The Best and Most Beautiful Hiking Adventures in Nepal after COVID-19

The Best and Most Beautiful Hiking Adventures in Nepal After COVID-19 crises

If you’re a hiker, then Nepal has to be on your bucket list! Thanks to its location right up in the Himalayas, it boasts some of the best treks in the world through the world’s highest mountain range. Along the way, you’ll not only see mountains, but turquoise lakes, golden temples, jungle wildlife, and you might just stop off for some tea in a traditional hill village!

things to do in nepal

Nepal is a super-friendly and welcoming destination, but if you only have limited time here, how do you decide what to do in this hiking paradise? We can help. In this post, we’ll take a look at the best and most beautiful hikes in Nepal. Hopefully, it’ll help you plan your holiday and make the most of a trip to Nepal! There are vacation rentals in Nepal as well to help you for your accommodation for you to relax and chill after your daily activities.

Learn about Nepalese culture as you trek on Annapurna

 After you’ve spent some time acclimatising to the altitude in Nepal, you’ll want to get out and enjoy the unique and spectacular landscape. If you’re new to hiking and trekking but still want to challenge yourself, consider hiking to the Annapurna Base Camp. The maximum altitude is just over 4,000 metres but you’ll be surrounded by stunning peaks that tower over you – with the highest Annapurna reaching 8,091 metres!

Hiking to Annapurna is a whole lot more than just snow-capped peaks and sheer granite cliff faces. You’ll head through a range of natural landscapes as you climb in altitude, including alpine woodlands, rhododendron forests, to rice pastures! You’ll also head through authentic Nepalese village.

The trek to Annapurna base camp also means that you’ll be able to get to stop off at Poon Hill. Time it so you see this at sunrise – one of the most beautiful in the area! If all that isn’t enough, you’ve also got the Annapurna Conservation Area Project which is home to more than 600 species of animal overall.

If you want a taster of everything Nepal has to offer, this is the hike for you!

If you want to really immerse yourself in Nepalese Culture, then a hike in Langtang National Park should be on your itinerary! That’s because you can enjoy the warm welcome of traditional homestays in hilltop villages where you’ll have the chance to try authentic food and experience proper Nepalese hospitality!

You’ll also be able to learn about Buddhist culture while enjoying the spectacular views of the mountains surrounding the trek. Langtang National Park isn’t too far from the capital Kathmandu, and it also offers the chance to see flora and fauna such as red pandas and snow leopards. Don’t be disappointed if you miss out, as both of these animals can be very reclusive.

Some of the parts of Langtang National Park that you won’t want to miss include the stunning Holy Lake Gosainkunda, the panoramic views of Laurbinayak Pass, a strolling through cooling bamboo forests!

Take a day hike around one of the country’s beautiful cities

You don’t need to leave Nepal’s cities to enjoy a great hike. Kathmandu Pokhara and Chitwan all boast beautiful treks that are an excellent way to get accustomed to the altitude before tackling something a little harder or higher up!

Taking day hikes from any of these cities will give you the chance to view some of the country’s flora and fauna, including birds, mammals, and reptiles. It also will offer an insight into rural culture!

This is definitely something to consider for building your tolerance to hiking or altitude!

 See turquoise lakes on the Lower Dolpo Circuit

In Nepal’s remote west, you’ll see that it’s not as developed as the capital Kathmandu. If you want to experience the real Nepal, the Lower Dolpo Circuit will introduce you to that part of the country! Think awesome views, Tibetan Buddhist Culture, temples and shrines mixed with natural beauty, and that’s the Lower Dolpo Circuit!

Lower Dolpo enables you to see nature in all its glory, including turquoise lakes like Phoksundo. You’ll even have the chance to try natural Himalayan Viagra (although we’re sure you won’t need it boys!)

You need a special trek permit for Lower Dolpo, so it’s worth speaking to an established tour company before deciding this is the best hike in Nepal for you!

Find your way to Makalu Base Camp

Another way to get off the beaten track in Nepal is with a trek to the Makalu Base Camp. The name Makalu may not immediately ring any bells, but it is the 5th highest mountain in the world, standing at 8,463 metres!

The base camp sits at a much more manageable 4,870m and on the way, you’ll have the chance to stay in traditional tea houses and meet locals who live in the mountains! You’ll cross deep gorges, discover green woodlands, and see multi-coloured flowers in Makalu-Barun National Park. This is considered one of the most beautiful hikes in Nepal and the Himalayas but do be warned – it’s quite the challenge!

Conquer the world’s highest mountain – Mount Everest

We’ll round off our list of the best and most beautiful hiking adventures in Nepal with something that is on most travellers’ bucket lists… Mount Everest! The trek to Everest Base Camp will take you to 5,545 metres and it’s one of the most challenging hikes in Nepal. It is, however, also one of the most beautiful!

You’ll be staying in Sherpa lodges along the way and have the chance to get to know this unique culture. Trekking to the Mount Everest Base Camp is something that will be etched into your memory forever – whether or not you carry on to conquer the world’s highest peak!

So, now that you know the best and most beautiful hikes in Nepal…

You’ll probably want to do all of these! But you’ll need a lot of time to do it. For more help to find the best hike for you, check out Nepal Footprint Holiday. There are lots of travel tips and advice for your vacation to Nepal so you can find the perfect hike and make the most of your trip!

