A Guide to the Top Places to Visit in Nepal
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Nepal is one of the most popular tourist destinations for travellers around the world, especially for those who wish to revel in nature’s best attractions. Nepal encompasses incredible monuments, natural sites, temples, and more that speak volumes of its rich culture and historical presence.
Among the most appealing factors of Nepal are its favourable climatic conditions and abundance of natural sites, which make it pretty comfortable to explore the country’s scenic beauty. Moreover, travelling in Nepal is hassle-free, thanks to its well-connected railway system and availability of multiple flights.
Top Places to Visit in Nepal
Let’s start with a quick look at some of the best places to visit in Nepal –
| Best Places to Visit in Summer | Best Places to Visit in Winter | Best Places to Visit With Family |
|---|---|---|
| Pokhara | Kathmandu | Pokhara |
| Ilam | Pokhara | Kathmandu |
| Mustang | Ilam | Chitwan |
| Kathmandu | Mustang | Ilam |
1. Pokhara
Generally popular as Nepal tourism’s jewel, you will find the Pokhara Valley beautifully nestled in the midst of the Annapurna Himalayan range. This is among the best natural places to visit in Nepal if you love staying close to nature and are enthusiastic about exploring its marvels.
Apart from getting a clear view of the Himalayan range, this valley also stands out for its facilities for extreme sports activities, including trekking, boating and rafting.
Some of the best places to visit in the valley include:
- Sarangkot – This valley in Nepal is one of the most popular paragliding destinations in the world, with tourists visiting this place in abundance for the same. It is certainly a great place if you wish to engage in paragliding or other activities like ziplining, trekking, and others. When here, you can also get a panoramic view of Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, and Annapurna. Furthermore, you can catch a magnificent view of the mountains on one side and Phewa Lake on the other.
- Phewa Tal – Among the eight lakes in Pokhara, Phewa Tal is the second biggest lake in Nepal after Rara Lake or Mahendra Daha. It is quite a tourist attraction and encompasses the reflections of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, and other mountain peaks on its surface. You can explore Phewa Tal in a canoe or take a walk in the surrounding forests. You can also visit the Tal Barahi Temple which is in the middle of the lake.
- Peace Temple – Commonly known as the Shanti Stupa, this colossal temple is 115 feet tall and has a diameter of 344 feet. Interestingly, this place was built by Morioko Sonin, a Nipponzan Myohoji monk, and is the first Peace Pagoda in Nepal (71st in the world). You can have a look at the 4 statues of Lord Buddha here and understand more about his message of peace here.
- Poon Hill – Among the best places to visit in Nepal, if you want to enjoy sunrise views, this 10,500 ft hill is quite famous among trekkers from all over the globe and particularly the ones who belong to the Annapurna region in Nepal. You can enjoy trekking here and even meet travellers from around the world.
2. Ilam
Ilam, one of the best natural places to visit in Nepal, is also popularly known as Nepal’s Queen of Hills. Renowned for its scenic beauty, this hilly district is located in the eastern part of Nepal, which is around 600 km east of Kathmandu.
Ilam is mainly covered in lush green tea bushes and is also the home of some of the country’s cheese. It is located near Darjeeling, a famous hill station in India. Furthermore, you can catch fabulous views of Kanchenjunga from Ilam.
The list below features some of the best natural places to visit in Nepal in Ilam:
- Ilam Tea Garden – Ilam extends to a small stretch of a hilly town with its pristine landscapes comprising sloped organic tea gardens. You can also find thick natural forests, explore their unique culture, and try some fresh tea full of flavours. The sunrise and sunset views from the Ilam Tea Garden are something that you must not miss out on. When visiting Ilam with family and friends, you can hike into the tea garden, indulge in sightseeing, or engage in a tranquil picnic.
- Fikkal Bazar – Fikal Bazar or Fikkal Bazar is one of the major markets in Ilam that you will come across on your way to the Kanyam Tea Garden. It is the junction point of Ilam and Pashupati Nagar. You can try out and purchase cheese, tea, and different types of unique cultural items if you want souvenirs for family and friends.
- Seti Devi Temple – This popular temple is located on the west of Ilam Bazaar along the banks of Puwa Khola. It is one of Hinduism’s most important spiritual and religious sites and is dedicated to Goddess Seti Devi or the Goddess Parvati. Remarkably, the temple is surrounded by forest and reveals a Shikhara style. Although it is crowded with devotees during the festival of Dashain, you should certainly visit it to enjoy the serenity of beauty amidst nature.
3. Mustang
The next one on the list of the best places to visit in Nepal is the Mustang district, a renowned part of the Dhaulagiri Zone, which is popularly known as the “Land Beyond Himalayas”. Upper Mustang is a popular tourist spot for its Tibetan culture and adventurous trekking.
That’s not all - you can explore many more sites such as the thousand-year-old monastery here and witness its grand culture. Moreover, the upper Mustang comprises a Trans Himalayan climate which feels semi-arid and cool across the skin. The lower part of Mustang, on the other hand, is rich in natural scenery and picturesque landscapes.
