Experiences
Coded by prayer-flag colour
Each experience carries one of the five lungta colours: blue for sky (nature, slow days), white for wind (trekking, spirit), red for fire (food, adventure), green for water (rivers, wildlife) and yellow for earth (heritage, craft).
Kathmandu Valley
HeritageBhaktapur's three squares with a local guide
A morning walk linking Bhaktapur's Durbar Square, Taumadhi and Tachupal through the lanes between them. We see the Golden Gate, …
CraftThrow a pot in Bhaktapur's Pottery Square
Spend a morning with a Prajapati potter in Talako, the pottery quarter just south of Taumadhi. Watch pots thrown on …
FoodJuju dhau, bara and Khwopa's snack shops
A late-afternoon food walk through Bhaktapur's squares and lanes: juju dhau from the clay bowl, bara and chatamari off the …
HeritageDawn in Khwopa's toles and water spouts
An early walk for those staying overnight: neighbours at morning puja, women at the stone spouts, farmers heading out with …
SpiritualDawn kora with the pilgrims of Boudha
Walk three slow circuits round the great stupa at first light with Tibetan families, monks and neighbours. We explain the …
SpiritualSit in on a Tibetan monastery puja
Visit two of Boudha's monasteries during prayers: deep chanting, long horns, drums and butter lamps. We explain the main images, …
CraftWatch thangka painters at work in Boudha
Visit a working thangka studio near the stupa where painters grind mineral pigments and paint Buddhist scrolls by hand. Learn …
Slow daysWalk up to Kopan for quiet and valley views
A gentle walk from the stupa up to Kopan Monastery on its hill north of Boudha, through lanes and fields. …
HeritageBungamati's square and the rain god's home
A guided walk through Bungamati's lanes to the Rato Machhindranath temple, with the story of the god, the chariot festival …
CraftCarve with Bungamati's woodworkers
Spend time in a family woodcarving workshop, watching carvers shape windows, masks and deities from sal and other hardwoods. Try …
FoodKhokana's mustard oil and Karya Binayak walk
Walk from Bungamati via the Ganesh temple of Karya Binayak to Khokana, a Newar village known for mustard oil. See …
AdventureCycle from Patan to Bungamati and Khokana
A half-day bike ride from Patan south through Nakhu and rice fields to Bungamati, Karya Binayak and Khokana, then back. …
HeritageRead Changunarayan's Licchavi stones with a guide
A close look at the temple courtyard with a guide who knows its sculptures: Manadeva's 464 CE pillar, the kneeling …
TrekkingWalk from Changunarayan down to Bhaktapur
After the temple, walk down through Changu village, terraced fields and small settlements, cross the Manohara river and enter Bhaktapur's …
TrekkingNagarkot to Changunarayan along the ridge
After a Nagarkot sunrise, walk west along the ridge via Telkot through pine forest and villages, then down to Changunarayan. …
HeritageChangu village, its museums and tea shops
Explore the short cobbled street below the temple: rebuilt brick houses, small family-run museums of farming tools, coins and household …
HeritageDhulikhel's old Newar town on foot
A walk through Dhulikhel's old core behind the highway: brick lanes, the Bhagwati and Harisiddhi temples, water spouts and squares. …
TrekkingHike from Dhulikhel to Namobuddha
A classic day hike from Dhulikhel through terraced farmland and forest to Namobuddha, where a stupa marks the place of …
NatureSunrise from the Kali temple above Dhulikhel
Climb in the dark from the old town to the small Kali temple on the hill above, and watch the …
Slow daysMorning yoga facing the Himalaya in Dhulikhel
A slow morning on a terrace above Dhulikhel: a gentle yoga and breathing session with a local teacher as the …
HeritageDurbar Square and the Kumari's courtyard
A guided morning through Hanuman Dhoka: the palace courtyards, Kal Bhairav, the rebuilt Kasthamandap, and the Kumari Ghar, where the …
HeritageAsan to Indra Chowk on the old Tibet road
A slow walk down the diagonal trade street from Thamel to the Durbar Square through Kathmandu's oldest markets. Spice stalls, …
FoodNewar khaja trail through the old town
An afternoon of Newar snacks in small family-run khaja ghars: bara, chatamari, chhoyla, kachila, aloo tama, juju dhau and a …
NatureSleeping Vishnu and a Shivapuri forest climb
A day on the valley's northern rim: morning puja at Budhanilkantha's reclining Vishnu, then a forest climb in Shivapuri Nagarjun …
HeritageKirtipur's siege story told on its ridge
A walk through Kirtipur's old town with the story of the siege of 1757 to 1767: Bagh Bhairab's temple with …
FoodLunch at Newa Lahana, run by Kirtipur's women
A long Newar lunch at a restaurant run by a cooperative of Kirtipur women, in a traditional brick house in …
NatureChobhar gorge and Taudaha, where the lake drained
A walk below Kirtipur to the narrow gorge of the Bagmati, where legend says Manjushri cut the hills to drain …
NatureCable car up Chandragiri for Himalayan views
From Kirtipur, drive 30 minutes to Thankot and ride the cable car to the top of Chandragiri, about 2,500 m, …
NatureSunrise over the Himalaya from Nagarkot
Rise before dawn, walk or drive to the view tower or a ridge viewpoint, and watch the Himalaya appear in …
NaturePine forest and Tamang villages on the ridge
A gentle walk along the Nagarkot ridge through pine forest and into Tamang and Brahmin-Chhetri villages, with stops at a …
TrekkingNagarkot to Dhulikhel along the rim
A full-day hike from Nagarkot south-east along ridges and down through villages and terraced fields to Dhulikhel, with mountain views …
SpiritualWalk down to Sankhu and Bajrayogini
Walk north-west from Nagarkot down through forest and villages to Sankhu, an old Newar town on the trade route to …
HeritageIndreshwar Mahadev and the triveni ghat
A guided walk from Indreshwar Mahadev, built in 1294, through Panauti's old lanes to the triveni ghat where the rivers …
FoodShape yomari with a Panauti homestay family
Stay a night with a Newar family through Panauti's community homestay network. Help cook dinner, learn to shape yomari dumplings, …
TrekkingHike from Panauti to Balthali village
A half-day hike from Panauti through terraced farmland and small villages to Balthali, a ridge village at about 1,700 m …
SpiritualMaghe Sankranti bathing at Panauti's triveni
On Maghe Sankranti, the first day of Magh in mid-January, pilgrims come to bathe at Panauti's triveni ghat, and families …
SpiritualPashupatinath with a guide who explains the rites
A guided visit to the Pashupati complex: the main temple seen from outside, the ghats, the east-bank shrines and Mrigasthali. …
SpiritualEvening aarti on the Bagmati at Pashupati
Join the crowds on the riverbank as priests perform the evening aarti with lamps, bells, conch shells and hymns to …
HeritageMrigasthali woods to Guhyeshwari on foot
A quieter walk away from the ghats: up into the Mrigasthali forest, past the Gorakhnath shrine and the deer park, …
SpiritualMaha Shivaratri at Pashupatinath
On the great night of Shiva, Pashupati fills with sadhus from Nepal and India, fires burn on the riverbank, and …
HeritagePatan Durbar Square and the palace museum
A morning with a guide in Patan's palace square and its museum. We read the Krishna Mandir's carved friezes, visit …
SpiritualGolden Temple and Patan's hidden bahals
A morning walk through Patan's Buddhist courtyards: the gilded Kwa Bahal, the terracotta Mahabouddha, Uku Bahal's crowded shrines and Kumbheshwar's …
CraftLost-wax bronze casting with Patan's metalworkers
A visit to family workshops in the lanes round Mahabouddha and Nag Bahal, where Buddhas and Taras are modelled in …
FoodCook a Newar meal in a Patan family kitchen
A hands-on session in a Newar home in Patan's old town: buy vegetables in the local market, then cook bara, …
SpiritualGuru Rinpoche's caves with Tibetan pilgrims
A morning visiting the caves where Padmasambhava is said to have meditated: the Asura Cave on the hillside above Pharping …
SpiritualDakshinkali, the Kali temple in the gorge
Walk down into the forested gorge where the goddess Kali is worshipped at Dakshinkali. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, families bring …
HeritageShesh Narayan's ponds and Nepal's first power plant
Explore the lower slopes of Pharping: the cliff-side Shesh Narayan temple with its ponds and Licchavi carvings, and the old …
TrekkingChampadevi hike on the valley's southern rim
A day hike from the Pharping road up through forest to the summit of Champadevi, one of the high points …
SpiritualClimb the 365 steps with Kathmandu at dawn
Climb the old eastern stairway at first light with locals heading to prayers and exercise. Reach the summit as butter …
HeritageHill kora, Harati and the Shantipur legend
Walk the circuit round the base of the hill past prayer wheels and monasteries, then climb to the summit's lesser-known …
NatureSunset over Kathmandu from Swayambhu
Reach the summit an hour before sunset, walk the stupa as the light turns gold, and find a spot on …
