The Manakamana Temple, in Nepal’s Gorkha district, is a major pilgrimage destination for Nepali and Indian Hindus. Travelers will find the temple itself interesting, but the major attraction is taking the long, scenic cable car ride from Kurintar, across the Trisuli River, and over the forest and farmland of the Himalayan foothills up to the hill-top temple. Plus, on a clear day, the views of snow-capped Himalayan peaks are dramatic.
Bhaktapur’s 55 Window Palace was completed in 1754, and sits in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. It’s one of the architectural highlights of the historic town. The 55 windows are carved in the traditional Newari style, with latticed wooden slats instead of glass. Visitors can admire the beautiful building from the outside, as well as visit the inner courtyards.
In the middle of dusty, traffic-clogged central Kathmandu is the neoclassical Garden of Dreams. The garden and pavilions were created in the 1920s as private gardens, but now they’re open to the public and provide a peaceful contrast to the busy streets outside.
Patan, also called Lalitpur, was once a separate kingdom from Kathmandu, with its own kings, culture, and traditions. Now, it is essentially the southern part of Kathmandu city. With its strong Newari culture, exquisite temples, and vibrant handicrafts traditions, it’s a favorite day trip destination for travelers to Kathmandu.
Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park is in the north of the Kathmandu Valley, a chance to enjoy nature close to the city. There are many hiking and mountain biking trails through the park, and on a clear day visitors can see snow-capped mountains to the north. It’s a great place to come for a quick escape from Kathmandu, or to embark on a longer trek.
The Asan Market area is one of Kathmandu’s most ancient parts. It’s sat at the crossroads of trade routes through the Himalayas for centuries, and is still a busy, thriving, and culturally fascinating part of the central city.
Kirtipur is one of several ancient kingdoms in the Kathmandu Valley that were once independent, but now make up part of greater Kathmandu. It’s a prime destination to learn about the Newar people, who are one of Nepal’s many distinct ethnic groups and the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley. Come to Kirtipur for exquisite architecture, hilltop temples, and sweeping city views.
On the northern edge of the Kathmandu Valley, Budhanilkantha is a small town that is famous for the Budhanilkantha Temple. A 16-foot (5-meter) reclining stone Vishnu statue lies in the temple grounds, surrounded by water and stone snakes. It’s the largest stone statue in Nepal, and is unusual because the god is lying down.
Sundarijal is a village in Gokarneshwar Municipality to the north of Kathmandu, and on the edge of the Shivapuri National Park. Sundarijal means “beautiful water,” and the area is known for its waterfalls. Many visitors come to Sundarijal while hiking and mountain biking in the Shivapuri area.
Colorful wooden rowboats, kids playing ping pong or swinging on the river bank, cyclists cruising along the lakeside, and gorgeous views of Fishtail Mountain are all sights you’ll find at Phewa Lake. This peaceful setting is highly popular with Nepali and foreign tourists alike. Sit at one of the restaurants and cafes at Lakeside, sipping sundowners and watching the pastel sky reflecting in the smooth waters of the lake.
The Trisuli River (Trishuli River) starts in the mountains of Tibet, then runs parallel to the east-west Prithvi Highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara, before it heads south to join the Narayani River. It’s a popular destination for white-water rafters, particularly the stretch between Charaudi and Mugling, where there are many riverside camps.
Dakshinkali Temple, 14 miles (22 kilometers) south of central Kathmandu and on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley, is a sacred Hindu temple famous for one thing. Twice a week, male goats and roosters are sacrificed here to the goddess Kali, who is said to be hungry for blood. Visitors can watch this event at the temple in the hills.
Hanuman Dhoka is Kathmandu’s royal palace, once the seat of power for the kingdom. Home to the royal courts of both Malla and Shah dynasties, it was built during the fourth and eighth centuries and is an important part of Kathmandu’s UNESCO-listed Durbar (or “palace”) Square. Although damaged in the 2015 earthquake, it remains a must-see site.
