For a small country, Nepal has many diversities and aspects within its context that attracts large numbers of people from all around the world every year. The country’s aspects vary from its land topography and its cultural and ethnic prominence to its art and archeology of the buildings and monuments. Nepal is perhaps most renowned for its Himalayan beauty; after all, eight of the ten tallest mountain peaks in the world lie in Nepal. This compilation also includes the world’s tallest mountain peak- Mount Everest. For a large majority, Nepal’s mountains and Himals are towards the north, in a region literally named the Himalayan region (the other two being the Terai and in the south and the Hills in between).

Apart from this geomorphologic attribute, Nepal also has the development of amazing biomes that contain unique floral and faunal life pertaining to its location, much the same like the distribution of ethnic population throughout the country. There are many things to in Nepal and many places and destinations to visit.

Visiting Nepal is also relatively cheap and easy to do, and can be done at any time throughout the year with many options for both leisurely tours and adventurous treks and sports at various regions that showcase and present their own unique qualities that differ from the rest. Here are top 6 places to visit in Nepal- 

1. Everest Base Camp

The Everest Base Camp is the most famous among the places to visit in Nepal. It lies in the Khumbu in the Everest Himal at an altitude of 5,354 meters and is often the highest point of the popular Base Camp Trek journey. The vast expanse of snow and thick layers of blanket ice surrounds the base camp and the place if often dotted with colorful tents that contrast brightly against the white of the surrounding. The Base Camp of the world’s tallest mountain does bring a profound sense of accomplishment for its climbers and travelers because the journey here is filled with a trek that spans for days and has trails going through various mountain villages of the region like Namche Bazaar, Lukla and Tengboche to name a few.

The base camp area, and much of the region as a matter of fact, falls under the protection of the Sagarmatha national Park and the journey here is also a matter of elusive encounters with the region’s many endangered species of animals and walking under the canopies of rhododendron trees and alpine woods.

2. Lumbini

Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site that lies in the Rupandehi district of Nepal and is the place where Lord Gautama Buddha- the Light of Asia, was born. A World Heritage Site since 1997, Lumbini has a number of temples and monasteries that perfectly capture and reflect Buddhist sentiment and ambiance, including the holy Mayadevi Temple and the legendary Asoka Pillar. There also lies the holy pond of Puskarini, where Lady Mayadevi took a spiritual dip prior to giving birth to Lord Buddha and where later he had his first bath. The holy site of Lumbini is bounded by large mosaic enclosure in which only monasteries are permitted to be built. It is an archeologically revered site as well because the remains and ruins of ancient times have been unearthed here.

Pilgrims from all around the world visit Lumbini and the place is a beautiful site of meditation and prayers. Among the places to visit in Nepal-  Lumbini is the most spiritual and a prime Buddhist as well as Hindu site outside of the kathmandu Valley.  

3. Annapurna Base Camp

The Annapurna Base Camp lies in the Annapurna Mountain at an elevation of 4,210 meters in the beautiful Annapurna region. It is the second most visited site apart from the Everest Base Camp among the places to visit in Nepal. The Annapurna region itself stands on equal footing with the Everest region in terms of popularity and beauty. Reaching here is a journey of easy treks and hikes through the heart of the region. It is an experience filled with amazing mountain landscapes, the Annapurna sanctuary and ethnic villages occupied by Magar and Gurung people.

Highlights of reaching here also include visiting Poon Hill- a famous vantage point of the region from where the entire massif of the Annapurna Mountains can be seen. The heavy envelopment of ice and snow in the Annapurna Base Camp is ethereal and amazing.

4. Upper Mustang

Upper Mustang is considered as one of the last unsullied places in all the world that still has the perseverance and preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture that has been in practice since ancient times. The topography of Upper Mustang is also quite different from the rest of the destinations of the country in that instead of lush pastures or woodlands, Upper Mustang instead has dry arid environments, desert-like terrain and some of the most amazing rock formations in the world. Among the many places to visit in Nepal, Upper Mustang is the most exotic and heavily traditional and cultural based because of the many gumbas, monasteries, Bihars and chaityas that litter the entire region.

Upper Mustang is also home of the mysteries sky caves that have been proved as important archeological discoveries of the new century. With majority of the population of the region following a unique form of Tibetan Buddhism, Upper Mustang is a wildly unique destination of the country that is like a time-capsule of ancient traditions and customs that have remained untouched by modernization.

5. Chitwan National Park

Because Nepal is so rich in natural resources and biodiversity, it has the establishment of many national parks and preservation areas to protect its natural heritages. There are 10 national parks in Nepal and among them is the Chitwan National Park- a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. Jungle safaris in the Chitwan National Park are an affair of exploring beautiful woods and grasslands on the back of elephants and catching sights and views of endangered animals like one-horned rhinoceroses, Bengal Tigers and the Musk Deer in their natural habitat.

The national park is also the home of many Tharu people who have settlements and villages along the Rapti River that drains the park’s acreages. Established in 1973, the Chitwan National Park protects a large area of Terai’s lowlands.

6. Phewa Lake

The Phewa Lake lies right next to the famous adventure capital of Nepal- Pokhara. Both the lake and the city have a symbiotic relationship with each other. One of the main features of the Phewa Taal is its reflection of the mesmerizing Machhapuchhre Himal on its crystal clear surface. Boating on the lake is a famous leisure activity and the lake side of Pokhara is quite vibrant with bobbing colorful boats. It is the second-largest lake in Nepal and also has an island temple of Taal Barahi situated amidst the lake’s waters. 

There are a lot more places to visit in Nepal and sites that demand travelling to at least once in life, like the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley and isolated settlements and ethnic villages in the foothills of mountains that lie on regions like the Manaslu and Langtang. Truly, visiting Nepal once is not enough!