101 Best Places to Visit in Nepal

Witness the second largest in Nepal the Phewa Lake and it one of the top places to visit in Nepal. You can enjoy some of the best boating rides on this lake and at the same time, it also lets you witness some quite moments sometime in the late afternoon.

You can also see some beautiful fishes in the water which is another attraction in this places.

Highlights: The water is so clear that you can also see the reflection of Mount Machhapuchhre and Annapurna range.

Prices: Entry Free. 

Best months to visit: October

If you have a spiritual bent of mind then the best thing would be to visit the famous Pashupatinath Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has attracted millions of Hindu followers. Most of the people visit this temples when they are living the final days before they meet death. 

The river Bagmati which flows along is considered to be the most sacred river for cremation. It is also believed that people who die here are reborn as humans again irrespective of their conduct on earth.

Highlights: You can also visit Panch Deval which has five temple complex which was a holy shrine but not a  place for old people to stay.

Location: Pashupatinath road, Kathmandu.

Prices: USD 29.

Best time to visit: You can visit this temple during anytime of the year but avoid visiting it during Mahashivratri and Teej festivals

It is a national park which is quite exquisitely adorned with Sagarmatha National Park. It has mountains, glaciers, and valleys along with the world’s highest peak of Mount Everest. You will also find Sherpas with their rich culture which makes the national park even more interesting.

Since there are no roads to this place and you have to literally walk, so plenty of food should be accompanied with plenty of rest.

Highlights: Reaching the Mount Everest base camp is the most adventurous thing to do.

Location: Since there are no roads, so you have to walk from the nearest airport. It is 2 days from Lukla.

Best time to visit: September to November.

Prices: $135 to $145.

It is the first Himalayan National Park with rich flora and fauna. The national park is the most appropriate place for hiking too. It is the catchment area for Trisuli river along Sun Koshi river. Mostly the populations are Tamang who are from the ancient Nepalese race.

The national park is highly uncrowded which makes it the best national park for the occasion. The nearby lodges are operational during winters only. People may have high altitude sickness so you should carry your medicines accordingly.

Highlights: There are three main trekking routes in this place Langtang Valley, Helambu and Gosaikunda Lake.

Best time to visit: Mid October to Mid December.
 
Prices: Rs. 1000 entry fee.
 
Location: Nearest city is Kathamandu.

A spectacular fall which you might have never seen before, the peculiar thing about this fall is that the starting point of this fall where Pardi Khola stream which eventually vanishes in the underground.

The most amazing thing about this fall is that you can clearly hear the sound of the water which eventually strikes the fall. The cascading waterfall secretly comes and meets the cave which makes this fall an amazing place to visit in Nepal.

Prices: Rs 30.

Difficulty Level: High, reaching the fall is however tough.

Best time to visit: Monsoon is the best time to visit.

You wouldn’t mind a half day trip to this mysterious cave in Nepal. Some peculiar looking Stalactites and Stalagmites which has quite beautifully adorned the place will not fail to catch your attention.

However, the silence of the cave is seldom broken by the chirping of some bats and whistle which makes this incredible cave one of the most amazing places to visit in Nepal.

Difficulty Level: High, reaching this place involves trekking which will be approximately of one and a half hour and the stone steps are a little slippery which is why you need to be extra cautious for the same.

Prices: Rs 200.

Best time to visit: March and May

The only hunting reserve in Nepal is the Dhorpatan hunting reserve. It is surrounded by ‘Dhor’ or marshlands and this reserve was constructed with the aim of protecting some of the important species of Nepal. If you climb up, you will notices that the major portion of the area is snow-capped.

If you have a religious bent of mind you can visit the place during the month of August where a religious fair is held and is attended by all the locals of Nepal.

Highlights: The reserve is the best place to locate blue sheep.

Location: Baglung district of Dhawalagiri Himalayan range.

Best time to visit: March to April.

Prices: License and the local permit will together cost you $2000 and if one hunter wants to hunt 1 Himalayan Tahr then the cost would be $8900.

