The following is suggested as a guideline to facilitate in planning your trip.  Many personal-use items are available in Kathmandu. There are supermarkets, pharmacies and retail stores in the Boudha area where the IBA is located, as well as bigger establishments in other areas of Kathmandu (around 20 minutes away by car/taxi from Boudha). Although you will find that you can purchase almost anything here, it is a safer bet to bring whatever you know you will need with you as the choices here may be limited.

• A teller or debit card (this being more useful than a credit card)
• Pens, notebooks, highlighters are necessary but can also be bought locally
• Sunhat and sunglasses
• Short sleeved shirts
• Long sleeved shirts
• 1 light jacket or windbreaker
• Durable pants such as jeans or corduroys
• Skirt, mid-calf or longer length is optional for women instead of pants (no short skirts please)
• 1 pair of sandals (rubber beach thongs are ideal for wearing in showers)
• Personal toilet articles-soap, toothbrush, shaving needs, towel, shampoo, tampons or sanitary pads, etc. 
• Good flashlight, batteries
• Sunscreen lotion
• Insect repellent or mosquito net
• Prescription medicine, vitamins and supplements (unobtainable here)
• Cold remedies and over the counter medicines you normally use
• Laptop computer
• MP3 or other audio recording device with rechargeable batteries
• USB stick (external mini-drive)
• Special foods (for example, herbal teas, good coffee, health foods and snacks which you like)
• Rain poncho or folding umbrella (you can buy very good umbrellas here)
• Alarm clock
• Tea or coffee mug if you wish to take to your room

Aside from travel, toiletries, etc. and the IBA course fees stipulated on the web site, students should allow for expenditures on textbooks, laundry, field trips, tourist visa renewals (see details), gifts for friends and relatives back home and any ritual practice materials you may wish to acquire inexpensively (since they are made here).

Clothes should be comfortable for sitting in the cross-legged position and respectful to the teachers and sangha.

The public transportation in Kathmandu includes taxis, public buses and three wheelers. Taxis cost around Rs150 from the Boudha area to the Thamel shopping area; the cost of public buses and three wheelers are usually less than Rs20.
Meals can range from Rs100 per person at local restaurants to Rs1000 at a big Hotel.

All practice materials such as bells and dorjes, offering bowls, statues, thangkas, and brocades are either made in Nepal or can be purchased here at a fraction of the prices in the West. Inexpensive Indian editions of major Buddhist classics can also be purchased in the bookstores in Kathmandu. Made to measure clothing is available at very favorable prices. Pashmina shawls, rice paper crafts are wonderful lightweight items to take back as gifts.