Famous places in Nepal — what each is famous for

The classic circuit — and why everyone does it

• Kathmandu — 3–4 days for the valley, including Patan and Bhaktapur.
• Pokhara — 2–4 days, more if you trek from there.
• Chitwan — 2–3 days, which is the right length for the wildlife.
• Lumbini — 1–2 days.
• A trek — 5–16 days depending on the route.

What each place is famous for, in one line

• Kathmandu — the Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath; the densest concentration of living Hindu and Buddhist heritage anywhere.
• Patan (Lalitpur) — the finest Newar metalwork and the most beautiful Durbar Square of the three.
• Bhaktapur — the best-preserved medieval city in the Himalaya, plus juju dhau curd and Nyatapola temple.
• Pokhara — Phewa lake with Machhapuchhre and the Annapurnas rising behind it; Nepal's adventure-sports and trekking base.
• Chitwan — one-horned rhino, Bengal tiger and gharial in a UNESCO-listed subtropical park.
• Lumbini — the birthplace of the Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a global pilgrimage centre.
• Nagarkot — the accessible Himalayan sunrise viewpoint from the Kathmandu valley rim.
• Bandipur — a preserved Newar hill town on the old trade route, with a mountain panorama and almost no traffic.
• Mustang and Muktinath — trans-Himalayan desert, a walled medieval capital at Lo Manthang, and one of the Himalaya's great pilgrimage sites.
• Ilam — Nepal's tea country, green hills and the eastern culture almost no visitor sees.
• Janakpur — the Mithila cultural centre and the birthplace of Sita, with a temple unlike anything else in Nepal.
• Everest and Annapurna regions — the mountains themselves, covered in the trekking guides.

Choosing by what you actually want

• Temples, art and old cities → Kathmandu valley, and specifically Patan and Bhaktapur rather than only Kathmandu.
• Mountains without a long trek → Pokhara, Nagarkot, Bandipur, or a short Poon Hill or Mardi Himal trek.
• Wildlife → Chitwan, or Bardia in the far west for a wilder, emptier version with better tiger odds.
• Pilgrimage and quiet → Lumbini, Muktinath, Gosaikunda, Janakpur.
• Landscape unlike anywhere else → Upper Mustang, Dolpo, Rara.
• Adventure sports → Pokhara for paragliding, and the Trishuli, Bhote Koshi and Seti rivers for rafting.
• Getting away from other visitors → the far west (Rara, Khaptad), the east (Ilam, Kanchenjunga), and Janakpur.

How long Nepal actually takes

Entry fees and the tiered pricing system

Every destination guide in this series

• Kathmandu — the valley's temples, old city and day trips.
• Patan and Bhaktapur — the two other royal cities.
• Pokhara — lake, mountains, paragliding and trekking base.
• Chitwan — rhinos, tigers, Tharu culture and how to do a jungle safari well.
• Lumbini — the Buddha's birthplace and the monastic zone.
• Nagarkot and Bandipur — hill towns and Himalayan viewpoints.
• Mustang, Jomsom and Muktinath — the trans-Himalayan north.
• Janakpur and the terai — Mithila culture and the plains Nepal that visitors skip.