HeritageWalk from Swayambhu down to old Kathmandu
After the summit, walk east down the stairway, cross the Bishnumati river and follow old lanes past Bijeshwari and small …
Pokhara & the Annapurnas
NatureSunrise inside the Annapurna Sanctuary
Step out of your lodge at 4,130 m before dawn and watch the sun light the summit of Annapurna I, …
TrekkingFrom Machhapuchhre Base Camp into the sanctuary
The last stage of the trek: from Machhapuchhre Base Camp at 3,700 m, walk up the open valley of the …
Slow daysSoak in the hot springs at Jhinu Danda
On the way down from the sanctuary, walk 20 minutes below the village of Jhinu Danda to natural hot pools …
HeritageChhomrong, the Gurung gateway to the sanctuary
Spend an afternoon in Chhomrong, the large Gurung village at about 2,170 m that controls the gateway to the Annapurna …
HeritageHeritage walk through Bandipur's bazaar
A slow walk along Bandipur's traffic-free main street and side lanes with a local guide: Newar merchant houses, carved windows, …
NatureSunrise over the Himalaya from Thani Mai
Climb 30–40 minutes from the bazaar to the hilltop shrine of Thani Mai for sunrise on a long line of …
AdventureExplore Siddha Cave below Bandipur
Walk down from Bandipur to Siddha Gufa, one of Nepal's largest caves, about 437 m deep and 50 m high, …
NatureRidge walk to Ramkot Magar village
Follow the ridge west from Bandipur through forest and terraces to Ramkot, a Magar village of traditional round and oval …
Rivers and lakesDawn rowing on Begnas Lake
Take a wooden boat out from the Begnas dam before the day starts, row past fish cages and forested shores …
NatureWalk the ridge between Begnas and Rupa lakes
An easy village walk up the Panchabhaiya ridge that separates Begnas from Rupa Lake, with both lakes below you, the …
WildlifeBirding on the Pokhara lake cluster
A winter morning with binoculars on Begnas and Rupa, part of the Pokhara Valley's Ramsar-listed lake cluster: resident herons, egrets, …
FoodFish lunch and a farm walk at Begnas bazaar
Walk through the terraces and fish ponds around Begnas with a local host, see how the valley grows rice and …
TrekkingClimb the Phedi steps to Dhampus
The classic first climb of Annapurna trekking: about 500 m of stone steps and forest path from Phedi on the …
NatureWalk to Australian Camp for sunset
From Dhampus, walk through forest and Pothana to the grassy clearing of Australian Camp at about 2,060 m, watch the …
HeritageGurung village walk along the Dhampus ridge
An unhurried walk through the older parts of Dhampus with a local guide: stone houses, millet terraces, water taps and …
FoodCook dal bhat and millet roti with a Gurung family
Join a Dhampus family in the kitchen to cook the evening meal: dal, rice, seasonal vegetables, pickles and millet roti, …
HeritageGurung museum and the old lanes of Ghandruk
Walk the stone-flagged lanes of Ghandruk's upper village with a local guide, visit the small Gurung Cultural Museum in a …
HeritageGurung songs and dances with the mothers' group
An evening programme of Gurung songs and dances performed by village women of Ghandruk's mothers' group, often in traditional dress, …
TrekkingRhododendron forest walk to Tadapani
Climb about 600 m from Ghandruk through dense rhododendron and oak forest to the clearing of Tadapani at around 2,630 …
NatureSunrise on Annapurna South from upper Ghandruk
Climb through the sleeping village before dawn to a terrace in upper Ghandruk and watch first light hit Annapurna South, …
NatureDawn climb to Poon Hill
Climb about 340 m by headlamp from Ghorepani to the 3,210 m viewpoint of Poon Hill and watch sunrise strike …
TrekkingClimb the Ulleri steps to Ghorepani
The classic approach to Poon Hill: a long stone staircase up to the Magar village of Ulleri, then forest through …
NatureRhododendron ridge from Ghorepani to Tadapani
After Poon Hill, follow the ridge east to Deurali at about 3,100 m and descend through some of Nepal's densest …
FoodA teahouse evening in Ghorepani
Teahouse life at its liveliest: a lodge dining room at 2,874 m around a warm stove, dal bhat refills, Gurung …
HeritageClimb to Gorkha Durbar and the Gorakhnath cave
Walk up about 1,500 stone steps from Gorkha bazaar to the hilltop palace where Prithvi Narayan Shah was born, visit …
HeritageTallo Durbar museum and the Gorkha bazaar
Visit the lower palace, Tallo Durbar, in Gorkha bazaar, now home to the Gorkha Museum with exhibits on the Shah …
SpiritualCable car to Manakamana temple
Ride Nepal's first commercial cable car, 2.8 km from Kurintar on the Prithvi Highway, up to the hilltop temple of …
HeritageBarpak, the Gurkha village at the quake's heart
A drive into northern Gorkha to Barpak, a large Gurung and Ghale village known for its Gurkha soldiers, near the …
TrekkingIce Lake acclimatisation hike above Braga
The best rest-day hike in Manang: climb about 1,100 m from Braga to Kicho Tal, the Ice Lake, at around …
SpiritualBraga monastery and the old Nyeshang villages
Walk 30 minutes down-valley from Manang to Braga, a village of stacked stone houses below cliffs, and climb to its …
NatureGangapurna glacier lake and viewpoint
Cross the Marsyangdi from Manang to the milky turquoise Gangapurna Lake, fed by the glaciers of Gangapurna and Annapurna III, …
AdventureDetour to Tilicho Lake from Manang
A demanding 2–3 day side trip west from Manang via Khangsar to Tilicho Base Camp and up to Tilicho Lake …
TrekkingDawn climb to the Mardi Himal upper viewpoint
Leave High Camp around 4–5 am and climb the grass and rock ridge by headlamp to the upper viewpoint, around …
NatureSunset above the clouds at Badal Danda
At Badal Danda, the cloud ridge at about 3,200 m, the evening often brings a sea of cloud filling the …
WildlifeLooking for the danphe on the Mardi ridge
Walk the forest edge and open slopes between Low Camp and High Camp at first light, looking for the Himalayan …
HeritageDescend through the Gurung village of Siding
Leave the ridge by the quieter eastern route, down steep forest to Siding, a Gurung village of stone houses and …
NatureDawn climb to Panchase summit
Leave your lodge at Panchase Bhanjyang in the dark and climb through forest to the 2,517 m top for sunrise …
NatureOrchid walk in the Panchase forest
A slow walk with a local guide through the Panchase Protected Forest, one of Nepal's richest orchid habitats, looking for …
FoodVillage homestay at Bhadaure Tamagi
A night with a family in the community homestay village of Bhadaure Tamagi below Panchase: help in the kitchen, eat …
SpiritualPumdikot Shiva statue and ridge viewpoint
Drive or walk up the ridge southwest of Phewa to Pumdikot, a viewpoint at about 1,500 m with the second …
Rivers and lakesRow a doonga to Tal Barahi temple
A wooden boat across Phewa Lake to the island temple of Barahi, Pokhara's most important shrine. Go at dawn for …
HeritageOld bazaar, Bindhyabasini and the Seti gorge
A walk through the Pokhara most visitors never see: Newar shopfronts, the Bhimsen temple, the hilltop Durga shrine of Bindhyabasini …
SpiritualBoat and hike to the World Peace Pagoda
Cross Phewa by boat, climb about 45 minutes through forest to the white Shanti Stupa at roughly 1,100 m, and …
HeritageMountain Museum and Gurkha Memorial Museum
Two museums that explain the region: the International Mountain Museum on Himalayan peaks, climbers and mountain peoples, and the Gurkha …
NatureSunrise over the Annapurnas from Sarangkot
A pre-dawn drive from Lakeside to the Sarangkot tower, then the slow show of first light moving along the range …
AdventureTandem paragliding from Sarangkot over Phewa
Run off Sarangkot's slope strapped to a licensed pilot and circle on thermals above Phewa Lake with the Annapurnas behind …
TrekkingHike up to Sarangkot from Lakeside
Climb about 800 m from the north end of Phewa through forest, terraces and farmhouses to the Sarangkot ridge, watch …
HeritageRidge walk from Sarangkot to old Kaskikot
Walk west along the ridge from Sarangkot through farmland and small settlements to Kaskikot, the hill where the kings of …
Everest & Solukhumbu
TrekkingClimb Chhukung Ri at dawn
Leave Chhukung before dawn for the summit of Chhukung Ri, about 5,550 m, a steep trekking peak with a close-up …
AdventureWalk to Island Peak base camp
Follow the moraine east from Chhukung to Island Peak base camp at about 5,000 m, beneath the 6,165 m peak …
Rivers and lakesSee Imja Tsho, the lake they lowered
Walk from Chhukung to a moraine viewpoint over Imja Tsho, a glacial lake that grew from meltwater ponds in the …
AdventureCross the Kongma La to Lobuche
The highest of the Three Passes, the Kongma La at about 5,535 m, links Chhukung with Lobuche in one long, …
TrekkingClimb Nangkartshang on the rest day
On the acclimatisation day, climb the ridge above Dingboche to a viewpoint at about 5,080 m, gaining roughly 650 m, …
HeritageWalk the walled fields of Dingboche
