Nepal – A Quick Travel Guide That Covers Everything
A Comprehensive Nepal Travel Guide for Beginners
Welcome to the Open Travel Blog’s country guide for Nepal.
In this guide, I’ll give you a simple introduction to travelling in Nepal. Perfect for people who are new to the country and aren’t sure what places they might want to visit and what things they might want to do. It’s probably best suited to people who have at least a few weeks to visit Nepal and a bit of a flexible itinerary, although I think it could be useful for anyone.
You’ll get a quick, crash introduction (but one which really does cover everything) that will help you get on top of your planning.
The guide has two parts:
- In part 1, I’ll help you get your bearings by explaining how Nepal’s laid out and what the popular places are that people visit.
- In part 2, I’ll give you links to tonnes of good online information that already exist for some of the destinations, sights and activities Nepal has to offer.
Part 1 is this page, and part 2 is on another page here.
I often find when I’m travelling to a country for the first time, that it’s hard to get on top of things at the start. There’s so much information out there, and you often just end up confused. What I’m hoping is that part 1 of this guide gives people who are new or in the early stages of planning a quick and easy way to cut through the confusion and work out what they might want to do.
Later on, when you’re looking at particular places, treks and other activities, you can also refer to the links in section 2 for some good information about them.
**Please note that I make money from affiliate links on this page. Click on them because this took f-ing ages to write it.**
Let’s go…
Nepal Country Guide Part 1
First - Quickly Get Your Bearings in Nepal
Nepal’s geography.
The country of Nepal is formed on the Himalayan Mountains. Here’s
a map showing Nepal’s three major altitude zones, two of the biggest cities and
two big mountain ranges.
There are effectively three types of terrain in Nepal that form three long and thin zones, running east to west across the country.
In the south you have the terai. This is a lowland, tropical area with a much warmer climate than the rest of Nepal. The culture is also more closely connected to India than the rest of Nepal. The central belt actually covers most of Nepal, and this area is a mixture of steep hills and mountains with terraced farming and a diverse range of ethnic groups. This is where most of the population lives and where mainstream (sort of) Nepali culture comes from. In the north, you then have the Himalayan zone, where there are high mountain ranges with mountains like Everest, Manaslu or Annapurna I. This area has some unique cultural elements and also links to Tibet to the north.
Nepal has eight out of 14 of the world’s 8000 metre peaks.
You can also see where two important cities are located and where Mount Everest and the Annapurna Mountain Range are.
So, What Should Your Itinerary for Nepal Be?
There are many ways you can approach the situation, and there are many things travellers come to the country for.
The best thing is to follow what interests you.
For most people, however, that means finding about Nepali culture and going trekking in the mountains. These are the things that Nepal’s famous for.
As well as that people also end up tired after trekking, so they look for somewhere to relax, eat good food and generally unwind after they’ve finished a trek.
A lot of people, however, discover after a while that Nepal is a very diverse and multi-faceted country, and so it makes sense to try and explore Nepal in more depth and to see some of the different sides to the country. And so they end up wanting to travel to a few less well known places that spark their interest. This can involve more trekking, it can mean going to small towns and villages or it can mean going into Nepal’s tropical areas to the south.
Other people are also interested in meditation, yoga, art, spiritual things and stuff like that. Extreme sports are also big in Nepal. All of these things can be found in Nepal as well in abundance.
There are lots of options and it sort of becomes confusing right from the start.
There are, however, some common routes that people tend to follow. You don’t have to follow the common routes, but it helps to know what they are.
Things Tend to Focus Around Kathmandu and Pokhara
When it comes to exploring the culture, trekking and having places to relax and unwind, the first thing to know is that there are two focal points in Nepal that things tend to be centred around.
Those are the capital city, Kathmandu, and Nepal’s second biggest city, Pokhara. Pokhara is 200 km to the west of Kathmandu by bus. These cities are both set in rare flat and comfortable areas of Nepal’s otherwise very steep and inhospitable landscape. You’ll see how steep and inhospitable when you go.
Kathmandu and Pokhara are big cities, and the way everything’s linked together in Nepal just lends itself to these two places becoming your focal points. Kathmandu is also the place most people arrive (at Tribhuvan International Airport), although flights do go from Kathmandu to other places, including Pokhara.
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is a busy and slightly hectic Asian city, although it’s not as busy as places like Delhi or Mumbai. Kathmandu is also a very important place for Nepali history and culture. The city has centuries worth of important sites where you can learn about Nepal’s heritage. You can also explore the country’s modern culture (much of which is very traditional) all over the city.
