Nepalese currency is spelled as Nepalese Rupees or Rupee (Rs) or Nepali Rupee, and in short it is written NRS or RS. 100 Paisa equals 1 Rs. Currently notes of the following denominations are used: 1000, 500, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2, and 1 rupees. Coin hasn't been popular in Nepal and hence is almost always ignored in business. The coins of the following denominations can be found: 1 paisa, 5 paisa, 10 paisa, 50 paisa and 1 Rs, 2 Rs, and 5 Rs. It is recommended that you travel with smaller notes in less populated areas, while large notes are easily accepted else where.
Payment in hotels, travel agencies, and airlines are made in foreign exchange. Nepal has modern
banking facilities and some of the International Banks have their own offices in Kathmandu. Almost
all foreign currencies along with credit cards such as American Express, Visa and Master Card, etc.
are accepted in Nepal at major hotels, shops and restaurants.
Banks are open between 09:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from monday to friday in the Kathmandu Valley. They are closed on saturdays, sundays and other holidays in the Kathmandu Valey. In other places banks are open from 10:00 am to 2:30 p.m. from mondays to thursday and 10:00 am to 2:30 pm on fridays and are closed on saturdays and government holidays.
Standard Charted Bank is offering ATM service in it's different branches in Kathmandu and Pokhara. You can get cash advances on both Visa and Master card. These ATMs are accessible 24 hours a day. One is located down the drive to the Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel, another one is next to the Roadhouse Cafe in Thamel, another one is located in the bank's head office - New Baneshwor and one at the branch on Kantipath.
