Nepal Travel Guide

What Nepal offers

Nepal is compact but varied. The Kathmandu Valley holds royal squares, working temples and stupas within a short drive of one another. Beyond it, Pokhara offers a lake and mountain views, hill towns such as Bandipur and Nagarkot give a quieter pace, and Chitwan National Park adds lowland forest and wildlife.

Choosing your bases

Most journeys use two or three bases rather than moving every night.

• Kathmandu Valley: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur for heritage, with Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath as major religious sites.
• Pokhara: Phewa Lake, Sarangkot sunrise and relaxed leisure time.
• Hill towns: Bandipur or Nagarkot for slow walks and ridge views.
• Chitwan: Jeep safaris, birdlife and Tharu culture, usually two nights.

Our Nepal destination page shows how these combine in sample routes.

Getting around

Domestic flights between Kathmandu and Pokhara take around half an hour but depend on weather and schedules. The road takes roughly six to eight hours and can be congested. Driving distances between other bases are also longer than the map suggests, so we recommend limiting long transfers to one every two or three days.

When to go

Autumn (October and November) is generally clear and popular. Spring brings warmer weather and rhododendrons in the hills. Winter is cool and often crisp, while the monsoon (roughly June to September) is green but wet, with a higher risk of road disruption. Our best time to visit Nepal guide goes into more detail.

Entry and documents

Indian citizens do not need a visa, but should carry a valid passport or voter ID. Other nationalities need a visa. See Nepal travel documentation for what to prepare, and confirm requirements with official sources before travel.

Respecting local customs

Remove shoes before entering temples, walk clockwise around stupas, dress modestly and ask before taking photographs of people. At Pashupatinath, the main temple is open only to Hindus, though other visitors can see the complex from the river's opposite bank.

Planning tip

A first visit works well with three to five nights. If you are travelling from the Eastern Himalayas, see how to combine Nepal with Darjeeling or Sikkim, or browse our sample Nepal itineraries.