Map & places

Every place in this guide on one map. Filter by province, belt or kind of place, or search by name.

Hidden gems only

221 places

Mountain

Kanchenjunga

Taplejung, Koshi Province

The world's third-highest mountain, on the Nepal–Sikkim border, sacred to the Limbu people as Sewalungma.

Trek & trail

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

Taplejung, Koshi Province

A remote circuit to Pangpema and Oktang through Ghunsa's Sherpa village and some of Nepal's wildest valleys.

Temple & shrine

Pathibhara Devi

Taplejung, Koshi Province

A hilltop shrine at 3,794 m above Phungling, one of the most visited pilgrimages in eastern Nepal, with a sweep of Kanchenjunga views.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Timbung Pokhari

Taplejung, Koshi Province

A sacred high-altitude lake near the Sikkim border, walked to by Limbu pilgrims for the Janai Purnima full moon.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Olangchung Gola

Taplejung, Koshi Province

An old trading village near the Tibetan border, with a 17th-century monastery and stone houses of the Walung people.

Park & wildlife

Makalu Barun National Park

Sankhuwasabha, Koshi Province

Wild forests and glaciers from 435 m to the summit of Makalu, and a demanding trek to Makalu Base Camp.

Mountain

Makalu

Sankhuwasabha, Koshi Province

The fifth-highest mountain in the world: an isolated four-sided pyramid 19 km south-east of Everest.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Chainpur Bazaar

Sankhuwasabha, Koshi Province

A 19th-century Newar bazaar on a ridge above the Arun, known for its brass and bell-metal craftsmen.

Mountain

Mount Everest (Sagarmatha)

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

The highest point on earth at 8,848.86 m, first climbed by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary in 1953.

Trek & trail

Everest Base Camp Trek

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

Nepal's most famous trek: about 12 days from Lukla through Sherpa villages to the foot of the Khumbu Icefall.

Village & culture

Namche Bazaar

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

The Sherpa capital of the Khumbu: a horseshoe of lodges, bakeries and gear shops on a steep slope at 3,440 m.

Monastery

Tengboche Monastery

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

The largest monastery of the Khumbu, on a ridge facing Ama Dablam and Everest, home of the Mani Rimdu festival.

Lake & pond

Gokyo Lakes and Gokyo Ri

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

Six turquoise glacial lakes beside the Ngozumpa glacier, and a summit view of four 8,000 m peaks.

Hill & viewpoint

Kala Patthar

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

A dark rocky hump above Gorak Shep and the classic close-up viewpoint for the summit of Everest.

City & bazaar

Lukla

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

Gateway to Everest, with the famous short, sloping runway of Tenzing–Hillary Airport.

Mountain

Ama Dablam

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

Perhaps the most beautiful mountain in the Khumbu: 'mother's necklace', a soaring ridge with a hanging glacier like a pendant.

Mountain

Lhotse

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

The world's fourth-highest mountain, joined to Everest by the South Col, with a colossal 3,000 m south face.

Mountain

Cho Oyu

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

The sixth-highest mountain, a broad white dome at the head of the Gokyo valley on the Tibetan border.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Khumjung and Khunde

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

Twin Sherpa villages in a quiet bowl above Namche, with Hillary's first school and a monastery that keeps a 'yeti scalp'.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Thame

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

A peaceful Sherpa village west of Namche where Tenzing Norgay grew up, with a cliff-side monastery that hosts Mani Rimdu in spring.

Mountain

Mera Peak

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

Nepal's highest 'trekking peak' at 6,476 m, a glacier climb with a view of five 8,000 m mountains.

Mountain

Island Peak (Imja Tse)

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

A popular 6,189 m climbing peak in the Chhukung valley, rising like an island in a sea of ice.

Hidden gem

Hill & viewpoint

Pikey Peak

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

A sacred Sherpa hilltop in lower Solu with a sunrise view from Kanchenjunga to Annapurna — Hillary's favourite Everest view.

Hidden gem

City & bazaar

Salleri, Phaplu and Chiwong

Solukhumbu, Koshi Province

The green Solu valley below the Khumbu: the district headquarters, an airstrip, apple orchards and the clifftop Chiwong monastery.

City & bazaar

Phidim

Panchthar, Koshi Province

The hill bazaar of Panchthar on the Mechi Highway, a base for Limbu villages and the ridges towards Pathibhara.

Village & culture

Ilam Tea Gardens

Ilam, Koshi Province

Neatly clipped tea bushes rolling over the hills around Ilam bazaar, Nepal's first tea estate since 1863.

Hill & viewpoint

Antu Danda

Ilam, Koshi Province

A ridge on the Indian border famous for sunrise over the plains and the Kanchenjunga range.

Hill & viewpoint

Kanyam Tea Garden

Ilam, Koshi Province

Wave upon wave of tea bushes on the Mechi Highway, the most photographed tea garden in Nepal.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Mai Pokhari

Ilam, Koshi Province

A sacred, forest-ringed wetland with nine corners, listed as a Ramsar site and loved by birdwatchers.

