Backpacking Nepal: 11 best places to visit
The most rewarding stops for backpackers in Nepal, ranked and mapped — and real routes through them, written by travellers who went.
Read Nepal stories1
Kathmandu
Bagmati
Temple-packed valley capital.
- 2
Pokhara
Gandaki
Lakeside trekking gateway.
3
Everest Base Camp
Koshi
The legendary Himalayan trek.
- 4
Annapurna Base Camp
Gandaki
Amphitheatre of white peaks.
5
Chitwan National Park
Bagmati
Jungle rhinos and tigers.
6
Bhaktapur
Bagmati
Living medieval Newar city.
7
Nagarkot
Bagmati
Sunrise over the Himalayas.
- 8
Lumbini
Lumbini
Birthplace of the Buddha.
- 9
Patan
Bagmati
Durbar Square and metalwork.
10
Bandipur
Gandaki
Hilltop bazaar town.
- 11
Poon Hill
Gandaki
Classic short-trek viewpoint.
Backpacking routes through Nepal
Real trips through Nepal, drawn on maps by the people who took them.
Temples to Tigers: The Kathmandu Valley and Chitwan Without Trekking
A no-trek Nepal route: Kathmandu's old squares, Bhaktapur's living medieval city, sunrise at Nagarkot, then rhinos and river dawns in Chitwan.
Pokhara and the Poon Hill Trek: Nepal's Perfect First Himalaya
How to do Nepal's classic Poon Hill trek from Pokhara: the bus from Kathmandu, teahouse costs, permits, and a 3,210 m sunrise over the Annapurna range.
Been backpacking in Nepal?
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