The Best Things to Do in Gorkha, Nepal
Gorkha is a less touristy town about halfway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. It is less visited by foreign tourists, but it is significant place in Nepal’s history. It was the king of the Gorkha Kingdom, Prithvi Narayan Shah, who started the unification of Nepal in 1768.
Due to its historical relevance, lots of schools organize field trips to Gorkha. During my trip, I didn’t meet a single foreign traveler, only Nepali school groups. The number of school groups made it less enjoyable, but I was still happy to explore a less-visited place in Nepal.
I spent three days in Gorkha, but two days would have been enough to explore all the sights. One of my favourite things to do in Gorkha was to watch the sunrise from the Gorkha Durbar. There are also some short hiking routes nearby, and the temples are worth checking out.
Best Time to Visit Gorkha
The best time to visit Gorkha is between October to May. The skies are generally clear during this time, so you have the best chance to get clear views of the Himalayas.
I visited Gorkha in the winter and I was happily surprised that it was warm and sunny during the day. Gorkha is located on a hill top and gets lots of sunshine even during winter. Even though the days are sunny during the day, the nights do get cold.
How Many Days to Spend in Gorkha?
Gorkha is a small town and I found the ideal time to spend in Gorkha is maximum two nights.
You can cover all the attractions within one or two days, so if you are short on time, just stay for one night in Gorkha, and make it a quick stop between Kathmandu and Pokhara.
How to Get to Gorkha
Gorkha is about halfway between Kathmandu and Pokhara, and you have two options to get to Gorkha:
- Take a direct minivan from Kathmandu or Pokhara to Gorkha (5-6 hours)
- Take a tourist bus from Kathmandu/Pokhara/Chitwan to Aanbu Khaireni and then change to a local bus to Gorkha
Taking the Minivan to Gorkha
I took a minivan from Kathmandu to Gorkha, but it was not that comfortable. The minivan is a good, budget option, but some of the minivan drivers drive dangerously.
The minivans go from the Lotse Mall next to the Gongabu Bus Park in Kathmandu (also called New Bus Park/Naya Bus Park). I recommend getting your ticket one day before your travel so you can select your preferred seat. The ticket costs Rs. 585 (USD 4).
Taking the Tourist Bus + Local Bus
Taking the tourist bus to Aanbu Khaireni, and then changing to a local bus to Gorkha is a more comfortable option. The tourist buses are the safest in Nepal, and after you change to the local bus in Aanbu Khaireni, the ride is a short one.
The tourist buses operating between Kathmandu-Pokhara, Pokhara to Kathmandu, and Chitwan to Pokhara (via Mugling) pass by Aanbu Khaireni. Swift Holidays is a safe bus company in Nepal, just tell the bus helper to drop you at Aanbu Khaireni.
Once you are in Aanbu Khaireni, it is a small town, one hour from Gorkha. Here you can change to the local bus to Gorkha, the ticket costs Rs. 50.
Best Things to Do in Gorkha, Nepal
1. See the Sunrise from the Gorkha Durbar
In Nepali “durbar” means “palace”, and the Gorkha Durbar was the palace building used by the kings of the Gorkha Kingdom. Within the premises of the Gorkha Durbar, there are also some temples and places of religious significance.
The Gorkha Durbar was damaged during the 2015 Nepal Earthquakes but it has since been rebuilt. It’s on top of a hill and there is a long staircase leading up to the top, which make it a bit tiring to go up. Even though I found it tiring, the views were pretty worth it!
I was surprised by how beautiful the views are from the Gorkha Durbar. I went there for the sunrise, and was found it was one of the best sunrise views I had in Nepal with the Himalayas in the background.
Later I found out, the Gorkha Durbar can also be reached from the other side. You can reach that side by car/motorbike, there is a parking spot, and from there, it’s a shorter route to the Gorkha Durbar.
I only visited the Gorkha Durbar for sunrise, but it could also be worth it to visit it for the sunset.
How to get to the Gorkha Durbar:
- From Gorkha Bazaar: Walk up the stairs (around 1,500 steps) to reach the Gorkha Durbar from the Gorkha Bazaar. It takes about 45 minutes to get to the top and is a pretty good workout.
- From the car park behind the hill: if you come to Gorkha with your own vehicle then you can go around to the other side of the hill of Gorkha Durbar. There is a car park and from there it’s just a few minutes’ walk to the Gorkha Durbar.
Kalika Temple (Within Gorkha Durbar Complex)
The building of Kalika Temple is adjoined to the Gorkha Durbar. During festivals and holidays, the Kalika Temple is quite busy.
They also do animal (goat) sacrifices here, so if you see a goat being walked up to the temple, it’s for a sacrifice later. I also saw some goats being taken to the durbar, I didn’t wait to see the animal sacrifice as it’s too much for me to watch.
