Historical Places in Nepal

The regal Kathmandu Durbar Square is one of the three durbar squares in the country. Till date, the place remains the most remarkable legacy of Kathmandu's traditional architecture. The magnificent Durbar Square has often been referred to as the heart that houses all the traditions of the old town of Kathmandu and for a good reason.

Timings : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM every day
Closed on Saturday

Entry Fee : Foreigners - NPR 1000,
SAARC country citizens - NPR 200,
Students - No Entry Fee

The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was once home to the royal family of Bhaktapur. Locally known as Khwopa or the ancient Newa City, visitors can explore the entire complex that consists of four different squares – Taumadhi Square, Durbar Square, Pottery Square and Dattatreya Square. Typical findings here are the Bhaktapur royal palaces along with several temples and other ancient structures dating back to the 17th and the 18th century.

Timings : 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Time Required : 2-3 hours

Entry Fee : Foreign Nationals – NPR 1500
Chinese Nationals – NPR 500
SAARC Nationals – NPR 500
Nepalese Nationals – Free Entry

Perched on top of the Semgu Hill located in the outskirts to the west of the Kathmandu Valley, this temple is often considered to be one of the crowning glories of the country’s architectural skills. The Swayambhu Temple is one of the most captivating of all the religious shrines in the city of Kathmandu and for good reason. Its colossal white dome, crowned by a scintillating spire, gives it a regal appearance that draws people to it on a daily basis.

Entry Fee :

Foreign Nationals: NPR 200
SAARC Nationals: NPR 50
Nepalese citizens: No entry fee

One of the holiest Hindu shrines in Nepal, the Pashupatinath Temple is stretched across both the banks of the sacred Bagmati River on the eastern fringes of Kathmandu. The sanctum devoted to Lord Shiva draws in thousands of devotees who come to offer their prayers and seek blessings from Him. Sprawled across a large area with temples and ashrams, this temple is a repository of pictures, images, and intricately inscribed tablets.

Timings : 
Temple Timings 4:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Inner Temple Courtyard: 4:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sanctum Sanctorum: 5:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Morning) 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Evening)
Apart from Abhisheka time, devotees can worship from all the four entrances from 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Entry Fee : 
NPR 1000 for Foreign and SAARC Nationals
Free for Indian and Nepali Nationals

Situated at a distance of about 11 kilometres from the central region and the northeastern outskirts of the capital city of Kathmandu, the stupa receives many devotees of different religions who bow their heads in humble prayers or come to seek refuge around it. Very few places match the beauty of the Boudhanath Stupa.

Entry Fee:
Foreign nationals and Chinese citizens: NPR 400
SAARC nationals: NPR 100
Nepalese citizens: No entry fee
Children (below 10 years old, irrespective of their nationalities): No entry fee

Changu Narayan is a synonymous word with both the old Nepalese temple and the village that surrounds it. Located in the Bhaktapur district some 12 km east of Kathmandu, the existence of this temple is more or less the only reason the village called Changu Narayan is known to the outside world.

Entry Fee : No entry fee

Located on the picturesque Kopan Hills (20 minutes drive from the city centre) on the fringes of Kathmandu, Kopan Monastery is a stunning Tibetan Buddhist Monastery established between the late 1960s and early 1970s. People who are interested in learning Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism visit this place. One can choose to enrol in a short-term (7 days) course to get a gist of this ancient way of living. The facilities are humble but ensure that everyone leaves feeling calm and composed.

Timings : 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM every day
The monastery doesn't allow visitors between 11th November and 20th December

Entry Fee : No entry fee

Known For : Maya Devi Temple Bodhi Tree, Lumbini Mayadevi Pond

Nirvana is not too far when you step foot in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, nestled in the lap of the Himalayas. A serene pilgrimage site located close to the Indian border, Lumbini is placed in Nepal's Rupandehi District. An abode of Buddhism, the entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with stupas and monasteries lining the entirety of Lumbini.

Best Time: April to May

20 Lumbini Attractions

Dedicated to Goddess Sita, Janaki Mandir is the biggest temple in Nepal located in Janakpur. It is constructed at the place where Goddess Sita was born. The attraction is now considered as a religiously important monument and a heritage site but is still an active temple for devotees. Anybody seeking a slice of the legend of Ramayana must visit the divine Janaki Temple. 

Timings : 5:30 AM - 11:00 PM and 4:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Entry Fee : No entry fee

Known For : Janaki Mandir Ram Mandir, Janakpur Rolwaling Valley

Janakpur is a city in Nepal, close to Indian Border, which is believed to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita and place of her marriage with Lord Ram. Watch history come alive and dance vibrantly right in front of your eyes, as you explore the sacred city. Also known as the City of Ponds, Janakpur boasts of more than seventy ponds that dot its verdant landscape.

Best Time: September to March

9 Janakpur Attractions

Perched at the highest altitude of the earth is the holiest of holy, Muktinath Temple, standing gloriously as a symbol of religious significance for both Buddhism and Hinduism. It is located in Muktinath Valley in Mustang, Nepal. This holy shrine is close to the rural Ranipauwa, which is often mistaken to be Muktinath.

Chitwan National Park is the first step that Nepal took toward the protection of the wildlife and nature at large. Located in the subtropical inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal, the national park covers an area of 952.63 sq. km. over the districts of Nawalparasi, Parsa, Makwanpur and Chitwan itself. The place was granted its long-due status as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Timings : 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Entry Fee : 
SAARC Nationals: NPR 1000
Foreign Nationals: NPR 1500

Sagarmatha National Park is a wildlife reserve that is well known to people for its location which is dominated by Mount Everest in the Himalayas of Eastern Nepal. The location, which is in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal, has been visited by tourists since the 1960s, although it was officially established in the year 1976, people have been flocking the area increased over the years because of the stunning scenery and the adventurous trails for trekking and hiking.

Among the world's greatest archaeological mysteries, Mustang, or Sky Caves in Nepal, are a collection of over 10,000 man-made caves dug into the sides of valleys near Kali Gandaki River. Built in 1,000 BC, Mustang Caves displays 600-year-old mummies of religious human sacrifices, fascinating caves carved 155 feet above the ground, recovered reams of Buddhist and Bon manuscripts, and meditation chambers.

Rishikesh Complex of Ruru Kshetra is an archaeologically significant Hindu pilgrimage and cremation site in religious epics. Located in the snow-capped Himalayas of Palpa District, this entire medieval ensemble displays Hindu and Buddhist craftsmanship and 15th-century sculptures. It is believed that those who take a holy bath in the Kaligandaki river thrice and pray in Rishikesh Temple can obtain Moksha.