Experiences
Nature in Nepal
Ridges, viewpoints, lakes and forests. Viewpoints at the right hour, rhododendron forests in season and quiet days outdoors.
NatureSunrise from the Kali temple above Dhulikhel
Climb in the dark from the old town to the small Kali temple on the hill above, and watch the …
NatureSleeping Vishnu and a Shivapuri forest climb
A day on the valley's northern rim: morning puja at Budhanilkantha's reclining Vishnu, then a forest climb in Shivapuri Nagarjun …
NatureChobhar gorge and Taudaha, where the lake drained
A walk below Kirtipur to the narrow gorge of the Bagmati, where legend says Manjushri cut the hills to drain …
NatureCable car up Chandragiri for Himalayan views
From Kirtipur, drive 30 minutes to Thankot and ride the cable car to the top of Chandragiri, about 2,500 m, …
NatureSunrise over the Himalaya from Nagarkot
Rise before dawn, walk or drive to the view tower or a ridge viewpoint, and watch the Himalaya appear in …
NaturePine forest and Tamang villages on the ridge
A gentle walk along the Nagarkot ridge through pine forest and into Tamang and Brahmin-Chhetri villages, with stops at a …
NatureSunset over Kathmandu from Swayambhu
Reach the summit an hour before sunset, walk the stupa as the light turns gold, and find a spot on …
NatureSunrise inside the Annapurna Sanctuary
Step out of your lodge at 4,130 m before dawn and watch the sun light the summit of Annapurna I, …
NatureSunrise over the Himalaya from Thani Mai
Climb 30–40 minutes from the bazaar to the hilltop shrine of Thani Mai for sunrise on a long line of …
NatureRidge walk to Ramkot Magar village
Follow the ridge west from Bandipur through forest and terraces to Ramkot, a Magar village of traditional round and oval …
NatureWalk the ridge between Begnas and Rupa lakes
An easy village walk up the Panchabhaiya ridge that separates Begnas from Rupa Lake, with both lakes below you, the …
NatureWalk to Australian Camp for sunset
From Dhampus, walk through forest and Pothana to the grassy clearing of Australian Camp at about 2,060 m, watch the …
NatureSunrise on Annapurna South from upper Ghandruk
Climb through the sleeping village before dawn to a terrace in upper Ghandruk and watch first light hit Annapurna South, …
NatureDawn climb to Poon Hill
Climb about 340 m by headlamp from Ghorepani to the 3,210 m viewpoint of Poon Hill and watch sunrise strike …
NatureRhododendron ridge from Ghorepani to Tadapani
After Poon Hill, follow the ridge east to Deurali at about 3,100 m and descend through some of Nepal's densest …
NatureGangapurna glacier lake and viewpoint
Cross the Marsyangdi from Manang to the milky turquoise Gangapurna Lake, fed by the glaciers of Gangapurna and Annapurna III, …
NatureSunset above the clouds at Badal Danda
At Badal Danda, the cloud ridge at about 3,200 m, the evening often brings a sea of cloud filling the …
NatureDawn climb to Panchase summit
Leave your lodge at Panchase Bhanjyang in the dark and climb through forest to the 2,517 m top for sunrise …
NatureOrchid walk in the Panchase forest
A slow walk with a local guide through the Panchase Protected Forest, one of Nepal's richest orchid habitats, looking for …
NatureSunrise over the Annapurnas from Sarangkot
A pre-dawn drive from Lakeside to the Sarangkot tower, then the slow show of first light moving along the range …
NatureStars over Gorak Shep at 5,164 m
Step out of your Gorak Shep lodge on a clear, moonless night to one of the darkest, highest night skies …
NatureLook down on the Ngozumpa glacier
Climb the moraine ridge just east of Gokyo village and look down onto the Ngozumpa glacier, about 36 km long, …
NatureRhododendron forests of the Lamjura La
Walk west from Junbesi up to the Lamjura La, about 3,530 m, the highest point on the old Jiri–Everest trail, …
NatureTea on the Hotel Everest View terrace
Walk 30 minutes up from Khumjung to the Hotel Everest View at about 3,880 m and drink tea on its …
NatureSunrise on Everest from Namche's park hill
Climb 20–30 minutes from Namche to the Sagarmatha National Park headquarters at Mendalphu for sunrise, when Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam …
NatureUpper Pangboche and the yak pastures
Wander the old upper village of Pangboche and the walled pastures above it, where yaks, nak and dzo graze below …