Hidden gem

Hill & viewpoint

Sandakpur (Sandakphu)

Ilam, Koshi Province

The highest point of Ilam, on the Indian border, where Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga line up at sunrise.

Hidden gem

Trek & trail

Tinjure–Milke–Jaljale

Tehrathum, Koshi Province

Nepal's 'rhododendron capital': a high ridge walk through forests that blaze red, pink and white in spring.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Gupha Pokhari

Tehrathum, Koshi Province

A small sacred pond and trail stop on the Milke ridge, with a wide Himalayan panorama at dawn.

Hidden gem

Waterfall

Hyatung Waterfall

Tehrathum, Koshi Province

A tall ribbon of water dropping down a forested cliff in Tehrathum, claimed as one of the highest waterfalls in Nepal.

Village & culture

Basantapur and Tehrathum Dhaka

Tehrathum, Koshi Province

A cold ridge bazaar at the end of the Koshi Highway, in the district famous for weaving Nepal's dhaka cloth.

City & bazaar

Dhankuta

Dhankuta, Koshi Province

A tidy hill town of stone-paved lanes and old houses on a ridge between the Tamor and Arun rivers.

Hidden gem

Waterfall

Namaste Waterfall

Dhankuta, Koshi Province

A waterfall whose two streams seem to join like hands pressed together in greeting.

City & bazaar

Bhojpur

Bhojpur, Koshi Province

A Rai hill town whose blacksmiths forge some of Nepal's finest khukuri knives.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Salpa Pokhari

Bhojpur, Koshi Province

A sacred lake in the high forests where Bhojpur meets Solukhumbu, revered by the Rai as the home of their ancestors.

Cave

Halesi–Maratika Caves

Khotang, Koshi Province

Limestone caves sacred to Hindus as Halesi Mahadev, to Buddhists as Maratika, and to the Kirat people.

City & bazaar

Diktel and Rawa valley

Khotang, Koshi Province

Khotang's ridge-top headquarters, the heart of Rai culture, with the Sakela dance performed each spring and autumn.

City & bazaar

Okhaldhunga and Rumjatar

Okhaldhunga, Koshi Province

A quiet ridge town with a long view of the Everest range, the flat airstrip-plateau of Rumjatar and orange orchards.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Chaudandigadhi

Udayapur, Koshi Province

Hill fort of the Sen kings of Chaudandi, defeated in the Gorkha unification, now a ridge of ruins and temples.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Rauta Pokhari

Udayapur, Koshi Province

A forest pond in the Mahabharat hills of Udayapur, a pilgrimage and picnic spot with a small temple to Rautamai.

Temple & shrine

Arjundhara Dham

Jhapa, Koshi Province

A popular Shiva shrine and spring near Birtamod, linked to the Mahabharata hero Arjun.

River & gorge

Kankai Mai

Jhapa, Koshi Province

A broad river beach and temple where the Kankai leaves the hills, a favourite picnic and pilgrimage spot of Jhapa.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Satasi Dham

Jhapa, Koshi Province

A shrine of the Rajbanshi community and the old Satasi kingdom in south-east Jhapa, with ponds and ancient trees.

City & bazaar

Biratnagar

Morang, Koshi Province

Capital of Koshi Province and birthplace of Nepal's industry and of several prime ministers.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Betana Wetland

Morang, Koshi Province

A community-managed pond and forest on the highway near Belbari, with boating, birds and a small park.

City & bazaar

Dharan

Sunsari, Koshi Province

A lively city at the foot of the hills, known for its Gurkha heritage, food, and the temples of Budha Subba and Dantakali.

Hill & viewpoint

Bhedetar

Sunsari, Koshi Province

A cool hill station above Dharan with a viewpoint over the Terai and a glimpse of Kanchenjunga.

Temple & shrine

Baraha Kshetra

Sunsari, Koshi Province

One of Hinduism's four great dhams of Nepal, at the confluence where the Koshi breaks out of the hills at Chatara.

Park & wildlife

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve

Sunsari, Koshi Province

Grassland and river islands on the Sapta Koshi, home of Nepal's last wild water buffalo and a paradise for birds.

Temple & shrine

Janaki Mandir, Janakpur

Dhanusha, Madhesh Province

A white marble palace-temple of 1910 dedicated to Sita, built where her image is said to have been found.

Lake & pond

Ganga Sagar and the ponds of Janakpur

Dhanusha, Madhesh Province

Sacred ponds scattered through the city, where evening aarti and Chhath bring thousands to the ghats.

Temple & shrine

Dhanushadham

Dhanusha, Madhesh Province

A forest shrine where a fragment of Shiva's bow, broken by Ram to win Sita, is said to have fallen.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Mithila Art Centre, Janakpur

Dhanusha, Madhesh Province

Watch women artists paint the bright, line-filled Mithila style that once decorated only village walls.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Janakpur–Jaynagar Railway

Dhanusha, Madhesh Province

Nepal's only passenger railway, relaunched in 2022, running across the Mithila plains to the Indian border.

