Places to Visit in Nepal

01

Kathmandu: Temples, Old Squares and the Gateway to the Himalaya

Kathmandu, Nepal's capital: the UNESCO-listed Durbar Squares, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath, Thamel, how long to stay, how to get around and the best time t...

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Bhaktapur: Nepal's Best-Preserved Medieval City

Bhaktapur, the best-preserved of the Kathmandu Valley's royal cities: Durbar Square, the 55-Window Palace, Nyatapola temple, Pottery Square, juju dhau and festivals. How...

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Patan (Lalitpur): The City of Fine Arts

Patan (Lalitpur), the city of fine arts across the river from Kathmandu: Patan Durbar Square, Krishna Mandir, the Patan Museum, the Golden Temple, metalworkers and fair-t...

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Boudhanath Stupa: The Heart of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal

Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world and a UNESCO site in Kathmandu: its history, how to walk the kora, monasteries, rooftop cafés, Losar and the best time...

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Swayambhunath: The Monkey Temple above Kathmandu

Swayambhunath, the "Monkey Temple": an ancient stupa on a hill west of Kathmandu with city views, the eastern stairway, shrines, monkeys, and tips for visiting.

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Pashupatinath: Nepal's Holiest Hindu Temple

Pashupatinath, Nepal's holiest Hindu temple on the Bagmati River: the evening aarati, the cremation ghats, sadhus, Maha Shivaratri, entry rules for non-Hindus and tips fo...

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Nagarkot: Himalayan Sunrise on the Rim of the Kathmandu Valley

Nagarkot, a hill station on the eastern rim of the Kathmandu Valley: Himalayan sunrise views from Langtang to Everest, day hikes to Changunarayan, where to stay and how t...

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Kathmandu Durbar Square: The Old Royal Heart of the City

Kathmandu Durbar Square (Basantapur): the old royal palace of Hanuman Dhoka, the Kumari Ghar of the living goddess, Kasthamandap, temples, entry fee and tips for visiting...

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Garden of Dreams: A Quiet Neo-Classical Garden next to Thamel

The Garden of Dreams in Kathmandu: a restored early 20th-century Rana garden next to Thamel, with pavilions, fountains and lawns. History, entry fee and tips for a peacef...

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Chandragiri Hills: Cable Car to a Himalayan Viewpoint above Kathmandu

Chandragiri Hills on the south-western rim of the Kathmandu Valley: a cable car from Thankot to about 2,550 m, Bhaleshwor Mahadev temple and views from the valley to the...

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Dhulikhel: A Newar Hill Town with Himalayan Views

Dhulikhel, a Newar hill town east of Kathmandu: Himalayan views, the old town, hikes to Namo Buddha and Panauti, where to stay and how to get there.

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Namo Buddha: A Hilltop Monastery and Buddhist Pilgrimage Site

Namo Buddha, one of Nepal's most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites: the legend of the prince and the tigress, the hilltop monastery, and the hike from Dhulikhel.

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Thamel: Kathmandu's Travellers' Quarter

Thamel, Kathmandu's travellers' quarter: hotels, restaurants, trekking shops, live music and nightlife, how to get around, safety tips and nearby sights.

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Panauti: A Medieval Newar Town at the Meeting of Two Rivers

Panauti, a historic Newar town east of Kathmandu: Indreshwar Mahadev temple, riverside ghats at the confluence of the Roshi and Punyamati rivers, community homestays and...

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Kirtipur: The Hilltop Newar Town that Defied a King

Kirtipur, a hilltop Newar town on the south-west edge of Kathmandu: Bagh Bhairab temple, Chilancho stupa, its famous resistance to Prithvi Narayan Shah, Newari food and v...

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Bungamati and Khokana: Traditional Newar Villages South of Patan

Bungamati and Khokana, traditional Newar villages south of Patan: Rato Machhindranath temple, woodcarvers, Khokana's mustard oil presses, rebuilding after 2015 and how to...

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Changunarayan: The Oldest Temple in the Kathmandu Valley

Changunarayan, a hilltop Vishnu temple east of Kathmandu and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: its 5th-century inscription, stone and wood carvings, the village mus...