A gentle evening walk between Dingboche's stone-walled fields of barley and potato, with Ama Dablam's north face glowing above. Learn …
Slow daysAltitude talk at the Pheriche aid post
Walk over the ridge from Dingboche to Pheriche, where the Himalayan Rescue Association has run an aid post since 1973, …
FoodDal bhat and lodge-stove evenings
Spend the evening around the yak-dung stove of a Dingboche lodge, eating dal bhat with refills alongside guides and porters, …
TrekkingKala Patthar for the Everest view
Climb Kala Patthar, the black rock hill above Gorak Shep at about 5,644 m, for the classic view of Everest's …
TrekkingWalk the moraine from Gorak Shep to Base Camp
From Gorak Shep's frozen sandy lakebed, follow the lateral moraine of the Khumbu glacier for 2–3 hours, then drop onto …
SpiritualThe climbers' memorials at Thukla pass
On the climb above Dughla towards Lobuche, the Thukla pass, at about 4,830 m, is a field of stone chortens, …
NatureStars over Gorak Shep at 5,164 m
Step out of your Gorak Shep lodge on a clear, moonless night to one of the darkest, highest night skies …
TrekkingGokyo Ri for four 8,000 m peaks
Cross the lake outlet before dawn and climb Gokyo Ri, about 5,357 m, for the sun rising behind Everest and …
Rivers and lakesWalk to the fourth and fifth Gokyo lakes
On your rest day, follow the edge of the Ngozumpa glacier north from Gokyo past the fourth lake, Thonak Tsho, …
NatureLook down on the Ngozumpa glacier
Climb the moraine ridge just east of Gokyo village and look down onto the Ngozumpa glacier, about 36 km long, …
AdventureCross the Renjo La from Gokyo to Thame
Climb west from Gokyo over the Renjo La, about 5,360 m, for a view back over the Gokyo lake and …
SpiritualMorning prayers at Thubten Chholing
Walk an hour above Junbesi to Thubten Chholing, the monastic community Trulshik Rinpoche founded in 1968 after fleeing Tibet. Join …
HeritageJunbesi's old gompa and evening kora
Spend a late afternoon in Junbesi's centre, at the old village gompa and the large chorten, walking the kora with …
NatureRhododendron forests of the Lamjura La
Walk west from Junbesi up to the Lamjura La, about 3,530 m, the highest point on the old Jiri–Everest trail, …
TrekkingOver the Taksindu La to Taksindu monastery
Walk east from Junbesi through Ringmo's apple orchards and up to the Taksindu La, about 3,070 m, to the Taksindu …
HeritageKhumjung School and the Himalayan Trust story
See the school Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust built at Khumjung in 1961, the first of many schools and clinics in …
SpiritualSee the yeti scalp in Khumjung gompa
Khumjung's gompa keeps a revered relic: a tall, conical cap of reddish hide said to be a yeti scalp. Scientists …
NatureTea on the Hotel Everest View terrace
Walk 30 minutes up from Khumjung to the Hotel Everest View at about 3,880 m and drink tea on its …
HeritageWalk Kunde and the Hillary hospital
Stroll west from Khumjung to its twin village of Kunde, past walled potato fields and chortens to the Kunde hospital …
AdventureWatch the first flights land at Lukla
Stand by the fence of Tenzing-Hillary Airport at dawn and watch small aircraft land uphill on a runway of about …
HeritageWalk the old fields of Chaurikharka
A short loop below Lukla through Chaurikharka, a Sherpa farming village older than the airstrip, with stone houses, potato and …
FoodA Sherpa breakfast of riki kur and butter tea
Order riki kur, the Sherpa potato pancake, with butter and somar cheese, and a bowl of salty butter tea before …
TrekkingThe first walk: Lukla down to Phakding
The Everest trail begins with a gentle 3–4 hour walk from Lukla at about 2,860 m down to Phakding at …
FoodNamche's Saturday market at first light
Each Saturday porters and traders who have walked for days from Solu, Okhaldhunga and the Rai villages set out rice, …
NatureSunrise on Everest from Namche's park hill
Climb 20–30 minutes from Namche to the Sagarmatha National Park headquarters at Mendalphu for sunrise, when Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam …
SpiritualEvening kora around Namche's gompa
Join older Namche residents on their evening kora, the clockwise walk around the town's gompa and prayer wheels, then sit …
TrekkingAcclimatisation loop via Syangboche and Khumjung
The standard Namche rest-day walk climbs about 450 m to Syangboche and the Hotel Everest View terrace, drops to Khumjung's …
SpiritualKhumbu's oldest gompa and its juniper grove
Climb to Upper Pangboche to visit the small, ancient gompa attributed to Lama Sangwa Dorje, said to be the oldest …
TrekkingDay hike to Ama Dablam base camp
From Pangboche, cross the Imja Khola and climb about 600 m to the meadow below Ama Dablam's south-west ridge, the …
NatureUpper Pangboche and the yak pastures
Wander the old upper village of Pangboche and the walled pastures above it, where yaks, nak and dzo graze below …
FoodButter tea in a Pangboche Sherpa kitchen
Spend an hour with a Pangboche family in the kitchen of a traditional stone house, watching butter tea churned and …
SpiritualClimb to Chiwong Gompa above Phaplu
Walk up from Phaplu through pine and village fields to Chiwong Gompa, a Sherpa monastery founded around 1920 on a …
FoodApples, cheese and tea in Salleri bazaar
Walk 20–30 minutes from Phaplu to Salleri, Solukhumbu's district headquarters, to browse its market street of apples, chhurpi, vegetables and …
TrekkingShort trek to Pikey Peak for the Everest skyline
A short trek west from Phaplu through Sherpa villages and rhododendron forest to Pikey Peak, about 4,065 m, for a …
NatureWalk north to Ringmo's apple orchards
Follow the old trail north from Phaplu through forest and Sherpa villages to Ringmo, a village known for its apple …
SpiritualSit in on Tengboche's afternoon puja
Join the monks of Khumbu's largest monastery for their afternoon prayers: deep chanting, long horns, drums and butter lamps beneath …
HeritageMani Rimdu masked dances at Tengboche
Time your trek for Mani Rimdu, when the monks of Tengboche end a 19-day ritual with three public days: a …
NatureSunrise on Ama Dablam from Tengboche
Wake before dawn and stand on the meadow in front of Tengboche Monastery as the first sun lights Ama Dablam, …
NatureForest walk to Deboche and its nunnery
Drop ten minutes from Tengboche through a forest of rhododendron, birch and fir to Deboche, visit its small Buddhist nunnery, …
SpiritualMorning prayers at Thame's cliffside gompa
Climb 20–30 minutes from the village fields to Thame gompa, built against a cliff high above the Bhote Koshi, and …
HeritageTenzing Norgay's Thame with a local guide
Walk Thame's lanes with a guide who grew up in Khumbu to hear how Tenzing Norgay herded yaks here as …
SpiritualHike to the Lawudo hermitage above the Thame trail
A steep side trail above Mende, on the way between Namche and Thame, climbs to the Lawudo hermitage, the cave …
TrekkingUp the old salt road towards Marlung
Walk north from Thame up the Bhote Koshi on the route Sherpa traders used to reach Tibet over the Nangpa …
Chitwan & the Terai
Rivers and lakesNarayani boat trip with Bote boatmen
Drift down the Narayani with a Bote boatman, whose community has fished and ferried on this river for generations. Watch …
WildlifeJeep drive in Chitwan's western sector
Enter the park on its western side near Amaltari for drives through grassland, riverine forest and sal forest, with fewer …
HeritageA night in an Amaltari family home
Stay overnight with a Tharu or Bote family in Amaltari's community homestay: help in the kitchen, eat home-cooked food, watch …
FoodTharu feast and dance evening
An evening of Tharu food and dance in Amaltari: a thali of rice, lentils, greens, ghonghi snails or river fish …
Rivers and lakesSunset walk to the Narayani
Walk with a village guide through fields to the banks of the Narayani, watch fishermen and birds as the light …
FoodCook a Tharu meal with your hosts
Join the women of Barauli in the kitchen to cook a Tharu meal on a clay stove: rice, lentils, greens, …
HeritageBicycle ride through Barauli's fields
Ride flat village lanes with a local guide, past mud-walled houses, rice and mustard fields, village ponds and shrines, meeting …
WildlifeCommunity forest jeep safari
A jeep drive in the community-managed forests of the Chitwan buffer zone near Barauli, where rhinos, deer and many birds …
NatureDawn birding at Bishazari Tal
A morning with a bird guide on the trails and watchtowers around the lakes, looking for winter ducks, storks, herons, …
WildlifeCrocodiles and watchtowers at the lakes
A shorter visit timed for sunny winter mornings, when mugger crocodiles bask on the lake banks, turtles sun themselves on …
AdventureCycle the Barandabhar forest road
A guided bike ride from Bharatpur or Sauraha through farmland and the Barandabhar forest to the lakes, with a stop …
FoodTaas lunch in Bharatpur
After the lakes, stop in Bharatpur or Narayangadh for Chitwan's best-known dish: taas, goat meat marinated in spices and fried, …
SpiritualDawn with pilgrims at the confluence