Temple & shrine

Jaleshwar Mahadev

Mahottari, Madhesh Province

An ancient Shiva shrine whose linga sits below water level in a sunken sanctum, giving the town its name.

City & bazaar

Rajbiraj

Saptari, Madhesh Province

Nepal's first planned town, laid out on a grid in the 1930s around a central square.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Chhinnamasta Bhagawati

Saptari, Madhesh Province

A shrine to the self-beheaded goddess at Sakhada, one of the most revered Shakti temples of the eastern Terai.

River & gorge

Koshi Barrage

Saptari, Madhesh Province

A 1.1 km barrage across the Sapta Koshi on the Indian border, famous for sunsets, fish and river dolphins.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Salhesh Fulbari

Siraha, Madhesh Province

The flower garden of Raja Salhesh, folk hero of the Dalit communities of Mithila, where a tree is said to bloom only at his festival.

City & bazaar

Malangwa and the Sarlahi plains

Sarlahi, Madhesh Province

A quiet border town among mango groves and sugar-cane fields, with the Bagmati river and Chure forests nearby.

City & bazaar

Gaur

Rautahat, Madhesh Province

Rautahat's old border town between the Bagmati and Lalbakaiya rivers, a crossroads of Bhojpuri and Bajjika culture.

Temple & shrine

Gadhimai Temple

Bara, Madhesh Province

A goddess temple at Bariyarpur whose great fair every five years draws millions of devotees from Nepal and India.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Simraungadh

Bara, Madhesh Province

Ruins of the medieval capital of the Karnat kings of Mithila, with scattered temples, ponds and sculpture.

Hidden gem

Park & wildlife

Parsa National Park

Parsa, Madhesh Province

Chitwan's quieter eastern neighbour: sal forest and Chure hills with elephants, tigers and gaur, and hardly any tourists.

City & bazaar

Birgunj

Parsa, Madhesh Province

Nepal's commercial gateway to India, with a landmark clock tower and the Gahawa Mai temple.

Temple & shrine

Pashupatinath

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

Nepal's holiest Hindu temple, on the Bagmati river, where Shiva is worshipped as Lord of Animals and the dead are cremated on the ghats.

Monastery

Boudhanath Stupa

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

One of the largest stupas in the world, the heart of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal, ringed by monasteries and circling pilgrims.

Monastery

Swayambhunath

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

The ancient hilltop stupa of the 'self-arisen' Buddha, reached by 365 steps, overlooking the whole valley.

Heritage & palace

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

The old royal palace of Hanuman Dhoka and its temple squares, home of the Kumari, the living goddess.

City & bazaar

Thamel and the old bazaars

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

Kathmandu's traveller quarter, and a walk south through Asan and Indra Chowk, the city's oldest market streets.

Heritage & palace

Garden of Dreams

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

A restored neo-classical Rana garden of the 1920s, a calm green refuge on the edge of Thamel.

Temple & shrine

Budhanilkantha

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

A 5-metre stone Vishnu reclining on a bed of serpents in a pond, carved in the Licchavi period.

Park & wildlife

Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

Forested hills on the valley's northern rim with day hikes to Shivapuri peak, Nagi Gompa and Jamacho.

Monastery

Kopan Monastery

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

A hilltop Tibetan Buddhist monastery north of Boudha, known worldwide for its meditation courses.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Kirtipur

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

A Newar hilltop town that resisted Prithvi Narayan Shah three times, with temples, lanes and valley views.

Hidden gem

River & gorge

Chobhar Gorge and Jal Binayak

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

The narrow gorge where, legend says, Manjushri cut the hill to drain the valley lake, with caves and a riverside Ganesh temple.

Temple & shrine

Dakshinkali and Pharping

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

A goddess temple in a forest ravine where sacrifices are offered, and nearby Pharping's caves of Guru Rinpoche.

Hill & viewpoint

Chandragiri Hills

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

A cable car up to a 2,551 m ridge on the valley's south-west rim, with a Bhaleshwar temple and a Himalayan panorama.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Tokha

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

A quiet Newar town on the northern edge of Kathmandu, famous for chaku molasses sweets and the Chandeshwari temple.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Sankhu and Vajrayogini

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

An old Newar trading town on the route to Tibet, with a forest temple of Vajrayogini on the hill above.

Heritage & palace

Patan Durbar Square

Lalitpur, Bagmati Province

The finest collection of Newar architecture in the valley: palace courtyards, stone temples and the superb Patan Museum.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Bungamati and Khokana

Lalitpur, Bagmati Province

Twin Newar villages south of Patan: Rato Machhindranath's home, woodcarvers, and Khokana's mustard-oil presses.

Hill & viewpoint

Godawari and Phulchowki

Lalitpur, Bagmati Province

The national botanical garden and sacred springs at the foot of Phulchowki, the valley's highest hill and a birding hotspot.