You must not miss out on visiting the places enlisted below:
- Muktinath Temple – It is a renowned temple and a holy shrine for Buddhists and Hindus worldwide. As per the beliefs of Hinduism, this is where Lord Vishnu received salvation from Brinda’s curse. For Buddhists, this is considered a representation of Lord Buddha. It’s worth noting that this is among the world’s highest temples and the only one of the 108 Divya Desams located outside India.
- Jomsom Muktinath Trek – Among the most popular treks in the region, the Jomsom Muktinath Trek is an excellent trek to get an incredible view of this spiritual and ancient landscape. Throughout the trek, you can check out numerous pilgrimage and natural sites, with the most prominent example being Kali Gandaki River Gorge, which is known as the world’s deepest gorge.
- Kali Gandaki River – Also popular as the Narayani River, this river is located in Southern Nepal and is also called Krishna Gandaki by local residents. This river starts north of the Tibetan plateau near the Tibetan border and comprises two headwaters - Nup Chhu (West River) and Shar Chhu (East River), which are in the upper Mustang near Lo Manthang town. You can explore this river to catch the scenic surrounding views or engage in water adventure sports.
- Red Cliffs – The Red Cliffs located in the upper Mustang are among the best places to visit in Nepal and make for one of the best places to visit in Nepal in June as well. This tourist spot forms a spectacular backdrop to the Dhakmar village, which was earlier the Kingdom of Mustang.
This place is markedly different from the other ones in Mustang, which are primarily famous for adventure activities. Here, you can have a relaxing time, spot horses grazing the pastures, and soak in the incredible views.
4. Kathmandu
The capital of the country and one of the best places to visit in Nepal, Kathmandu is situated in a valley surrounded by the Himalayan Mountains. You can explore some famous religious monuments, monasteries, temples, stupas, and city landscapes here.
The early winter season is the ideal time for visiting Kathmandu, with the weather conditions from September to November considered the best for sightseeing and exploring. Furthermore, you can try out the local delicacies here, ranging from momos and sekuwa to thukpa and more.
Discussed below are some of the best places to visit in Kathmandu:
- Boudhanath Stupa – Located on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Boudhanath Stupa’s appearance as a massive mandala makes it a globally famous and largest spherical stupa in Nepal. This eminent Buddha Stupa got enlisted by UNESCO in 1979, and is worth visiting when going to Kathmandu.
- Pashupatinath Temple – It is a renowned Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Pashupati, and is among the oldest and most prominent temples in Nepal and around the world. It is a richly-constructed temple as well, with its roof having gold and its doors having sheets of silver. The best time to visit this temple is between October and December, as the weather during this time is pleasant. Moreover, you can enjoy some of the local festivals like Bala Chaturthi, Maha Shiv Ratri, and Teej during this period.
- Kopan Monastery – Kopan Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in the world. It was established in 1969 by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. This place is replete with attractive gardens, gompas, stupas, and more. Home to more than 360 monks, this monastery offers different courses to monks as well as tourists. This is one of the best places to visit in Nepal if you wish to learn more about Buddhism in an in-depth manner.
- Garden of Dreams – Also referred to as the ‘garden of six seasons’, it is a neo-classical garden located in Kaiser Mahal Kathmandu. This garden is over 100 years old, established in 1920. It also has a remarkable history, as it was originally established as a private garden by Field Marshal Kaiser Shamsher. You can visit this place and find out more about its history or simply explore the gardens, Kaiser Gallery, Kaiser cafe, and more.
5. Chitwan
Chitwan or Chitawan is located at the foot of the Himalayas and is one of the best places to visit in Nepal owing to its rich flora and fauna. Translated as ‘the jungle’s heart’, Chitwan is also the home to rhinoceros, tigers, and other animals like gharial crocodiles.
Here are some places worth visiting in Chitwan -
- Narayani River – Located in the Chitwan National Forest Park, Narayani River is a popular home for crocodiles of different forms and sizes as well as fishes, otters, and more. You can take a canoe ride and view the animals and fishes in their natural glory or even enjoy the sunset from the river.
- Chitwan National Park – Situated in a preserved area along the Terai Lowlands of south-central Nepal, this is the first national park of Nepal and is home to multiple endangered animals. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this park is also a popular tourist attraction for wildlife enthusiasts. You can easily spot a thriving population of different types of deer, wild boars, monkeys, elephants, sloth bears, and leopards, with the greater one-horned Rhinoceros and Bengal Tiger deserving a special mention as well.
- Tharu Cultural Museum and Research Centre – Founded in 2005, the Tharu Cultural Museum and Research Centre has various exhibits of dresses and artefacts related to the Tharu culture. For history buffs, this is certainly a good place to visit in Nepal.
- Jalbire Waterfall – Also referred to as Lamo Jharana, this is among the most popular waterfalls in Nepal and a buzzing tourist destination as well. Summer is the ideal time to visit this place, when you can enjoy this 100-m tall waterfall as well as the surrounding greenery and panoramic views of mountains.
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Nepal is certainly a great choice for your next vacation! With the list of the best places to visit in Nepal that we saw above, you can easily plan your stay in the country and have a rich, wholesome experience.
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