Nepal runs on 220-240 volts at 50 Hz, using Type C round two-pin and Type D round three-pin sockets—the latter with larger pins set in a triangular pattern. Bring a universal adapter that handles both formats. European two-pin plugs fit Type C but not Type D. Indian-style three-pin adapters work in Type D outlets but block adjacent sockets in power strips. Most electronics manufactured after 2010 accept 100-240V input automatically—check the small print on your charger block—but hair dryers and some camera battery chargers may require a voltage converter, not just a plug adapter.
Kathmandu's grid reliability improved measurably after 2018 when the Upper Tamakoshi hydroelectric project came online, adding 456 megawatts to national capacity. Rolling blackouts that once lasted twelve hours daily now occur primarily during pre-monsoon drought months when reservoir levels drop. The Melamchi Water Supply Project, delivering Himalayan snowmelt to the capital, indirectly stabilized urban power by reducing demand on diesel generators. Hotels and guesthouses in Thamel and Patan still maintain backup systems, but uninterrupted power through the night is now standard rather than exceptional in Kathmandu Valley.
Beyond the roadhead, electricity becomes selective. Tea houses on the Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp Trek run on micro-hydro where streams provide year-round flow, or solar panels where they do not. Above Namche Bazaar—the Sherpa market town at 3,440 meters—most lodges charge per device for electricity, typically 300-500 rupees per full battery cycle. Payment is upfront. You hand over your device at the main lodge area where outlets cluster near the kitchen stove, collect it when charged. Charging happens during daylight hours only in purely solar-powered lodges. A phone battery might take four hours. A camera battery takes six if the panels track well. On cloudy days, priority goes to lodge operations—lights, kitchen equipment—and trekker devices wait.
Carry a 20,000 mAh power bank minimum for treks above 3,000 meters. That capacity recharges a smartphone four to five times, a mirrorless camera twice. Anker and RAVPower models with multiple USB ports let you charge phone and headlamp simultaneously at camp. Charge the power bank fully in Kathmandu or Pokhara before departure—lowland electricity is unlimited and included in your room rate. On trek, recharge the power bank whenever lodge power is available, even if your phone is full. Solar chargers sold in Thamel work in theory but rarely deliver meaningful charge above treeline where afternoon clouds arrive reliably at 14:00. The weight-to-output ratio favors a second power bank over folding solar panels for treks under three weeks.