Heritage & palace

Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province

The best-preserved medieval city of the valley: the five-storey Nyatapola temple, the 55-Window Palace and potters' squares.

Temple & shrine

Changu Narayan

Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province

Nepal's oldest temple still in use, on a forested ridge, with a 464 CE inscription and superb Licchavi sculpture.

Hill & viewpoint

Nagarkot

Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province

The classic valley-rim viewpoint for Himalayan sunrise, from Dhaulagiri to Everest on the clearest days.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Madhyapur Thimi

Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province

An old Newar town of potters and mask-makers between Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, famous for its Sindoor Jatra at New Year.

Hill & viewpoint

Dhulikhel

Kavrepalanchok, Bagmati Province

An old Newar town on the Araniko Highway with one of the widest Himalayan views near Kathmandu.

Monastery

Namobuddha

Kavrepalanchok, Bagmati Province

A hilltop stupa where the Buddha in a past life gave his body to a starving tigress, with the Thrangu monastery above.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Panauti

Kavrepalanchok, Bagmati Province

A small, intact Newar town at a sacred river confluence, with a 13th-century Indreshwar temple and Nepal's first community homestays.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Balthali

Kavrepalanchok, Bagmati Province

A terraced Tamang and Brahmin hill village south of Panauti, with a small resort and a big mountain view.

Heritage & palace

Nuwakot Durbar

Nuwakot, Bagmati Province

Prithvi Narayan Shah's seven-storey fortress palace above the Trishuli, from where he planned the conquest of Kathmandu.

Hidden gem

Hill & viewpoint

Kakani

Nuwakot, Bagmati Province

A strawberry-growing ridge north-west of Kathmandu with close views of Ganesh Himal and Langtang.

Trek & trail

Langtang Valley Trek

Rasuwa, Bagmati Province

A week-long walk up a glacier valley close to Kathmandu, to the yak pastures and monastery of Kyanjin Gompa.

Lake & pond

Gosaikunda

Rasuwa, Bagmati Province

A sacred alpine lake at 4,380 m, believed created by Shiva's trident, where thousands bathe at Janai Purnima.

Hidden gem

Trek & trail

Tamang Heritage Trail

Rasuwa, Bagmati Province

A short circuit through stone Tamang villages like Gatlang and Briddim, with homestays, hot springs and Tibetan border views.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Rasuwagadhi Fort

Rasuwa, Bagmati Province

A 19th-century stone fort on the Tibetan border, guarding the old Kathmandu–Kyirong trade route.

Trek & trail

Helambu Trek

Sindhupalchok, Bagmati Province

A gentle trek from Kathmandu's rim into Hyolmo villages with monasteries, apple orchards and forest ridges.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Panch Pokhari

Sindhupalchok, Bagmati Province

Five sacred glacial lakes at about 4,100 m below Jugal Himal, a quiet trek and a Janai Purnima pilgrimage.

River & gorge

Bhote Koshi

Sindhupalchok, Bagmati Province

A steep, powerful river on the road to Tibet: Nepal's best short white-water rafting, canyoning and a 160 m bungee jump.

Temple & shrine

Kalinchowk Bhagawati

Dolakha, Bagmati Province

A goddess shrine on a 3,842 m summit reached by cable car, Nepal's most popular place to play in the snow.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Dolakha Bhimsen

Dolakha, Bagmati Province

A roofless shrine in an old Newar town, whose stone image of Bhimsen is said to 'sweat' before national disasters.

Mountain

Gaurishankar

Dolakha, Bagmati Province

A twin-summited sacred mountain seen from Kathmandu, representing Shiva and his consort Gauri.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Tsho Rolpa and Rolwaling

Dolakha, Bagmati Province

One of Nepal's largest glacial lakes, at the head of the hidden Rolwaling valley under Gaurishankar.

Village & culture

Jiri

Dolakha, Bagmati Province

The 'Switzerland of Nepal' and the old starting point of the walk to Everest used by the 1953 expedition.

Hidden gem

Hill & viewpoint

Sailung

Ramechhap, Bagmati Province

Rolling grassy hills of a hundred small summits, with a 180-degree Himalayan view and rhododendron in spring.

City & bazaar

Manthali and the Sunkoshi valley

Ramechhap, Bagmati Province

Ramechhap's riverside headquarters, now the main airport for Lukla flights, where the Tamakoshi meets the Sunkoshi.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Sindhuligadhi

Sindhuli, Bagmati Province

The hill fort where Gorkhali soldiers routed Captain Kinloch's East India Company force in 1767.

Hidden gem

Trek & trail

Ruby Valley

Dhading, Bagmati Province

A little-known trek below Ganesh Himal through Tamang and Gurung villages, hot springs and old mineral mines.

