What is the capital of Nepal

A bewitching experience in the capital of Nepal

Author: Tanuja Rai
Date: 2020-04-07

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Nepal is also considered one of the top 10 destinations to visit in the world. The small and culturally rich country of Nepal lies in the Himalayan range of South Asia sandwiched between India and China. Once a former monarch country, Nepal is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the world today, especially for the budgeted traveller. 

Nepal Guide

Most of Nepal (around 75%) is covered by mountains but it also has flat fertile land and forested foothills. However, the Great Himalaya Range is what has put Nepal on the map. The world’s tallest peaks—Everest, Khangchendzonga, Lhotse, Makalu, Manaslu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, and Annapurna—still hold foreign mountaineers captive.

BEST TIME TO VISIT NEPAL

March to May and September to December are the best months to visit Nepal and explore its cities. Summers are scorching hot and monsoons deter you from moving around too much. The peak tourist season of Nepal is from late September till the end of December.

Landscape of Nepal

The beautiful landscape of Nepal

KATHMANDU - THE CAPITAL CITY IF NEPAL 

Kathmandu is one of the most-visited places in the country. While Nepal offers spectacular places that take you close to nature, Kathmandu has more to offer compared with other parts of Nepal. 

The beautiful city of Kathmandu lies in a bowl-shaped valley at an elevation of 1,400 meters. Kathmandu has many ancient religious temples attracting visitors from all around the world to Nepal. Like other parts of Nepal, the people in Kathmandu love to celebrate colourful and vibrant festivals. Kathmandu city is ranked as one of the top travel destinations in the whole of Asia. 

Read: Top 14 places to visit when in Kathmandu, Nepal

HOW TO REACH KATHMANDU
By air: Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport. There are direct flights from most of the cities in India.
By rail: The closest railway station to Kathmandu is Gorakhpur Junction Railway Station in UP, India. 
By road: There are many buses that ply to Kathmandu from India. You can also hire private cabs or self-drive. 

Kathmandu city

Capital city of Nepal - Kathmandu

TOP 5 EXPERIENCES IN KATHMANDU- THE CAPITAL OF NEPAL

(1) Adventure activities

If you are into adventure and love that adrenaline rush, the capital city of Nepal is the perfect destination for you. Tourists from all around the world come to Kathmandu, Nepal, for mountaineering, trekking, and hiking. People from around the globe throng to Kathmandu in large numbers every year to start the famous Mt Everest base camp trek. Other adventure activities include bungee jumping, mountain biking, paragliding, and white-water rafting. 

Activities in Nepal

(2) Discover Nepal’s rich biodiversity

Nepal is also rich in wildlife and biodiversity with a variety of animals and bird species. Endangered animals such as the one-horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger, and Chinese pangolin can be viewed inside the national parks. Sagarmatha National Park, Chitwan National Park, and Langtang National Park are found in Kathmandu Valley. 

(3) Tour Kathmandu’s UNESCO World Heritage sites 

Among the 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal, 4 are found in Kathmandu city: Pashupati Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, and Swayambunath Stupa. 

Durbar Square, Kathmandu

Durbar Square in the capital city of Kathmandu

Pashupati Temple is one of the oldest and sacred Hindu temples. It comes alive every evening when a puja ceremony takes place amidst the participation of hundreds of pilgrims. Kathmandu Durbar Square is located in old Kathmandu. The gallery comprises several structures, pagodas, and ancient temples showcasing fine stone, wood, and metalwork by Newari artisans. Nepal’s living goddess resides here. Boudhanath Stupa is one of the largest dome-shaped stupas in the world. 108 small images of the Dhyani Buddha Amitabh and a ring of prayer wheels surround its base. Souvenir shops, monasteries, and art galleries are within its vicinity. Swayambunath Stupa, recognised by the iconic eyes painted on it, is the most sacred Buddhist worship site in Nepal. It’s also called Monkey Temple because of the presence of numerous monkeys that reside there. You get a 360⁰ view of Kathmandu Valley from here. 

(4) Participate/witness festivals

Festivals are celebrated with great aplomb in Nepal. Indra Jatra is the biggest street festival celebrating Lord Indra. It is marked by 2 events: Indra Jatra, which sees masked dances and Kumari Jatra, a chariot procession of Nepal’s living goddess. The main festivities take place at Kathmandu Durbar Square.


Food is a major highlight at festivals. With a profusion of flavours present in Nepali cuisine, you will be able to taste many different and unique dishes of Nepal at a festival.

7 events & festivals of Nepal

(5) Enjoy delectable food 

With influences from its neighbouring countries of India, Tibet, and China, the cuisine of Nepal is anything but ordinary. Chatamari, sekuwa (kebab), wo (Newari pancake), and choila are some dishes that you must try when visiting Nepal. Check out more dishes in the blog post food of Nepal.

ACCOMMODATION

Most people rely on tourism in Nepal for a living; hence, booking a homestay is a way of positively contributing to their economy. The people of Nepal are welcoming and convivial people and do their best to provide great stay experiences while you are in Nepal.