A short field guide to the regions we know well — and which ones suit which kinds of travelers.
Seven UNESCO World Heritage sites in a single valley: Pashupatinath's cremation ghats, Boudhanath's white dome, Swayambhu's monkey temple, and the medieval durbar squares of Bhaktapur and Patan. Best paired with a rooftop dinner in Thamel.
The country's most photographed lake sits under an amphitheatre of 7,000-metre peaks. Perfect for first-time trekkers — the classic Poon Hill loop starts and ends in bath-tub distance of Phewa Lake.
Home to the Sherpa people and the world's most famous mountain. Teahouse trekking with a mix of high-altitude days and rest days in Namche Bazaar. Fitness matters; experience does not.
Nepal's "valley of glaciers" — a rebuilt, community-run route six hours north of Kathmandu. Fewer trekkers than Annapurna or Khumbu, and one of the most direct ways to sleep at altitude.
Nepal's Terai lowlands: one-horned rhinos, Bengal tigers (rarely seen but often heard), sloth bears and 500-plus bird species. A soft-landing counterweight after a hard trek.
The birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama is a wide sacred garden dotted with monasteries built by every Buddhist nation. Quiet, moving, and unlike anywhere else in Nepal.