River & gorge

Trishuli River

Dhading, Bagmati Province

Nepal's most popular rafting river, flowing beside the Prithvi Highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Hill & viewpoint

Daman

Makwanpur, Bagmati Province

A ridge on the old Tribhuvan Rajpath with one of the widest Himalayan panoramas in Nepal, from Dhaulagiri to Everest.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Chitlang

Makwanpur, Bagmati Province

A peaceful valley on the old porters' route into Kathmandu, with homestays, goat cheese and a Licchavi past.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Kulekhani (Indrasarowar)

Makwanpur, Bagmati Province

A hydropower reservoir in the hills south-west of Kathmandu, with boating and fresh fish at Markhu.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Makwanpur Gadhi

Makwanpur, Bagmati Province

Hilltop ruins of the Sen kings' fort, taken by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1762 after defeating Mir Qasim's army.

Park & wildlife

Chitwan National Park

Chitwan, Bagmati Province

Nepal's first national park and a World Heritage Site: one-horned rhinos, Bengal tigers, gharials and elephants in sal forest and grassland.

Village & culture

Sauraha and Tharu culture

Chitwan, Bagmati Province

The riverside village gateway to Chitwan, with Tharu villages, stick dances and sunsets over the Rapti.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Bis Hajar Tal

Chitwan, Bagmati Province

The 'twenty thousand lakes': an oxbow wetland in Chitwan's buffer zone, a Ramsar site full of birds and crocodiles.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Upardang Gadhi

Chitwan, Bagmati Province

An 18th-century hill fort on the ridge above Chitwan, built during the unification wars, with sweeping views.

Hidden gem

Hill & viewpoint

Siraichuli

Chitwan, Bagmati Province

The highest point of Chitwan district, a Chepang hill with views from the Terai to the Himalaya.

Lake & pond

Phewa Lake and Tal Barahi

Kaski, Gandaki Province

Pokhara's lake, with Machhapuchhre reflected in still water and a pagoda temple on an island.

City & bazaar

Pokhara

Kaski, Gandaki Province

Nepal's adventure capital and tourism capital, where the Annapurnas rise just 30 km from the lakeshore.

Hill & viewpoint

Sarangkot

Kaski, Gandaki Province

A ridge above Phewa Lake with Pokhara's classic sunrise over Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machhapuchhre, and the launch site for paragliding.

Monastery

World Peace Pagoda, Pokhara

Kaski, Gandaki Province

A gleaming white stupa on the forested ridge across Phewa Lake, with a view of the lake, city and Annapurnas.

Cave

Davis Falls, Gupteshwor and Pokhara's caves

Kaski, Gandaki Province

A waterfall that vanishes underground, a Shiva cave beneath it, and the limestone caves north of the city.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Begnas and Rupa lakes

Kaski, Gandaki Province

Two quiet lakes in Pokhara's eastern valley, divided by a forested ridge, with fish farms and homestays.

Heritage & palace

International Mountain Museum

Kaski, Gandaki Province

Exhibits on the Himalaya's peaks, climbers, geology and mountain peoples, with a practice climbing wall.

Trek & trail

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Kaski, Gandaki Province

A walk into the Annapurna Sanctuary, a glacial amphitheatre ringed by Annapurna I, Machhapuchhre and Hiunchuli.

Mountain

Machhapuchhre (Fishtail)

Kaski, Gandaki Province

Pokhara's sacred 'fish-tail' peak, never officially climbed and closed to mountaineers.

Village & culture

Ghandruk

Kaski, Gandaki Province

A large Gurung village of stone houses and slate roofs facing Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Dhampus and Australian Camp

Kaski, Gandaki Province

An easy overnight walk from Pokhara to a Gurung village and a grassy ridge facing the Annapurnas.

Trek & trail

Mardi Himal Trek

Kaski, Gandaki Province

A short ridge trek to a viewpoint directly under Machhapuchhre, through moss forest and above the clouds.

Hidden gem

Hill & viewpoint

Panchase

Kaski, Gandaki Province

A forested hill where Kaski, Parbat and Syangja meet, with a sacred pond, orchids and a quiet trek from Pokhara.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Sikles

Kaski, Gandaki Province

One of the largest Gurung villages in Nepal, in the Madi valley under Lamjung Himal and Annapurna IV.

Trek & trail

Annapurna Circuit

Manang, Gandaki Province

A classic 2–3 week loop around the Annapurna massif, from rice terraces to the 5,416 m Thorong La and down to Muktinath.

Village & culture

Manang village

Manang, Gandaki Province

A stone village at 3,519 m under Annapurna III and Gangapurna, where trekkers rest before the Thorong La.

Lake & pond

Tilicho Lake

Manang, Gandaki Province

One of the highest lakes of its size in the world, at 4,919 m below the icy walls of Tilicho Peak.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Nar–Phu valley

Manang, Gandaki Province

A hidden valley off the Annapurna Circuit, with medieval stone villages, gorges and monasteries; opened to trekkers only in 2003.

Temple & shrine

Muktinath

Mustang, Gandaki Province

A temple at 3,710 m sacred to Hindus and Buddhists, with 108 water spouts and an eternal natural gas flame.