Arrive at first light to watch pilgrims bathe at the meeting of the Kali Gandaki and Trishuli, offer water to …
HeritageSuspension bridge and ashram walk
Cross the long suspension bridge between Chitwan and Tanahun, then wander the lanes of temples, ashrams and small houses on …
SpiritualMaghe Sankranti mela at Devghat
On the first day of Magh, usually 14 or 15 January, Devghat hosts one of Nepal's largest melas. Pilgrims bathe …
FoodChaku, til and tarul: winter festival foods
Taste the foods of Maghe Sankranti at Devghat and in Narayangadh: chaku molasses sweet, sesame til laddu, boiled sweet potato …
SpiritualVisit the temple of Shiva's bow
See the temple where pilgrims worship what they believe is a fragment of Shiva's bow, broken by Rama to win …
SpiritualMakar Sankranti fair at Dhanusha Dham
Join the mid-January mela, when pilgrims from Nepal and the Indian side of Mithila crowd the temple of the bow, …
HeritageWalk the Maithil villages and painted walls
Walk village lanes around Dhanusha Dham with a local guide, past mud-walled houses, ponds and mango groves, and look for …
FoodA Maithil dahi-chura breakfast
Eat the simplest and most loved Maithil breakfast: chura, beaten rice, with thick dahi, jaggery or sugar and, in January, …
SpiritualEvening at the Janaki Mandir
Visit the white marble temple to Sita at dusk, when lamps are lit, bells ring and devotees sing in the …
CraftMithila painting with women artists
Visit a women's art centre near Janakpur to watch Maithil women paint gods, weddings, fish and peacocks in bold colour, …
HeritageSacred ponds and the Ram Mandir at dawn
Walk Janakpur's old centre at dawn, from Ganga Sagar to Dhanush Sagar, as people bathe, pray and wash on the …
AdventureRide Nepal's only passenger railway
Take a short ride on Nepal Railways from Janakpur across the Mithila plain, past rice fields, ponds and villages, on …
WildlifeGharial breeding centre visit
See the critically endangered gharial at every age, from tiny hatchlings to young adults, and learn how Chitwan's staff collect …
WildlifeJeep drive in the park's quieter centre
Starting from the Kasara side, jeeps explore the central grasslands, lakes and sal forest with fewer vehicles than the Sauraha …
NatureBirding walk on the Rapti riverbank
An easy guided walk along the Rapti near Patihani for kingfishers, storks, eagles, river lapwings and winter ducks, with mugger …
HeritageCycling the farm villages of Patihani
Ride flat village tracks through rice and mustard fields, past Tharu and hill-settler homes, buffalo sheds and community forests in …
Rivers and lakesBoat birding on the Koshi channels
Glide along the Koshi's channels with a local boatman and a bird guide, close to ducks, storks, herons and cormorants, …
WildlifeSearching for arna, the wild buffalo
Go out with a reserve guide at dawn or dusk to find herds of arna, Nepal's last wild water buffalo, …
NatureDawn walk on the Koshi embankment
Walk the raised embankments at the edge of the reserve as the sun rises over marsh and grass, listening for …
FoodKoshi Barrage and a riverside fish lunch
Visit the Koshi Barrage, built between 1958 and 1962 with 56 gates, watch birds on the water above it, then …
Rivers and lakesSunset where the Rapti meets the Narayani
Drive or walk to the riverbank near Meghauli where the Rapti joins the wide Narayani, watch birds and crocodiles on …
WildlifeJeep safari in west Chitwan's grassland
Cross the Rapti from Meghauli into the park's western floodplain, a mix of tall grass, riverine forest and small lakes …
HeritageEvening with a Tharu family in Meghauli
Spend an evening in a Tharu home in Meghauli: help in the kitchen, eat a meal cooked on a clay …
NatureGrassland birding for the Bengal florican
Go out at dawn with a bird guide to scan the open grasslands near Meghauli for the critically endangered Bengal …
WildlifeJeep safari through Parsa's sal forest
A long morning on forest tracks and dry riverbeds in Parsa with a naturalist, searching for tigers, gaur, wild elephants, …
AdventureGuided walk in the Churia foothills
Walk with licensed guides along dry streambeds and forest trails into the Churia hills, reading tracks, looking for gaur and …
NatureBirding in Parsa's sal forest
Early mornings in Parsa's sal forest bring hornbills, woodpeckers, minivets, drongos, barbets and raptors. A slow morning with a bird …
FoodLitti chokha in the Bhojpuri Terai
After a morning in the park, eat like a local in Simara, Birgunj or a highway town: litti baked over …
Rivers and lakesDugout canoe trip on the Rapti
A quiet hour drifting down the East Rapti in a dugout canoe carved from a single tree, watching mugger crocodiles, …
WildlifeJeep safari in Chitwan National Park
Open jeeps cross the Rapti and drive the park's forest tracks, grasslands and oxbow lakes with a licensed nature guide. …
NatureGuided jungle walk with two nature guides
On foot in the forest and grassland with two licensed guides: tracks, dung, birdsong, termite mounds and medicinal plants, and …
HeritageTharu village walk and stick dance evening
Walk the lanes of Bachhauli and the villages behind Sauraha with a Tharu guide, visit the small cultural museum, then …
HeritageRanivas temple and the Karnata palace site
Visit the Ranivas complex north of the market, with its Ram Janaki temple built in 1878 by Jagat Jung Rana …
SpiritualKankali temple and the Tughlaq story
A shikhara-style temple in the south-east of the market, home to a black stone image of Kankali Mai said to …
HeritageWalk the ramparts to Jharokhar Pokhari
Walk a stretch of the earthen ramparts that once enclosed the Karnata capital, through fields and villages, to Jharokhar Pokhari, …
FoodBhojpuri street food in Simraungadh
Graze through Simraungadh's market with a local guide: sattu sharbat in the hot months, litti chokha from coal fires, jalebi, …
Lumbini & the Buddha's Country
SpiritualMaya Devi's home town circuit
A morning circuit of Devdaha's main sites: the Maya Devi temple and ruins at Bhawanipur, the Kanya Mai shrine of …
NatureUnder Devdaha's giant pakari tree
A stop at the vast pakari fig south of Khaireni bazaar, one of the largest trees in the region, whose …
HeritageThe Rohini river and a war that never came
Stand on the banks of the Rohini, the river that by tradition divided the Shakya and Koliya lands, and hear …
FoodSel roti breakfast in a Devdaha bazaar
Start the Devdaha day like a local: sel roti fresh from the pan, spiced potatoes, curd and sweet tea at …
HeritageAshoka's pillar in the middle of a village
A short guided stop at the stump of Gotihawa's Ashokan pillar and the stupa mound behind it, with the story …
SpiritualPilgrimage to the Buddhas of the past
A half-day pilgrimage linking Gotihawa and Niglihawa, the two sites Ashoka marked for the earlier Buddhas Krakuchchanda and Kanakamuni, with …
NatureWalk through the winter mustard fields
A gentle hour on the field bunds around Gotihawa in December and January, when mustard flowers turn the plain yellow, …
HeritageAshoka's pillar trail in one day
A full day from Lumbini to see all three Ashokan pillars in Nepal: the inscribed pillar at Lumbini, the inscribed …
SpiritualThe homecoming story at Kudan
A slow walk around Kudan's stupas with a guide who tells the story of the Buddha's return to Kapilavastu: the …
NatureDawn mist over the Kudan pond
Arrive at sunrise in winter, when mist sits on the pond beside Kudan's stupas and the fields are white with …
FoodMorning curd and sweets in Taulihawa bazaar
A short walk through Taulihawa's market, 2 km from Kudan, for clay-pot curd, chiura dahi, fresh jalebi and sweet tea, …
AdventureCycle the Kapilvastu stupa loop
A flat village-road bicycle loop of about 25 km from Taulihawa linking Kudan, Gotihawa, Niglihawa and Tilaurakot, with stops for …
SpiritualThe Sacred Garden at first light
Walk the Sacred Garden while the monks chant: the Maya Devi temple and the Marker Stone, Ashoka's pillar, the Puskarini …
HeritageCycle the monastic zone
A half-day bicycle loop through Kenzo Tange's master plan, stopping at monasteries built by Buddhist nations: Thai marble, a Burmese …
WildlifeSarus cranes at the northern wetlands
An early walk at the northern edge of the master plan, around the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary and the rice fields …
SpiritualSit in on morning chanting
Join the early prayers at a working monastery in the Lumbini monastic zone, Theravada or Tibetan, then talk with a …
HeritageRead Ashoka's words on the stone
A close look at the Niglihawa inscription with a guide and a printed transcription: the Brahmi letters, the name of …
WildlifeBirds and buffalo at Nigali Sagar pond
An early hour on the banks of Nigali Sagar, the village pond beside the pillar, watching egrets, herons, kingfishers and …
FoodSugarcane country and a glass of fresh ras
A short stop in the cane fields of northern Kapilvastu, where the pillar may once have been used as a …
