Knife (Khukuri) Making Workshop- Forge of the Gurkhas
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Kathmandu, Nepal
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
It takes years of training and serious skill to learn about to carve a khukuri—the Nepali blade associated with Gurkha warriors. But for anyone looking to pick up the basics, this small-group, half-day workshop in Kathmandu will take you through the steps of creating your very own knife. Snacks are included, and you’ll get to take home your handmade blade as a souvenir.
- Get a rare opportunity to see how khukuri blades are made with hands-on instruction
- Workshops are capped at just five participants, guaranteeing a personalized experience
- Choice of morning or afternoon start times to slot easily into even packed travel schedules
- Take home a real knife that you can use for chopping vegetables, or as a souvenir
What's Included
- Snacks
- tools need for knife
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We will meet the travellers at hotel lobby.
What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 5 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 161 reviews
Elizabeth_M, May 2026
Matt and I had an absolutely incredible experience at this Khukuri knife-making workshop in Kathmandu. We were so appreciative that they picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel, which made everything very easy and welcoming from the start.
The workshop took place behind their beautiful family home, which made the experience feel extremely personal and authentic. They welcomed us with delicious milk tea and treated us with such genuine hospitality throughout the day.
We loved being able to hand forge our own knives completely from scratch and even personalize them. The instructors were patient, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about sharing their craft and culture with us.
This was far more than just a workshop — it was a rewarding hands-on cultural experience and one of our favorite memories from Kathmandu. We would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Nepal!
Levi_H, May 2026
Incredible experience helping craft the Khukuri Gurkhas knife yourself totally from the start to finish using hard steel, in the home of a local Nepali blacksmiths house. Nice and personal and you even have the chance to personalise your knife with a small engraving.
Kim_M, Apr 2026
A truly amazing experience. The blacksmith and his nephew/ apprentice are true masters of their craft. If you are looking for for an authentic and unique experience, you won’t be disappointed. The knife is absolutely beautiful and so sharp. The best souvenir!
Samara_H, Apr 2026
This was the best thing we have done while travelling.
Communication was excellent via whatsapp, pick up and drop off covered in cost. Namrata was an amazing host and translator!
Make sure you have lots of battery on your phone to take photos!
Our family just loved this activity and having their own special knife to keep that they helped make.
The blacksmith and his son were wonderful and friendly and kind!
1000% would recommend! A must-do activity!!
Bridget_T, Mar 2026
Unique, interactive experience. He is such an artist and learning about the entire process and history was amazing, and the quality of the knife I received is unmatched. Wonderful experience.
Stefan_D, Mar 2026
The knife making experience was great. However, transportation to and from the event was not a pleasant experience. They utilized local taxis and both vehicles did not have working seatbelts for rear passengers. In addition, the quality of the vehicle varied based on the taxi. The initial driver used an unsafe route to the event to save a few minutes on travel. I recommend this company invest in official transportation as right now your safety and your very life is in the hands of luck based on which taxi your tour guide randomly obtains. Also, I don’t recommend getting your name etched in the knife. Initially I did, but the engraving was sloppy, not flush, and sizes of letters differed. However, everything else about the knife was ultra high quality.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Stefan,
Thank you for your review. We appreciate that you enjoyed the knife crafting experience and recognized the high quality of the knife itself.
However, we would like to clarify a few important points mentioned in your review. The use of local taxis for transportation is clearly stated in our experience description before booking. Our goal is to keep this cultural experience accessible and affordable for travelers. Providing dedicated private vehicles would significantly increase the cost of the experience. Because we work with local taxi services, the vehicle can vary each time we arrange transportation and it is not possible for us to control which exact taxi arrives. This is standard practice in Nepal. The drivers we work with are local professionals who drive these routes daily and are familiar with the safest and most practical roads in local conditions.
Regarding the route taken by the driver, local drivers often choose routes based on real-time traffic, road conditions, and their experience navigating Kathmandu. What may appear unusual to visitors is often a normal and efficient route for local drivers.
As for the engraving, the knife you made is a completely handmade knife crafted from raw steel using traditional blacksmithing methods. The engraving is also done by hand, not by machine. Because of this, it will never look like a factory laser engraving—and that is exactly the point of a handmade cultural craft. Slight variations are natural in hand craftsmanship. Over the years, we have engraved thousands of names, and the overwhelming majority of our guests are very happy with this authentic handmade touch.
We are proud to support traditional Nepali blacksmiths and preserve this craft rather than turning it into a mass-produced factory product.
