Nepal Travel Guide
We love Nepal. Why? This tiny country offers so much to travelers in search of amazing vistas, trekking, outdoor activities, cultural experiences, and fascinating cities. Despite its poverty, its gritty and overcrowded city streets, and its difficult living conditions, we instantly fell in love with this country.
Nepal offers some of the best trekking options in the world, with both the Annapurna Circuit and the trek to Everest Base Camp. But there is more to Nepal than just the Himalayas. The Kathmandu Valley is home to one of the densest concentrations of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. Pokhara is the adventure capital of Nepal but it is also a wonderful place to relax and to get your yoga fix. Walking the streets of Thamel in Kathmandu was one of our favorite activities.
Nepal is a budget traveler’s haven, offering world class activities at extremely low prices. Consider visiting here this year…you will make some phenomenal travel memories.
Nepal Stats
Official Languages: Nepali
Population: 30 million
Capital City: Kathmandu
Currency: Nepalese rupee
Power Outlet: Type C, D, and M
Top Experiences in Nepal
Trekking to Everest Base Camp. This is one of the main reasons people travel to Nepal. This is an epic travel experience, a multi-day trek through the Himalayas to the world famous Everest base camp. And yes, you can do it with kids! If you are traveling to Nepal as a family, you might like to read Trekking to Everest Base Camp with Kids.
Annapurna Circuit Trek. Believe it or not, this is Nepal’s most popular trek. Some say the views are more better here than on the journey to Everest.
Kathmandu. This city has got some serious character. The streets are narrow, dusty and crowded. Motorbikes, tuk-tuks, and people compete for space on the roads. Prayer flags flap in the wind. Shops filled with souvenirs compete for your money in Thamel. Kathmandu is chaotic, beautiful, dirty, overwhelming, energetic, friendly, loud, and tons of fun. Walking the streets here was so enjoyable for us, full of unexpected surprises
Lumbini. Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. This holy site is home to numerous temples and is a place of pilgrimage for many people.
Pokhara. Best spot in the world to go paragliding? Some say it is. Pokhara is also a great spot to relax, do yoga, go shopping, and hike up to the World Peace Pagoda.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Patan and Bhaktapur. Both of these cities, located near Kathmandu, are home to ancient temples. Unfortunately, some of them have been badly damaged or destroyed by the earthquake of 2015. These are places still worth seeing…visiting here could be like watching history unfold as Nepal slowly rebuilds some of its holiest sites.
Kathmandu
This is Kathmandu, Nepal…a Photojourney
Journey through Kathmandu, Nepal in photos.
Everest Base Camp Trek
Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary: A Day-By-Day Guide
The Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal was one of the highlights of our trip around the world. In fact, this trek was so important to us that we planned the entire year around this two week adventure. Trekking to base camp was more challenging than we anticipated, both physically and mentally, but was absolutely […]
Everest Base Camp with Kids: We Did It & Here’s What to Expect
Trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC), a bucket list item for many travelers, is not just an adventure for twenty or thirty year olds. It is possible to trek to Everest Base Camp with kids, as we proved in October 2014. Tyler and Kara were 10 and 11 years old when we trekked to Everest Base Camp. Kara […]
Everest Base Camp Trek in 18 Amazing Photos
The Everest Base Camp Trek takes those willing to do it through some of the most gorgeous terrain in the world. While trekking, ascending hundreds of meters every day, fighting for oxygen, and dealing with fatigue and the symptoms of early altitude sickness, it was difficult to appreciate the true beauty of the trek. Yes, we were […]
Flying to Lukla, Nepal: What It’s Really Like
Google “world’s most dangerous airport” and the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal, consistently makes it onto the list. The geography of the airport’s location combined with factors such as a very short runway and limited electricity make this airport one of the world’s most dangerous. Add in the fact that several of the airlines that […]
How to Trek to Everest Base Camp: Your Questions, Answered
Trekking to Everest Base Camp is an unforgettable journey. Hike through the mighty Himalayas, visit the monasteries, spin the prayer wheels, and make memories that will last a lifetime. We get a lot of questions about what it takes to plan and then trek to Everest Base Camp. So, I decided to put together this […]
Pokhara, Nepal
Do Roosters Crow in the Rain? Our Story from Pokhara, Nepal
Pokhara, a small city located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Kathmandu, is a popular tourist destination in Nepal. This city is located on Phewa Lake at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains and is the beginning of the Annapurna Circuit, another very popular trek in Nepal. Pokhara is known as the adventure capital of Nepal and this is the place to go white water rafting, paragliding, and hiking. Here is our experience.
Nearby Destinations
Around the World Itinerary: 13 Months & 35 Countries
In 2014 and 2015, we spent 13 months traveling around the world. If you are considering long-term travel and need some inspiration, or just want to find out what we did, here is our around the world itinerary. An Overview of Our Around the World Trip Duration: 13 months, 396 daysCountries visited: 35Continents: 5Distance traveled: […]
The Ultimate Guide to Hiking to the Tiger’s Nest, Bhutan
The Tiger’s Nest Monastery, also known as Paro Takstang, is one of Bhutan’s most recognized spots. Even people on the quickest of tours through Bhutan find the time to make it here. Why? Because this place is extraordinary. The Tiger’s Nest Monastery is a small collection of buildings precariously perched on a cliff, 900 meters […]
3 Month Southeast Asia Itinerary & Travel Planning Guide
Southeast Asia is the land of ancient temples, tropical beaches, metropolitan cities, mountain villages, and an endless supply of cultural experiences. This 3 month Southeast Asia itinerary allows you not only to see the highlights of this part of the world, but to also to fully immerse yourself in the local culture. On this Southeast […]
7 Day Bhutan Itinerary: Thimphu, Punakha, Paro & the Tiger’s Nest
Bhutan is a tiny country that is nestled among the mightiest mountains in the world. This is the land of dramatic mountain scenery, Buddhism, prayer wheels, dzongs, ancient traditions, chilies and cheese, rice terraces, and some of the most beautiful woodworking you will ever see. With one week in Bhutan, you can explore the cultural […]
Worst Travel Moments While Going Around The World
It’s a fact of life that things go wrong. In thirteen months of travel, it is unavoidable to have a few minor disasters along the way, even with proper planning and taking precautions to keep yourself healthy. Fortunately for us, the things that went wrong weren’t too terrible, although at the time we may have […]
A Journey through India in Photos
India is a country of stark contrasts. This is a country of magnificent beauty, ancient temples, towering mountains, steamy jungles, and hot, dry deserts. It’s also a country that is overpopulated and in some areas impoverished. Travel to India and you will love it and hate it, rejoice in its beauty and become disheartened with its […]
Travel Tips
When To Go
High season is October and November. The skies are clear and the weather is still relatively warm. This is when trekkers flock to Nepal, hitting the trails in the Himalayas. Shoulder season is in the spring during the months of March and April. If you trek to Everest Base Camp during this time you will be able to see the tents of Everest climbers at base camp. The monsoon brings rain from June to September, making trekking difficult. During the winter months, trekking in the Himalayas is possible, but be prepared for very cold conditions and snow.
Power Cuts, aka “Load Shedding”
Nepal does not have the infrastructure to provide electricity to all of its people all of the time. Be prepared for daily power cuts in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and other cities. There is a power schedule that is loosely followed.
Traveling Overland in Nepal
If you plan to travel in Nepal by car or bus, build extra time into your schedule. Travel in Nepal is slow. A 200 km journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara took us eight hours. Yes, traveling this way may be frustrating at times but it is an eye opening experience.
