Nepal
Nepal packs the Himalaya, the Newar cities of the Kathmandu Valley and the lowland jungles of the Terai into a country a little larger than England. Go in October–November or March–April, allow 7–14 nights, and pair a mountain stay with Kathmandu and a safari in Chitwan or Bardia.
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- Itemised written quoteEvery hotel, car and guide listed
- One plannerFrom first call to last transfer
- Change anythingEvery route is a starting point
Nepal, in brief
Nepal runs about 885 km east to west and rises from roughly 60 m in the southern plains to 8,849 m on the summit of Everest, all within a band some 200 km wide. That compression is the reason to come. In a single week we can put you in a carved Newar courtyard in Kathmandu, on a ridge facing the Annapurnas at sunrise, and in a jeep on the floodplains of Chitwan watching a one-horned rhino graze. Distances on the map are short; the roads are slow, so we use short domestic flights wherever they save a day.
The Kathmandu Valley holds seven monument zones inscribed together as one UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, the stupas of Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, the Hindu temple complex at Pashupatinath and the hilltop temple of Changu Narayan. The 2015 earthquake damaged many of them. Much has been rebuilt by Newar craftsmen using traditional methods, and watching that work is part of a visit. We spend at least three nights here, with a private guide who knows which courtyards are open.
The mountains are the draw for most travellers, and you do not need to trek to see them. Dawn flights and helicopter tours reach the Everest massif from Kathmandu in under an hour. Pokhara, at 822 m, sits beneath Machapuchare and the Annapurna range with lodges that face the peaks. For those who want to walk, short lodge-to-lodge routes in the Annapurna foothills and the Khumbu cover 4–6 hours a day with porters carrying the bags.
South of the hills lies the Terai, flat and green and hot for much of the year. Chitwan National Park, Nepal's first, is the easiest place in South Asia to see the greater one-horned rhinoceros. Bardia, far to the west, is quieter and wilder, with better odds of a tiger. Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha, is a short flight from Kathmandu and sits naturally in a journey that also takes in the jungle.
Why go
Reasons to go, plainly
A dawn mountain flight from Kathmandu runs along the Himalaya to Everest and back in about an hour. A helicopter goes further, landing briefly near Kala Patthar at about 5,545 m when the weather allows, then stopping for breakfast at Hotel Everest View, 3,880 m, facing Everest and Ama Dablam.
Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur were rival Newar kingdoms, each with its own palace square of pagoda temples and carved windows. Add the stupas of Boudhanath and Swayambhunath, the cremation ghats of Pashupatinath and the temple of Changu Narayan, and you have a week of heritage within 20 km.
Chitwan National Park protects grassland and sal forest along the Rapti and Narayani rivers. Jeep safaris, dugout canoe trips past gharial and mugger crocodiles, and guided walks give good odds of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, and a small chance of a tiger, from riverside lodges such as Meghauli Serai.
Pokhara lies at 822 m on the shore of Phewa Lake, with Machapuchare at 6,993 m rising almost directly above. From Sarangkot or a ridge-top lodge, the first light catches Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas and Manaslu in turn. It is the softest introduction to the high Himalaya in the country.
At Lumbini, a marker stone inside the Maya Devi Temple identifies the spot where Siddhartha Gautama is believed to have been born. Beside it stands the Ashoka Pillar, inscribed around 249 BCE, and beyond lies a monastic zone of temples built by Buddhist nations from Myanmar to Germany.
Upper Mustang, behind the Annapurnas in the Tibetan rain shadow, opened to outsiders only in 1992 and still needs a restricted-area permit. Lo Manthang, at about 3,840 m, keeps its mud-brick walls, painted gompas and cliff caves. Shinta Mani Mustang in Jomsom makes a comfortable base for the lower valley.
The map
Where to go in Nepal
- 1Annapurna Foothills
- 2Bandipur
- 3Bardia
- 4Bhaktapur
- 5Chitwan
- 6Dhulikhel
- 7Everest Region (Khumbu)
- 8Kathmandu
- 9Lumbini
- 10Mustang
- 11Patan
- 12Pokhara
Gurung villages and Poon Hill dawn on short, guided walks
A car-free Newar bazaar on the old road between India and Tibet
Tigers, wild elephants and the Karnali river in Nepal's far west
Brick squares, potters and the five-tiered Nyatapola temple
Rhinos, gharials and sal forest in Nepal's first national park
A Himalayan view and a wellness retreat an hour from Kathmandu
Sherpa villages, Tengboche and Everest views on lodge-to-lodge walks
Stupas, temples and royal squares in Nepal's capital valley
The birthplace of the Buddha, in the plains of southern Nepal
Rain-shadow valleys, Muktinath and the walled city of Lo Manthang
Newar temples, a palace museum and bronze casters across the river
Lake town at 822 m with the Annapurnas on the skyline
Shape your own journey Tell us your dates and what you hope to feel. We draw the route around you. Begin Not sure where to start? We match the land to your month, your pace and the people travelling with you. Begin Talk to a planner A first route and an indicative price within one working day. No payment to start. BeginJourneys
Routes through Nepal
Indicative prices per person, twin sharing, at the hotels named. Every route can be changed.