NatureWalk north to Ringmo's apple orchards
Follow the old trail north from Phaplu through forest and Sherpa villages to Ringmo, a village known for its apple …
NatureSunrise on Ama Dablam from Tengboche
Wake before dawn and stand on the meadow in front of Tengboche Monastery as the first sun lights Ama Dablam, …
NatureForest walk to Deboche and its nunnery
Drop ten minutes from Tengboche through a forest of rhododendron, birch and fir to Deboche, visit its small Buddhist nunnery, …
NatureDawn birding at Bishazari Tal
A morning with a bird guide on the trails and watchtowers around the lakes, looking for winter ducks, storks, herons, …
NatureBirding walk on the Rapti riverbank
An easy guided walk along the Rapti near Patihani for kingfishers, storks, eagles, river lapwings and winter ducks, with mugger …
NatureDawn walk on the Koshi embankment
Walk the raised embankments at the edge of the reserve as the sun rises over marsh and grass, listening for …
NatureGrassland birding for the Bengal florican
Go out at dawn with a bird guide to scan the open grasslands near Meghauli for the critically endangered Bengal …
NatureBirding in Parsa's sal forest
Early mornings in Parsa's sal forest bring hornbills, woodpeckers, minivets, drongos, barbets and raptors. A slow morning with a bird …
NatureGuided jungle walk with two nature guides
On foot in the forest and grassland with two licensed guides: tracks, dung, birdsong, termite mounds and medicinal plants, and …
NatureUnder Devdaha's giant pakari tree
A stop at the vast pakari fig south of Khaireni bazaar, one of the largest trees in the region, whose …
NatureWalk through the winter mustard fields
A gentle hour on the field bunds around Gotihawa in December and January, when mustard flowers turn the plain yellow, …
NatureDawn mist over the Kudan pond
Arrive at sunrise in winter, when mist sits on the pond beside Kudan's stupas and the fields are white with …
NatureMorning walk on the Jharahi river
An easy riverside walk beside Ramagrama on the Jharahi river, through village fields and along sandy banks, with egrets, kingfishers …
NatureSpring rhododendrons in the sacred forest
A shorter forest walk on Resunga's upper slopes in March and April, when red rhododendron, Nepal's national flower, blooms among …
NatureSunrise over the Himalaya from the ridge
Wake before dawn and walk to the viewpoint on the Swargadwari ridge to watch the sun light up Dhaulagiri, the …
NatureSunrise over the Himalaya from Srinagar Danda
An early climb through pine forest from Tansen to the top of Srinagar Danda to watch the sun hit the …
NatureEvening on the Banganga riverbank
End a Kapilvastu day at the Banganga, the river that runs past the western wall of Tilaurakot, watching village life …
NatureWalk the cave cliffs of the Chhoser valley
A gentle walk along the floor of the Chhoser valley beneath cliffs pitted with rows of man-made caves, with a …
NatureThe red cliffs and caves of Dhakmar
Walk from Ghami to Dhakmar, a small village under towering fluted cliffs of deep red rock, pitted with old cave …
NatureMorning walk to Thini village and Dhumba Lake
An easy loop from Jomsom across the river to Thini, one of the old Thakali villages, and on to the …
NatureFossils, cliffs and water in the Panda Khola
A slow nature walk in the Panda Khola below Lubra, looking at layered cliffs, shaligram fossils in the riverbed, wildlife …
NatureLakeshore walk from Ringmo
A gentle morning walk from Ringmo along the shore of Phoksundo, past chortens and prayer walls, to the Bon gompa …
NatureSunset on the canyon edge behind the dzong
Walk to the edge of the eroded canyon behind Tsarang's dzong and gompa at the end of the day, when …
NatureDhaulagiri sunrise from the Kali Gandaki
Get up before dawn and walk to the riverbank below Tukuche to watch first light reach Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh-highest …
NatureDay hike to Ponkar Lake
On a rest day at Bhimthang, walk up along the moraine to Ponkar Lake, a glacial lake set among ice …
NatureSunrise on Himlung and Manaslu
Step out of the lodge at dawn to watch first light on Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal and the north-west side …
NatureSunrise panorama from Chisapani