We are glad you enjoyed the workshop and the knife itself, and we thank you again for participating in the experience.
Best regards,
I.Experience Nepal Team
Tracy_F, Mar 2026
Excellent craftmanship and entertaining too! Thoroughly enjoyed the experience, it is truly rewarding to see someone so passionate about their craft
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are glad that you enjoyed the workshop and we really appreciate for your kind words. We hope to host you more in the future. Cheers, I.Experience Nepal Team
Michael_W, Feb 2026
A person met me outside my Airbnb & we took a taxi they arranged to the kukuri making location that was a small, rustic and authentic workshop. The knife making master & his family/assistants were all friendly, accommodating & easy to work with. I went away with an attractive, useful kukuri. It was a fascinating experience.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are glad that you enjoyed the workshop and we really appreciate for your kind words. We hope to host you more in the future. Cheers, I.Experience Nepal Team
David_M, Feb 2026
This is a special experience. You will be involved in the process including hammering and grinding. Don’t worry if you’re not sure about handling things because Indra and Prakash will take care of everything. Namrata the tour guide is a real treat. She accompanied me through out the 6 hour tour. She provided a meal break of puffed rice and grilled buffalo meat. You can opt for other food items as well. I can’t say enough about her wonderful personality.
I would suggest people with walking issues consider there are steep steps leading to the shop. Also, I wouldn’t recommend for small children.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are glad that you enjoyed the workshop and we really appreciate for your kind words. We hope to host you more in the future. Cheers, I.Experience Nepal Team
Brandon_A, Feb 2026
10/10 recommend. Guide is fantastic, demo of knife making was great. They made it feel like being at home!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are glad that you enjoyed the workshop and we really appreciate for your kind words. We hope to host you more in the future. Cheers, I.Experience Nepal Team
Karen_C, Jan 2026
I thought the knife would be like a toy.
I got a full size super sharp knife and it is really made from scratch!
Love the experience.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are glad that you enjoyed the workshop and we really appreciate for your kind words. We hope to host you more in the future. Cheers, I.Experience Nepal Team
Yasmin_I, Jan 2026
Fun experience with right balance of interactivity / getting to work the knife myself vs. getting to observe the blacksmith, Indra, in his craft. Both the guide and Indra were professional and provided cheery company and conversation (I ended up being the only one for my time slot). It was great getting to go to an actual workshop and be able to get my hands dirty.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are glad that you enjoyed the workshop and we really appreciate for your kind words. We hope to host you more in the future. Cheers, I.Experience Nepal Team
Gregory_N, Dec 2025
Great experience with my tour guide. Picked me up from my hotel and took me to the home of a well-experienced Blacksmith. He'd been doing this for many years crafting to local residents and personal requests. All material used has been recycled (except for brass which is hard to come by). Finished with a Nepalese souvenir which I can use (with a '100 year guarantee')
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are glad that you enjoyed the workshop and we really appreciate for your kind words. We hope to host you more in the future. Cheers, I.Experience Nepal Team
Demian_N, Oct 2025
It was fun. Very kind people. Was awesome to see how to start with a part of steal and than steadily working toward the knife as the end result. What I somewhat missed was that I thought more parts of the process could be done by myself. Anyhow probably the end result wouldn’t have that high quality if I would have been more evolved. But certainly a thing to have in mind.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the workshop.
We understand your point about wanting to be more hands-on. We do try to balance safety and quality while still making sure guests get to experience the main steps. But your feedback is very valuable, and we'll definitely keep it in mind to see where we can let guests be more involved in the shaping process next time.
Cheers,
I.Experience Nepal Team
Marie_C, Oct 2025
The experience itself was 5+ stars. However out of the 3 of us that made knives, 2 of them had cracks in them. But the experience itself was amazing. So fun and not tourist feeling at all.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your review, and we sincerely apologize for the cracks in the Khukuri. Sometimes, such cracks are not visible on the metal at first, but they appear later during the crafting process. In these cases, we usually offer to make a new knife and deliver it. I hope our guide informed you about this option.
Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience, and we truly hope to host you again in the future to provide a better experience.
Caitie_T, Oct 2025
My favourite experience in Kathmandu! It was so special visiting Indra's home and seeing the craftmanship that goes into making a Khukiri knife. Not only did I get to participate and observe the making of the knife, Indra also invited me to have lunch in his home which was such a special experience. My guide Swoyam was fantastic and answered all my questions and openly shared his knowledge. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the Khukuri-making workshop, visiting Indra's home, and the special lunch. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back to Nepal for another great experience!