Blog by Neil Kleise

10 Best Places to Visit in Nepal 2022

Nepal is a small country but when it comes to Tourism, the world in itself, Why? No doubt, Nepal has 8 of the world’s 14 highest mountain peaks including Mount Everest, 10 UNESCO listed Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites, the land of Brave Gurkhas, and the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha – The Light of Asia. If you are planning to visit Nepal in 2022 and bewildered where to go? No worries, we have listed here the top 10 best value tourist destinations that are ranked and rated by the visitors.

1. Kathmandu

Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal and the main touristic destination. With one and only International Airport – Tribhuvan International Airport, 7 out of 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, surrounding natural sites, unique and diverse culture, Kathmandu is the main touristic place in Nepal. You will be exploring Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Kirtipur, Pharping, Budhanilkantha inside the Kathmandu valley whereas Kopan Monastery, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Shivapuri, Phulchowki, Nagarjun, and Chandragiri nearby.

2. Pokhara

Pokhara is the second-largest city in Nepal after Kathmandu and as the tourist point of view, the most popular place in the world as most of the trekking trails to Annapurna Region starts from here. Because of the outdoor activities, the city is known as the adventure city as there are best places for Hiking, Trekking, Paragliding, Rafting, Bungee Jumping, and Sky Diving within and around the city.

Three out of ten world’s highest mountain peaks including Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu are nearby the city. Peace Temple, International Mountain Museum, Begnas Lake, Tal Barahi Temple, Phewa Lake, Gupteshwor Cave, David Falls are the main attractions to visit in Pokhara.

3. Lumbini

Lumbini is the famous sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhist pilgrims as the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha – The Light of Asia. There are many places to visit in Lumbini as Ashokan Pillar, Buddhist Temples, The Japan Peace Stupa, The Lumbini Museum, and The Lumbini International Research Institute (LIRI). You will find from budget to deluxe hotels for night stay in and around Lumbini and day sightseeing around the holy places is popular here.

4. Nagarkot

Nagarkot is the hilltop site for amazing sunrise and sunset views over the Himalayas including Mount Everest and well known other peaks. Located just 32km away from the capital city Kathmandu, Nepal in Bhaktapur District, Nagarkot offers the best mountain views, luxury stay, and sightseeing tours. It is one of the most popular travel destinations for international and domestic tourists.

5. Bandipur

Bandipur is a hilltop beautiful village located in Tanahun District of Nepal. Bandipur is getting popular for the village and cultural tourism. Bandipur is a living museum of Newari culture, a beautifully preserved village crowning a lofty ridge above the highway stop of Dumre. Its winding lanes are lined with traditional Newari houses. Time seems to have stood still here, although it has taken a lot of effort to preserve the magic while developing the town as a destination. Despite its proximity to the epicenter of the 2015 earthquake, Bandipur escaped with only minor damage, though a number of village houses collapsed.

6. Chitwan National Park

Popular for endangered animal species like Bengal Tiger and one-horned rhino, Chitwan National park is the famous touristic place beyond Kathmandu. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984, Chitwan National Park offers the Elephant safari, Cultural programs, Jungle walk, canoeing, and bird watching.

7. Namche Bazaar

Namche Bazaar is the main attraction of the Khumbu region trek located at 3440m high from sea level. Highly populated by indigenous Sherpa people, Namche Bazaar is the tourism business area, especially for altitude acclimatization. Besides a good number of hotels, restaurants, and equipment stores, one can even find a proper pub and cyber cafe. It is good to halt here for a couple of days to acclimatize by walking in and around Namche as acclimatization cannot be done in a hurry. A visit to Syangboche or some Sherpa villages such as Thame, Khumjung and Khunde just a few hours walks from Namche are good options for whiling away your time here.

8. Annapurna Circuit

After the Everest Base Camp Trekking, Annapurna Circuit trek is the most popular and one of the best treks in the world. The trek passes through the banks of rivers, valley, beautiful landscapes, across gorges and through the Himalayan sacred sites. Annapurna Circuit Trek provides an opportunity to the trekkers to view the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu Ranges. From September to December and March to May are the best months for trekking to Annapurna Circuit. Manang, Thorong La Pass, Jomsom, Muktinath, and Ghorepani Poon Hill are the main attractions of the trek.

9. Gosainkunda

Located north to the Kathmandu Valley, Gosainkunda is the popular travel and trekking destination for international and domestic tourists. Gosainkunda is a Himalayan glacier lake popular for pilgrimage tours as Hindu pilgrims visit during the August full moon festival for they believe the lakes were created by the god Mahadev (Shiva) and getting a bath in the lake will be holy for soul and body. During the adventure journey to Gosainkunda, you will encounter the stunning views of Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, Annapurna massif, and Mt. Langtang Lirung. This is the sacred site for Hindus as well as Buddhists too.

10. Janakpur

Janakpur is the Hindu holy site as it is popular for Janaki Temple and Ram Sita Temple. The birthplace of Goddess Sita, Janakpur is the largest temples in Nepal where God Ram and Goddess Sita got married. It is the biggest temple in Nepal, was built in 1898. Janakpur is also on the holy route of Parikrama (holy circle) carried out by Hindus as a form of worship in Ayodhya, Kashi, and Brij in India as well.