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Bagmati Province

Kathmandu Valley and Langtang — the heart of Nepal's culture, with Gosaikunda's sacred lakes.

Central Himalaya

Legend

  • Treks
  • Hikes
  • Passes
  • Mountains
  • Lakes

Quick Stats

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40
Landforms
5
Terrain
Central Himalaya
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Trails & landmarks

Mountain

Langtang Lirung

The dominant peak of the Langtang range — shining wall north of Kathmandu's closest valley.

Difficulty: Expert7227 m
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Trek

Langtang Valley

A 7-day trek 40 km from Kathmandu — pine forests, yak pastures and a hanging glacier finale.

Difficulty: Moderate3870 m
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Hike

Kyanjin Gompa

The roadhead of the Langtang valley — a cheese factory, a monastery and cold beers at altitude.

Difficulty: Moderate3870 m
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Mountain

Kyanjin Ri

A steep acclimatisation climb above Kyanjin — 360° view of the Langtang Himal.

Difficulty: Moderate4773 m
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Mountain

Tserko Ri

Higher than Kyanjin Ri — a full day's climb for the best Shishapangma view from Nepal.

Difficulty: Challenging5000 m
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Mountain

Yala Peak

The gentlest technical introduction in Langtang — rope-team snow slopes above Kyanjin.

Difficulty: Challenging5500 m
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Lake

Gosaikunda

Shiva's sacred lake — an August full-moon pilgrimage to an ice-rimmed crater tarn.

Difficulty: Challenging4380 m
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Lake

Saraswati Kunda

The lower pool of the Gosaikunda rosary — smaller, often mirrored by cloudless sky.

Difficulty: Challenging4330 m
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Lake

Bhairab Kunda

One of 108 Gosaikunda lakes — a small tarn said to clear the sins of whoever bathes.

Difficulty: Challenging4200 m
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Lake

Surya Kunda

The highest of the Gosaikunda ring — on the climb toward Laurebina Pass.

Difficulty: Challenging4600 m
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Passe

Laurebina Pass

The crossover from Gosaikunda to Helambu — Shiva temple and a long descent to Ghopte.

Difficulty: Challenging4610 m
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Passe

Ganja La Pass

A technical pass linking Langtang to Helambu — fixed lines on ice, remote camping either side.

Difficulty: Expert5122 m
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Trek

Helambu Trek

A short, close-to-Kathmandu trek through Sherpa and Tamang villages — rhododendrons in spring.

Difficulty: Easy3600 m
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Mountain

Ama Yangri

A prayer-flagged summit above Tarkeghyang — a perfect sunrise above Helambu's cloud sea.

Difficulty: Moderate3771 m
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Hike

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Hanuman Dhoka, Kumari Ghar and pagoda courtyards — the medieval heart of the Newar capital.

Difficulty: Easy1350 m
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Hike

Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple)

A white stupa with all-seeing eyes — 365 steps to the oldest Buddhist shrine in Kathmandu Valley.

Difficulty: Easy1370 m
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Hike

Boudhanath Stupa

One of the largest stupas in the world — the Tibetan quarter, mani wheels and butter-lamp dusk.

Difficulty: Easy1350 m
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Hike

Pashupatinath

The most sacred Shiva temple on the Bagmati river — ghats, ash-smeared sadhus and the evening arati.

Difficulty: Easy1350 m
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Hike

Patan Durbar Square

Malla-era Newar masterpiece — Krishna Mandir, Patan Museum and courtyards of stone carving.

Difficulty: Easy1350 m
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Hike

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

A brick-and-timber Newar town frozen in the 18th century — Nyatapola pagoda and kumari workshops.

Difficulty: Easy1350 m
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Hike

Changu Narayan

The oldest temple in the Kathmandu Valley — Vaishnava reliefs on a quiet pine-shaded hill.

Difficulty: Easy1540 m
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Hike

Nagarkot

Kathmandu's sunrise balcony — on a clear morning, a 200 km line from Annapurna to Everest.

Difficulty: Easy2175 m
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Mountain

Chandragiri Hills

The cable-car ridge west of the city — Prithvi Narayan's first glimpse of the valley.

Difficulty: Easy2551 m
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Mountain

Phulchoki

The highest hill ringing Kathmandu — shola forest with 300 recorded bird species.

Difficulty: Moderate2782 m
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Mountain

Shivapuri Peak

A forested day-hike out of Budhanilkantha — Ganesh Himal on the skyline and leopards in the park.

Difficulty: Moderate2732 m
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Hike

Dhulikhel

A Newar town on the rim of the valley — 360° Himalayan panorama from Numbur to Ganesh.

Difficulty: Easy1550 m
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Hike

Namobuddha

Pilgrimage site where the Buddha, in a past life, fed a starving tigress — a hill of prayer flags.

Difficulty: Easy1750 m
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Lake

Panch Pokhari

Five holy lakes on a Sindhupalchok ridge — Janai Purnima yatra and Jugal Himal behind.

Difficulty: Challenging4100 m
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Lake

Tsho Rolpa

A glacial lake at the head of Rolwaling — Nepal's fastest-growing and a seven-day trek in.

Difficulty: Challenging4580 m
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Trek

Rolwaling Valley

Nepal's hidden beyul between the Khumbu and Gauri Shankar — Tashi Lapcha as the dramatic exit.

Difficulty: Expert4200 m
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Mountain

Gauri Shankar

Twin-summitted Shiva-Parvati peak — sacred, steep and technical above the Rolwaling.

Difficulty: Expert7134 m
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Passe

Tashi Lapcha Pass

A technical crossing from Rolwaling into the Khumbu — fixed lines, crevasses and Parchamo above.

Difficulty: Expert5755 m
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Mountain

Parchamo Peak

A trekking peak on the Tashi Lapcha — long snow slopes to a corniced summit ridge.

Difficulty: Expert6187 m
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Mountain

Jugal Himal

A wild cluster of 7000ers above Sindhupalchok — Dorje Lakpa and Madiya the signature peaks.

Difficulty: Expert6988 m
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Mountain

Numbur Peak

The sacred peak of the Solu valley — the cheese-circuit trek loops its southern pastures.

Difficulty: Expert6957 m
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Trek

Chitwan National Park

UNESCO-listed Terai jungle — one-horned rhinos, Bengal tigers and Tharu stick dances at dusk.

Difficulty: Easy150 m
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Hike

Rasuwa Gadhi

The old Kerung fort on the Tibet border — once Nepal's busiest overland trading post.

Difficulty: Easy1850 m
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Trek

Ganesh Himal Base Camp (Ruby Valley)

Dhading's Ruby Valley trek — Tamang villages, ruby-bearing rocks and a quiet alpine camp beneath Ganesh I.

Difficulty: Challenging4100 m
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Hike

Daman Viewpoint

Makawanpur's ridge tower — on a clear winter dawn the entire Nepal Himalaya unfolds, Dhaulagiri to Kanchenjunga.

Difficulty: Easy2322 m
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Hike

Sindhuligadhi Fort

Sindhuli's hilltop fortress where Captain Kinloch's 1767 expedition was repulsed — commanding view of the Mahabharat range.

Difficulty: Easy1463 m
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