The Nagi Gompa (Nangkyi Gompa) is a Tibetan Buddhist convent located in the Shivapuri National Park, on the northern edge of the Kathmandu Valley. It’s home to more than 100 nuns, which is rare in a region that has many monasteries for men. Visitors are welcome, and many travelers stop here while hiking in the park.
Patan’s Krishna Temple (Krishna Mandir) is one of Kathmandu’s finest temples, and unlike most in Nepal, which are usually made from carved wood and brick, Krishna is made of finely crafted stone. Built in 1637, it stands unique in the middle of Patan Durbar Square and is a highlight of a visit to Patan.
Defying the misperception that Nepal is only a country of mountains and hills, Chitwan National Park is a subtropical jungle on the Nepali flatlands bordering India. Once a royal hunting reserve, Chitwan National Park is now home to Royal Bengal tigers, gharial and mugger crocodiles, a large population of one-horned rhinoceros, and much more.
The hilltop village of Nuwakot is home to Nuwakot Fort, a beautiful and historically important fortress and palace built in 1768. While the fort is the area’s main draw, visitors also come to stay in charming boutique hotels or homestays and hike in the forested hills around the village. Nuwakot makes an ideal destination for a peaceful 2- or 3-night getaway from Kathmandu.
The Tharu people are the Indigenous inhabitants of the Chitwan region and much of the Terai, the plains and forests bordering India. Tharu culture, language, and cuisine are rather different from hill or mountain Nepali cultures you’ll see elsewhere in the country, so visiting the Chitwan Tharu Village near Sauraha is a good way to learn more.
Freak Street—or Jhochhen Tole—got its English-language name from the “freakish” appearance of the hippies who hung out here in the 1960s and ’70s, when Kathmandu was a stop on the “hippie trail.” A short walk from Kathmandu Durbar Square, this legendary place retains just a shadow of its past, but travelers still come to check it out.
Bhaktapur’s Bhupatindra Malla Statue is a beautiful bronze statue of the Malla-dynasty king of Bhaktapur, erected in 1699. Bhupatindra Malla, wearing traditional Nepali clothes and a headdress, is seated on a plinth with his hands folded in prayer. The statue sits outside the Vatsala Durga Temple, and is considered to be the most significant statue in Bhaktapur.
Chobhar is a small town on the southwestern edge of the Kathmandu Valley, inhabited mainly by ethnic Newari people. Although it’s only about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Kathmandu, it feels much like a rural village. The main reason to visit Chobhar is to experience rura Nepalil life, and as a biking destination.
Located in the historic Patan area, a short walk through narrow streets from Patan Durbar Square, the Rudra Varna Mahavihar is thought to be the oldest monastery in Patan. Parts date back to the 13th century, although most of the structure isn’t quite that old. It’s a peaceful and impressive place to visit on a walking tour of Patan.
The building is the star attraction at the Gorkha Museum: The old-school collection of Nepali historical and cultural artifacts is housed in the early-19th-century Tallo Durbar, a beautiful red-bricked, tile-roofed Newari building (the Newars being a Nepali ethnic group). History buffs may be interested in the displays about Gorkha’s favorite son, King Prithvi Narayan Shah, and the unification of Nepal.
Nepal’s Mt. Manaslu is the eighth-highest mountain in the world, at 26,781 feet (8,163 meters). You can climb it, but this isn’t the only way to experience the mighty mountain. Trek to it or around it, view it at a distance from lookout points in Gorkha, or glimpse it from the window of a Kathmandu–Pokhara flight.
Patan’s Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar in Nepali and Kwa Bahal in Newari) is one of the neighborhood’s star attractions, despite not being quite what its English name suggests: It’s neither made from gold nor a temple per se. The small Buddhist monastery is actually decorated with brass and bronze plates, roof tiles, and decorations, which gleam like gold in the sun.
Perched on a hilltop high above Gorkha town in central Nepal, Gorakhnath Temple offers wonderful views of the Himalayas on a clear day. The red-brick, slate-roofed building is also a fine example of Nepali architecture, and visitors who have spent any time in Kathmandu may recognize the ethnic Newari artisanship in its intricately carved screens, doors, and window frames.