HeritageTwo pillars from the same royal year
A half day pairing the Lumbini pillar with the Niglihawa fragments, both inscribed for Ashoka's visit in the 20th year …
SpiritualCircle the unopened relic stupa
A slow, guided circuit of the Ramagrama stupa: the story of the eight shares of the Buddha's ashes, the legend …
NatureMorning walk on the Jharahi river
An easy riverside walk beside Ramagrama on the Jharahi river, through village fields and along sandy banks, with egrets, kingfishers …
FoodA Tharu home lunch near Ramgram
Lunch with a Tharu family in a village near Ramagrama: rice, lentils, seasonal greens, fish or snail curry when available, …
HeritageThe Koliya country: Ramagrama and Devdaha
A full day east of Lumbini through the land of the Koliyas, the Buddha's mother's clan: the relic stupa at …
HeritageInside the Taj Mahal of Nepal
A guided visit to the restored palace and its small museum, with the story of Khadga Shumsher Rana: palace politics …
TrekkingHike down to Rani Mahal through Rani Ban
A day hike from Kailash Nagar near Batase Danda, about 13 km from Tansen, down through Magar villages and the …
Rivers and lakesLate light at Rani Ghat
Spend the end of the afternoon on the Kali Gandaki below the palace, watching the light leave the gorge, pilgrims …
FoodFried river fish at Ramdi
On the way to or from the Kali Gandaki country, stop at Ramdi, where the Siddhartha Highway crosses the river, …
TrekkingHike to the summit of Resunga
A day hike from Tamghas through sacred oak and rhododendron forest to the summit of Resunga at about 2,347 m, …
FoodNepal's first coffee, on a Gulmi farm
Visit a smallholder coffee farm in Gulmi, the district where Nepal's first coffee was planted in 1938, to see arabica …
NatureSpring rhododendrons in the sacred forest
A shorter forest walk on Resunga's upper slopes in March and April, when red rhododendron, Nepal's national flower, blooms among …
SpiritualClimb with pilgrims on a festival day
Join local families climbing Resunga on a major festival day, when the forest trails fill with pilgrims carrying offerings to …
SpiritualMorning darshan at the Rishikesh temple
Join the morning worship at Ridi's Rishikesh temple, from the bath at the confluence to the queue for darshan of …
Rivers and lakesShaligram stones on the Kali Gandaki shingle
Walk the shingle banks of the Kali Gandaki at Ridi with a local who can tell a true shaligram from …
HeritageRidi's old pilgrim bazaar
A slow walk through the old bazaar along the river, with its brick and timber houses, carved windows, small shrines …
SpiritualDawn bath at the Maghe Sankranti mela
Be at the Kali Gandaki ghats before sunrise during Ridi's three-day Maghe Sankranti fair, when thousands bathe in the cold …
SpiritualBefore the sacred fire of 1895
Attend morning or evening worship at the yagya kunda of Swargadwari, where priests feed a fire said to have burned …
SpiritualMorning with the cows of Swargadwari
Visit the cattle sheds at dawn, when the ashram's cows are milked and fed, to see the daily work behind …
NatureSunrise over the Himalaya from the ridge
Wake before dawn and walk to the viewpoint on the Swargadwari ridge to watch the sun light up Dhaulagiri, the …
TrekkingTo the Gaumukhi cave and spring
A short walk from the ashram through ridge-top forest to the Gaumukhi cave, where Swami Hamsananda is believed to have …
HeritageThe old bazaar on foot
A morning walk through Tansen's steep Newar lanes: Sitalpati and the Golghar, the Amar Narayan temple and its stone spouts, …
NatureSunrise over the Himalaya from Srinagar Danda
An early climb through pine forest from Tansen to the top of Srinagar Danda to watch the sun hit the …
CraftWatch Palpali dhaka come off the loom
Visit a family weaving workshop in Tansen to see how dhaka, the geometric cloth of Nepal's topi caps and festive …
CraftBrass and bronze: the karuwa makers
Meet the metalworkers who make Palpa's karuwa, the spouted brass and bronze water jug used in Nepali homes and given …
HeritageWalk the walls of Kapilavastu
A guided walk around the brick ramparts of Tilaurakot, through the excavated gateways and across the inner walled complex, reading …
HeritageCoins and clay toys at the Kapilvastu Museum
A short visit to the site museum at Tilaurakot, where finds from the citadel and nearby mounds tell how ordinary …
NatureEvening on the Banganga riverbank
End a Kapilvastu day at the Banganga, the river that runs past the western wall of Tilaurakot, watching village life …
FoodKalanamak rice in a Kapilvastu village
Visit a farming family near Taulihawa who grow kalanamak, the black-husked scented rice of the Kapilvastu plain, walk the fields …
Mustang & Dolpo
HeritageClimb through the Jhong cave complex
Step inside one of Mustang's sky caves at Chhoser's Jhong cave, a multi-level complex of rooms cut into the cliff …
SpiritualThe cliff gompas of Garphu and Nyiphu
Visit two small monasteries built against the cliffs of the Chhoser valley, Garphu and Nyiphu, partly using the caves as …
AdventureRide a Mustang horse to Chhoser
Leave Lo Manthang at dawn on a sturdy Mustang horse and ride across the open plain and into the Chhoser …
NatureWalk the cave cliffs of the Chhoser valley
A gentle walk along the floor of the Chhoser valley beneath cliffs pitted with rows of man-made caves, with a …
SpiritualBon and Buddhist gompas of the Tarap valley
Spend a morning visiting the gompas of Dho Tarap, some Bon and some Tibetan Buddhist, with a guide who finds …
TrekkingUp the Tarap Khola gorge to Dho
The approach to Dho Tarap from Juphal: five to six days up the Thuli Bheri and then the deep, narrow …
AdventureOver the Numa La and Baga La to Phoksundo
The great crossing of Lower Dolpo: from Dho Tarap over the Numa La and the Baga La, both above 5,000 …
HeritageA day with the farming nomads of Tarap
Spend a day with families in Dho Tarap, in the fields at harvest or with herders on the high pastures, …
HeritageWalk the long mani wall of Ghami
A short, slow walk beside the mani wall below Ghami, around 300 m of carved and painted prayer stones often …
NatureThe red cliffs and caves of Dhakmar
Walk from Ghami to Dhakmar, a small village under towering fluted cliffs of deep red rock, pitted with old cave …
SpiritualLo Gekar, the old gompa of Guru Rinpoche
A full-day walk from Ghami via Dhakmar over a high ridge to Lo Gekar, also called Ghar Gompa, an old …
TrekkingTrek in from Syangboche over the passes
The classic day on the Upper Mustang trek: from Syangboche over high passes of around 4,000 m, past chortens and …
NatureMorning walk to Thini village and Dhumba Lake
An easy loop from Jomsom across the river to Thini, one of the old Thakali villages, and on to the …
HeritageMustang Eco Museum and the sky-cave finds
A small museum near Jomsom airport that is worth an hour before you go north: objects from the Mustang caves, …
AdventureThe Pokhara–Jomsom flight through the gorge
One of the most dramatic short flights in Nepal: a twin-engine plane threading the Kali Gandaki gorge between two 8,000 …
SpiritualShaligrams on the Kali Gandaki riverbed
Walk the gravel bed of the Kali Gandaki with a guide who knows the stones, learn why Hindus worship these …
SpiritualMorning puja at Kag Chode gompa
Visit Kagbeni's Sakya monastery, traditionally founded in 1429, at the hour of morning prayers. Sit at the back of the …
SpiritualAncestor rites at the Kagbeni confluence
For Hindu travellers, a chance to perform shraddha or pinda daan for departed parents and ancestors at the meeting of …
HeritageKagbeni's tunnel lanes and the old khar
A slow walk through one of the best-preserved fortified villages in Nepal: narrow lanes that tunnel beneath houses, mud-brick walls, …
TrekkingWalk from Kagbeni to Muktinath via Jharkot
A steady half-day climb of about 900 m from Kagbeni up the Jhong Khola valley to Khingar, Jharkot and Muktinath, …
HeritageDawn walk around and inside the walled city
A walk around the outside of Lo Manthang's walls at first light, then in through the single gate to the …
HeritageMurals of Thubchen and Jampa gompas
Spend a morning inside Lo Manthang's two great 15th-century temples, Jampa Lhakhang with its giant Maitreya and mandala walls, and …
AdventureHorse ride to Namgyal gompa and Tingkhar
Ride a sturdy Mustang horse out of Lo Manthang over the open hills to Namgyal gompa on its ridge and …
SpiritualWatch Tiji's masked dances in the palace square
Time your trip for Tiji, the three-day festival in May when the monks of Chhoede gompa perform masked dances in …
SpiritualVisit Lubra's Bon monastery with a local guide
Meet the old religion of Tibet in Lubra's monastery: Bon statues and paintings, a counter-clockwise kora and, if he is …
TrekkingHalf-day walk from Jomsom up the Panda Khola
A half-day walk from Jomsom north along the Kali Gandaki and up the narrow Panda Khola valley to Lubra, with …
TrekkingDown from Muktinath by the Lubra trail
A full-day walk from Ranipauwa over the ridge south of Muktinath and down the Panda Khola to Lubra and Jomsom, …