Village & culture

Jomsom and Marpha

Mustang, Gandaki Province

Mustang's windy headquarters and, nearby, the whitewashed Thakali village famous for apples and apple brandy.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Kagbeni

Mustang, Gandaki Province

A fortress-like medieval village at the gateway to Upper Mustang, with a red monastery and a sacred river confluence.

Heritage & palace

Lo Manthang and Upper Mustang

Mustang, Gandaki Province

The walled capital of the old Kingdom of Lo, in a desert of red cliffs and cave dwellings north of the Himalaya.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Tukuche

Mustang, Gandaki Province

The old salt-trade capital of the Thakali, with grand merchant houses, a distillery and Dhaulagiri towering above.

River & gorge

Kali Gandaki Gorge

Mustang, Gandaki Province

By some measures the deepest gorge on earth, where the river runs between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I, both over 8,000 m.

Heritage & palace

Gorkha Durbar

Gorkha, Gandaki Province

The hilltop palace-fort where Prithvi Narayan Shah was born and began the unification of Nepal.

Temple & shrine

Manakamana

Gorkha, Gandaki Province

A wish-fulfilling goddess temple on a ridge above the Trishuli, reached by Nepal's first passenger cable car.

Trek & trail

Manaslu and the Manaslu Circuit

Gorkha, Gandaki Province

The world's eighth-highest mountain and a wild two-week circuit around it over the Larkya La.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Tsum Valley

Gorkha, Gandaki Province

A sacred hidden valley on the Tibetan border where hunting is forbidden and ancient nunneries cling to the hillsides.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Barpak and Laprak

Gorkha, Gandaki Province

Large Gurung villages near the 2015 earthquake's epicentre, rebuilt and welcoming visitors on a new homestay trail.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Ghalegaun and Bhujung

Lamjung, Gandaki Province

Model Gurung homestay villages in Lamjung, with cultural shows and close views of Lamjung Himal and Annapurna II.

City & bazaar

Besisahar and Lamjung Durbar

Lamjung, Gandaki Province

Lamjung's headquarters and the traditional start of the Annapurna Circuit, below the old hilltop palace of the Lamjung kings.

Heritage & palace

Bandipur

Tanahun, Gandaki Province

A car-free Newar hill bazaar of the 19th century, perfectly preserved on a ridge with a Himalayan skyline.

Hidden gem

Cave

Siddha Gufa

Tanahun, Gandaki Province

One of the largest caves in Nepal, a vast chamber of stalactites below Bandipur.

Hidden gem

Cave

Byas Gufa, Damauli

Tanahun, Gandaki Province

The cave at the Madi–Seti confluence where the sage Vyasa is said to have been born and composed the Mahabharata.

Temple & shrine

Devghat

Tanahun, Gandaki Province

A holy confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Trishuli, where elderly devotees come to spend their last years.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Sirubari

Syangja, Gandaki Province

Nepal's first model village-tourism project (1997): a Gurung village of ex-Gurkha families hosting guests in their homes.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Chhangchhangdi

Syangja, Gandaki Province

A Magar village above the Kali Gandaki with homestays, the Bhirkot fort ruins and Syangja's terraced hills.

River & gorge

Kushma bridges and bungee

Parbat, Gandaki Province

Long, high suspension bridges over the Kali Gandaki gorge and one of the world's highest bungee jumps.

Temple & shrine

Baglung Kalika

Baglung, Gandaki Province

A goddess temple in a sacred forest in Baglung bazaar, one of western Nepal's major shrines.

Hidden gem

Park & wildlife

Dhorpatan

Baglung, Gandaki Province

Nepal's only hunting reserve: high meadows and forest under Dhaulagiri and Putha Hiunchuli, with blue sheep and a Tibetan settlement.

Hill & viewpoint

Poon Hill and Ghorepani

Myagdi, Gandaki Province

Nepal's most popular short trek, climbing through rhododendron forest to a sunrise view of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.

Village & culture

Tatopani hot springs

Myagdi, Gandaki Province

Natural hot pools beside the Kali Gandaki, a favourite soak for trekkers coming down from Jomsom or Poon Hill.

Hidden gem

Trek & trail

Khopra Ridge and Khayer Lake

Myagdi, Gandaki Province

A quiet alternative to Poon Hill with community lodges, a face-to-face view of Dhaulagiri, and a sacred lake at 4,660 m.

Mountain

Dhaulagiri

Myagdi, Gandaki Province

The world's seventh-highest mountain, a vast white wall rising above the Kali Gandaki; also a tough circuit trek.

Hidden gem

Waterfall

Rupse Falls

Myagdi, Gandaki Province

A tall, powerful waterfall that crashes down right beside the Beni–Jomsom road in the Kali Gandaki gorge.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Amaltari Tharu homestay

Nawalpur, Gandaki Province

A Tharu village on Chitwan's western edge with community homestays, rhinos by the river and far fewer tourists than Sauraha.

