Plan your trip to Nepal

From the Buddha’s birthplace in Lumbini to the world’s tallest peak, Mt. Everest, Nepal is a colorful and mountainous land of grand history and epic landscapes. Nepal’s deeply religious population predominantly follows Hinduism, followed by Buddhism, though the two religions often share the same temples—and even gods—for their ceremonies.

Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, teems with temples, ancient pagodas, stone shrines and cobblestone streets, and the entire Kathmandu Valley is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its wealth of cultural monuments and natural sites. Nepal boasts nine national parks and a slew of conservation areas. Visit the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in the eastern plains, which is the last habitat of the wild water buffalo, and is home to wild boars, jackals, pythons, crocodiles and more that 400 species of birds, like the sarus cranes.

Other destinations in Nepal include Pokhara in the midwest, which sets against the Annapurna Mountains, and Lumbini, which features temples, the Ashoka Pillar (erected in honor of Buddha) and the Sacred Garden, the site of Buddha’s birth.