8 Unique Places to Visit in Nepal!
Looking for unique places to visit in Nepal? Here are the top 8 secret gems you don’t want to miss in Nepal!
Nepal is full of beautiful places, from trekking routes in the Himalayas to jungle safaris, caves and cable cars.
Many people come to visit Nepal to go trekking in the Everest or Annapurna Region but there are so many other places to visit in Nepal.
I have been visiting and periodically living in Nepal since 2015 and had the chance to visit many different places in Nepal. Based on all my travels in Nepal, I put together some of the less visited places by foreign tourists.
Here are 8 of the hidden gems in Nepal that have beautiful nature, sunrise and sunset views, sacred temples, wildlife and beautiful architecture to leave you in awe!
8 Unique Places to Visit in Nepal
1. JANAKPUR
One of the best unique places to visit in Nepal is Janakpur. Janakpur is located in the south of Nepal, close to the border with India. It is mostly famous for its Hindu temples and those coming here to perform praying ceremonies.
The most famous temple in Janakpur is the Janaki Mandir (‘mandir’ means ‘temple’ in Nepali) and it is beautifully decorated with colourful Mithila art. In the evenings, they even put up additional lights on the temple, so make sure to check it out both during the day and at night.
Other temples to visit include the Ram Mandir and the Shree Ram Janaki Biwah Mandir. According to the Hindu mythology, the Shree Ram Janaki Biwah Mandir is the place where Ram and Sita got married.
📍 Where to Stay: Hotel Janakpur Inn (Rated 9.1/10 ⭐ on 18 reviews)
Janakpur is also well known for its Mithila art and you will see a lot of wall painting as you walk around town. There are also some galleries where you can buy Mithila art paintings as a souvenir.
As the city is near the border with India, it’s cuisine was also influenced a lot by Indian food. There are many vendors selling Indian food, such as samosa and chaat, as well as Indian sweets. So Janakpur is a great place to indulge in Indian food.
Janakpur also has Nepal’s only railway station, so if you are curious you can check out the Janakpurdham Railway Station. It is a small railway station and if you are used to taking trains and big train stations, than the Janakpurdham Railway Station is not much interesting. Nevertheless, it is the only railway station in Nepal, so it can still be fun to check out.
Best Things to Do in Janakpur:
- Check out the temples: Janaki Mandir (Janaki Temple), Ram Mandir, Shree Ram Janaki Biwah Mandir
- Shop for Mithila paintings
- Visit the Janakpurdham Railway Station (Nepal’s only railway station)
- Try some Indian street food and sweets
Check out my Travel Guide to Janakpur here!
2. TANSEN, PALPA
Tansen is located in the south-west of Nepal, about 300 km from Kathmandu. They say that the weather in Tansen is always pleasant, it does not get too cold during winter and it does not get too hot during the monsoon. It is in the hilly region of Nepal, so even during winter months, the town gets lots of sunshine during the day.
If you visit Tansen during October-November and March-April, then you have the best chances of having clear views of the Himalayas. On a clear day, Tansen has panoramic views of the Himalayas. There is also the Tansen View Tower about 10-15 minutes hike in the Shreenagar Hill from where you can get great views on a clear day.
📍 Where to Stay in Tansen: Horizon Homestay (Rated 9.5/10 ⭐ on 119 reviews)
Apart from the panoramic views of the Himalayas, the best things to do in Tansen include visiting the coffee farms, Rani Mahal (the “Taj Mahal of Nepal”), the exhibition at the Tansen Durbar and Museum, having some Palpali food, shopping for clothes/items made out of the dhaka fabric and exploring the temples in town.
Best Things to Do in Tansen:
- Hike to Shreenagar Hill and Tansen View Tower
- Visit Rani Mahal (the “Taj Mahal of Nepal”)
- Tansen Durbar and Museum
- Temples (Amar Narayan Temple, Bhagwati Temple)
- Eat Newari and Palpali Food: chukauni (potato yogurt salad), batuk (like a lentil donut) and hansko choila (spicy duck meat)
- Visit coffe farms in Palpa
- Shop items made from Dhaka fabric (perfect souvenir to take home!)
Check out my Travel Guide to Tansen here!
3. BARDIA NATIONAL PARK
Are you looking to go on a jungle safari but want a less touristy version of Chitwan? Bardia National Park is the right place for you! Bardia is more remote than Chitwan and it has not been commercialized as much yet.