Witness one of the largest kingdom of the Kathmandu valley and you will be simply mesmerized with its breath-taking looks. It had some of the best preservation of the olden times, however, they were destroyed because of the recent earthquake in 2015.

Near the roadside you will find many craftisans weaving cloth and chisel timber.

Highlights: You can examine the beautiful temples which are studded stones and winding streets which makes you bring back memories of the olden times.

Location: It is 1 hour and 35 minutes from flight.

Price: NPR 2000.

Best time to visit: March to April and October to November in late afternoon

If you love watching bird’s then you can’t miss to visit this reserve. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is considered to be the smallest reserve amidst the Terai National Park. It is often called the bird’s paradise too as it has some 493 species of birds.

Apart from all this it is the only reserve where you will find a beautiful amalgamation of peace along with paradise of nature.

Highlights: It is the only reserve where you can spot the endangered Arna ( a wild water buffalo) and some endangered species of birds too like Swamp Francolin, Bengal Florican and much more.

Best time to visit: November to February.

Prices: If you are planning to stay in a camp close to it, you can get it around Rs.16014.

Location: It is located close to Kamaladi in Kathmandu.

Parsa wildlife reserve lies next to the famous cousin Chitwan which has given a greater prominence to this reserve. It is home to many tigers and hence spotting a tiger in this reserve is far easier.

Apart from the usual animals you can also spot cobras and pythons which makes this reserve even more exciting for one to visit. Hence a safari trip to Parsa wildlife reserve will surely be an experience in itself.

Highlights: You will find hordes of wild elephants, tiger, leopard and sloth bear amongst others.

Location: It is located in the south-central lowland Terai of Nepal, close to Narayangadh.

Price: Rs 100.

Best time to visit: October to February.

If you want to witness the only freshwater lake in Nepal, you have come to the right place, Rupa Tal. It is one of the glorious serene lakes which will make you feel truly blessed.

Location: It lies towards the south-east of Pokhara valley. The freshwater lake in Nepal is Rupa Tal which is also the third largest lake in Pokhara valley.

Highlights: It provides boating opportunity for all the tourists which makes Rupa Tal an important Nepal tourist place to visit.

Prices: Entry is free.

Difficulty Level: Medium

A quiet freshwater lake in Kaski district of Nepal that changes colour depending on the season. it is the second largest of the eight lakes in Pokhara valley with a maximum depth of 10 meters. Location: It takes about 40 minutes by bus from Pokhara to reach the lake. Not far from the maddening crowd but extremely clean and quiet.

Since it is visited comparatively less, the original beauty is undisturbed. The lake supports irrigation and fisheries. The water level in the lake is regulated by a dam constructed in 1988 as it fluctuates with season and because of use for irrigation. The pressure of increasing human population is forcing conversion of the swampy area into land for cultivation.

Highlights: Boating, fishing and swimming are some of the activities you can indulge in, the bonus being surrounding green mountains.

Price: There are whole lot of hotels around to suit different budgets but the entry to this lake is free.

Difficulty Level: Medium, you can easily try your hands on boating.

Best time to visit: October

If you want to spot the last areas of woodland then it will be seen in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. It has quite recently got the wildlife status. The sprawling forest will get you bowled with the mere look at it. There is no accommodation here, as the one which was here was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake.

To make the trip even more exciting there are several cycling and motorbiking ride which is going to leave you truly thrilled. It is amongst the famous places to visit in Nepal.

Highlights: It is not only a natural wildlife but at the same time it also allows you to make a trip to Tibetan nunnery of Nagi Gompa.

Location: It is 12 km away from the centre of the capital city, Sundarijal, Nepal.

Best time to visit: September to November and February to April.

Price: Rs 500

The temple comes with its own beauty which makes the temple a beautiful place to visit in Nepal.

Location: Situated at a height of 3000 ft. above sea level and dedicated to Goddess Bhagawati, this is one of the oldest temples in Pokhara valley.