Kathmandu is a destination itself and not a place to pass through at all. There are also other major sites of cultural interest close to Kathmandu City, in the Kathmandu Valley.
Thamel is a good, commonly chosen base in Central Kathmandu for tourists. Most people stay in Thamel and explore Kathmandu and the other sites in the Kathmandu Valley from there. You can also shop for super cheap but also fake trekking gear in Thamel.
Moving on from exploring Kathmandu itself, Kathmandu also acts as a base for trekking in Nepal’s mountains.
The most common choice of location for trekking from Kathmandu is the Everest region, via flight to Lukla. The Everest Region is 140 km off (as the crow flies) in the east of Nepal in the Solukhumbu District. The Everest region is Nepal’s most popular trekking region, with the Everest Base Camp Trek probably being Nepal’s most popular trek. There are other trekking routes in the Everest Region as well, and the Everest Region is famous for amazing mountain scenery, high altitudes and the Sherpas.
The Everest Region isn’t, however, the only area that can be reached from Kathmandu.
Another popular area is Langtang, with the Langtang Valley Trek being the most famous trek in this area. Langtang is closer to Kathmandu, being only 60 (directly. not on roads) or so km to the north. Manaslu (an up and coming but still infrequently trekked route) is also within reach of Kathmandu on the way to the city of Pokhara.
Those are just a few of the places that can easily be trekked from Kathmandu. Makalu is another much less visited area near Everest, for example. There are others as well, and you can look it into for yourself.
Some people even head from Kathmandu to the far east of the country to the, as I understand it, very remote trek at Kanchenjunga.
You can also find other treks to do from Kathmandu that I either don’t know about or haven’t mentioned here.
Pokhara
Moving on from Kathmandu, we have Nepal’s other major tourist centre and its second city: Pokhara.
Pokhara is more modern and far more relaxed than Kathmandu. The vibe is completely different. Pokhara gives you relaxation, a nice lakefront area with live music and good food, mountain views as well as activities like paragliding and bungee jumping. Some people skip Kathmandu, Everest and the other trekking regions around there altogether and just go straight to Pokhara.
Very importantly, however, as well as being a relaxing city Pokhara is also the base for trekking in the famous Annapurna Region.
Pokhara is at the foot of the Annapurnas, and when the sky is clear, you get amazing views of the mountains from Pokhara City itself. They’re only 30 or so km away.
The Annapurnas are home to the classic and world renowned Annapurna Circuit Trek, as well as other popular treks like Annapurna Base Camp or Annapurna Sanctuary. You might have also heard of treks like Poon Hill or Mardi Himal.
As well as being the base for trekking in the Annapurnas, you can also use Pokhara to reach the Mustang Valley or to get to other remote areas like Dolpo or the Dhaulagiri Mountain Range.
There are also other less well known, seldom explored places that can be visited from Pokhara.
How Should You Divide Your Time Between Kathmandu, the Trekking You Can Reach From Kathmandu, and Pokhara?
It can become a bit complicated deciding how to distribute your time between Kathmandu, the Everest Region and Pokhara and the Annapurna Region. There’s no one size fits all solution, but now you know what the general vibe is, you should be able to follow your nose a bit better.
The best thing is to follow your nose.
For most people this sort of leaves you wondering where to go trekking.
Where Should You Go Trekking in Nepal?
Some things to know are that the Everest region tends to get a lot of visitors, and people tend to complain that it’s overcommercialised. Also, that the local culture is swamped by tourism. This may be true, but you do get to see Everest and some amazing landscapes. You’ll probably meet lots of other travellers and make friends as well.
The Annapurna region does also get a lot of tourists on certain treks, although probably to a bit of a lesser degree than the Everest Region. On some treks, you’ll find things are also very commercialised in the Annapurnas. Again, however, you’ll see the best mountain views in this area, you’ll be able to stay in teahouses rather than camp (same in the Everest Region), and you’ll meet other travellers.
There’s a reason the popular treks are popular, and that’s the mountain views you get and places they take you.
On the Everest treks, you get to see Everest and some of the best mountain views in the world. And on the Annapurna treks, you get some of the other best mountain views in the world as well. On the Annapurna Circuit, you’ll also pass over the world’s highest mountain pass (I assume this claim is true).
So, there are major attractions on the popular treks.
What a lot of people want, however, is to find something that’s ‘off the beaten track’, so they can explore a bit more and so they can get a more authentic look at Nepali life. This is also a good idea, and these treks can also be found if you search and if you go out of the way a bit.