There are many different types of wildlife in Bardia, but it is best known for the royal bengal tiger. Apart from the tigers, you can spot wild elephants, rhinos, lizards, various birds and deer. If you want to spot tigers, you will have the biggest chance in Bardia!
📍 Where to Stay: Bardia Eco Friendly Homestay (Rated 9.9/10 ⭐ on 183 reviews)
The two main types of safari available in Bardia are the walking or jeep safari.
You can decide if you go for a full day of walking or jeep safari, alternatively, you can also sign up for a half-day walking and half-day jeep safari.
🐅 Read my travel guide to the Bardia National Park here!
4. GORKHA
Gorkha is a historically significant place and is known for the Gorkha Kingdom and the Gorkha king of Prithvi Narayan Shah who initiated the unification of Nepal.
The Gorkha district was the epicentre of the April 2015 Nepal Earthquake and the district was heavily impacted by the earthquake. Since then, the Gorkha Durbar has been reconstructed and it is now a beautiful place to visit for sunrise views.
Gorkha is mainly visited by domestic tourists and school groups and remains less visited places by foreign tourists. When I visited Gorkha, I did not meet or see any other foreigner for 3 days straight.
📍 Where to Stay in Gorkha: Universal Hotel and Lodge
Some of the best things to do in Gorkha include watching the sunrise from the Gorkha Durbar. You can visit the Gorkha Durbar anytime during the day but the sunrise views are the best.
There are also some easy hiking routes starting from the Gorkha Durbar, so if you want to spend some time in the nature, these hiking routes are nice. Although, it is hard to find a clear view of the mountains from these trails as there are lots of trees blocking the views – so it is more of a hike to be in the nature and less about getting great views of the Himalayas.
Best Things to Do in Gorkha:
- Gorkha Durbar (Best for sunrise or sunset)
- Hiking to the View Tower
- Gorkha Museum
- Temples
- Bhimsen Thapa Park
- Day Trip to Manakamana Temple and Cable Car
Check out my Travel Guide to Gorkha here!
5. KOSHI TAPPU WILDLIFE RESERVE
The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is located about 340 km from Kathmandu in the Koshi Province in Eastern Nepal. It is located close the border with India and takes around 14 hours to get there by bus from Kathmandu.
The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve has a diverse wildlife, such as arna (wild water buffalo), birds, dolphins, elephants, crocodiles, deer and wild boars among others.
Most people come here for bird watching as the reserve has many different species of birds, including winter migratory birds (between December-January). Even if you are not that into watching birds, it is a great place to spend some time in nature and spot different types of animals.
Koshi Tappu is much less visited by foreign tourists in comparison to Chitwan or even Bardia. While I was in Koshi Tappu, I did not meet any other foreigner and saw only one other group of Nepali tourists.
As the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is less visited, there is not much information online about accommodation, safaris and prices. If you want to know how to budget for your visit, check out my guide to the costs and budget for Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve here.
Best Things to Do at the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
- Spot wildlife: arna (wild water buffalo), birds, elephants, crocodiles, dolphins, deer.
- Wildlife Viewpoints: arna viewpoint, crocodile view point, dolphin view point
Check out my Travel Guide to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve here!
6. MANAKAMANA
- Manakamana Cable Car Ticket Price: Rs. 2,700 for foreigners (two-way), Rs. 770 for Nepali (two-way), Rs. 1,000 for Indian citizens (two-way)
- Manakamana Cable Car Opening Times: 8 am – 5 pm (with a break at 12-13:30 pm)
- Best Time to Visit the Manakamana Temple and Cable Car: weekdays. The weekends and public holidays can get extremely busy with queues up to 2-3 hours to the cable car.
Most people come to Manakamana to visit the Manakamana Temple. The Manakamana Temple is one of the most significant Hindu temples in Nepal and I was surprised by the number of people who visit the Manakamana Temple.
Many people visit the Manakamana Temple to perform worship ceremonies. The word ‘manakamana’ means the ‘heart’s wish’, and it is said that if you make a wish here, your wish will come true.
The easiest way to get to the Manakamana Temple is by taking the Manakamana Cable Car. The cable car was built in 1998, primarily to transport people to the Manakamana Temple. Beforehand, you could only reach the temple by a 3-4 hours hike from Aanbhu Khaireni.