Highlights: Situated on a hillock near busy old bazaar of Pokhara, this wonderful religious landmark has immense natural beauty and is worshipped by Hindus and Buddhist alike.Worshipers flock to this place to perform animal sacrifice, especially on Saturdays.

You can clearly observe the beauty of Machhapuchhere/Annapurna Himalayan range from this Temple.

Prices: Entry is free.

Difficulty Level: Easy.

Best time to visit: February

Shuklaphanta is a wildlife hunting reserve in Kanchanpur district and is the most popular testimony of nature conservation in South Asia. It is the first national park of Nepal and is also included in the world heritage sites as well. The forest has always remained undisturbed which makes it the choicest wildlife reserve.

The reserve caters to some 24 species of mammals along with 350 species of birds and 14 species of fish. You will also find Nilgai and Jackal in this wildlife reserve.

Highlights: The reserve has accommodated some 200 swamp deer along with 50 wild elephants and 30 tigers.

Best months to visit: October to April.

Prices: Rs.5000.

Location: Mahakali, Nepal

It is a mid-mountain national park in western Nepal. According to an age old story Khaptad Swami had moved to this are to undergo meditation which makes this place even more prominent for people with a spiritual bent of mind. You should be carrying you own tents as there are no lodges here.

Highlights: An important festival which is celebrated here is the Ganga Dashahara during Jestha Purnima.

Best time to visit: March-May, October and November are the best time to visit this place.

Location: Fly from Nepalgunj to Dipayal and from there you can take local buses for Silgadhi.

Prices: Rs1000

The Dakshinkali Temple is a holy shrine which is dedicated to Goddess Kali. You will find the true goddess Kali with red eyes and protruding tongue. The goddess is beautifully adorned with a necklace of skulls. Location: It is 22 km outside Kathmandu valley.

On Saturdays, you will find temple fair being conducted in Dakshinkali Temple where people are selling the best of clothes and you can have the best of tea stalls too.

Highlights: You can have the most interesting hiking and trekking experiences too.

Best time to visit: You can visit during any time of the month, however, Tuesdays and Saturdays are the best time to visit this place.
 
Location: Bhimsen Marga, Kathmandu.

Prices: Free of cost

It is one of the most spectacular looking monasteries near the great stupa of Boudhanath. It was with the help of Dilgo Khyentse Riponche who had incorporated the age-old tradition of the original Shechen Monastery. It was his strong belief that all the traditions are richly maintained and preserved for the Shechen monastery.

It is a perfect example of rich Tibetan culture. You will find beautiful fresco paintings which are going to leave you truly mesmerized. Dont miss this monastery in the list of your places to visit in Nepal.

Highlights: There are approximately 400 monks across the Himalayan region from where they earn a livelihood.

Location: The monastery is located between Nangdo and Dzogchen Monastery.

Best time to visit: March and May.

Prices: It starts from 895 NRs.

If you are a hard core history buff, this place is for you, where you will find many age old things reminding you of how once olden Nepal was. It is a very old museum and has some historic collection of arts, culture and paintings too.

However one would also witness Buddhist gallery which has all the important information pertaining to Buddhism. The complete past of Nepal is neatly wrapped in this beautiful museum.

Highlights: You would also find some wooden antiques along with bronze and copper. And you can also spot some amazing sculpture too.

Price: Rs 150

Location: Chhauni Road, Kathmandu.

Best time to visit: Somewhere in October during evenings are the best time to visit.

Kopan Monastery is predominantly covered with Bodhi trees. Once upon a time this place was considered to be the residing place of astrologer for the king of Nepal. The view across this monastery is simply magical. It has accommodated some 360 monks, lamas, teachers and workers.

This monastery is the place where everybody residing here has devoted their time to study the teaching of Buddha Shakyamuni. Everybody is on the look around to follow the teachings of the founder Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Riponche.

Highlights: Learn about the monastic tradition and how they live and what all did they practiced. Meditation, teaching and community services are some of the prominent features of this place.