Note that the harder you search the more off the beaten track you get. A well known trek like Mardi Himal, while it may be less well popular than the Annapurna Circuit will still be well frequented and commercialised. Make sure to research properly and look for one that really will take you somewhere authentic.
At the same time, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go far out to east or west Nepal. There are less frequented treks in the central part of Nepal. Manaslu and Makalu are two that spring to mind.
This info on Horizon Guides is quite useful, although they’re not specifically discussing remote treks.
People often end up in a situation where they’re making a choice between doing a popular trek or doing one that’s less well known.
Both choices have pros and cons.
On the popular treks, you’re guaranteed to get amazing views, you’ll usually get up to high altitude, planning will be much easier and you’ll probably make some friends as well. On the off the beaten track treks, you will get more of an authentic look at Nepali life, and this is also fascinating. If you choose wisely, you’ll also get amazing mountain views, high altitudes and fun stuff like that as well. You won’t meet other travellers (or very few), and you might also have to do a bit more planning. Women also need to make more considerations about their safety.
One thing is to note is that time is a crucial factor to consider. Lots of treks have a minimum time period. That’s just because of the time it takes to trek the route and also because of the need to acclimatise to the altitude. I think the minimum for Everest Base Camp is 12 days, for example.
Moving on From Kathmandu, Pokhara and Trekking
Let’s get away from Kathmandu, Pokhara and Trekking in the high mountains.
As I said at the start, Nepal is a multi-faceted country with a unique history, a very diverse set of ethnic groups, a number of languages and a range of climates.
So many people find when they go that Nepal’s a really great country to travel in. You notice the diversity of the people even when you travel through relatively small parts of the country. The complicated and challenging geography seems to have shaped things in a more intricate way than in most other countries.
As a whole, the Nepalese are very unique. They tend to be quite different to their neighbours in India to the south, which you wouldn’t necessarily expect. This independence marks the country out, I think. The people are also very friendly and lively, and it’s probably unlikely that you’ll ever find yourself getting bored. In fact, there’s pretty much always something happening. At the same time, however, people are also very down to earth and respectful. They’re also very tough in (you’ll see examples of this all the time if you go trekking), and this is another feature that really makes Nepal stand out.
As a result of all this, people often find out they want to explore a few places other places in Nepal after they’ve finished trekking and exploring Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Note that this doesn’t necessarily mean leaving trekking behind. If you want to, you can explore other places on trek. Otherwise, you can change your mode of transport.
Chitwan National Park, Lumbini and the Mustang Valley
Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is located in Nepal’s southern, tropical region. And a visit to Chitwan allows you to see a completely different environment and a region that is more climatically similar to India.
Wildlife-wise, Chitwan is also home to one-horned rhinos, Bengal tigers, gaurs, wild elephants, crocodiles, sloth bears, jungle cats, deer (including sambar deer), pythons and other snakes, birds and more. Safaris can be done on foot, on jeep or in a canoe.
I’ve never actually visited myself, but it’s supposed to be great.
Bharatpur town is the closest town to Chitwan National Park.
Lumbini
Lumbini is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it’s famous for being the birthplace of Lord Buddha. It’s particularly interesting for Buddhists and people who are interested in Buddhism. I think that it may not appeal to people who don’t have religious motivations for going, although it does get a lot of visitors from all over the place.
The Mustang Valley
The Upper Mustang Valley is the famous part here. It’s a remote, upland area that has historically been hidden away because of its location.
It was closed to foreigners until 1992.
Most backpackers won’t go to the Upper Mustang Valley because there’s a $500 dollar entry fee (as of 2024).
The Upper Mustang Valley is hidden way to the north of both the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges, with the lower part of the valley being part of the valley that divides these two mountain ranges. To its north is the Tibetan Plateau, and as a result of all this it’s in a very remote and isolated part of the world.
Historically, the Upper Mustang Valley was an important trading route between India and the Tibetan Plateau. The people of the Mustang Valley are ethnically Tibetan, and it’s famous for its Tibetan culture and language. With Tibet now under Chinese control, it’s now also an important place for preserving Tibetan culture. It’s also famous for trekking and for its cold semi-arid environment. Muktinath is also a famous village in the Upper Mustang Valley.
The Lower Mustang Valley is more accessible, and the Annapurna circuit passes through some of it.
Following on from Chitwan and Lumbini, there are less well known destinations that people visit.
Less Well Known Destinations in Nepal
Logistically, it’s worth noting that some of these places can be visited during transit between some of the places already mentioned. Another thing to know is that the places coming up next are good for people who want to get away from touristy areas. These parts of Nepal are more authentic than things are in areas of Pokhara or on the very popular treks.