Heritage & palace

Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha

Rupandehi, Lumbini Province

The sacred garden where Siddhartha Gautama was born, marked by the Maya Devi temple and Emperor Ashoka's pillar of 249 BCE.

Monastery

Lumbini Monastic Zone

Rupandehi, Lumbini Province

A 4 km master-planned garden of temples built by Buddhist nations, from Thai marble to a Chinese pagoda and German frescoes.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Devdaha

Rupandehi, Lumbini Province

The ancient Koliya kingdom, maternal home of Queen Maya Devi, where the Buddha spent time as a child.

Heritage & palace

Tilaurakot (Kapilavastu)

Kapilvastu, Lumbini Province

Ruins of the Shakya capital where Prince Siddhartha lived for 29 years before leaving through its eastern gate.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Niglihawa, Gotihawa and Kudan

Kapilvastu, Lumbini Province

Ashoka pillars and stupas marking the birthplaces of earlier Buddhas, and Kudan where the Buddha met his father.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Ramagrama Stupa

Parasi, Lumbini Province

An unexcavated brick mound believed to be the only original stupa still holding relics of the Buddha.

Temple & shrine

Triveni Dham and Valmiki Ashram

Parasi, Lumbini Province

A sacred confluence on the Narayani at the Indian border, with the forest hermitage of the Ramayana's poet Valmiki.

City & bazaar

Tansen

Palpa, Lumbini Province

A hill-town of cobbled streets, Newar houses and dhaka weavers, capital of the old Palpa kingdom.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Rani Mahal

Palpa, Lumbini Province

A white 1890s palace on the bank of the Kali Gandaki, built by a Rana general in memory of his wife — the 'Taj Mahal of Nepal'.

Temple & shrine

Ruru Kshetra (Ridi)

Gulmi, Lumbini Province

An ancient pilgrimage town at the Ridi–Kali Gandaki confluence, with the Rishikesh temple and a famous Makar Sankranti fair.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Resunga

Gulmi, Lumbini Province

A forested hilltop above Tamghas, sacred as the hermitage of the sage Kashyapa, with views and cool pine air.

Temple & shrine

Supa Deurali

Arghakhanchi, Lumbini Province

A popular hilltop goddess temple near Sandhikharka, crowded with pilgrims at Dashain and Chaite Dashain.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Swargadwari

Pyuthan, Lumbini Province

The 'gate of heaven': a hilltop ashram where an eternal sacred fire has burned since the time of its founding saint.

Hidden gem

Hill & viewpoint

Jaljala

Rolpa, Lumbini Province

A high grassland in Rolpa sacred to the Kham Magar, with rhododendron forest and views of Sisne and Dhaulagiri.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Rukumkot and Kamal Daha

Rukum East, Lumbini Province

The old seat of the Rukum kings, with a lotus lake and temple, headquarters of remote Rukum East.

Village & culture

Dang valley and Ambikeshwari

Dang, Lumbini Province

Nepal's largest inner-Terai valley, a Tharu heartland with the Ambikeshwari temple and the cities of Ghorahi and Tulsipur.

City & bazaar

Nepalgunj and Bageshwari

Banke, Lumbini Province

The busy border city that is the hub for flights into Karnali, with the Bageshwari shrine at its heart.

Hidden gem

Park & wildlife

Banke National Park

Banke, Lumbini Province

A young, little-visited park of sal forest and Chure hills whose tiger population has grown rapidly since 2010.

Park & wildlife

Bardiya National Park

Bardiya, Lumbini Province

The largest national park in the Terai and the best place in Nepal to see a wild tiger, on the banks of the Karnali.

Lake & pond

Rara Lake

Mugu, Karnali Province

Nepal's largest lake, a deep blue sheet of water at 2,990 m ringed by pine, spruce and juniper forest.

Lake & pond

Shey Phoksundo Lake

Dolpa, Karnali Province

Nepal's deepest lake, an unreal turquoise, with a 167 m waterfall and the Bon village of Ringmo on its shore.

Hidden gem

Monastery

Shey Gompa and Upper Dolpo

Dolpa, Karnali Province

An 11th-century monastery below the sacred Crystal Mountain, in the high, remote world of Upper Dolpo.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Dho Tarap

Dolpa, Karnali Province

A high valley village of Dolpo with stone houses, chortens and one of the highest schools in the world.

Trek & trail

Simikot and the Kailash route

Humla, Karnali Province

Humla's airstrip town, starting point of the walk to the Tibetan border at Hilsa and on to Mount Kailash.

Hidden gem

Village & culture

Limi Valley

Humla, Karnali Province

A hidden Tibetan Buddhist valley in far north-west Humla, with the ancient Rinchenling monastery at Halji.

Temple & shrine

Chandannath and Jumla

Jumla, Karnali Province

Jumla's temple town among apple orchards and fields of red Marshi rice, the highest-growing rice in the world.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Sinja Valley

Jumla, Karnali Province

The capital of the medieval Khasa Malla empire and the cradle of the Nepali language, with ruins and ancient inscriptions.

