Chitwan Jungle Safari, Chitwan National Park

Best time to travel: Jan-early March, Oct-Dec
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • Safari, canoe ride and trip to an elephant breeding center in Chitwan National Park conservation area, in the first national park of Nepal, established in 1973, located in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands

Everest Base Camp, Sagarmatha National Park

Best time to travel: March-May, Oct-Nov
Walk difficulty: Hard
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • There are two base camps on Mount Everest, on opposite sides of the mountains: South Base Camp is in Nepal at an altitude of 17,598 ft, while North Base Camp is in Tibet, at 16,900 ft
  • The base camps are rudimentary campsites at the base of Mount Everest that are used by mountain climbers during their ascent and descent; they are also visited by hikers
  • Supplies are shipped to the South Base Camp by porters, and with the help of animals, usually yaks
  • Climbers typically rest at base camp for several days for acclimatization, to reduce the risk of altitude sickness

Mount Everest, Solukhumbu District

Best time to travel: March-May, Oct-Nov
Walk difficulty: Hard
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • Earth’s highest mountain above sea level, located in the Himalayas
  • Its elevation (snow height) of 29,031.7 ft was most recently established in 2020
  • Mount Everest attracts many climbers, including highly experienced mountaineers
  • There are two main climbing routes, one approaching the summit from the southeast in Nepal (known as the “standard route”) and the other from the north in Tibet
  • While not posing substantial technical climbing challenges on the standard route, Everest presents dangers such as altitude sickness, weather, and wind, as well as hazards from avalanches and the Khumbu Icefall
  • As of 2019, over 300 people have died on Everest, many of whose bodies remain on the mountain
  • The first recorded efforts to reach Everest’s summit were made by British mountaineers
  • The 1922 expedition pushed the north ridge route up to 27,300 ft, marking the first time a human had climbed above 26,247 ft

Annapurna Sanctuary

Best time to travel: Sept-Nov
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • High glacial basin surrounded by a ring of mountains, the Annapurna range
  • Because of the complex geography, the Sanctuary was not penetrated by outsiders until 1956
  • The unique combination of heights and depths make the Annapurna Sanctuary trek a the 5-7 day trek
  • The entire sanctuary was held as sacred to the Gurung people, one of the many native people to inhabit the area
  • The sanctuary was believed to be the home of several deities, from Hinduism and Buddhism as well as older animistic gods
  • In recent years, the number of trekkers to the Sanctuary has increased substantially
  • The Annapurna Sanctuary is now part of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, which places restrictions on number of outside travelers, gathering of firewood, and domestic animal grazing

Boudhanath, Kathmandu

Best time to travel: Sept-Nov
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Stupa in Kathmandu, its massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal and the world
  • The influx of large populations of refugees from Tibet has seen the construction of over 50 gompas (Tibetan monastery) around Boudha
  • Tibetan merchants have rested and offered prayers at Boudha Stupa for many centuries
  • When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many decided to live around Boudhanath
  • The stupa is said to entomb the remains of Kassapa Buddha

Manaslu, Mansiri Himal

Best time to travel: April-June, mid Sept-Nov
Walk difficulty: Hard
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • Eighth-highest mountain in the world at 26,781 ft above sea level
  • It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas
  • Manaslu was first climbed in 1956, by members of a Japanese expedition
  • The popular Manaslu trekking route of 110 miles follows an ancient salt-trading route along the Budhi Gandaki River
  • The highest point reached along the trek route is the Larkya La at an elevation of 16,752 ft
  • As of 2008, the mountain has been climbed 297 times with 53 fatalities

Imja Tse, Sagarmatha National Park

Best time to travel: April-June, mid Sept-Nov
Walk difficulty: Hard
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

  • Mountain in Sagarmatha National Park of the Himalayas
  • The peak was named Island Peak in 1953 by members of the British Mount Everest expedition because it appears as an island in a sea of ice when viewed from Dingboche
  • The peak was later renamed in 1983 to Imja Tse but Island Peak remains the popular choice
  • The southwest summit of Imja Tse was first climbed in 1953 as part of a training exercise by a British expedition that went on to summit Mount Everest
  • The team who climbed Imja Tse comprised Tenzing Norgay, Charles Evans, Alfred Gregory, Charles Wylie and seven other Sherpas