Location: Kopan, Kathmandu.

Best time to visit: June.

Price: US$25

Durbar square will take you to the king’s era and will surely give you the feeling of royalty. It is this place where the kings were crowned and were legitimized to rule that particular palace. You can simply sit in the terraced world and let the world go by.

If you want to explore more, the best thing would be to start from the old valley. It is one of the most popular places to visit in Nepal.

Highlights: Durbar Square will take you to the history of Nepal.
 
Price: $10 USD

Best months to visit: October and sometime in the afternoon is the best time to visit the place.

If you are in Pokhara then you simply can’t miss the chance to see the Tibetan refugee camp. The area is beautifully adorned with prayer flags which enhances the beauty of the place. It has housed numerous monks and therefore you can hear the rumbling of the monks chanting their payers. Even many masked dance performances are also held during the same.

Highlights: You can also enjoy some cultural fests which are held in the Pokhara street during 28th Dec to 1st Jan.

Best time to visit: January and February as it is the time of Tibetan New year.

Prices: Entry Free

Namche Bazaar is a village which is horses shoe shaped bowl. If you climb up till the end you can get the first look of Everest. It will leave you truly mesmerized with its absolute view. Most of the people reach this place by their trekking and hiking experience.

There are several tea houses which will give you some of the most amazing experiences.

Highlights: If you are in Namche on Saturday then don’t forget to visit the local streets which has some of the most amazing Chinese goods.

Best months to visit: Spring is the best time to visit Namche Bazaar.

Prices: All the hotels in the Namche Bazaar are quite reasonably priced.

Bardia National Park is a virgin park with amazing wildlife opportunities. Spotting elephants and rhinos are quite common in the National Park. You will find an increasing number of tigers too which makes it even more exciting for you to enjoy this Bardia National Park.

Hence it is also considered to be one of the highest tiger habitats. It is one of the places where you will witness an undisturbed wilderness. It was one of the royal hunting reserves too.

Prices: Rs 679 to Rs 747 are approximately the prices of the lodges nearby. 

Best time to visit: October

Difficulty Level: Medium, just follow the instructions of the guide

Another Nepal tourist place of historic importance in Pokhara valley.

Highlights: Surrounding lake adds a lot of grace to this most famous Hindu temple in Pokhara. Built in the 18th century it is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in his boar incarnation. The temple has been comprehensively renovated over the years and so the pigeons have decided to make it their permanent shelter. A must visit not only for the religious mind but also for a regular tourist.

 Difficulty Level: Easy,

Location: 10 minutes drive from Pokhara, located on an island in the middle of phew lake, it can be reached by a boat from Varahi ghat. 

The bazaar lets you witness some mysterious alleys and courtyard which might not have witnessed before. The brightly clad locals of Kathmandu lets you see many Gurkhas and Sherpas.

Highlights: Shop for some fruits vegetables, fruits, spices and stunning wares made of brass, copper and bronze. You can also view some temples and shrines which is likely to make Old Bazaar worth a visit.

Best months to visit: October to March.

Price: Entry Free

Explore Buddhism through the eyes of Khawalung Monastery. Founded by Vajra Master Jigme Dorje Rinpoche, the spiritual heir of Choying Wangpo Rinpoche, the monastery preserves, upholds and disseminates general Buddhist Teachings.

Highlights: The monastery has been detailed extensively in terms of its architecture, inspired by the Buddhist styles and structure. It is also a major sect of Vahrayana Buddhism and provides teachings about the religion. At the moment, there are three teachers who work at the elementary and training school, teaching rites and rituals to the next generation.

Besides religious education, the place is known for basic and advanced courses as well. It even provides children with medical expenses, free food and clothing. The same is offered to all the monks residing here.

Location: Kapan, Nepal.

Timings: Open for tourists from morning to evening.

Price: Entry is free for travellers.

A haven for tourists visiting Kathmandu, Thamel is a popular destination. The place has several hotels, shops and restaurants that are particularly designed to cater to a discerning range of customers.