NatureFossils, cliffs and water in the Panda Khola
A slow nature walk in the Panda Khola below Lubra, looking at layered cliffs, shaligram fossils in the riverbed, wildlife …
FoodApple orchards and the brandy of Marpha
Walk the orchards on the terraces around Marpha with a local grower, see how apples are dried on the rooftops …
HeritageMarpha gompa and the whitewashed lanes
A slow walk through Marpha's paved lanes and up to its Nyingma gompa, with a guide who explains Thakali house …
SpiritualChhairo gompa and the Tibetan settlement
Cross the Kali Gandaki south of Marpha to Chhairo, home to a Tibetan settlement founded after 1959 and to the …
TrekkingWalk the Kali Gandaki from Jomsom to Marpha
An easy half-day walk south along the Kali Gandaki from Jomsom to Marpha, with Nilgiri behind and Dhaulagiri ahead, on …
SpiritualBathing under the 108 spouts at dawn
Walk up from Ranipauwa before sunrise and join the pilgrims who run beneath all 108 water spouts in front of …
SpiritualThe flame on water in Mharme Lhakhang
Visit the small Buddhist temple beside the Muktinath shrine where a blue flame of natural gas burns next to running …
HeritageJhong village and the north side of the valley
A quiet half-day walk from Ranipauwa across the Muktinath valley to Chhyonkhar and the old village of Jhong, with a …
TrekkingAcclimatisation hike up the Thorong La trail
A morning walk from Ranipauwa up the start of the Thorong La trail to about 4,100 m and back, for …
NatureLakeshore walk from Ringmo
A gentle morning walk from Ringmo along the shore of Phoksundo, past chortens and prayer walls, to the Bon gompa …
SpiritualRingmo's Bon village and gompas
Spend an afternoon in Ringmo, the Bon village on the landslide dam at the foot of Phoksundo, visiting its gompa, …
TrekkingTrek in from Juphal past the 167 m waterfall
The classic approach to Phoksundo: three days from Juphal airport up the Thuli Bheri and Suligad valleys, through pine forest …
WildlifeSnow leopard country and the road to Shey
Follow the path along Phoksundo's western shore that leads north to Shey Gompa, the Crystal Monastery of Peter Matthiessen's The …
HeritageTsarang's red gompa and white dzong
Visit the Sakya gompa of Tsarang with its caretaker, then walk around the five-storey dzong beside it, the old fortress-palace …
HeritageIn the footsteps of Ekai Kawaguchi
Hear the story of the Japanese monk who came to Tsarang in 1899 to study Buddhism and Tibetan before crossing …
NatureSunset on the canyon edge behind the dzong
Walk to the edge of the eroded canyon behind Tsarang's dzong and gompa at the end of the day, when …
TrekkingWalk from Tsarang to the walled city
The last stage of the Upper Mustang trek: a short, gentle walk north from Tsarang over a low pass to …
HeritageSalt-trade houses of Tukuche with a local guide
A two-hour walk through Tukuche's lanes with a guide from the valley, looking at the merchant houses, caravan courtyards and …
FoodTukuche distillery and Mustang fruit brandy
Visit the small distillery in Tukuche that turns the valley's apples, apricots and other fruit into brandy, see the stills, …
NatureDhaulagiri sunrise from the Kali Gandaki
Get up before dawn and walk to the riverbank below Tukuche to watch first light reach Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh-highest …
TrekkingWalk into the deepest stretch of the gorge
A full-day walk south from Tukuche through Larjung and Kobang to Kalopani and Lete, into the stretch of the Kali …
Langtang & Manaslu
TrekkingCross Larkya La to Bhimthang
The great day of the Manaslu Circuit: start in the dark at Dharamsala, climb across moraine and snow to Larkya …
NatureDay hike to Ponkar Lake
On a rest day at Bhimthang, walk up along the moraine to Ponkar Lake, a glacial lake set among ice …
NatureSunrise on Himlung and Manaslu
Step out of the lodge at dawn to watch first light on Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal and the north-west side …
TrekkingForest descent from Bhimthang to Dharapani
Walk down from the high meadow through rhododendron and pine forest along the Dudh Khola to Tilije and Dharapani, where …
Community homestay night in Briddim
Stay with a Buddhist Tamang family in Briddim through the village's community homestay system, eat at the hearth, visit the …
Morning at the Briddim gompa
Join villagers at the small gompa in the early morning as butter lamps are lit, prayer wheels turn and older …
Farm day with a Briddim family
Spend a morning in the fields with your host family, depending on the season planting or harvesting potatoes, cutting buckwheat …
TrekkingWalk down from Briddim to Syabrubesi
The closing walk of the Tamang Heritage Trail, descending through forest and farmland from Briddim to Syabrubesi, with views over …
TrekkingHike from Sundarijal to Chisapani
Leave the city on foot: climb from Sundarijal beside the old water pipeline, over the reservoir dam, through Mulkharka and …
NatureSunrise panorama from Chisapani
Wake before dawn to watch the sun rise over a 200 km stretch of Himalaya, from Ganesh Himal through Langtang …
TrekkingWalk from Chisapani to Nagarkot
A long day's walk east from Chisapani through farm villages and forest along the valley rim to the hill resort …
WildlifeEarly bird walk in Shivapuri forest
Walk the oak and rhododendron forest around Chisapani at first light with a birding guide, looking for laughingthrushes, minivets, barbets …
HeritageTamang homestay in Gatlang
Stay with a Tamang family in a stone-and-timber house, share meals at the hearth, help with farm work and learn …
HeritageTamang Selo songs and damphu drums
An evening of Tamang Selo, the call-and-answer songs of the Tamang, played on the round damphu drum by villagers in …
NatureMorning walk to Parvati Kunda
A short climb above Gatlang to Parvati Kunda, a small sacred lake with a shrine, through fields and forest with …
Slow daysTrek to the Tatopani hot springs
The second day of the Tamang Heritage Trail: walk from Gatlang through Tamang farmland and forest to Tatopani, where natural …
SpiritualWalk with the pilgrims at Janai Purnima
Join the Hindu and shamanic pilgrimage to Gosaikunda on the full moon of Shrawan: a monsoon trek from Dhunche, a …
NatureSunset over Manaslu from Laurebina
Laurebina, at about 3,900 m below Gosaikunda, looks west across Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and on clear days the Annapurnas. Watch …
TrekkingCross Lauribina La into Helambu
From Gosaikunda, climb past the upper lakes to Lauribina La at 4,610 m and descend a long rocky trail to …
NatureWalk the chain of sacred lakes
A gentle half-day walk around Gosaikunda and the smaller lakes of the Ramsar-listed complex, Saraswati Kunda and Bhairab Kunda among …
HeritageHyolmo homestay night in Tarkeghyang
Sleep in a Hyolmo family home in Tarkeghyang, eat at the family hearth, visit the village gompa and learn a …
SpiritualGompa trail from Melamchi Ghyang to Tarkeghyang
A full trekking day between two Hyolmo villages and their gompas, dropping about 800 m to the Melamchi Khola and …
NatureSunrise on the Tharepati ridge
From Tharepati, the high point of the Helambu trek at about 3,650 m, watch sunrise light up the Langtang range, …
FoodApple harvest walk around Sermathang
In autumn, walk through Hyolmo orchards around Sermathang and Tarkeghyang during the apple harvest, taste fruit straight from the tree …
TrekkingSunrise climb to Kyanjin Ri
A steep pre-dawn climb from Kyanjin Gompa to the prayer-flag summit of Kyanjin Ri, about 4,600 m, for a close …
FoodVisit the Kyanjin cheese factory
See where Langtang's yak and nak milk becomes firm yellow cheese, at a small dairy founded on Swiss methods introduced …
AdventureTserko Ri, the big day above Kyanjin
A long, high trekking peak climb from Kyanjin Gompa to Tserko Ri at about 4,980 m, with panoramic views of …
SpiritualMorning at the Kyanjin monastery
A quiet visit to the small village monastery that gives Kyanjin its name: butter lamps, prayer wheels and, on some …
HeritageWalk to the 2015 avalanche memorial
A quiet walk with your guide across the debris field where the old village lay, to the memorial that names …
FoodEvening in a Langtangpa lodge kitchen
Sit by the stove in a family lodge kitchen and learn how butter tea is churned, how tsampa is eaten …
SpiritualWater prayer wheels and mani walls to Mundu
An easy morning walk from Langtang village to Mundu past long mani walls, chortens and small huts where streams turn …
NatureDay hike to a high yak pasture
Climb from Langtang village to a kharka, a summer yak pasture above the valley, for wide views of Langtang Lirung …
HeritageSeven-storey palace history walk
Walk the palace complex with a guide who tells the story of the 1744 siege, the Gorkha campaign and the …
SpiritualBhairavi and Taleju temple circuit
A morning loop to the temples that guard the fort: the Bhairavi pagoda where offerings start at dawn, the old …