Some of the well known places are:
- Bandipur – Between Kathmandu and Pokhara, Bandipur is a Newari town with interesting architecture and a quieter way of life.
- Gorkha – Also between Kathmandu and Pokhara. The Gorkha Kingdom was the first unifying Kingdom of modern Nepal. Gurkha soldiers also originated from the Gorkha region.
- Bardia National Park – Probably Nepal’s second most popular national park, Bardia National Park is off in West Nepal. Again, it’s in the Terai area and so has a tropical climate. Bardia also has tigers, one horned rhinos, elephants and crocodiles as well as other wildlife.
- Ilam – Off in East Nepal, Ilam is an area famous for tea plantations. Tea plantations are amazing to look at, and the area is probably very different to the rest of Nepal. Ilam is also close to Mount Kanchenjunga and trekking in East Nepal.
- Dharan and the Mahabharat Mountain Range – Dharan is a town in the east of Nepal, close to Ilam and also to the Mahabharat Mountain range. Biratnagar is also nearby.
- Janakpur – Janakpur is an important Hindu pilgrimage town in South East Nepal, near the Indian border.
- Tansen – Tansen is another historic Newari town 120km to the south east of Pokhara. It’s a nice laidback, picturesque town where you can take quite an authentic look at Nepali life. It’s also famous for its architecture, including the Rani Mahal (a palace) and for other things as well.
Places That are Close to Other Places
While you’re researching Nepal, you might find you get overwhelmed by all the place names and confused about where places are located.
Often destinations are grouped in a particular location, but websites and things don’t mention that they’re close together. If you know which ones are close together, however, it can really help with planning.
Here are some places that are located close together or sort of part of the same destination.
Kathmandu
Kathmandu City exists in the Kathmandu Valley. This is a flat valley where the cities have all sort of merged into one. If you didn’t know, you’d think it was just one city. You can sort of think of all the destinations in this area as existing as one. You can easily travel to all of them and back to actual Kathmandu City in one day.
Here are some place names you’ve probably heard of that are in the Kathmandu Valley:
- Patan Durbar Square – this is in Lalitpur City, which joins on to the south end of Kathmandu City
- Bhaktapur – Bhaktapur City is about 15km east of main Kathmandu City in the Kathmandu Valley
- Nagarkot – this isn’t actually part of the city, but it’s on the hills on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley to the east
Pokhara
In Pokhara…
- Sarangkot is a hill station on the edge of Pokhara. People often do a day trek from Pokhara to the top of Sarangkot and back in a day.
The Mustang Valley
In the Mustang Valley…
- Jomsom is in the Lower Mustang Valley
- Muktinath is in the Lower Mustang Valley
Jomsom and Muktinath are both stops on the Annapurna circuit as well.
Treks in the Annapurna and Everest Regions
A similar thing happens when you’re researching treks.
Here are some trek names you’ve probably heard of but grouped according to whether they’re in the Annapurna Region or the Everest region.
These aren’t all the treks in the Annapurna or Everest Regions. They’re just some of the well known ones, and it’s just to help if you’re confused about where they are.
The Annapurna Region
These treks are in the Annapurnas:
Mardi Himal, Khopra Danda/Khopra Ridge, Tilicho Lake, Poon Hill/Ghorepani Poon Hill, Nar Phu Valley and Panchase.
The Everest Region
These treks are in the Everest Region (Solukhumbu District):
Gokyo Valley, Three Passes, Pikey Peak and Island Peak.
Another thing to know is that Namche Bazaar (a Sherpa Town) is a town in the Everest Region.
How to Transport Yourself Around Nepal
It’s possible to fly internally to a lot of places in Nepal. There are frequent flights to Pokhara, for example. There are also smaller airports all over the place.
There are, however, often delays. Long delays as well. And another thing to note is that Nepal has a poor flight safety record.
Otherwise, it’s bus travel. This is fine, but you’ll see that the roads are mega windy, and bus travel is slow.
At the time of writing, the road between Kathmandu and Pokhara is undergoing major work, and travel time may be long.
As you can see, the roads don’t go in a straight line at all.
Other Sources of Information That You Might Find Helpful
I found another blog on Go Ask A Local that’s really useful if you want an overview and some help with planning a trip in Nepal
Check it out – GoAskALocal
Another source of info that’s really useful for trekking is Horizon Guides.
Here’s their information about all of Nepal.
They also have information about treks in the Everest Region and the Annapurnas.
If you want some information that covers most of the established trekking routes in Nepal, look at this article on Hiking Bees.
