11 Most Amazing Places To Explore In Nepal

Nepal is a mountain kingdom with infinite natural beauty. Nepal lies sandwiched between India and Tibet. Its where you will find the world’s tallest mountains like Mount Everest, Manaslu, Annapurna, and Kanchenjunga. But Nepal is also a country with deep historical roots. Successive dynasties-built temples, forts, palaces, and monasteries. Big rivers flow through Nepal and here you will find lush green forests teeming with wildlife.

National parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Nepal are best to glimpse sight of rare Himalayan wildlife that is found nowhere else on earth. Plan a tour of Nepal and see its wondrous monuments and natural attractions. Explore any of the many Nepal Tour Packages, and see the best that Nepal has to offer to tourists. The best places to visit in Nepal are given below.

# Pashupatinath Temple

One of the famous Shiva temples in Nepal, Pashupatinath Temple is also one of the oldest temples. Lord Shiva is worshipped here in the form of Lord Pashupatinath. Located on the banks of the Bagmati River, Pashupatinath Temple is one of the holiest temples for the Hindus. The temple is enlisted as one of the World Heritage Sites in Nepal.

Pashupatinath Temple is a big temple complex of ashrams, shrines, and cremation grounds, besides the main temple itself. The pagoda-like structure of Pashupatinath Temple is an icon in itself. The wooden structure of the temple and the ornate interiors with rich woodwork, chiseled artworks, fine sculptures, and beautiful paintings lend beauty to the temple.

# Chitwan National Park

Nepal is rich in wildlife and Chitwan National Park is one of the best places to spot the rhinoceros and tigers in their natural habitat. You can spot so many birds here and reptiles. A jungle safari is the best way to spot the animals. If you are lucky you can even spot a Gangetic Dolphin, crocodiles, gharials, turtles, and many other aquatic creatures. Chitwan National Park is a World Heritage Site. You can stay in resorts, have an elephant safari, shop in souvenir shops, see how elephants are bred, and also visit a museum inside the national park.

# Sagarmatha National Park

Lofty mountains and alpine landscapes define Sagarmatha National Park. Here you can see the rarest form of wildlife that is only found in the high altitudes of the Himalayas. The natural landscape of Sagarmatha National Park consists of lakes, rivers, mountain peaks, gorges, rugged mountainous terrain, alpine forests, pastures, and alpine forests.

The animals found here are such rare ones as the Snow Leopard, Himalayan Thar, Musk Deer, bearded vulture, snowcock, and others. Sagarmatha National Park ranks as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nepal. Trekking, bird watching, and hiking are the top things to do here. You can visit monasteries, and lakes, and reach the base of Mount Everest and many other mountains in Sagarmatha National Park.

# Langtang National Park

Among the many places to spot Himalayan wildlife in Nepal, Langtang National Park is certainly one of the best ones. The national park is close to the international border with Tibet. The high Himalayan mountains, flowing rivers, alpine pastures, forests, and villages make up the landscape of this national park. Gosaikunda Lake is one of the best lakes to visit in this national park. There are numerous trekking and hiking trails in this park.

All these treks are scenic treks that lead to wonderful places like Langtang Valley, Helambu, Gosaikunda Lake, and many remote places in the park. You can spot such fantastic Himalayan creatures as snow leopards, Tibetan sheep, Assamese monkeys, clouded leopards, grey wolves, red pandas, and others. You can also spot birds like snow partridges, wood snipes, Himalayan griffins, vultures, geese, etc.

