How to Buy a Flight Ticket Home to Nepal or for a Holiday (Incheon↔Kathmandu)

When does this apply?

• You go to Nepal on annual leave or a holiday
• You go for something urgent, like a family wedding or funeral
• Your contract has ended and you are going home (if you are leaving Korea for good, read Leaving and coming back first)

Direct and connecting flights

Direct flights

• As checked in 2026, Korean Air flies directly between Incheon and Kathmandu. It flies about 2–3 times a week. The days and the number of flights change with the season.
• Flight time is about 8 hours from Incheon to Kathmandu, and about 6 hours 30 minutes from Kathmandu to Incheon.
• In 2026, both of Nepal Airlines' large planes (A330) stopped flying because of technical problems, and many international flights were cancelled. If you want to buy a Nepal Airlines ticket, ask the airline directly if the flight is operating.
• Direct flights have few seats, so they sell out first before holidays.

Connecting flights

• Many tickets go through cities like Bangkok, Singapore, or Delhi. Some tickets go through other cities too.
• Connecting flights are often cheaper than direct flights, but they take longer. If the time to change planes is too short, you may miss your flight. If it is too long, you may spend the night at the airport.
• A connecting flight bought as one ticket (one booking number) is safe. If your first flight is late and you miss the next one, the airline will usually put you on another flight.
• Two tickets bought separately are different. If the first flight is late, your second ticket may not be protected. If you must pick up your bags and check them in again in the transit city, you have to enter that country, and you may need a visa for that country. Check with that country's embassy or the airline.

When prices go up (2026–2027)

Period	Dates
Dashain	Starts October 11, 2026; Tika on October 21; ends October 25
Tihar	Laxmi Puja on November 8, 2026; Bhai Tika on November 11
Chhath	November 15, 2026
Korean year-end	Late December to early January
Korean Lunar New Year (설) holiday	February 6 (Sat) to 9 (Tue), 2027

• During these periods, tickets often get more expensive as the departure date gets closer. The days for coming back after a holiday can also be expensive.
• Moving your date by one or two days, or changing the day of the week you leave, can change the price. Search several dates at the same time.
• Get your company's approval for annual leave before you buy a ticket. If you buy the ticket first and your leave is not approved, you only pay fees. Applying for annual leave for Dashain

Steps to compare prices

1. Choose your dates. Plan your return date 2–4 weeks before your period of stay ends.
2. Check the price for the same dates on the airline's official website.
3. Also check price comparison websites and online travel agencies (OTA).
4. Add the items below and compare by the total price.
   • Checked baggage (weight and number of bags)
   • Carry-on baggage weight
   • Seat selection fee
   • Refund and date change fees
   • Card payment fees and exchange rate
5. Before you pay, take a screenshot of the refund and change rules page.

Official website vs. travel agency

• Travel agencies are sometimes cheaper.
• But for tickets bought from a travel agency, you can often do refunds and changes only through that travel agency. The airport counter or the airline's customer center may not help you.
• 한국소비자원 (Korea Consumer Agency) and airlines have warned many times about problems with tickets bought on foreign travel agency websites: refunds refused, very high fees, and no notice about cancelled flights.
• If your dates are likely to change, a fare that is easy to change may cost less in the end, even if it is a little more expensive.

Checking baggage

• Free baggage is different for each airline, route, and fare type. Even on the same plane, a cheap fare may not include checked baggage.
• For example, Korean Air says free checked baggage for international economy class (except some routes, like to the Americas) is 1 bag of 23kg (checked on 2026-10-19). It can be different depending on the fare, so check again on the booking screen.
• For connecting flights, the flight that allows the least baggage may be the rule for the whole trip. Look at the "Baggage" section of your booking confirmation.
• Paying for extra baggage at the airport is expensive. If you need it, buy it in advance.
• When you come back from Nepal, meat, fruit, seeds, and similar items must be declared at quarantine (health inspection). See the "When you come back" part of the Short trip abroad checklist.

Fake ticket scams

• Common trick: Someone posts "holiday special price" or "leftover seats, cheap" in a Facebook group or on Messenger. They take money into a personal bank account, send a photo of a fake ticket, and then stop answering. The same thing has happened in groups of workers from other countries.
• How to protect yourself
  1. Do not send ticket money to a person in cash or by transfer to a personal bank account.
  2. When you get a ticket, check it yourself: go to "Manage booking" on the airline's website and enter the booking number and your name in English.
  3. Do not send photos of your passport or 외국인등록증 to people you do not know.
  4. If the price is much cheaper than normal, be suspicious.
• If you have already sent money, report it right away to 112, and ask your bank to stop the payment. Dealing with voice phishing and scams

What to do before you leave (short trip)

1. Do not return your 외국인등록증. If they ask at departure immigration, say "temporary departure, I will come back."
2. Do not claim your 출국만기보험 or 귀국비용보험 (return cost insurance). Your departure may be treated as leaving Korea for good.
3. You usually do not need a re-entry permit. A registered foreigner does not need one if they come back within 1 year from the day they leave (or within their remaining period of stay, if it is shorter).
4. Check that your passport is valid for long enough after your return date.
5. Send a text message with your dates to your company and to 고용센터 (Employment Center) (if you are looking for a job).

More details are in the Checklist for a short trip to Nepal.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Can I buy a one-way ticket and buy the return ticket later? A. Yes, you can. But return tickets after a holiday may become expensive or sell out. You must come back before your period of stay ends, so compare round-trip tickets first.

Q. What do I do if my flight is cancelled? A. Contact the place where you bought the ticket (the airline or the travel agency) right away. If your return date is close to the end of your period of stay, also ask 1345.

Q. The travel agency will not give me a refund. A. Collect the payment screen, the screenshot of the rules, and the emails you sent and received. Then get advice from the Consumer Counseling Center at 1372 or the Korea Consumer Agency's International Transactions Consumer Portal (crossborder.kca.go.kr).

Q. Can I go outside the airport at my transit stop? A. That means entering that country, so you may need a visa. Even if you do not go out, ask the airline if you need to check your bags in again.

Where to get help

• Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터) 1345 – re-entry, period of stay
• Consumer Counseling Center (소비자상담센터) 1372 – flight ticket refunds and disputes
• Police 112 – scam damage
• Foreign Workers Counseling Center (외국인력상담센터) 1577-0071 – contacting 고용센터, interpretation
• Full list: All places to get help