Visit NepalHimal · Pahad · Teraiनेपाली

Pahad — the hills

The Pahad (hill) belt is the middle of Nepal, roughly 600 to 3,000 m: terraced ridges, river valleys, rhododendron forest and the Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys. Forty districts are classed as hill districts, and this is where most of Nepal's history was made — the Licchavi and Malla kingdoms, the Chaubise and Baise principalities and the Gorkha unification.

It is the most varied belt culturally: Newar cities, Gurung, Magar, Rai, Limbu and Tamang villages, Brahmin and Chhetri farmland, hill bazaars and temple towns. For travellers it holds the classic homestays, day hikes and viewpoints where the Himalaya fills the horizon.

Panchthar Ilam Tehrathum Dhankuta Bhojpur Khotang Okhaldhunga Udayapur Ramechhap Sindhuli Kavrepalanchok Kathmandu Lalitpur Bhaktapur Nuwakot Dhading Makwanpur Gorkha Lamjung Tanahun Kaski Syangja Parbat Baglung Myagdi Rukum East Rolpa Pyuthan Gulmi Arghakhanchi Palpa Dailekh Jajarkot Rukum West Salyan Surkhet Achham Doti Dadeldhura Baitadi

Hidden gems only

113 places

Phidim

Phidim

Panchthar, Koshi Province

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

Ilam Tea Gardens

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.

Antu Danda

Hill & viewpoint

Antu Danda

Ilam, Koshi Province

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

Kanyam Tea Garden

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.

Mai Pokhari

Mai Pokhari

Ilam, Koshi Province

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

Sandakpur (Sandakphu)

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.

Tinjure–Milke–Jaljale

Tinjure–Milke–Jaljale

Tehrathum, Koshi Province

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

Gupha Pokhari

Gupha Pokhari

Tehrathum, Koshi Province

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

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.

Dhankuta

Dhankuta

Dhankuta, Koshi Province

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

Namaste Waterfall

Namaste Waterfall

Dhankuta, Koshi Province

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

Bhojpur

Bhojpur

Bhojpur, Koshi Province

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

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.

Halesi–Maratika Caves

Halesi–Maratika Caves

Khotang, Koshi Province

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

Diktel and Rawa valley

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.

Okhaldhunga and Rumjatar

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.

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.

Rauta Pokhari

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.

Pashupatinath

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.

Boudhanath Stupa

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.

Swayambhunath

Swayambhunath

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

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

Kathmandu Durbar Square

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.

Thamel and the old bazaars

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.

Garden of Dreams

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.

Budhanilkantha

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.

Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park

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.

Kopan Monastery

Kopan Monastery

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

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

Kirtipur

Village & culture

Kirtipur

Kathmandu, Bagmati Province

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

Chobhar Gorge and Jal Binayak

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.

Dakshinkali and Pharping

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.

Chandragiri Hills

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.

Tokha

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.

Sankhu and Vajrayogini

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.

Patan Durbar Square

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.

Bungamati and Khokana

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.

Godawari and Phulchowki

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.

Bhaktapur

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.

Changu Narayan

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.

Nagarkot

Hill & viewpoint

Nagarkot

Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province

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

Madhyapur Thimi

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.

Dhulikhel

Hill & viewpoint

Dhulikhel

Kavrepalanchok, Bagmati Province

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

Namobuddha

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.

Panauti

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.

Balthali

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.

Nuwakot Durbar

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.

Kakani

Hill & viewpoint

Kakani

Nuwakot, Bagmati Province

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

Sailung

Hill & viewpoint

Sailung

Ramechhap, Bagmati Province

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

Manthali and the Sunkoshi valley

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.

Sindhuligadhi

Heritage & palace

Sindhuligadhi

Sindhuli, Bagmati Province

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

Ruby Valley

Ruby Valley

Dhading, Bagmati Province

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

Trishuli River

Trishuli River

Dhading, Bagmati Province

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

Daman

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.

Chitlang

Village & culture

Chitlang

Makwanpur, Bagmati Province

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

Kulekhani (Indrasarowar)

Kulekhani (Indrasarowar)

Makwanpur, Bagmati Province

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

Makwanpur Gadhi

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.

Phewa Lake and Tal Barahi

Phewa Lake and Tal Barahi

Kaski, Gandaki Province

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

Pokhara

Pokhara

Kaski, Gandaki Province

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

Sarangkot

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.

World Peace Pagoda, Pokhara

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.

Davis Falls, Gupteshwor and Pokhara's caves

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.

Begnas and Rupa lakes

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.

International Mountain Museum

Heritage & palace

International Mountain Museum

Kaski, Gandaki Province

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

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Kaski, Gandaki Province

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

Machhapuchhre (Fishtail)

Machhapuchhre (Fishtail)

Kaski, Gandaki Province

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

Ghandruk

Village & culture

Ghandruk

Kaski, Gandaki Province

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

Dhampus and Australian Camp

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.

Mardi Himal Trek

Mardi Himal Trek

Kaski, Gandaki Province

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

Panchase

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.

Sikles

Village & culture

Sikles

Kaski, Gandaki Province

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

Gorkha Durbar

Heritage & palace

Gorkha Durbar

Gorkha, Gandaki Province

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

Manakamana

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.

Manaslu and the Manaslu Circuit

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.

Tsum Valley

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.

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.

Ghalegaun and Bhujung

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.

Besisahar and Lamjung Durbar

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.

Bandipur

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.

Siddha Gufa

Siddha Gufa

Tanahun, Gandaki Province

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

Byas Gufa, Damauli

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.

Devghat

Temple & shrine

Devghat

Tanahun, Gandaki Province

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

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.

Village & culture

Chhangchhangdi

Syangja, Gandaki Province

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

Kushma bridges and bungee

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.

Baglung Kalika

Temple & shrine

Baglung Kalika

Baglung, Gandaki Province

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

Dhorpatan

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.

Poon Hill and Ghorepani

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.

Tatopani hot springs

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.

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.

Dhaulagiri

Dhaulagiri

Myagdi, Gandaki Province

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

Rupse Falls

Rupse Falls

Myagdi, Gandaki Province

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

Tansen

Tansen

Palpa, Lumbini Province

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

Rani Mahal

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'.

Ruru Kshetra (Ridi)

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.

Resunga

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.

Supa Deurali

Temple & shrine

Supa Deurali

Arghakhanchi, Lumbini Province

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

Swargadwari

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.

Jaljala

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.

Rukumkot and Kamal Daha

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.

Dullu and the eternal flames

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.

Jajarkot Durbar

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.

Syarpu Lake

Rukum West, Karnali Province

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

Kupinde Lake

Kupinde Lake

Salyan, Karnali Province

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

Birendranagar and Bulbule Lake

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.

Kakrebihar

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.

Deuti Bajai

Temple & shrine

Deuti Bajai

Surkhet, Karnali Province

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

Khaptad National Park

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.

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.

Ramaroshan

Ramaroshan

Achham, Sudurpashchim Province

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

Mangalsen Durbar

Heritage & palace

Mangalsen Durbar

Achham, Sudurpashchim Province

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

Ajaymerukot

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.

Amargadhi and Ugratara

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.

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.