NatureSunrise ridge walk through farm villages
An easy walk along the Nuwakot ridge at first light, through terraced fields, orange orchards and small hamlets, with mist …
FoodFarm kitchen dal bhat at Nuwakot
Help pick greens in a farm garden and cook a Nepali dinner over a wood or gas fire: lentils, rice, …
SpiritualHike to Pungyen Gompa under Manaslu
Climb from Samagaon to Pungyen Gompa, the monastery destroyed by avalanche in the 1950s and later rebuilt, in a meadow …
AdventureDay climb to Manaslu Base Camp
A steep, high day hike from Samagaon to Manaslu Base Camp at about 4,800 m, above Birendra Tal and the …
NatureWalk to Birendra Tal glacial lake
An easy walk from Samagaon to Birendra Tal, a grey-green glacial lake at the snout of the Manaslu glacier, where …
HeritageNubri village walk and Ribung Gompa
Walk through the lanes and fields of Samagaon with your guide, past stone houses, mani walls and grain-drying courtyards, then …
TrekkingFirst day on the Langtang trail to Lama Hotel
The opening day of the Langtang Valley trek, climbing from about 1,460 m to Lama Hotel at about 2,470 m …
HeritageThe Kerung trade route and Rasuwagadhi fort
The road north from Syabrubesi follows the old salt and wool route to Kerung in Tibet, past Timure to the …
TrekkingStart the Tamang Heritage Trail
From the Syabrubesi area a lower trek loops west and north through Tamang villages: Gatlang with its stone houses, the …
HeritageMeet the people rebuilding Syabrubesi
When it is appropriate, spend an afternoon with lodge owners, guides and porters in Syabrubesi who are rebuilding after the …
TrekkingTrek to Mu Gompa at the head of Tsum
Walk up the upper Tsum valley from Chhokangparo through Nile to Mu Gompa, around 3,700 m, a monastery near the …
SpiritualMilarepa's cave at Piren Phu
A short pilgrimage walk from Chhokangparo to Piren Phu, the pigeon cave linked by Buddhist tradition with the Tibetan yogi …
SpiritualVisit Rachen Gompa nunnery
Spend time at Rachen Gompa, one of the main nunneries of the Tsum Valley, where Buddhist nuns study, pray and …
HeritageThe valley of peace: a Shyagya village walk
Walk through Chhokangparo and neighbouring villages with a local guide who explains the Shyagya, the century-old vow of non-violence that …
Eastern Nepal
NatureSunset over the Terai from Bhedetar
An evening on the Bhedetar ridge to watch the sun go down over the plains of eastern Nepal, the Sapta …
FoodSekuwa evening on the ridge
Dinner at a roadside grill on the Bhedetar ridge: skewers of pork, chicken or goat marinated in spices and cooked …
SpiritualDantakali and Budhasubba temples below Bhedetar
A morning visit to two temples on the hills at the edge of Dharan, on the way up to Bhedetar: …
Rivers and lakesDown to the Tamor river at Mulghat
A drive from Bhedetar down the far side of the ridge to Mulghat, where the Koshi Highway crosses the Tamor …
CraftInside a Chainpur karuwa workshop
A morning with a metalworking family in Chainpur, watching how brass and bronze vessels, above all the karuwa water jug, …
HeritageOld bazaar walk on the Chainpur ridge
A slow walk through Chainpur's old trading bazaar with a local guide: shop-houses with wooden windows, small temples, workshops and …
CraftKhukuri forging with a local smith
A visit to a blacksmith's forge near Chainpur to see how khukuri, the curved Nepali knife, are forged, shaped, hardened …
FoodNewar food and yomari in Chainpur
A cooking session with a Newar family in Chainpur bazaar, making yomari dumplings and other Newar dishes, with stories of …
HeritageMorning walk through Dhankuta bazaar
A slow morning walk along Dhankuta's ridge-top bazaar with a local guide, past shop-houses, tea stalls and temples, telling the …
FoodOrange orchards around Dhankuta
A winter walk through farm villages and tangerine orchards around Dhankuta, meeting growers, tasting fruit straight from the tree and …
FoodHigh tea garden visit between Dhankuta and Hile
A booked visit to a specialty tea garden on the ridges between Dhankuta and Hile, where orthodox tea is grown …
HeritageSakela circle dance with Kirat Rai families
Join a community Sakela gathering in or near Dhankuta at the Ubhauli or Udhauli full moon, when Kirat Rai families …
TrekkingAcclimatisation hike above Ghunsa
A rest-day hike from Ghunsa up the valley side, gaining a few hundred metres and returning to sleep low, following …
SpiritualMorning at the Ghunsa gompa
A short, quiet visit to the Buddhist temple above Ghunsa village, with prayer wheels, butter lamps and murals, and a …
HeritageVillage lanes and yak herders of Ghunsa
An afternoon walk through Ghunsa's stone and timber lanes as yaks and herders return, with a guide who explains seasonal …
NatureThe Kanchenjunga Conservation Area story
A conversation over tea about how Ghunsa's valley came to be run by its own people: the 1997 conservation area, …
FoodTongba and momo in a Hile kitchen
An evening in one of Hile's family kitchens, sipping hot tongba through a bamboo straw, eating momo and thukpa, and …
NatureSunrise walk on the Hile ridge
An early walk from the bazaar up to a viewpoint on the ridge above Hile, to watch the sun rise …
NatureRhododendron day on the Basantapur ridge
A spring day trip north from Hile to Basantapur and a walk into the rhododendron forests of the Tinjure–Milke–Jaljale ridge, …
SpiritualThe Hile gompa and bazaar walk
A short morning walk through Hile's ridge-top bazaar to the small Buddhist monastery near the road, with a guide who …
NatureDawn walk through Ilam Tea Estate
A quiet early walk through the old tea estate at the edge of Ilam bazaar, timed for the pickers arriving …
SpiritualMai Pokhari wetland day trip
A jeep trip north of Ilam to Mai Pokhari, a small sacred lake at about 2,100 m inside forest. It …
FoodFarm day and homestay night near Ilam
A night with a farming family in the hills around Ilam: milking time, a walk to the cardamom and ginger …
FoodTea tasting in Ilam bazaar
A tasting of orthodox Ilam teas across flushes and styles in the bazaar's tea shops, with a guide who explains …
NatureKanyam tea garden walk with a local guide
An early walk through Kanyam's open garden before the day crowd arrives, with a local guide who knows the pickers, …
NatureSunrise at Antu Danda
A pre-dawn jeep ride from Kanyam or Fikkal to Antu Danda, a ridge top at about 2,300 m on the …
FoodFikkal and Pashupatinagar market morning
A morning in the two market towns near Kanyam: Fikkal, the highway bazaar and municipal centre, and Pashupatinagar on the …
Slow daysGolden hour and a homestay night in Kanyam
Stay when the day visitors leave: a late-afternoon walk in the empty garden, dinner with a local family or at …
TrekkingCrossing the Shipton La into the Barun
The hardest and most beautiful day on the approach: from Khongma Danda over the Keke La and Shipton La ridge, …
NatureMorning at Makalu Base Camp
A morning at about 4,870 m beneath Makalu's south face, with time to walk the moraine for views of the …
WildlifeForest wildlife walk in the lower park
A slow early walk through the rhododendron, oak and bamboo forests between Tashigaon and Khongma Danda, with a guide who …
HeritageAn evening in Tashigaon, the last village
A night in Tashigaon, the last permanent village on the Makalu trail, with time to walk the fields, meet porters …
TrekkingDay trek from Lhonak to Pang Pema
The goal of the north-side trek: an early start from Lhonak along the moraine of the Kangchenjunga Glacier to the …
NatureMoraine ridge viewpoint above Pang Pema
For strong, well-acclimatised walkers, a short climb up the slopes above Pang Pema for a wider view of Kanchenjunga's north …
WildlifeBlue sheep watching between Kambachen and Lhonak
A slow stretch of trail above Kambachen with time to watch herds of blue sheep grazing the slopes, and a …
HeritageExpedition history around the Lhonak stove
An evening around the stove at Lhonak, with your guide telling the story of Kanchenjunga's climbing history, from Freshfield and …
SpiritualDawn climb to Pathibhara Devi with pilgrims
Climb through the dark forest with pilgrims to the summit shrine of Pathibhara Devi at 3,794 m, arriving for sunrise …
NatureKanchenjunga views from the Pathibhara summit
Time on the summit after worship to take in the mountain panorama: on clear mornings the Kanchenjunga range and Jannu …
FoodAn evening in Phungling bazaar
A walk through Phungling, Taplejung's hill-top district town, to eat local food including kinema, the Limbu fermented soybean dish, and …
HeritageA Limbu village afternoon near Taplejung
An unhurried visit to a Limbu farming village near Phungling with a local guide: the house, the fields, the language …
NatureSunrise on Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga
The reason to come: standing on the Singalila ridge before dawn as the light reaches Kanchenjunga, then Makalu, Lhotse and …
TrekkingWalk to Sandakpur from the Ilam side
A quiet multi-day walk from the Ilam side up to the Singalila ridge, through farm villages, cardamom plots and rhododendron …