Siddhapaailaa
The best views of the Gorkha Durbar and mountains are from Siddhapaailaa. Siddhapaailaa is near the Gorkha Durbar and you can find it if you continue walking on the path towards the forest (as if you were walking towards Upallo Kot).
The views were so epic. I could see the sunrise over the Himalayas, plus the Gorkha Durbar in one. So good!!
Hanuman Statue
There is also a statue of Hanuman near the Gorkha Durbar. Usually, there is a sadhu there to perform blessings for visitors.
I don’t follow Hindu religion so I didn’t stop to get a blessing, but lots of locals stopped by to get one.
2. Hike to the View Tower
- Starting point: Gorkha Durbar
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Difficulty level: easy
- App to have: Maps.me is good to have for the trail
- Best time to Hike: October – April
I was a bit disappointed as the View Tower is not so well kept and most of the trees are taller than the view tower. So due to the trees, you can’t get a proper clear view of the mountains. It is a shame as otherwise, on a clear day, the Himalayas could be seen very well.
Nevertheless, the hike to the View Tower is pretty nice and I enjoyed the hike more than the tower itself. The hike takes you through a forest and the path is easy to follow.
I would not recommend this hike during monsoon as I think it would be full of leeches during that time.
3. Hike to Upollo Kot
- Starting Point: Gorkha Durbar
- Duration: 20 minutes
- Difficulty level: easy
- Best time to Hike: October – April
The hike to Upallo Kot (“kot” means “fort” in Nepali) starts from the Gorkha Durbar and follows the same path as if you were going to the View Tower.
You will arrive to Upallo Kot after about an easy 20 minutes’ walk. I was a bit disappointed by Upallo Kot as you cannot get any views from here from all the trees.
There is a small shrine here, the Bajra Bhairav, but to be honest, as there are no mountain views here, I was not too impressed with Upallo Kot.
4. Visit Tallo Kot
The stairs from the Gorkha Durbar also lead to the Tallo Kot, you will just have to check on the map to find the right path to Tallo Kot.
Although Tallo Kot is not a massive building, I liked that it is in the nature in a quiet, less-visited part of the Durbar. Here, you can also find a statue of Ram Shah who was one the kings of the Gorkha Kingdom.
5. Visit the Gorkha Museum
- Opening times: Mondays: 10:30-2:30 pm, other days: 10:30-4:30 pm
- Entry fee: Rs. 150 for foreigners, Rs. 100 for SAARC, Rs. 55 for Nepalese
The Gorkha Museum is built in traditional Newari architecture using red bricks and wodden carved windows. If you have been to Bhaktapur or Patan, the Gorkha Museum will remind you of buildings there.
Inside the museum, the exhibition displays the different ethnic groups of Gorkha district, fold musical instruments, oil paintings, old military equipment and copper and bronze items.
Chill in the Gorkha Park
The Gorkha Park is just behind the Gorkha Museum but you can only enter to the park if you buy the ticket to the museum.
The park is pretty big, well-kept and is a nice place to hang out with friends. On Saturdays, it is a popular place for picnic and hangout for locals. There is also a playground for children.
Visit the Statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah
The Prithvi Narayan Statue is also within the premises of the Gorkha Museum.
Prithvi Narayan Shah is an important historic figure in Nepal. He was a ruler of the Gorkha Kingdom and he started the unification of Nepal into one Kingdom.
6. See the Himalayas from the Bhimsen Thapa Park
Bhimsen Thapa was a Nepali politician serving in the early 1800s. He is regarded as a National Hero of Nepal, who was the longest serving Prime Minister in Nepal.
At that time it was called “Mukhtiyar” but it would be the equivalent to the position of prime minister. He was born in Gorkha District and the Bhimsen Thapa Park is dedicated to him.
How to get to the Bhimsen Thapa Park?
The Bhimsen Thapa Park is about 45 minutes’ walk from the Gorkha Durbar. It is a concrete road but with very little traffic, and no public transport.
The park itself is small and not so impressive, however, you get really nice views of the Himalayas from the park.
I walked all the way here from the Gorkha town center, and it felt pretty long on a hot and sunny day. If I went back, I would hire a taxi and I wouldn’t walk it again.
7. Check Out the Temples in Gorkha
There are a couple of temples in Gorkha that are worth checking out.
Two of them, Gorkha Bhimsen Mandir and Mahadev Than, are near the Gorkha Museum and are two of the nicely built temples.
The Bhimsen Mandir has a traditional pagoda-style architecture. While the Mahadev Than is built in a different style than other temples in Nepal – so I liked it a lot.
Other Things to Do in the Gorkha District
Manakamana Temple and Cable Car
- Manakamana Cable Car Opening Times: 8 am – 5 pm (with a break at 12-13:30 pm)
- Manakamana Cable Car Price (two-way): USD 20 for foreigners, Rs. 770 for Nepalese, INR 670 for Indian nationals, USD 10 for SAARC/Chinese nationals.