Hidden gem

Waterfall

Pachal Jharana

Kalikot, Karnali Province

A waterfall pouring off a cliff in the Karnali gorge country of Kalikot, which gives its name to the local municipality.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Dullu and the eternal flames

Dailekh, Karnali Province

Old Khasa capital of Dailekh, where natural gas flames burn at shrines said to mark parts of a fallen god's body.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Jajarkot Durbar

Jajarkot, Karnali Province

The palace of the former Jajarkot kingdom, one of the Baise states, on a ridge above the Bheri river.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Syarpu Lake

Rukum West, Karnali Province

One of the largest lakes in the middle hills, among terraced fields near Musikot in Rukum West.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Kupinde Lake

Salyan, Karnali Province

A sacred lake in Salyan's hills, said never to rise or fall, with fairs at the full moon.

Lake & pond

Birendranagar and Bulbule Lake

Surkhet, Karnali Province

The planned capital of Karnali Province in the Surkhet valley, with a spring-fed lake and park at its edge.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Kakrebihar

Surkhet, Karnali Province

The stone ruins of a 12th–13th century temple complex in a forest above Birendranagar, with Buddhist and Hindu carvings.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Deuti Bajai

Surkhet, Karnali Province

A much-loved goddess shrine in the Surkhet valley, where devotees offer bells and pray for wishes.

Park & wildlife

Shuklaphanta National Park

Kanchanpur, Sudurpashchim Province

Vast open grasslands in the far south-west, home to the world's largest herd of swamp deer, tigers and wild elephants.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Jhilmila Lake

Kanchanpur, Sudurpashchim Province

A forest lake in the Chure hills of Kanchanpur, near the Indian border, surrounded by sal jungle and birds.

City & bazaar

Bhimdatta and the Mahakali

Kanchanpur, Sudurpashchim Province

Nepal's westernmost city on the Mahakali river border, with the long Dodhara–Chandani suspension bridge nearby.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Ghodaghodi Lake

Kailali, Sudurpashchim Province

A Ramsar-listed complex of forest lakes on the East–West Highway, rich in birds, turtles and lotus.

River & gorge

Karnali Bridge, Chisapani

Kailali, Sudurpashchim Province

A single-tower suspension bridge where Nepal's longest river leaves the hills, famous for fresh river fish.

Hidden gem

Park & wildlife

Tikapur Park

Kailali, Sudurpashchim Province

One of Nepal's largest public parks, beside the Karnali in a planned Terai town, with gardens, lawns and a lake.

City & bazaar

Dhangadhi

Kailali, Sudurpashchim Province

The largest city of the far west and its main airport, a lively border town with Tharu villages all around.

Park & wildlife

Khaptad National Park

Doti, Sudurpashchim Province

A high, rolling plateau of meadows and forest in the heart of the far west, known for wildflowers and the ashram of Khaptad Baba.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Shaileshwari and Silgadhi

Doti, Sudurpashchim Province

The goddess temple of Silgadhi, protector of the Doti kingdom, above the Seti river and twin town of Dipayal.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Ramaroshan

Achham, Sudurpashchim Province

Twelve lakes and eighteen meadows in the hills of Achham — the 'Switzerland of the far west'.

Heritage & palace

Mangalsen Durbar

Achham, Sudurpashchim Province

The hilltop palace of the old Achham kingdom, rebuilt after being burned in the civil war.

Hidden gem

Heritage & palace

Ajaymerukot

Dadeldhura, Sudurpashchim Province

Ruins of the palace-fort of the Doti kings on a forested ridge, the first capital of the far-western kingdom.

Temple & shrine

Amargadhi and Ugratara

Dadeldhura, Sudurpashchim Province

Dadeldhura's pine-ridge town with a fort built by the Gorkhali general Amar Singh Thapa and the Ugratara goddess temple.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Tripurasundari and Melauli

Baitadi, Sudurpashchim Province

Baitadi's great goddess temples on the hills above the Mahakali, with stone devals of the Doti–Kumaon style.

Hidden gem

Temple & shrine

Badimalika

Bajura, Sudurpashchim Province

A high grassland shrine at over 4,000 m above Martadi, reached on a pilgrimage at the Janai Purnima full moon.

Hidden gem

Lake & pond

Surma Sarovar

Bajhang, Sudurpashchim Province

A sacred glacial lake below Surma Devi peak in Bajhang, a remote pilgrimage in the shadow of the Saipal range.

Mountain

Saipal Himal

Bajhang, Sudurpashchim Province

The highest mountain of the far west at 7,031 m, rising above the remote valleys of Bajhang and Humla.

Hidden gem

Park & wildlife

Api Nampa and the Byas valley

Darchula, Sudurpashchim Province

The far north-west corner of Nepal: Api Himal, and the Byas valley of the Byansi people on the old route to Tibet.