WildlifeRhododendron and red panda forest on the ridge
A slow half-day walk through the high forest just below the ridge, with a guide who knows the birds and …
AdventureJeep to the ridge with a homestay night
The short version for travellers with less time: a long jeep day from Ilam up to the ridge villages, a …
Rivers and lakesWalk down to the Arun river
A walk from the airstrip terrace down to the banks of the Arun, one of the rivers that cut right …
HeritageVillage walk across the Tumlingtar terrace
An easy walk across the flat tar through fields, orchards and farmhouses, with a local guide who explains farming in …
HeritageKhandbari bazaar and the ridge road
A drive up from Tumlingtar to Khandbari, the hill-top headquarters of Sankhuwasabha district, to walk its bazaar, see how a …
FoodA Rai home kitchen in the Arun valley
An evening meal cooked by a Rai family near Tumlingtar, with dishes such as wachipa, millet dishes and seasonal greens, …
Far West & Karnali
TrekkingThe dawn climb from Triveni to the temple
Leave Triveni Dham before dawn and climb steadily to the Badimalika temple at about 4,220 m, joining pilgrims on the …
SpiritualJanai Purnima fair on the high pastures
Join thousands of pilgrims at Badimalika for the Janai Purnima fair, with fasting, bathing at Triveni, sacred threads, offerings at …
SpiritualBathing and camping at Triveni Dham
Camp at Triveni Dham, where three streams meet near the borders of Kalikot, Achham and Bajura, and watch pilgrims bathe …
HeritageCompleting the pilgrimage at Nateshwori
Walk from Badimalika to Nateshwori, the temple of the goddess's elder sister in Triveni municipality, which tradition says pilgrims must …
WildlifeFull-day tiger safari along the Karnali
A long day by jeep and on foot to the river channels of the western park, with naturalists, binoculars and …
WildlifeWalking safari with two naturalists
Walk into the forest and grassland on foot with two licensed naturalists, reading tracks, dung and alarm calls. Slower than …
Rivers and lakesRafting the Karnali for dolphins and gharial
Float the Karnali below the Chisapani gorge in a rubber raft or wooden canoe, looking for the endangered Gangetic dolphin, …
HeritageA night with a Tharu family near Thakurdwara
Walk or cycle through the Tharu villages around Thakurdwara, then spend a night in a community homestay, eating ghonghi and …
SpiritualThe eternal flame of Shirasthan
Visit Shirasthan in Rawatkot, where a natural gas flame burns inside the shrine and a Nath ascetic keeps the fire, …
SpiritualThe Panchakoshi circuit of five holy sites
Follow the Panchakoshi pilgrimage around Dullu: Shirasthan, Nabhisthan, Dhuleshwar, Padukasthan and Tallo Dungeshwar, a circuit of flames, springs and old …
HeritageReading history on Prithvi Malla's pillar
Stand beside the stone pillar raised in 1357 by Prithvi Malla, emperor of the Khasa kingdom, whose inscription lists his …
HeritageDhuleshwar, a 13th-century hill temple
Visit Dhuleshwar in Badalamji, one of the five Panchakoshi sites, a 13th-century temple tied to the legend of the scattered …
NatureBirding walk around the main lake
Walk the forest path along the main lake at dawn with binoculars and a local guide, watching wintering ducks, herons, …
WildlifeSpotting mugger crocodiles on the far banks
On sunny winter days the mugger crocodiles of Ghodaghodi haul out to bask on the banks. Scan the far shores …
SpiritualEvening lamps at the lakeside temple
Visit the small temple near the main lake in the evening, when local families come to offer flowers and light …
HeritageCycling the Tharu villages around the lakes
Ride a bicycle along village lanes and field paths around Ghodaghodi, past Tharu homesteads, fish ponds and rice fields, with …
SpiritualEvening worship at Chandannath temple
Join the evening crowd at the Chandannath and Bhairabnath temples in Khalanga bazaar, the spiritual heart of Jumla, where the …
FoodWalk the red rice terraces of the Tila valley
Follow field paths along the Tila river through terraces of marshi, Jumla's red rice, grown at around 2,400 m and …
TrekkingHike to the Chere Chaur meadows above Jumla
Climb steeply from Khalanga through pine forest to the open meadows of Chere Chaur, with wide views over the Tila …
FoodApples, beans and wool in Khalanga bazaar
Wander Jumla's main bazaar with a local guide, tasting apples, buying marshi rice and Jumli beans, and looking for the …
SpiritualA quiet hour at Khaptad Baba's hermitage
Visit the hermitage where Khaptad Baba, a Kashmiri doctor turned ascetic, lived for about fifty years and from where he …
NatureWalking the high patans of Khaptad
Spend a full day walking between Khaptad's famous meadows on wide grassy trails, through fir and rhododendron forest, with views …
SpiritualTriveni, Sahasralinga and Khaptad Daha
A gentle loop to the holy places of Khaptad: the small lake of Khaptad Daha with its wooden Jagannath temple, …
TrekkingTrek up to the plateau from Bajhang or Doti
Climb from the villages of Bajhang or Doti through terraces, oak and rhododendron forest to the Khaptad plateau, a long …
SpiritualInside Halji's Rinchenling monastery
Visit the Rinchenling gonpa at Halji, believed to have been founded by the 11th-century translator Rinchen Zangpo, with a lama …
TrekkingKailash and Manasarovar from the Lapcha La
Climb to the Lapcha La on the Tibetan border above the Limi valley, where on a clear day the view …
TrekkingOver the Nyalu La into Limi
Cross the Nyalu La at about 4,995 m, the high pass on the southern approach to the Limi valley, then …
WildlifeBlue sheep and kiang on the upper pastures
Spend a day scanning the high pastures above Til and Jang with a local herder or guide, looking for blue …
NatureMorning walk around Jigale lake
Walk the shore of Jigale, the largest of Ramaroshan's twelve lakes and shaped like the letter Y, in the still …
NatureKinimini, the great meadow of Achham
Walk out to Kinimini patan, Ramaroshan's largest meadow, where the Kailash stream winds through open grass and herders bring their …
TrekkingRhododendron forest trails in spring
In spring, follow forest trails between Ramaroshan's lakes and meadows when the rhododendrons are in full flower, red and pink …
NatureSunrise over Api and Saipal
Climb to a ridge above the lakes before dawn to watch the first light touch the snow of Api and …
TrekkingWalk the full shore of Rara in a day
Follow the trail right around Nepal's largest lake through blue pine and spruce forest and open meadows, with the water …
TrekkingSunrise over Rara from Murma Top
Climb in the dark to Murma, a 3,630 m viewpoint above Rara, to watch the sun light up the lake …
NatureGrebes, pochards and coots on the lake
Spend an early morning with binoculars on Rara's quiet bays, watching coots, grebes and wintering ducks on the largest lake …
TrekkingTrek to Rara from Jumla over the passes
Walk to Rara the old way, three to four days from Jumla through Khas villages, pine forest and high pastures, …
WildlifeDawn jeep drive to the barasingha grassland
Drive into the park before sunrise to reach the Shukla Phanta grassland as the light comes up, when herds of …
NatureWaiting at the Rani Tal watchtower
Sit in the watchtower above Rani Tal, a forest-ringed lake in the east of the park, and wait for deer, …
NatureBirding for florican and grassland rarities
A morning with a birding guide on the grasslands and wetlands of Shuklaphanta, looking for the endangered Bengal florican, swamp …
HeritageRana Tharu village walk near the park
Walk through a Rana Tharu village in the park's buffer zone with a local guide, visiting a home, seeing the …
AdventureMorning arrivals on Simikot's short runway
Watch small planes land on Simikot's 549 m runway at nearly 3,000 m, the lifeline of Humla, as rice, fuel, …
Slow daysWalk to Kermi for the hot springs
Follow the Kailash trail for a day from Simikot down to the Humla Karnali and up to Kermi village, where …
TrekkingThe old Kailash trail from Simikot to Hilsa
Walk the historic pilgrim and trade route up the Humla Karnali from Simikot to Hilsa on the Tibetan border, over …
HeritageA morning walk through Simikot
Spend a morning walking Simikot's lanes and the paths above town, past stone houses with flat roofs, prayer flags and …
HeritageKanakasundari temple on its promontory
Walk up to the Kanakasundari temple, the best known shrine of the Sinja valley, linked to the Khasa period and …
HeritageA day among the Khasa stone pillars
Walk the length of the Sinja valley with a guide, visiting carved stone memorial pillars, shikhara temples at Tarpibada and …
HeritageCaves and cliff inscriptions across the Hima
Cross the Hima river with a local guide to caves holding votive Buddhist chaityas and cliffs bearing old inscriptions, some …
HeritageA night in a Sinja village house
Spend a night with a farming family in the Sinja valley, eat millet and marshi rice by the fire, and …