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Budhanilkantha: The Sleeping Vishnu of Kathmandu

Budhanilkantha, north of Kathmandu: a huge stone statue of Vishnu reclining on a bed of serpents in a sacred pool, its legends and festival, visiting rules, and the start...

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Kakani: A Quiet Ridge with Views of Ganesh Himal and Langtang

Kakani, a quiet ridge north-west of Kathmandu at about 2,000 m: views of Ganesh Himal and Langtang, strawberry farms, forest walks, the memorial park and how to get there...

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Dakshinkali: The Kali Temple of the Southern Valley

Dakshinkali, a temple to the goddess Kali in a forested gorge near Pharping, south of Kathmandu: its sacrifice rituals on Tuesdays and Saturdays, what to expect, etiquett...

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Kopan Monastery: Meditation above Boudhanath

Kopan Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery on a hill above Boudhanath in Kathmandu: its history, short and month-long meditation courses, visiting hours, etiquette and...

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Phulchowki: The Highest Point on the Kathmandu Valley Rim

Phulchowki, the highest hill on the Kathmandu Valley rim at about 2,760 m: forest hikes from Godavari, birdwatching, spring rhododendrons, Himalayan views and the botanic...

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Pharping: Sacred Caves and Monasteries South of Kathmandu

Pharping, a Newar town south of Kathmandu sacred to Buddhists and Hindus: the meditation caves of Guru Rinpoche, Tibetan monasteries, the Dakshinkali temple and the Champ...

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Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park: Forest Hikes on Kathmandu's Doorstep

Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park protects the forested hills north of Kathmandu: hikes to Shivapuri peak (2,732 m), Sundarijal waterfalls, Nagi Gompa, birds and the sourc...

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Taudaha Lake: Legend and Birdlife South of Kathmandu

Taudaha, a small lake on the road to Dakshinkali south of Kathmandu, linked to the legend of Manjushree draining the valley and the serpent king Karkotak; good for winter...

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Sankhu: Old Newar Town and the Vajrayogini Temple

Sankhu, an old Newar town on the north-eastern edge of the Kathmandu Valley: the hilltop Vajrayogini temple, traditional streets rebuilt after 2015, festivals and hiking...

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Narayanhiti Palace Museum: Inside Nepal's Former Royal Palace

Narayanhiti, the former royal palace in central Kathmandu, opened as a museum in 2009 after the monarchy was abolished: state rooms, royal gifts and the site of the 2001...

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Asan Bazaar: Kathmandu's Oldest Market Crossroads

Asan, the busy medieval market square in old Kathmandu between Thamel and Durbar Square, with the Annapurna Ajima temple, spice and grain stalls and a classic heritage wa...

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Chobhar Gorge: Where Legend Says the Kathmandu Valley Lake Drained

Chobhar gorge, south-west of Kathmandu, where legend says Manjushree cut the hills to drain the lake that filled the valley, with the hilltop Adinath Lokeshwar temple and...

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Godavari Botanical Garden: Nepal's National Botanical Garden

The National Botanical Garden at Godavari, established in 1962 at the foot of Phulchowki in the south-east of the Kathmandu Valley, with orchid and fern houses, Himalayan...

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Dharahara: Kathmandu's Rebuilt Tower

Dharahara, the landmark tower in central Kathmandu first built in 1832 by Bhimsen Thapa, collapsed in the 2015 earthquake and was rebuilt and opened in 2021, with a viewi...

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Madhyapur Thimi: Potters, Masks and Sindoor Jatra

Madhyapur Thimi, a Newar town between Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, known for potters, papier-mâché masks and the red-powder Sindoor Jatra festival at Nepali New Year.

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Tokha: Old Newar Town of Chaku Sweets

Tokha, an old Newar town on the northern edge of the Kathmandu Valley, known for its traditional streets, temples and chaku, a molasses sweet eaten at Maghe Sankranti.

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Gokarneshwar Mahadev: Shiva Temple on the Bagmati

Gokarneshwar Mahadev, a Shiva temple on the Bagmati at Gokarna in the north-east Kathmandu Valley, with fine stone sculptures; crowds gather at Gokarna Aunsi, Nepal's Fat...