- Best time to visit: weekdays (it is way too busy on weekends and public holidays)
I must say I did not know how popular the Manakama Temple and Cable Car was before going there. It is really much more than just a cable car and a temple, it is like the centre of religion.
Most people seem to come here to perform rituals at the Manakamana Temple and nobody seemed to care much about the cable car – it was just a way to transport people to the temple.
The queues to the cable car can be very long (even as much as 2-3 hours wait time) on public holidays, so it is best to come on a weekday when there are no festivals.
🚡 Forget about the stress of organizing everything yourself and book a day trip from Kathmandu to the Manakamana Temple and Cable Car here!
Hike from Aanbu Khaireni to the Manakamana Temple
There is also a hiking trail from Aanbu Khaireni to the Manakamana Temple. I did not have time to go on this hike but it is supposed to be a pretty tiresome, 3-hour uphill hike.
Before the construction of the cable car, the only way people could reach the Manakamana Temple was by hiking there. I heard stories from my Nepali friends that they used to hike to the temple when they were kids.
Now, with the option of the cable car, less people go on this hike. If you don’t want to hike both ways, one option is to take the cable car up to the Manakamana Temple and on the way back, hike down to Aanbu Khaireni.
How to Get Around Gorkha
Gorkha is a relatively small town and it is easy to get around on foot. Although some of the attractions (like the Bhimsen Thapa Park) are a bit further away.
If you are comfortable driving a scooter, you can also rent a scooter. There are no specific shops for renting scooters but you can ask at your hotel about renting one for a few hours or a day.
In the Universal Hotel and Lodge, they rent scooters for about Rs. 500-600 (USD 4) for a couple of hours or Rs. 1,200 (USD 8) for a whole day.
Restaurants in Gorkha
Gorkha is not your usual tourist town in Nepal so there aren’t many cool restaurants like in Kathmandu, Pokhara or Chitwan.
On the positive side, the prices are not inflated and for every meal I had (including drinks), I paid maximum Rs. 250 (USD 1.50). Most of the hotels also function as restaurants, and serve Nepali and continental dishes.
Cafe de Gorkha Chautari
- Best for: great views of the Himalayas and hills
The Cafe de Gorkha Chautari is about a 15 minutes’ walk from Gorkha Bazaar, slightly uphill. I didn’t find the food that outstanding but loved the views of the mountains here.
You get really nice sunset views here. In addition to the restaurant, they also have hotel rooms.
Cake Mystery Bakery Cafe
- Best for: bakery products
The Cake Mystery Bakery Cafe is on the main street in Gorkha. They serve really nice cakes and bakery items. I had chocolate cake here, it was pretty good!
Apart from bakery products, they also serve lunch and dinner items (momo, burger, pizza). The staff here were also very friendly and spoke one of the best English I met while staying in Gorkha.
Hotels in Gorkha
There are not many hotels available for online booking in Gorkha. Gorkha is not a massive tourist town and you can book a place in person even after arriving in Gorkha.
Budget Hotels (USD 6-8/night)
Cafe de Gorkha Chautari: There is no online booking available, but you can call ahead to book. The price is starting from Rs. 1,000 (USD 7) per night.
Universal Hotel and Lodge: This where I stayed. It’s a budget hotel in Gorkha and available for pre-booking on booking.com. It’s somewhat basic but I found it was fine for a short stay. As the options for hotels in limited in Gorkha, I couldn’t really find anything better.
FAQs: Best Things to Do in Gorkha, Nepal
What is Gorkha famous for?
The Gorkha District in Nepal is a historically significant place. Nepal used to be made up of various smaller kingdoms.
Then, Prithvi Narayan Shah, the king of the Gorkha Kingdom, started the unification of Nepal in 1768. Nepal was later unified and Gorkha remains an important place in the history of Nepal.
The famous Gurkha soldiers also originate from Gorkha.
How many kilometers from Kathmandu to Gorkha?
Gorkha is located about halfway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Gorkha is 145 km from Kathmandu, and it takes 5-6 hours to get there by car, bus or minivan.
My Final Tips for Visiting Gorkha
Gorkha is less visited by foreign tourists, so it remains somewhat off-the-beaten path. Although it is less visited by foreign tourists, it is a popular place for domestic, Nepali travelers, especially for school trips.
It’s a small town, so you can explore all the attractions in 1-2 days. I would say spending one night in Gorkha is enough, and you still have time to visit all the places. I stayed for two nights, but found I could have made it a one-night, two-day stay.
My favourite place to visit was the Gorkha Durbar for sunrise. If the weather is clear, you get epic views of the Himalayas! Apart from the Gorkha Durbar, there are also some short hiking trails nearby, a View Tower (not in a good condition), and there are also some temples scattered around town.
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