Things to do in Nepal

The 18 best things to do in Nepal

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1. 1Kathmandu

   Walk around Boudhanath Stupa as the lamps are lit

   Boudhanath, about 8 km east of downtown Kathmandu, is believed to be one of the largest stupas in the world and is the heart of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. Its great dome is visible as soon as you land at Tribhuvan International Airport. Nobody knows exactly when it was built, though legends date it to the Licchavi period, and the Newar community still calls it Khasti. Monasteries and prayer flags ring the plaza, and all day monks, pilgrims and visitors walk around the stupa, chanting mantras and turning prayer wheels. At dusk butter lamps light up the plaza, and the restaurants of Boudha make it easy to stay on for dinner.

   Tip: Arrive in the late afternoon so you can join the walkers circling the stupa and stay on for the butter lamps at dusk.

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   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Shree Boudhanath Area Development Committee (official); Nepal Now, an initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board; Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np)
2. 2Kathmandu

   Explore Kathmandu Durbar Square and the Kumari Ghar

   Kathmandu Durbar Square, also called Basantapur or Hanuman Dhoka, was the royal seat of the Malla and Shah kings, and with more than 50 temples it is known as the Museum of Temples. The palace is named for the red-draped statue of Hanuman by its gate, since dhoka means gate. Inside, Nasal Chowk hosted coronations until 2001, and museums remember Kings Tribhuvan and Mahendra. On the south side stands the Kumari Ghar, built in 1757, home of the Living Goddess Kumari, a young girl from a Buddhist Shakya family revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike. Some buildings were damaged in the 2015 earthquake, and restoration is ongoing.

   Tip: Ask at the Kumari Ghar about the special hours when visitors can glimpse the Living Goddess, and if you are in town for Indra Jatra, usually in September, watch for her chariot procession.

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   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (official); Nepal Tourism Board (official); Nepal Now, an initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board
3. 3Kathmandu

   Watch the rituals on the Bagmati at Pashupatinath

   Pashupatinath, on the banks of the holy Bagmati River about 5 km east of the city center, is the most revered Hindu temple in Nepal and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Pashupati Area spreads over 264 hectares of temples, shrines, ashrams and stupas, and along the river are ghats where traditional cremations take place. The main temple is open only to Hindus, so other visitors watch from the terraces across the river on the east bank. The Bagmati Aarati is one of the site's most engaging rituals, and on Shivaratri sadhus and pilgrims from across Nepal and India fill the temple. Taxis, microbuses and tempos drop you at Gaushala, a short walk away.

   Tip: Watch from the terraces across the river and keep a respectful distance from cremations; inside the temple complex photography is strictly prohibited and leather items must be left outside.

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   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Pashupati Area Development Trust (official); Nepal Now, an initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board
4. 4Kathmandu

   Climb the stone steps to Swayambhunath

   Swayambhunath sits on a hillock about 3 km west of Kathmandu and is one of the holiest Buddhist stupas in Nepal. Its name means self-existent one: legend says it rose from a lotus that bloomed on the lake that once filled the valley, and it is believed to date back to 460 AD under King Manadeva. Buddha eyes are painted on its gilded spire, prayer wheels circle the base of the hill, and Hindu shrines share the hilltop with Buddhist monasteries, so it is one of the best places to see the two faiths side by side. Visitors call it the Monkey Temple. The stone stairway is steep, but a road runs almost to the top, and the views take in most of the valley.

   Tip: Come during Tihar, the autumn festival of lights, for views over the lamp-lit city, and expect the biggest crowds on Buddha's birthday, which usually falls in May.

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   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Now, an initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board; Nepal Tourism Board (official)
5. 5Kathmandu

   Step back in time in Bhaktapur Durbar Square

   Bhaktapur, the City of Devotees, sits on a hill at 1,401 m, 12 km east of Kathmandu, and keeps the most intact medieval feel of the valley's three old city-states, with brick-paved lanes, red brick houses and a long tradition of pottery and woodcarving. Its Durbar Square is ringed by buildings from the 13th to the 18th century. Look for the 15th-century Palace of 55 Windows and its gilded Golden Gate, the statue of King Bhupatindra Malla on a stone pillar, and the carved stone Batsala Temple, whose bell of barking dogs was put up in 1737 to sound a daily curfew. In Dattatreya Square, a temple is said to be built from the trunk of a single tree.

   Tip: Pair Bhaktapur with Changu Narayan on the ridge above town, or with a night at Nagarkot for sunrise over the Himalayas.

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   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Now, an initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board; Nepal Tourism Board (official)
6. 6Pokhara

   Watch sunrise over the Annapurnas from Sarangkot

   Sarangkot is the hill above Pokhara where visitors drive up before dawn to watch the sunrise from the view tower at the top. The panorama runs from Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) in the west past Machhapuchhre (6,997 m) and Annapurna II (7,937 m) to Lamjung (6,983 m) in the east, with Phewa Lake and the city on the other side. Lakeside is 11.3 km away by road, a drive of up to 30 minutes, so a dawn trip is easy as a day visit, though Sarangkot also has hotels, lodges and teahouses if you want to wake up on the hill. Paragliders launch from here and float down toward the lake.

