Bandipur
Car-Free Newar Hill Town Between Kathmandu and Pokhara
An old Newar trading town on a ridge above the Prithvi Highway, 8 km up from Dumre: one paved bazaar street with no traffic, 18th-century houses turned into guesthouses, and a long Himalayan view from Tundikhel. It breaks the Kathmandu–Pokhara drive or the road down to Chitwan. Siddha Gufa, one of Nepal's largest caves, is a walk below.
Highlights
- Car-free Newar bazaar
- Himalayan view from Tundikhel
- Siddha Gufa cave
- Sunrise at Thani Mai
- Village walk to Ramkot
Things to do
- Bazaar & Tundikhel viewpoint walkAfternoon · 2h
- Siddha Gufa caveMorning · 3h
- Sunrise at Thani Mai TempleMorning · 1h 30m
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: October – April
Heads up
Monsoon Cloud Hides the Himalaya
From June to September the mountains are usually in cloud, so the sunrise views from Nagarkot, Sarangkot and Pokhara are a matter of luck; mornings give the best chance. The Prithvi Highway is often slowed by landslides.
- Dashain (Bada Dashain) — Nepal's biggest festival, 15 days ending on the full moon, with the main days (Phulpati to Vijaya Dashami, the day of tika from elders) like India's Navratri and Dussehra. Kathmandu empties as people go home: buses and domestic flights sell out a week either side, government offices, many shops and some restaurants close for 4-5 days, and prices rise. It falls in the autumn trekking season, so book transport early.
- Tihar (Deepawali) — Five days of lights, two to three weeks after Dashain: crows, dogs and cows are honoured on successive days, Laxmi Puja falls on India's Diwali, and Bhai Tika ends it. Towns are lit with oil lamps and garlands and children sing deusi-bhailo door to door. Offices close for the last days and long-distance buses fill up again.