🚠 Want to go on other cable cars? Check out the 4 best cable cars in Nepal!
Manakamana is mainly visited mainly by domestic and Indian tourists, and it remains less visited by other foreign tourists. So while it is a popular domestic destination, it is barely visited by foreigners.
The best thing is taking the Manakamana Cable Car to the Manakamana Temple. It takes about 10 minutes one way and you get pretty nice views of hills and the Trishuli River. Some sections are pretty steep, so if you are scared of heights, it is best not to look down sometimes.
Best Things to Do in Manakamana
- Manakamana Temple
- Manakamana Cable Car
Check out my travel guide to the Manakamana Temple and Cable Car here!
7. BHOOT CHHANGA WATERFALL
Looking for a true secret gem 3-4 hours from Kathmandu? Check out the Bhoot Chhanga Waterfall. It is located in the Sindhupalchowk district and it is best to visit if you have your own vehicle.
The Bhoot Chhanga waterfall is barely known to domestic or foreign tourists and it is mostly visited by locals in the area. If you are looking for something unique to do while in Kathmandu, the Bhoot Chhanga Waterfall is definitely worth it.
Visiting the Bhoot Chhanga Waterfall is a great day trip and is a great place to spend time in the nature and take a dip in the water on a hot day. It is the easiest to visit by car or motorbike. If you go by public transport, you would have to leave very early (around 6 am) to be able to make it as a day trip.
There are not much facilities by the waterfall, however, when I visited, they were in the process of building a restaurant near the entry and they were also constructing a changing room/toilet near the waterfall.
🏞️ Check out my travel guide to the Bhoot Chhanga Waterfall here!
8. GODAWARI
Godawari is located just 18 km south of Kathmandu and can be easily reached by public transport or taxi in maximum 1 hour. It is mostly famous for the Godawari Botanical Garden and the nearby Phulchowki Hill which a great day hike from Kathmandu.
The best time to visit the Godawari Botanical Garden is in the spring (March-April) when the flowers are in bloom but it is open all year round with some flowers in bloom at different times of the year.
The Phulchowki Hill is about 4 hours upward hike and 3 hours back downhill. So if you plan to go on this hike, it is best to start early morning and make a day hike. Make sure to pack lunch as options to buy food may not be possible.
Apart from the Godawari Botanical Garden and the Phulchowki Hill, there are some other hiking routes and Hindu temples in the area. Godawari also has some trout fish farms, so they can be a great stop for lunch or dinner if you like fish.
🌸 Check out my travel guide to Godawari here!
BONUS: Best Things to Do in Nepal
Looking for other things to do and places to visit in Nepal? Check out my city and town guides and best things to do:
- Best things to do in Kathmandu
- Best things to do in Pokhara
- Best things to do in Bandipur
- Best things to do in Patan
- Best things to do in Bhaktapur
- Best things to do in Nagarkot
- Best things to do in Dhulikhel
- Best things to do in Chitwan
- Best places to visit in Lumbini
FAQs: Unique Places to Visit in Nepal
Which is the most visited place in Nepal?
Some of the most visited places in Nepal include Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, Bhaktapur and Patan.
As for trekking routes, the most popular ones are the Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill and Everest Base Camp Trek.
What major tourist attraction brings so many tourists to Nepal?
The Himalayas in Nepal is the main tourist attraction that brings most of the tourists. Nepal has some of the best trekking trails in the world and many people visit Nepal to go trekking in the Himalayas. Thus, it is the major tourist attraction for most visitors.
What are the special tourist attractions in Nepal?
Some of the beautiful and special tourist attractions in Nepal include the world heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, Newari architecture of Bhaktapur, Janaki Temple in Janakpur, Gorkha Durbar in Gorkha, the Rani Mahal in Tansen and going on a jungle safari in Bardia National Park.
Conclusion
Many people come to visit Nepal to go trekking in the Everest or Annapurna Region but there are so many other places to visit in Nepal.
Nepal is full of beautiful places, from trekking routes in the Himalayas to jungle safaris, caves and cable cars.
Some of the hidden gems, unique places to visit in Nepal include Gorkha, Janakpur, Tansen, Bardia National Park and the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. These places are for you if you want to visit places in Nepal that are not full of foreign tourists and you get to learn more about the culture and history of Nepal.