Cheers,
I.Experience Nepal Team
Tanya_M, Aug 2025
I thought this would be a very quick and tourist thing, I am happy to say I was 100% wrong . Our guide met us at the hotel and we got a cab up to the hills. He took the travel time to discuss Nepal , all the local places , things we should do . When we got to our destination. It was at the craftsman house, in a small room out the back , firstly - the view was amazing! Secondly- the family could not have made us more welcome . We got to take part in all parts of heating and shaping the metal , grinding and sanding . The knife at the end was above the standard I would expect in a high end shop. We got to put our initials and every step of the process was explained along the way. This gentleman is a true craftsman. His attention to detail and making sure the knives were perfect and to a high standard! Cannot recommend this enough!
Response from Host, Sept 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop tour. We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :) Cheers! I.Experience Nepal Team
Adrian_G, May 2025
This tour was about 4.5 hours long and in the end I had a beautiful, shiny, perfectly crafted Khukri. Namrata met me at my hotel in Thamel and we took a taxi to the workshop. She explained that this tour included a 6 inch knife so that it's legal in most countries. For an additional fee, you can upgrade to 8, 9, or 10 inch knives.
On arrival we meet the craftsman and his son and they get you involved in many steps of the process. You get to hammer the heated raw metal to cut it to size and then to shape the basic form. Then you get to do the initial grinding as the blade starts to take shape. He and his son take over once it impacts the quality of the knife.
The workshop is run by a true craftsman who cares so much about his end product. Throughout the process, he sometimes would make the harder choice to make sure the knife and scabbard were perfect. For example, he rebuilt a scabbard because it wasn't good enough for him. I'm so impressed by their skill. Namrata brought the experience over the top by being an attentive host and translator. My favorite experience in Nepal for sure. Don't miss it.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop tour. We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :) Cheers! I.Experience Nepal Team
Dierdre_R, May 2025
This is a primitive forge so you get a feel for authentic khukuri fabrication. Beautiful finished knife! Sooo sharp an edge.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop tour. We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :) Cheers! I.Experience Nepal Team
Matthew_G, May 2025
This was a great activity and the knife maker was very nice and skilled, as was the guide. It was a very good experience and I ended up with a very nice knife.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop tour. We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :) Cheers! I.Experience Nepal Team
Necol_B, Mar 2025
This was a favorite. I enjoyed learning how to make a knife….my knife. It is something I will treasure forever. I have a lot of respect for my host and his family. They are so skilled and take such pride in their craft. Thank you for teaching me. Namaste!
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop tour. We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :) Cheers! I.Experience Nepal Team
Isabella, Mar 2025
My family surprised me with this class; hence I’m writing the review under my daughter’s profile. Indra has 40 years of blacksmithing experience. As an average blade maker and novice blacksmith, it was worth the price of admission just to see him work with a fraction of the equipment most of us have. His hammer work was really impressive. My home forge is propane, so i enjoyed learning more about coal forges. All of that, and we got to make our own knives. Indra is very friendly and patient. His apprentice was ready to help if someone needed to take a break. Swoyam was a kind and helpful guide as well. Even the lunch was good. All around a great experience.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop tour. We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :) Cheers! I.Experience Nepal Team
Janelle_B, Jan 2025
This was a highlight of our trip - great welcoming family in a traditional village. This is one of those dying arts of tradition and to experience it in its raw form was a blessing.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop tour. We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :) Cheers! I.Experience Nepal Team
Danielle_M, Dec 2024
Incredible! Absolutely fantastic experience that is one-of-a-kind and very unique. We had a great time making our own khukuri knives and learning about the history of them. Swoyam was a wonderful guide, very friendly, chatty, knowledgeable and amazing English … he’s a credit to the tour company! Indra and his two apprentice nephews showed us how to make the knives and were very friendly and helpful. I’d give this workshop 11/10 … best thing we’ve ever done!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop tour. We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :) Cheers! I.Experience Nepal Team
Mark_P, Nov 2024
The Khukuri Making Workshop was one of the best parts of my trip to Nepal. The workshop included transportation to and from the hotel. The workshop fee includes making a 6” khukuri. For an additional fee I was able to make a 10” khukuri. Everything needed for the workshop was provided. The smith is true craftsman. He is extremely skilled and knowledgeable in all aspects of creating high quality khukuri. He has an assistant who can help if you need a break from forging. I truly enjoyed this workshop and if I visit Nepal again, I will definitely repeat this workshop.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop tour. We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :) Cheers! I.Experience Nepal Team
Kimberly_B, Jul 2024
Four countries and numerous events, this was by far my favorite! To turn that plain piece of metal into such a beautiful knife was a fascinating process with all the intricate steps involved. The length of time and effort it takes gives a new appreciation for this old craft. The hotel pick up and drop off was great. This is a must-do activity!