   Tip: Watch the forecast: the peaks show best on clear mornings, and the clearest skies of the year come after the monsoon, in October and November.

   Fee not confirmed
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (official); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np)
7. 7Pokhara

   Row across Phewa Lake to Tal Barahi Temple

   Pokhara owes much of its popularity to its lakes, and for many visitors the lasting picture of Nepal is Machhapuchhre's razor-edged Fishtail peak reflected in its still water. Boats can be hired by the shore, and boating is a favorite pastime at any time of day; most boaters also stop at Tal Barahi, a temple to the goddess Ajima on a small island in the lake. Lakeside, also called Baidam, lines the eastern shore with hotels, restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. Phewa is one of Pokhara's cluster of nine lakes, listed as a Ramsar wetland site in 2021, and quieter Begnas and Rupa lakes, about 15 km out of town, are good for boating too.

   Tip: Hire a rowboat along the Lakeside shore and agree on the stop at Tal Barahi before you set off.

   Boats for hire at Lakeside
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np)
8. 8Kathmandu

   Admire the stone Krishna Temple in Patan Durbar Square

   Patan, also called Lalitpur, the city of artisans, lies 5 km southeast of Kathmandu, and its craftsmen still make statues with the old repoussé and lost wax techniques. Its Durbar Square, once the palace of the kings of Patan, is a mix of palace buildings, courtyards and pagoda temples from the Malla era. The Krishna Temple, built entirely of stone in 1637 with 21 gilded spires, is said to be Nepal's first Shikhara-style temple. In the palace, the Patan Museum fills the Keshav Narayan Chowk courtyard, built in 1734, with 300 objects of Hindu and Buddhist art, most of them cast bronzes and copper repoussé; it was restored with Austria's help and opened in 1997.

   Tip: Visit the Patan Museum before you wander the square: its captions explain what each deity means, which makes the temples outside far easier to read.

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   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Now, an initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board
9. 9Kathmandu

   Fly past Everest on an early mountain flight

   If you are not trekking, a mountain flight is the easiest way to see Everest. Flights leave Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu early in the morning and last about an hour, heading east along the Himalayas from Langtang Lirung, the big peak closest to Kathmandu, past 8,000 m giants such as Shisha Pangma, Cho Oyu, Lhotse and Everest itself, as far as Chamlang, then turning back. On the way you see some 20 of the highest peaks in eastern Nepal, and each passenger gets a guaranteed window seat. Some of Nepal's domestic airlines offer them, and they run daily.

   Tip: Book it for early in your stay so you have spare mornings if cloud rolls in, and aim for September to April, the recommended season for clear views.

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Buddha Air (official); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (official)
10. 10Kathmandu

    Climb the Nyatapola steps, then try juju dhau

    The five-story Nyatapola Temple rises above Bhaktapur as its great landmark. Its name means five storied, it withstood the devastating earthquake of 1933, and it is dedicated to a Tantric goddess. Stone deities and mythical beasts line the steps up to it, each said to be ten times more powerful than the figure below. Beside it stands the three-story Bhairavnath Temple, where only the head of Bhairav sits in the sanctum; legend says a Tantric expert cut it off to keep the god in Bhaktapur. Afterward, try juju dhau, the King of Yogurt: a sweet yogurt from Bhaktapur made with buffalo milk, fermented and still sold in small clay pots.

    Tip: Look for juju dhau in its small clay pots at shops around the old town, a sweet break after a morning of walking.

    Fee not confirmed
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np)
11. 11Pokhara

    Paraglide from Sarangkot down to Phewa Lake

    Sarangkot, above Pokhara, ranks among the world's top paragliding spots, and flights glide from the hilltop down toward Lakeside with the Himalayas in the distance and villages, temples, lakes and forest below. Paragliding has been flown in Nepal since 1995, and the rising thermals between low valleys and high mountains make for strong flying. First-timers fly tandem with an experienced pilot; there are also full courses and solo flights for certified pilots, and some flights go up alongside hawks. Because the domestic airline routes are close by, private pilots cannot simply launch on their own, so flying goes through operators who follow Nepal's rules.

    Tip: Book through a government-registered agency, as Nepal's Tourist Police advise for every tourism service, and ask how the operator handles poor weather before you pay.

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (official); Nepal Tourism Board (official); Nepal Tourism Board (official); Nepal Tourism Board (official)
12. 12Kathmandu

    Stay overnight in Nagarkot for Himalayan sunrise

    Nagarkot is a small hill settlement on the rim of the Kathmandu Valley, 32 km from the capital, known for its sunrises and sunsets over the Himalayas. You can watch from your hotel or from the popular view tower, and many hotels, including five-star properties, make an overnight stay easy, with camping as another option. Short walks around the nearby hills give even better views, and the area suits hikers and mountain bikers. A visit combines naturally with a tour of Bhaktapur's medieval brick lanes, and the UNESCO-listed Changu Narayan Temple is only a short hike from the village.