# The Boudhanath Stupa

You can see the Buddhist way of life very clearly when you visit the Boudhanath Stupa. This is the world’s biggest spherical stupa and is one of the major tourist attractions in Nepal. The stupa was built in the 14th century and stands on the trade route that passes through Nepal. The stupa has a huge dome and a pyramid-like structure. Buddhists regularly perform a circumambulation (kora) of this stupa. The stupa is the place that houses the last mortal remains of the Kassapa Buddha. Boudhanath Stupa is among the finest religious monuments in Nepal and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

# Swayambhunath Temple

Nepal has spectacular religious places such as Swayambhunath Temple. This is a huge temple complex with innumerable temples, stupas, small shrines, prayer flags, prayer wheels, statues, and idols of Buddhist and Tibetan deities. The temple is located in Kathmandu Valley and is one of the holiest sites for Buddhists. The construction of this temple dates back to the 5th century and was built by the great-grandfather of King Manadeva.

The temple has exquisitely carved toranas, statues, Buddha idols, and other mythological icons. Being built on a hill, Swayambhunath Temple offers scenic views of the surrounding region. Monkeys can be found in large numbers in and around the temple and thus, it has earned the nickname of Monkey Temple. There are 365 steps to reach the temple. The most visually striking thing about this temple is the pair of eyes on all four sides of the main stupa.

# Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve

One of the best places in Nepal to watch wildlife is Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. The terai grasslands in this wildlife reserve are best to spot a varied form of wildlife. The terrain consists of marshes and vast floodplains of big rivers like Kosi. This is the only place where you can spot a water buffalo and boar grazing in the marshes. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is the best place for bird-watching. The reptiles can be seen in the marshy lands. Gharial, wild boar, elephant, Gangetic river dolphins, and nilgai, are some of the creatures that you can spot here. A jungle safari is the best way to spot all these creatures.

# Bardiya National Park

Nepal has some magnificent national parks which are protected areas to watch wildlife. Bardiya National Park is one such national park where you can watch fabulous creatures and birds. Terai grasslands cover much of the national park and rivers crisscross the park. The main attraction of Bardiya National Park is the rare one-horned rhinoceros. You can watch this incredible creature grazing in the tall grass. Other creatures which you can spot here are tigers, elephants, barasingha, fishing cats, Gangetic dolphins, mugger crocodiles, gharials, etc. Birds too can be seen in this park and some beautiful birds that can be spotted in the jungles are the floricans, warblers, peafowl, vultures, and sarus cranes among others.

# Nagarkot

The small hill station of Nagarkot is one of the best places in Nepal to watch the Himalayan mountain ranges. Ever since it was famous, international tourists visit Nagarkot to have a glimpse of the world’s tallest mountains. The views of towering mountains such as Everest, Manaslu, Annapurna, Langtang, Jugal, Numbur, Ganesh Himal, and the Rolwaling mountain ranges from Nagarkot are a memorable experience. You can see 8 out of the 13 Himalayan mountain ranges from Nagarkot. Not only, that, but you can also go on nature trails, paragliding, and hiking trips in Nagarkot.

# Kathmandu

The capital city of Nepal is also one of the best tourist destinations. Kathmandu is situated on the confluence of two big rivers – Bagmati and Vishnumati. Kathmandu is also the biggest city in Nepal. The main attraction of Kathmandu is Durbar Square which is full of magnificent palaces, temples, memorials, and courtyards. In the olden days of royalty, events such as the coronation of the king, religious festivals, folk dances, and ceremonies used to take place here. The most famous attractions of Kathmandu are situated in Kathmandu Durbar Square. Other major attractions in Kathmandu are Swayambhunath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, and Boudha Stupa which are all World Heritage Sites.

# Kathmandu Durbar Square

One of the most essential places to visit in Kathmandu is the Kathmandu Durbar Square. This square is like an enormous courtyard with spectacular palaces, temples, memorials, and other royal structures. The earliest records suggest that kings who ruled during the 10th century built palaces here. In those days, events like the coronation ceremony, religious occasions, and festivals were celebrated here.

Kathmandu Durbar Square is one of the three other similar ones in Nepal. There are huge palace complexes here and the palaces and temples have spectacular architecture. Kathmandu Durbar Square is included as a world famous UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hanuman Dhoka, Kalbhairav Temple, Jagannath Temple, and Taleju Temple are some magnificent temples you can visit here.