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop.
We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :)
Cheers!
I.Experience Nepal Team
RashaadBanks, Jul 2024
I cannot say enough positive things about this experience. At first, I was a little nervous about how everything would go, but it was amazing. Everyone was so friendly and kind, and really took an interest in learning about me and explaining the history and culture of Nepal. It was a small group of us, including the instructor and assistance. Everyone treated us like we were family and was so kind and accommodating. We got to watch a master in the craft, create such beautiful knives and then he would allow us to create in the process. You really felt like you’re getting an immersive experience. I would 100% do this again if I come back.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop.
We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :)
Cheers!
I.Experience Nepal Team
Evan_P, Jul 2024
This was definitely a special experience and while I've bought a Khukuri from tourist shops on past visits to Kathmandu the ones we made this trip are higher quality AND have nice memories tied to them. Our guide/translator Swoyam picked us up and we went to the house of Khukuri maker Indra which is in a more remote part of Kathmandu and definitely a bit rustic.
I went with my wife and 2 kids ages 4 and 6. We really enjoyed the entire process - we hammered the metal and ground it with a wheel. It was cool to learn about the parts and how they are recycling old steel and plastic to make the stunning end product. The process for 2 took about 4-5 hours so our kids ran out of patience a bit, so my only advice is leave them home or bring distractions for them.
Indra and Swoyam were fun to chat with and it was a super casual environment that just left us with a good feeling and some super cool knives.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop.
We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :)
Cheers!
I.Experience Nepal Team
Justin_W, Jun 2024
Namrata did an excellent job coordinating the event for us. In this workshop you will have the opportunity to hammer and grind the blade yourself. Overall, they made us feel like family from the moment we walked in. Would absolutely recommend to travelers!!
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop.
We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :)
Cheers!
I.Experience Nepal Team
Benjamin_W, Jun 2024
I had a fantastic time at this workshop. Namrata the tour company owner accompanied me to do translations and she added to the experience through friendly chats in between the knife making.
Indra, the expert who has been making Khukuris for 40+ years was an immaculate professional who took great pride in his craft and was determined to make me the perfect knife. He was also very bubbly and I enjoyed chatting with him too.
I highly recommend this activity. If you only have time for one tour in Kathmandu you MUST do this! It is a dying craft and you also get to take home the best souvenir which you had a part to make.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we are glad that you enjoyed the knife making workshop.
We hope for hosting more activities in the future. :)
Cheers!
I.Experience Nepal Team
From $68.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Knife (Khukuri) Making Workshop- Forge of the Gurkhas
161
4 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$68.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Multi-day Tours
- Hiking Tours
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- Walking Tours
- Bus Tours
- Outdoor Activities
- Private and Luxury
- On the Ground
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private Sightseeing Tours
- Kathmandu
- Multi-day Tours - Sauraha
- Hiking Tours - Sauraha
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Sauraha
- Walking Tours - Sauraha
- Bus Tours - Sauraha
- Multi-day Tours - Pokhara
- Hiking Tours - Pokhara
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Pokhara
- Walking Tours - Pokhara
- Bus Tours - Pokhara
- Multi-day Tours - Patna
- Walking Tours - Patna
- Bus Tours - Patna
Attractions in Kathmandu, Nepal
- Asan Market Tours & Tickets
- Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) Tours & Tickets
- Hanuman Dhoka Tours & Tickets
- Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park Tours & Tickets
- Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar) Tours & Tickets
- Thamel Tours & Tickets
- Sundarijal Tours & Tickets
- Sauraha Tours & Tickets
- 55 Window Palace Tours & Tickets
- Nuwakot Palace Complex (Nuwakot Durbar) Tours & Tickets
- Garden of Dreams Tours & Tickets
- Nagi Gompa (Nangkyi Gompa) Tours & Tickets
- Kathmandu Durbar Square (Basantapur) Tours & Tickets
- Dudh Kosi River Tours & Tickets
- Boudhanath (Boudha Stupa) Tours & Tickets
- Namche Bazaar Tours & Tickets
- Dakshinkali Temple Tours & Tickets