    Tip: Stay the night rather than driving up and back, so you see both the sunset and the next morning's sunrise.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (official)
13. 13Chitwan

    Look for rhinos on a Chitwan jungle safari

    Chitwan National Park, one of Nepal's two natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites, makes a classic add-on to Kathmandu and Pokhara. Its tropical and subtropical forests hold 56 mammal species, including the one-horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal tiger and leopard, plus gharial and marsh mugger crocodiles and 525 kinds of birds. Visitors go on jungle safaris, jungle walks, canoe rides and jeep drives, and can visit a Tharu village to meet the local people. The park headquarters at Kasara is 21 km from Bharatpur, which is 20 minutes by air or about 145 km by road from Kathmandu, and tourist buses run to Chitwan. Resorts and lodges sit outside the park.

    Tip: Go between October and March, when temperatures are mild; April to June gets very hot, and July to September is the rainy season.

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (official); Nepal Tourism Board (official); Nepal Tourism Board (official); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np)
14. 14Kathmandu

    Walk Patan's back lanes to the Golden Temple

    Patan rewards a slow walk beyond its main square. About five minutes west and north of the square's northern end is Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, the Golden Temple, a Buddhist monastery founded in the 12th century and named for the gilded metal plates on its front, with an image of the Buddha in its courtyard, Kwa Bahal, and fine woodcarving and repoussé work. Kumbheshwar, a Shiva temple built in 1392, is Patan's only five-story pagoda, and the spring in its courtyard is said to rise from the glacial lake of Gosainkunda. To the east of the square, Mahabouddha is a 14th-century temple with an image of the Buddha engraved on every brick.

    Tip: Start at Durbar Square and follow the Patan heritage walk route past the Golden Temple, Mahabouddha and Rudra Varna Mahavihar, where kings were once crowned.

    Fee not confirmed
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np)
15. 15Pokhara

    Look over Phewa Lake from the World Peace Pagoda

    The dome-shaped World Peace Pagoda crowns a hill on the southern fringe of Phewa Lake, and its four images of the Buddha face the four directions. The pagoda is an impressive sight, but most people come for the view: from the hilltop you look out across the lake to the Annapurna range. Nearby, Pumdi and Bumdi, two villages above the lake's southern rim, keep old-style oval houses of red clay and have some of the finest mountain views around Pokhara.

    Tip: Choose a clear day for the climb, since the Annapurna view is the reason to go.

    Fee not confirmed
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np)
16. 16Kathmandu

    See Nepal's oldest temple at Changu Narayan

    Changu Narayan stands on a ridge overlooking Bhaktapur, about 12 km east of Kathmandu, and with origins going back to the 4th century it is the oldest known temple in Nepal. Dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, it is one of the oldest examples of pagoda architecture in the valley. The complex holds some of the country's earliest inscriptions and masterful wood and stone carvings of Vishnu and other deities. It is one of the seven monument zones that make up the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it sits among quiet villages and terraced fields, a short hike from Nagarkot.

    Tip: Combine it with Bhaktapur on the same day, or hike over from Nagarkot after watching the sunrise.

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    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Now, an initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board; Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np)
17. 17Pokhara

    Learn the climbing story at the International Mountain Museum

    The International Mountain Museum in Pokhara was set up by the Nepal Mountaineering Association to record and display the history of mountains and mountaineering; its foundation stone was laid in 1995 and it officially opened in 2004. Its main halls follow one theme. The Mountain People Gallery shows the cultures of mountain communities, the Hall of World Mountains covers how mountain ranges formed, all 14 peaks above 8,000 m and Himalayan plants and animals, and the Mountain Activities Hall traces famous ascents and how climbing gear has changed. There is also a library and a climbing wall named for Maurice Herzog.

    Tip: Save it for a cloudy day, when the real mountains are hidden anyway.

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    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: International Mountain Museum (Nepal Mountaineering Association); Nepal Tourism Board (official)
18. 18Pokhara

    See Davis Falls and the Gupteshwar cave

    Davis Falls, known locally as Patale Chhango, the fall of the netherworld, is a ferocious waterfall about 2 km southwest of Pokhara Airport on the Siddhartha Highway. Its water comes from Phewa Lake, and it is named for a Swiss woman who was swept away by it in 1961. The falling water has carved caves and tunnels through the rock, and Gupteshwar Mahadev cave, a sacred Shiva shrine on the other side of the falls, is one of them. Back in the city, the Seti River does something similar, vanishing into a gorge that is barely 2 m wide in places but up to 20 m deep, visible from bridges such as Mahendra Pul.

    Tip: See the falls and the cave in one stop, then head into town to look down into the Seti gorge from Mahendra Pul.

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    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np); Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np)

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