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Nala: Newar Village near Banepa

Nala, a traditional Newar village near Banepa on the eastern rim of the Kathmandu Valley, with an old Bhagwati temple, a Buddhist shrine and walks to Panauti and Dhulikhe...

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Patan Museum: Nepal's Finest Museum of Sacred Art

Patan Museum, in the Keshav Narayan Chowk of Patan Durbar Square, displays Hindu and Buddhist sacred art in a restored palace courtyard; opened in 1997 with Austrian supp...

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The Golden Temple: Patan's Gilded Buddhist Monastery

The Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar), a 12th-century Buddhist monastery a short walk from Patan Durbar Square, with a gilded façade and young boy priests.

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Kumari Ghar: Home of Kathmandu's Living Goddess

Kumari Ghar, the 18th-century palace on Kathmandu Durbar Square where the Royal Kumari, the living goddess, lives; visitors may glimpse her at a window but must not photo...

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Nyatapola: Nepal's Tallest Pagoda Temple

Nyatapola, the five-storey pagoda on Taumadhi Square in Bhaktapur, built in 1702 under King Bhupatindra Malla, is the tallest pagoda temple in Nepal and survived the 1934...

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Krishna Mandir: Patan's Stone Temple

Krishna Mandir, the stone shikhara temple on Patan Durbar Square built in 1637 by King Siddhi Narasingh Malla, carved with scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

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Hanuman Dhoka: Kathmandu's Old Royal Palace

Hanuman Dhoka, the old royal palace complex on Kathmandu Durbar Square, named after the statue of Hanuman at its gate, with courtyards, a museum and the site of royal cor...

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Dattatreya Square: Bhaktapur's Oldest Quarter

Dattatreya Square in Bhaktapur, around the 15th-century Dattatreya temple, with the Pujari Math and its famous Peacock Window, the woodcarving museum and old craft worksh...

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Pottery Square: Bhaktapur's Open-Air Workshop

Pottery Square (Talako) in Bhaktapur, where potters shape clay on wheels and dry hundreds of pots in the sun; visitors can watch or try a short lesson.

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Guhyeshwari: Sacred Shakti Temple near Pashupatinath

Guhyeshwari, a revered Shakti Peeth temple on the Bagmati near Pashupatinath, dedicated to the goddess as Shiva's consort; open to Hindus only.

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Kasthamandap: The Pavilion that Named Kathmandu

Kasthamandap, the ancient wooden pavilion on Kathmandu Durbar Square said to have been built from a single tree and to have given Kathmandu its name; it collapsed in 2015...

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Rani Pokhari: The Queen's Pond in Central Kathmandu

Rani Pokhari, the "queen's pond" in central Kathmandu, built in 1670 by King Pratap Malla to console his queen after the death of their son, with the Balgopaleshwar templ...

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Seto Machhindranath: The White Karunamaya of Jana Bahal

Seto Machhindranath, the temple of the white Karunamaya in Jana Bahal near Asan, Kathmandu, honoured by Hindus and Buddhists, with a spring chariot festival.

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Sundarijal: Waterfalls and Trailhead on Kathmandu's Edge

Sundarijal, on the north-eastern edge of the Kathmandu Valley, is an entrance to Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park with waterfalls, a reservoir and the start of the Helamb...

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The 55-Window Palace and Golden Gate, Bhaktapur

The 55-Window Palace on Bhaktapur Durbar Square, royal seat of the Malla kings, with its carved wooden windows and the gilded Golden Gate of 1754 leading to the Taleju te...

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National Museum of Nepal, Chhauni

The National Museum of Nepal at Chhauni, below Swayambhunath, which began as a Rana-era arsenal museum and now displays art, history and natural history galleries.

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Kaiser Library: A Rana Collection in Central Kathmandu

The Kaiser Library, in the Kaiser Mahal next to the Garden of Dreams, holds the private collection of Field Marshal Kaiser Shumsher Rana: rare books, manuscripts, hunting...

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Kathesimbhu: Little Swayambhu near Thamel

Kathesimbhu, a small stupa in a courtyard between Thamel and Asan, said to be modelled on Swayambhunath, a quiet place of Buddhist worship in old Kathmandu.

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