Experiences
Hours worth planning around
Where we book
Stays in Nepal
Kathmandu's most characterful hotel, built in Newar style around brick courtyards set with carved windows, doors and pillars rescued from old valley buildings. It sits in …
A hillside wellness resort at Dhulikhel, about 30 km east of Kathmandu, built in brick and stone on terraces facing the Himalaya. Yoga, meditation, spa therapies …
A small lodge of stone cottages on a ridge above the Pokhara valley, facing Machapuchare and the Annapurna range. It has a pool, a long terrace …
An eco-resort of private villas set on a working organic farm in the countryside outside Pokhara. Villas face rice terraces and forested hills, the spa and …
A Taj Safaris lodge on the banks of the Rapti River in western Chitwan, facing the national park across the water. Rooms and villas draw on …
A small Tharu-style lodge on the edge of Bardia National Park in far-western Nepal, run by Tiger Tops, the company that pioneered wildlife lodges in the …
A chain of comfortable mountain lodges along the Everest trail at Lukla, Phakding, Monjo, Namche, Kongde and Thame. Attached bathrooms, warm dining rooms and good food …
A Bill Bensley-designed luxury lodge in Jomsom, at 2,720 m in the Kali Gandaki valley, and the most comfortable place to stay in Mustang. Stays are …
Shape your own journey Tell us your dates and what you hope to feel. We draw the route around you. Begin Not sure where to start? We match the land to your month, your pace and the people travelling with you. Begin Talk to a planner A first route and an indicative price within one working day. No payment to start. BeginMonth by month
Nepal through the year
Nepal by travel style
The calendar
Festivals worth the dates
Dashain is Nepal's longest and most important Hindu festival, celebrating the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura. Families gather, …
Tihar is Nepal's five-day festival of lights, held a few weeks after Dashain. Crows, dogs and cows are honoured in turn, houses …
Indra Jatra is Kathmandu's great street festival, eight days of masked dances, chariot processions and rituals centred on Kathmandu Durbar Square. Its …
Holi, called Fagu Purnima in Nepal, is the spring festival of colours. In Kathmandu it begins a week early with the raising …
Buddha Jayanti marks the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha, and is celebrated with particular feeling at Lumbini, his birthplace. Monks …
Mani Rimdu is a Sherpa Buddhist festival of blessings, masked dances and fire rituals held at Tengboche Monastery, 3,867 m, in the …
Shape your own journey Tell us your dates and what you hope to feel. We draw the route around you. Begin Not sure where to start? We match the land to your month, your pace and the people travelling with you. Begin Talk to a planner A first route and an indicative price within one working day. No payment to start. BeginGetting there
Arriving in Nepal
Nearly every international traveller arrives at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (KTM), with direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi as well as Doha, Dubai, Istanbul and Bangkok; Delhi to Kathmandu takes about 1.5 hours. Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa (BWA), near Lumbini, and Pokhara International (PHH) have few international routes, so check current status before you travel. Inside Nepal we fly wherever the road is long: Kathmandu to Pokhara takes 25 minutes against 6–8 hours by road, Bharatpur for Chitwan 25 minutes, Nepalgunj for Bardia an hour, and Lukla for Everest about 35 minutes. Travellers from India can also cross by road at Sunauli–Belahiya, Raxaul–Birgunj or Panitanki–Kakarbhitta, though the drives onward are long.
Permits
Paperwork to know
Indian nationals need no visa, only a valid passport or voter ID. Most other nationalities can buy a visa on arrival in Kathmandu: 15 days for USD 30, 30 days for USD 50 and 90 days for USD 125. National parks charge daily or per-visit entry fees, and trekking areas need their own permits: ACAP for the Annapurnas, Sagarmatha National Park and the Khumbu municipality fee for Everest, and a restricted-area permit of USD 500 for 10 days for Upper Mustang. Since 2023 most foreign trekkers must walk with a licensed guide. We arrange all of these; check current status before you travel.
