South Asia
The roof of the world — Himalayan peaks, ancient temples and trekking.
Nepal is the land of the Himalaya — home to eight of the world's fourteen highest peaks, including Everest — and the greatest trekking destination on earth, but also a country of extraordinary depth: medieval temple squares, hilltop stupas, tiger-filled jungles and a warm, spiritual culture where Hinduism and Buddhism intertwine. Kathmandu, the chaotic, captivating capital in its bowl-shaped valley, is the gateway — a sensory whirl of shrines, prayer flags, markets and mountain air.
What things cost: Nepal is very cheap — food, rooms and local transport cost little, and even guided treks are affordable by Western standards. The main costs are trekking permits, guides and the flights or long jeep rides to the trailheads. When a zone below says 'low', that means genuinely low.
Sometimes the event picks the city for you.
Kathmandu's most spectacular street festival, centred on Durbar Square — masked lakhey dancers, huge chariots, and the highlight when the living goddess Kumari is paraded through the old city on her towering wooden chariot. Days of dancing, music, ritual and crowds thronging the ancient square; an electrifying, deeply traditional spectacle and the best time to feel old Kathmandu alive.
Kathmandu · Kathmandu Durbar Square
The longest and most important festival of the Nepali year — a fifteen-day celebration of the goddess Durga's victory over evil, when families reunite, elders bless the young with tika and jamara, kites fill the sky, and huge bamboo swings appear in the villages. A joyful, family-focused time; the city empties as people return home, and some businesses close, but the atmosphere is wonderful.
Kathmandu · Across the city
Nepal's beautiful five-day 'festival of lights' — homes and streets glow with oil lamps, candles and colourful rangoli patterns, and each day honours a different creature, including crows, dogs and cows, before the touching Bhai Tika between siblings. Gentler and prettier than Dashain, with singing groups going door to door; a magical, twinkling time to be in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu · Across the city
