Here we look at some of the best places to visit in Nepal.

1. Swayambhunath Stupa

Swayambhu is an ancient religious architecture located on top of a hill within the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. The Tibetan name for the location means ‘Sublime Trees’, for the various kinds of trees found on the Hill.  For the Buddhist Newars, Swayambhunath occupies a central position in their day—to- day religious practices. It’s probably the foremost sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. It is one of the most visited places in Nepal and is considered a holy place by the residents living there. The architecture of the place is also magnificent.

2. Pashupatinath Temple

The Pashupatinath Temple is a famous and sacred Hindu temple in Nepal that’s located on the banks of the Bagmati River. It is one of the top places to visit in Nepal. The temple worships the deity Lord Shiva and is one of the biggest Hindu Temples of the World. It has also been recognized in the UNESCO world Heritage sites. Pashupatinath temple is located in Kathmandu.

3. Boudhanath Stupa

Boudhanath stupa is located in Kathmandu, Nepal has located about 11 km from the middle and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu. The stupa’s massive mandala makes it one among the biggest spherical stupas in Nepal. It is one of the most important stupas in the country. The stupa is a World UNESCO Heritage site and is located on the ancient trade route that used to be there between Tibet and Kathmandu.

4. Chitwan National Park

This is the first National Park that has been set up in Nepal in the year 1973. It is located in south-central Nepal and is protected across all the borders of the Park. The place is famous for its jeep safari and the elephant ride. You can also walk around in the jungle and enjoy the nature. One-horned Rhinos and Tigers are exotic species here. Chitwan national park tops the list of most visited places in Nepal.

5. Mansalu

Manaslu comes across as the eighth highest range in the world with 8,163 meters above water level. It’s within the Mansiri Himal, a part of the Nepalese Himalayas, within the west-central a part of Nepal. The place is famous for its trekking adventure and people can also feel the essence of the local culture down here.

6. Flight Over Everest

This is not a place but it will be one in a lifetime experience for anyone. This is a service that has been introduced in Kathmandu where you can take a flight and fly over Mount Everest along with other peaks like Kanchenjunga, Annapurna, and others. The flight ride is of one hour and you can enjoy the top view of some of the biggest peaks in the world.

7. Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu Durbar Square is located ahead of the old Royal Palace of the previous Kathmandu Kingdom is one of the three Durbar Squares within the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  This was the home to the kings that ruled Nepal for a long time and was the capital of their Kingdom. The place was revamped after it got destroyed in the horrific Nepal earthquake of 2015.

8. Gokyo Lake

Gokyo Lakes are oligotrophic lakes located in Nepal’s Sagarmatha parkland at an altitude of 4,700–5,000 m above water level. These lakes are the world’s highest freshwater lake system comprising six main lakes of which Thonak Lake is the largest. You can enjoy the mountain landscape and the beautiful view of the lake and the mountains from here.

9. Kala Patthar

Kala Patthar which means ‘black rock’ in Nepali, Hindi, and Urdu, is a notable landmark and to be visited place in Nepal. This is basically a peak with the height of only 10m but it extremely fascinates the trekkers within the region of Mt. Everest since it provides the foremost accessible closeup view of Everest. This is one of the most visited places in Nepal for the tourist as you can climb this mountain without any permit due to its short ascent. You can get one of the best views of Mount Everest from here.

10. Thorong La

This is a mountain pass located in Nepal and is the highest range of mountain Annapurna. This place remains snow-covered almost all the time and is quite popular among the trekkers. Alongside trekkers, this place is also used by the local traders for their business.

11. World peace Pagoda

The Pokhara Shanti Stupa or as known as World Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa located on top of the  Anadu Hills. This is one of the most famous pilgrimage places for the Buddhist people and people believe that the great King Asoka was the first one to come here to set up the stupa or temple.

12. Pokhra Lakeside

Located in the town of Pokhara this is a part of town that is surrounded by a lake on one side and with mountain ranges covering the other side, this is one of the most beautiful places to visit on a Nepal trip. The boat rides in the Pokhara lake is one of the most sought out activities that you can have.

13. Lumbini

The place Lumbini is famous as it is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Lumbini is famous for its ancient stupas that are over 2000 years old. People come here to enjoy trekking, meditation, and practicing yoga and to know more about the Buddhist culture. The place is recognized as a world heritage site and is located right along the Indian border. Mayadevi temple is an important place to visit here as it is lord Buddha’s exact birthplace.

14. Shaswat Dham

This is a temple that is devoted to Lord Shiva. The central shine of the temple is where the statue is located. It is believed that the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord shiva is the reference for the central shine. People come and worship here and the ambiance of the place is also great with calmness spread all around.

15. Caves of Pokhara

There are mainly three caves in Pokhara that are Gupteshwar cave famous for its limestone figures and the temple of Lord Shiva. The second is the Mahendra caves which have limestone figures as well. This is named after King Mahendra. Lastly, there is the bat cave where the chirping of the bats could be heard and is home to thousands of bats.

