Temples in Nepal

Pashupatinath Temple, on the Bagmati River 5 km east of central Kathmandu, is the most sacred Shiva temple in Nepal and one of the holiest in South Asia. The two-tiered golden-roofed main temple is open to Hindus only; foreign visitors pay NPR 1,000 (Indian nationals enter free) and see it from the terraces on the east bank, where small stone shrines to Shiva line the hillside. Below, open-air cremations take place at the Arya Ghat throughout the day. You may watch from across the river, but keep a respectful distance, do not photograph grieving families close up, and never cross onto the ghats.

The complex is large: allow two hours to walk the east bank, the Gorakhnath area and the riverside path to Guhyeshwari Temple, a Shakti temple also closed to non-Hindus. Every evening around dusk, priests perform the Bagmati aarti, a fire ceremony with lamps, bells and chanting on the ghats opposite the main temple, and anyone can watch from the steps. Sadhus in orange robes and painted faces pose for photos and expect a tip of NPR 100 or more. On Maha Shivaratri in February or March, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arrive and the area is closed to cars.

Boudhanath (Boudha) is one of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. Its white dome and gilded tower, painted with the eyes of the Buddha, rise from a circular plaza lined with monasteries, thangka shops and rooftop cafes. Entry is NPR 400. Come at dusk, when monks, Tibetan families and pensioners walk the kora around the stupa spinning the 108 prayer wheels set into its base, and butter lamps are lit at the small shrines. Shechen and other monasteries in the side lanes welcome quiet visitors, and Kopan Monastery on the hill to the north runs short introductory meditation courses.

Swayambhunath, on a hill west of the city, is older and mixes Buddhist and Hindu shrines. It is known as the Monkey Temple for the macaques that will steal any food you carry. The eastern stairway has 365 stone steps; the western approach by taxi is easier. Entry is NPR 200. The terrace gives the best view across the valley, and the stupa is busiest at sunrise with locals on their morning circuit.

Each of the valley’s three old kingdoms built its palace square, and each is a dense collection of temples. Kathmandu Durbar Square (NPR 1,000, including the Tribhuvan Museum in the Hanuman Dhoka palace) has the Kumari Ghar, home of the living goddess Kumari, who sometimes appears at a window of the courtyard; photographing her is forbidden. The Taleju Temple opens to the public only during Dashain, and the Kasthamandap pavilion, flattened by the 2015 earthquake, has been rebuilt. Walk north from the square through Indra Chowk and Asan, where neighbourhood shrines stand in the middle of the market.

Changu Narayan Temple (NPR 300), on a ridge 12 km east of Kathmandu, is considered the oldest temple in the valley; a stone pillar in its courtyard carries an inscription from the 5th century, and the woodcarvings and stone images of Vishnu around the pagoda are among Nepal’s finest. You can walk there from Bhaktapur in about two hours, or continue to Nagarkot for the mountain view.

Budhanilkantha Temple, at the foot of Shivapuri hill in the north of the valley, has a 5 m stone Vishnu reclining on a bed of cosmic serpents in a tank of water. Non-Hindus may walk around the enclosure but not descend to the image. In the south, Dakshinkali, a Kali temple near Pharping, holds animal sacrifices on Tuesday and Saturday mornings; it is a sight for those who are prepared for it. In Kirtipur, the Bagh Bhairab temple and the hilltop town make an easy half-day from the city.

Lumbini, in the Terai plains near the Indian border, is where Siddhartha Gautama was born in about the 6th century BCE. The core is the Maya Devi Temple, a plain white building over the excavated brick remains and the marker stone said to show the exact birth spot, next to the sacred Puskarini pond and the Ashoka Pillar erected in 249 BCE. Entry is NPR 700; shoes come off at the temple and photography inside is not allowed.

North of the sacred garden, the Monastic Zone is a 4 km-long park of temples built by Buddhist countries, with Theravada monasteries on the eastern side and Mahayana and Vajrayana ones on the west, including Chinese, Thai, Myanmar, German and Korean temples. The canal path is long and hot, so rent a bicycle or an e-rickshaw at the gate and arrive by 8am from April to June, when afternoon temperatures pass 40°C. The World Peace Pagoda stands at the northern end. Gautam Buddha International Airport near Bhairahawa has domestic flights from Kathmandu, about 35 minutes; buses take 8 to 10 hours.

Muktinath Temple, at about 3,710 m in Mustang district, is one of the holiest Vishnu shrines for Hindus and, as Chumig Gyatsa, a sacred site for Tibetan Buddhists. Pilgrims bathe under 108 water spouts behind the pagoda and in two cold pools before entering; you can join in if you bring a change of clothes. A small Buddhist temple next door shelters a natural gas flame burning above a spring. Trekkers arrive over the Thorong La on the Annapurna Circuit, and pilgrims come by jeep from Jomsom, about one and a half hours, after a short flight from Pokhara. You need the ACAP permit (NPR 3,000) but not the Upper Mustang permit; see our Nepal trekking guide for the details. Altitude can hit people who fly straight in, so walk slowly.

Other pilgrimage temples worth the trip: Manakamana Temple above the Prithvi Highway, reached by a cable car from Kurintar, about 10 minutes; Janaki Mandir, the marble palace-temple to Sita in Janakpur; and the lakes of Gosaikunda, which fill with Hindu pilgrims at the August full moon of Janai Purnima. In the Everest region, the monastery at Tengboche holds the Mani Rimdu masked-dance festival in the autumn.

The valley’s sites are close but traffic is slow, so group them. A good first day pairs Pashupatinath in the morning with Boudhanath, a 30-minute walk or short taxi ride north, for the evening kora. A second day covers Swayambhunath at sunrise and Kathmandu Durbar Square, walking back through Asan. Give Patan a half day and Bhaktapur a full day or an overnight, with Changu Narayan on the way. Taxis between these sites cost roughly NPR 400 to 800 (agree the fare first or use the Pathao or InDrive apps), and local buses to Bhaktapur leave from Ratna Park.

Most sites open around dawn and the ticket counters close in the early evening; the stupas never really close, since locals walk the kora from first light. Licensed guides wait at the ticket offices of the Durbar Squares and Pashupatinath and charge around NPR 1,000 to 2,000 for one to two hours. A good one explains the iconography that you would otherwise walk past, which matters more here than at most temple sites in Asia. Carry small notes for donations and shoe-minders, and keep every ticket, because staff check them at side entrances.

• Walk clockwise: go around stupas, chortens, mani walls and temples with the monument on your right, and spin prayer wheels clockwise. On a mountain trail, pass a mani wall on its left side.
• Shoes and leather: remove shoes before entering any shrine and many temple courtyards, and leave leather belts and bags outside Hindu inner sanctums where signs ask.
• Dress: cover shoulders and knees; a light scarf and long trousers or a skirt work for every site.
• Hindus only: respect the signs at Pashupatinath, Guhyeshwari, Taleju and many valley temples, and never step past them.
• Offerings and tika: do not touch offerings or images, and do not step over them on the ground. If a priest gives you a tika, a small donation of NPR 50 to 100 is customary.
• Photography: ask before photographing people at prayer, never photograph cremations up close or the Kumari, and check for no-photo signs inside shrines.
• Feet and hands: do not point your feet at an image or a monk, and pass things with your right hand.

For greetings, home visits and other everyday customs, see our Nepal culture guide.