note several things though.

  • Do ask around for the best prices to the country you are shipping to.
  • Check if sea mail is available (it's often not due to trade embargoes with India).
  • Shipping is done by weight, usually per half kilo (500 grams), the more you ship the cheaper the total.
  • Be sure that your exporter or cargo handler is genuinely licensed. Many stores are just fronts that use other shippers to send your goods.
  • Genuine shippers will not charge you extra for packaging.
  • Do make a personal itinerary of everything you are giving the cargo agency.
  • Do NOT attempt to hide drugs inside and items as you both you and the exporter will be liable.
  • Do not attempt to ship money in any form in your packaging as again you will be liable.
  • Do make sure you have all your receipts and tracking codes before leaving the cargo agents' office.

If you need a reference to a genuine and honest cargo exporter, feel free to contact me and I'll give you their details. Similarly, you can find this information and more in my guidebook to Nepal.


Get my guidebooks to Nepal


Liked this page? You'll love my books! They are hands on guidebooks that are better than the rest. Yes, really! In them I cover all attractions with step-by-step accuracy using well researched information, photographs and travel tested walking tours.

Available in print or digital editions - the best guidebooks for visiting Nepal.

 

Nepal Guidebook Trekking in Nepal guidebook

Full Nepal Guidebook
Complete country guide that also includes First Time Trekking in Nepal

 

Trekking in Nepal
Dedicated book for in-depth Trekking

 


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