Apart from the above mentioned most visited places in Nepal, Nepal has a lot more to offer for tourists.

 We look at some of the best food dishes in Nepal on offer when you visit the country

1.  Dal Bhat

This is considered to be the staple food of Nepal and people usually have their lunch or dinner or in some cases both with this item. This is rice and lentil soup (dal) that is served along with any form of meat and a side dish vegetable. This is a very normal and healthy food which is consumed by the Nepalis as their main food of the day.

2. Momo’s

 Momos are a specialty of the country and you can find a stall selling it almost in every nook and corner. It is one of the most popular items among tourists in Nepal. It is a white flour dumpling that is either made with chicken lamb pork or vegetable stuffing. These are either served boiled or fried along with special chutneys or even mayonnaise. This is one of the most popular foods in Nepal.

3. Thupka

Thupka is another local item that has been very popular in Nepal among tourists. This is a thick noodle soup along with meat and vegetables and is usually served with momos. The dish is made by boiling the noodles and adding vegetables and meat in the boiled water. The dish is usually served hot and at the time of winter and is quite a healthy dish.

4. Sel Roti

A typical mixture of the European food item of doughnut and bagel, Sel Roti is one in all the foremost asked for a snack in Nepal during festivals like Tihar and Dashain. It’s a circular rice flour bread which is deep-fried to form a crunchy outer layer but with a soft inner layer. It’s crispy and sweet and tastes best with yogurt or veggies. Being a well-liked festival food in Nepal, this dish could be a must-try if you visit the country.

5. Yomari

A sweet dish prepared from rice dough and filled with a sweet paste product of coconut, sesame seeds, and molasses, Yomari maybe a festival food in Nepal, made only during the festival of Yomari Punhi. This festival is well celebrated annually during winters to thank God for a decent harvest. This dish is extremely famous in Kathmandu and you would possibly also find its spicy version made with lentil.

6. Dhindho or Dhando Thali

This is a type of porridge made by boiling cornmeal and buckwheat flour in water. It is a sweet Dish of Nepal that is being served with butter, yogurt, and even at times with vegetables. It is one of the most famous food in the rural areas of Nepal.

7. Wo or Bara

This is a type of pancake that is made in Nepal. This is usually made by the Newari people of the country. The Wo or Bara is made up of ground lentil. These are dal patties that are made usually as a snack. If you are a non-vegetarian you can add egg or meat into the batter and make a no-veg item as well.

8. Gundruk

This is a side dish in Nepal that is usually served with the Dhindho. These are green leafy vegetables that are made to leave dry. The preparation includes mustard, radish and cauliflower, and other green vegetables which are stored in an earthen pot.  This storing is done until there are acidic juices released and undergone fermentation. It is a type of pickle.

9. Gorkhari lamb

This is a non-veg dish that is very popular in Nepal. This is mainly a curry dish with slow cooking of lamb along with onions and potatoes. Once the curry is prepared, the lamb is removed and grilled separately again with chilies. Then it is again put back in the curry with the chilies making it quite a spicy dish.

10. Chatamari

This dish is quite different from the others we have seen. The base is made of rice and flour with vegetables like onions,coriander chopped on it along with meat slices and eggs. The shape is round thus giving it a pizza-like appearance. But the taste and other things are quite different from that of pizza.

11. Samay Baji

This is a traditional dish and is served in Nepal for long generations. It is buffalo meat that has been barbequed along with rice, boiled eggs, and a spicy potato dish. This is a gourmet dish and is a must-try if you visit Nepal.

12. Juju Dhau

This is yogurt and is made up of buffalo milk. The dish is very creamy and usually acts like a desert for the Nepali people. It is also known as the king of curds in Nepal and most famous in Nepal.

Situated at the foothills of Himalayas and listed under the UNESCO world Heritage site, Lumbini is a peaceful and totally revered city. One will get the glimpse of Buddhism everywhere as it is the birthplace of Buddha. There are number of temples, monasteries and stupas built by Buddhist communities from all over the world. Myanmar Golden temple, World peace pagoda, China temple, Ashoka pillar and many monasteries and temples are there where one can visit and bathed in the culture of Buddhism.

The most sacred of among all sites is Maya Devi Temple. The temple is built on the place where Buddha was born to Queen Maya Devi. It is a white building that protects the exact spots of Buddha’s birth. A pious pond is there where Maya Devi took ritual bath and it is believed to be the same pond where Buddha took his first bath. The temple also have a pillar believed to be constructed by the King Ashoka during his visit to Lumbini in 249B.C. It has inscriptions on it which marked the importance of Lumbini as birthplace of Buddha. It is surrounded by small fence and decorated with colorful prayer flags.

Apart from Buddhism, Lumbini is also famous as the site of wide range of Bird Species like crane, owls, gyps, eagles etc.

To see all these attractions and temples, it is visited by thousands of Buddhists and Hindus every year.