The commercial location is an easy walk from central Kathmandu and there are a number of activities that you can enjoy at this place.

Highlights: The streets are quite fascinating at Thamel. But be cautious of sellers who might want to rip you off. Otherwise, the place is good for buying anything from Tibetan Singing Bowls to Glass Pipes. Just remember to bargain a little as the prices can come down to 2/3rdof the quoted prices.

Here, you can also enjoy shopping incense sticks, Kukri swords, outdoor outfits and books. Over a hundred different eateries are located at this market. So, eat whatever cuisine you wish to try.

Location: Thamel, Kathmandu.

Timings: From morning till night.

Price: Entry is free.

Nepal holds a prominent place in Buddhist culture. The country has a number of monasteries, including Seto Gumba or the White Monastery. This is a natural beauty with the relevant religious importance. The white monastery is surrounded by lush green valley and vivid terrain which makes it such a delight to watch.

Highlights: The White Monastery gives heavenly pleasure and provides bird eye’s view of the Kathmandu Valley. One of the main highlights of this monastery is its white color as well as the serenity and calmness that it has to offer. The monastery has several murals, statues and paintings that can provide in-depth information about Buddhism. The place is on off-beaten track, but located close to the Swoyambhunath Stupa.

Location: Kathmandu.

Timings: The place is open from morning to evening only on Saturdays.

Price: The usual price is USD 1.

A prominent mountain peak in Nepal, Phulchowki surrounds the valley of Kathmandu. The mountain is called ‘Phul,’ to reflect flowers, the literal meaning. This place is a natural garden of flowers and everything bright-beautiful!

Highlights:The Mountain is a bed of wild roses, along with iris, yellow jasmine and several native flowers. Exploring it is fun and enchanting because of the grove of rhododendrons in various hues. The path or the trail towards the summit includes keep able roads. The route takes you through the Buddhist shrine as well.

If you have tried trekking or love hiking, then go ahead and scale the peak- it shouldn’t take more than four hours. The area is well known for its resorts as well. If you are looking for something peaceful or if you are searching for a short, easy day hike, then this is the place that should be listed in your itinerary.

Location: Ryale, Nepal.

Price:Free.

The beautifully restored Swapna Baigicha, also known as Garden of Dreams offers respite and rejuvenation from the stresses of the world. It is one of the most stunning places in the world. The garden was built in 1920s and has been brought back to life by the Austrian financed team. The stunningly restored garden has gorgeous and refined details.

Highlights:Some of the main highlights of this place includes marble inscription from Omar Khayam’s Rubaiyat, beautiful fountains and ponds. The palace is home to a quirky ‘hidden garden’ as well. It also features three pavilions. The place is ideal for going out for a picnic or just to marvel at the human-nature interaction. The place is a must visit for travelers.

Location:Kathmandu.

Timings:Open from 9 am to 10 pm. Last entry is at 9 pm.

Price: USD 2-4 depending on adults or children.

A small and a beautiful city located at the foothills of the Mahabharata range is the city of Dharan. The city is beautifully surrounded with beautiful roads and natural beauty which makes it one of the best destination to visit, when you are in Nepal.

It is an important pilgrimage centre for most of the Nepalese too. It has long been the Gurkha Recruitment Centre.

Highlights: You can explore the popular tea growing region Dhankuta which is quite popular in Nepal.

Location: It is one of the important sub-metropolitan city in eastern Nepal.

Best time to visit: October to February.

Price: 150 USD 

If you love mountains then you can’t miss the chance to visit this place because it has been a home to some of the world’s highest peaks.

The conservation area is operational under the king Mahendra trust which is one of the non-profit organization of Nepal. And it also helps to both preserve and maintain the natural and cultural resources of Nepal.

Highlights: You can also witness the world’s deepest valley of Kali Gandaki. Almost all the trekking permits are also available in this conservation area.

Location: Buses and taxis are easily available from Pokhara to Jomsom which lies north to the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Price: $174 USD for 2 people.