Wake before dawn to watch the sun rise over a 200 km stretch of Himalaya, from Ganesh Himal through Langtang …
NatureMorning walk to Parvati Kunda
A short climb above Gatlang to Parvati Kunda, a small sacred lake with a shrine, through fields and forest with …
NatureSunset over Manaslu from Laurebina
Laurebina, at about 3,900 m below Gosaikunda, looks west across Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and on clear days the Annapurnas. Watch …
NatureWalk the chain of sacred lakes
A gentle half-day walk around Gosaikunda and the smaller lakes of the Ramsar-listed complex, Saraswati Kunda and Bhairab Kunda among …
NatureSunrise on the Tharepati ridge
From Tharepati, the high point of the Helambu trek at about 3,650 m, watch sunrise light up the Langtang range, …
NatureDay hike to a high yak pasture
Climb from Langtang village to a kharka, a summer yak pasture above the valley, for wide views of Langtang Lirung …
NatureSunrise ridge walk through farm villages
An easy walk along the Nuwakot ridge at first light, through terraced fields, orange orchards and small hamlets, with mist …
NatureWalk to Birendra Tal glacial lake
An easy walk from Samagaon to Birendra Tal, a grey-green glacial lake at the snout of the Manaslu glacier, where …
NatureSunset over the Terai from Bhedetar
An evening on the Bhedetar ridge to watch the sun go down over the plains of eastern Nepal, the Sapta …
NatureThe Kanchenjunga Conservation Area story
A conversation over tea about how Ghunsa's valley came to be run by its own people: the 1997 conservation area, …
NatureSunrise walk on the Hile ridge
An early walk from the bazaar up to a viewpoint on the ridge above Hile, to watch the sun rise …
NatureRhododendron day on the Basantapur ridge
A spring day trip north from Hile to Basantapur and a walk into the rhododendron forests of the Tinjure–Milke–Jaljale ridge, …
NatureDawn walk through Ilam Tea Estate
A quiet early walk through the old tea estate at the edge of Ilam bazaar, timed for the pickers arriving …
NatureKanyam tea garden walk with a local guide
An early walk through Kanyam's open garden before the day crowd arrives, with a local guide who knows the pickers, …
NatureSunrise at Antu Danda
A pre-dawn jeep ride from Kanyam or Fikkal to Antu Danda, a ridge top at about 2,300 m on the …
NatureMorning at Makalu Base Camp
A morning at about 4,870 m beneath Makalu's south face, with time to walk the moraine for views of the …
NatureMoraine ridge viewpoint above Pang Pema
For strong, well-acclimatised walkers, a short climb up the slopes above Pang Pema for a wider view of Kanchenjunga's north …
NatureKanchenjunga views from the Pathibhara summit
Time on the summit after worship to take in the mountain panorama: on clear mornings the Kanchenjunga range and Jannu …
NatureSunrise on Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga
The reason to come: standing on the Singalila ridge before dawn as the light reaches Kanchenjunga, then Makalu, Lhotse and …
NatureBirding walk around the main lake
Walk the forest path along the main lake at dawn with binoculars and a local guide, watching wintering ducks, herons, …
NatureWalking the high patans of Khaptad
Spend a full day walking between Khaptad's famous meadows on wide grassy trails, through fir and rhododendron forest, with views …
NatureMorning walk around Jigale lake
Walk the shore of Jigale, the largest of Ramaroshan's twelve lakes and shaped like the letter Y, in the still …
NatureKinimini, the great meadow of Achham
Walk out to Kinimini patan, Ramaroshan's largest meadow, where the Kailash stream winds through open grass and herders bring their …
NatureSunrise over Api and Saipal
Climb to a ridge above the lakes before dawn to watch the first light touch the snow of Api and …
NatureGrebes, pochards and coots on the lake
Spend an early morning with binoculars on Rara's quiet bays, watching coots, grebes and wintering ducks on the largest lake …
NatureWaiting at the Rani Tal watchtower
Sit in the watchtower above Rani Tal, a forest-ringed lake in the east of the park, and wait for deer, …
NatureBirding for florican and grassland rarities
A morning with a birding guide on the grasslands and wetlands of Shuklaphanta, looking for the endangered Bengal florican, swamp …