Guides
Read before Nepal
October and November are the best months to visit Nepal: dry, clear air and the sharpest mountain views of the year. March and April …
Choose Chitwan for an easy first safari: a 25-minute flight from Kathmandu, reliable rhino sightings and more lodge choice. Choose Bardia for wilderness and …
Choose the Everest mountain flight if you want a one-hour dawn view of the peaks for a modest cost, with no altitude risk. Choose …
Nepal's biggest festivals fall between late August and November: Indra Jatra in Kathmandu, Dashain and Tihar nationwide, and Mani Rimdu at Tengboche. Spring brings …
For a first visit, spend 10 days and 9 nights this way: three nights in Kathmandu for the valley's heritage and an Everest mountain …
Nepali food starts with dal bhat, lentils with rice, vegetables and pickle, eaten twice a day across the country. Around it sit momo dumplings, …
The Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 1979, has seven monument zones: the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, the …
Nepal's best stays are small, characterful lodges rather than big resorts. In Kathmandu we use Dwarika's Hotel; in Dhulikhel, Dwarika's Resort; in Pokhara, Tiger …
You do not need to be a trekker to walk in Nepal. Short guided walks from lodges near Dhulikhel, Bandipur and Pokhara take two …
Most visitors get a Nepal visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport: USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, USD 125 for …
Shape your own journey Tell us your dates and what you hope to feel. We draw the route around you. Begin Not sure where to start? We match the land to your month, your pace and the people travelling with you. Begin Talk to a planner A first route and an indicative price within one working day. No payment to start. BeginQuestions travellers ask
Questions about Nepal
What is the best time to visit Nepal?
October and November are the best months, with clear post-monsoon skies, sharp mountain views and comfortable temperatures. March and April come second, with warm days and rhododendrons in flower, though haze builds by late April. December to February is cold but clear and quiet. June to September is the monsoon: cloud, rain and landslides, except in Mustang, which lies in the rain shadow and is at its best then.
Do Indian citizens need a visa for Nepal?
No. Indian nationals need no visa for Nepal and can enter with a valid passport or a voter ID card. Children can use a passport or a school identity document with a photo. Carry a passport if you plan to fly within Nepal, take a helicopter tour or enter a restricted area, as some operators ask for it. Rules on identity documents can change, so check current status before you travel.
How many days do I need in Nepal?
Allow at least 7 nights for a first trip: three in Kathmandu, two or three in Pokhara and two in Chitwan. Ten to twelve nights lets you add Dhulikhel or Bandipur, a short lodge walk in the Annapurna foothills or an Everest helicopter day. Fourteen nights covers the valley, the mountains, the jungle and Lumbini at an unhurried pace, with domestic flights for the longer hops.
Can I see Mount Everest without trekking?
Yes. A dawn mountain flight from Kathmandu runs along the range to Everest and back in about an hour without landing. A helicopter tour takes about four to five hours, lands briefly near Kala Patthar at about 5,545 m when weather allows, and stops for breakfast at Hotel Everest View at 3,880 m. Both depend on clear weather, so we schedule them early in your stay.
Is Nepal safe for luxury travellers?
Nepal is generally safe for visitors, and violent crime against travellers is rare. The real risks are road travel on hill highways, altitude sickness above 3,000 m, and weather delays on mountain flights. We use experienced private drivers, plan altitude gains carefully and build buffer days around Lukla and Jomsom flights. Petty theft occurs in crowded areas such as Thamel, so keep valuables in your hotel safe.
Which currency should I carry to Nepal?
Carry Nepalese rupees for markets, tips and temple fees. Indian rupee notes of ₹100 and below are widely accepted, but rules on higher-denomination Indian notes have changed several times, so check current status before you travel. ATMs are common in Kathmandu and Pokhara but scarce in the Khumbu and Mustang. Our luxury hotels accept international credit cards, sometimes with a small surcharge.
How do I travel between Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan?
Fly where possible. Kathmandu to Pokhara is a 25-minute flight against 6–8 hours on the Prithvi Highway, and Kathmandu to Bharatpur for Chitwan is about 25 minutes against 5–6 hours by road. Pokhara to Chitwan has no regular flight, so we drive it in a private car in about 4–5 hours. Road works and landslides can lengthen any drive, especially in the monsoon.
Will I get altitude sickness in Nepal?
Not in Kathmandu at 1,400 m, Pokhara at 822 m or the Terai. Altitude sickness becomes a risk above about 2,500–3,000 m, which matters in the Khumbu, Mustang and on higher Annapurna routes. We limit sleeping altitude gains to 300–500 m a day above 3,000 m, include a rest day at Namche, and descend at once if symptoms appear. Helicopter tours keep high landings short for this reason.
What should I wear when visiting temples in Nepal?
Cover shoulders and knees at temples, monasteries and stupas, and remove shoes and leather items where asked. Walk clockwise around stupas and prayer wheels. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temple at Pashupatinath, though the ghats and outer complex are open. Ask before photographing people, cremations or rituals. A light scarf is useful for both modesty and the cool mornings in the Kathmandu Valley.