The unglamorous answer that costs a tenth of an eSIM
A local Ncell or NTC SIM
Ncell or Nepal Telecom prepaid, data packs by the week
A local SIM bought on arrival costs a few dollars, gives more data than any tourist eSIM, and NTC in particular reaches further up the Khumbu and Annapurna valleys — you spend twenty minutes in a queue and need a passport photocopy.
Far more data per dollar than any eSIM
NTC coverage in the mountains beats Ncell above Namche
Your guide can top it up for you anywhere
Queue and paperwork on arrival
Needs an unlocked phone
A second number your family does not have
Not for you if: A traveller changing planes with two hours in Kathmandu and no time to queue. That is the case an eSIM genuinely solves.
About USD 3-8 at Kathmandu airport or any Thamel shop. We earn nothing from this.