Food · Dhankuta
Orange orchards around Dhankuta
A winter walk through farm villages and tangerine orchards around Dhankuta, meeting growers, tasting fruit straight from the tree and learning how hill families sell their harvest to the markets of the plains.
From about November to January, the hills around Dhankuta turn orange. Families grow tangerines on terraces around their houses, often alongside maize, millet and vegetables, and the harvest is picked by hand, packed in bamboo baskets and sent down the road to Dharan, Biratnagar and beyond. Traders drive up from the plains to buy, and in good years the roadside is lined with crates waiting for trucks.
We walk out of town with our guide on farm paths to an orchard where a family is picking. They show you how the trees are pruned and tended, explain how prices are set by traders and how weather and disease can change a year's income, and share fruit straight from the tree. Most growers also farm maize, millet and vegetables, and some have now planted tea on part of their land.
It is an easy, sunny walk on the best winter days, when the air is clear and the light is golden. We stop for tea at a farmhouse if invited and walk back to town by a different path through the terraces. You come back with a bag of fruit, bought directly from the family at a fair price, and a better sense of how hill farms here earn their living.
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Questions
When is orange season in Dhankuta?
Tangerines are usually harvested from about November to January, depending on altitude and the year, with lower orchards ripening first. December is often the peak. Outside these months you will see the trees but not the harvest.
Can I buy oranges from the farmers?
Yes, families often sell fruit directly, and the bazaar has stalls full of oranges in season. Prices are low compared with Kathmandu, and the fruit is fresher. Our guide can help with a fair price if you buy in bulk.
How long is the orchard walk?
About 3 hours return with stops, on farm paths with some ups and downs through the terraces. Wear comfortable shoes and bring sun protection and water; winter days are bright though mornings can be cool.
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