Lumbini is the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, founder of Buddhism. It is also enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Ashokan Pillar, Maya Devi Temple and the monasteries made by different countries are the attractions of Lumbini.

How to reach Lumbini?
If you are going to Lumbini from Kathmandu or any other part of the country,  take a bus to Bhairahawa (10 hours from Kathmandu; 6 hours from Chitwan). From Kathmandu, you can also fly to Bhairahawa which takes around half an hour. Get off there and take a taxi, three wheeler from the airport or a bus from the local bus stand to Lumbini, which will drop you at the bus station at the main gate of Lumbini Development Zone. The drive to Lumbini takes around one and half hours.

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Sightseeing
The Sacred Garden consists of the Maya Devi Temple, the pond where Buddha was born and the Ashokan Pillar. The Garden lies in front of the main gate.

Maya Devi Temple is considered to be on the exact site where Buddha was born. The temple opens everyday from 6 am to 5:30 pm. The temple is being restored at the moment. There is a sandstone carving depicting the birth of  Buddha. A marker stone which is believed to have been laid by King Ashoka marking the place where Buddha was born is also seen in the temple complex.

There is a sacred pond beside the temple is believed to be the pond where Maya Devi bathed before giving birth to Buddha. There are brick foundation restorations of buildings and stupas dating from second century BC to tenth century AD around the pond.

The Ashokan Pillar, the oldest monument in Nepal, records Ashoka’s visit to Nepal in 249 BC. The pillar was split by lightening in around seventh century and is held together by metal bands. There is a lotus shaped stone lying on the ground beside the pillar.

There are many monasteries in the development zone. A master plan for the development of the Lumbini has been approved by the government and work has been going on for some years. 41 plots are allocated for building temples and monasteries. Various countries and organizations have built monasteries that reflect the culture and architecture of their countries.

There is an eternal flame burning to the north of the Sacred Garden. This is a symbolic remembrance to Buddha, the ‘Light of Asia’. From the eternal flame, there is one kilometer long canal running northwards which separates the monastic zones in two parts. At the end of the canal is the Lumbini Museum which opens from Wednesday to Monday from 10 am to 3 pm. The entry fee is Rs 50 (around 80 cents) for citizens of countries other than SAARC -South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation- and Rs. 10 (around 15 cents) for the citizens of SAARC countries. There is a Lumbini Research Institute which is open for serious researchers only.

Outside the compound, there is a World Peace Pagoda which is constructed by the Japanese Buddhists. The wetlands around the pagoda are conserved as part of the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary and you might be able to see rare sarus cranes there.

Places to stay and eat
There are several lodges and hotels outside the compound of the development zone. Please use our hotel finder application to find the right accommodation that suits you. There are two restaurants inside the compounds; Lumbini Garden Restaurant - in front of the Sacred Garden- and Pilgrim’s Rest Cottage- near the Burmese stupa. Besides the accommodation listed in the hotel finder application, there are also other guest houses and restaurants outside the compound. The monasteries- Nepali, Korean and Tibetan- also provide accommodation for a modest donation.

Events and Festivals
The most important Buddhist celebration at Lumbini is the annual Buddha Jayanti festival which marks the birth of Buddha. This lies on the full moon day (April or May). Buddhist pilgrims visit Lumbini especially on this day and all the full moons and eighth day after the full moon.

Local tours to the villages around the Lumbini, which show the local culture and lifestyle can also be organized. Visitors can walk through the villages or ride on a rickshaw or bullock cart.

There is a bank outside the Eastern Gate where you can exchange your foreign currency.

If you can spare some time, make it a point to visit Tilaurakot- the ruins of the ancient Kapilbastu- the childhood home of Buddha.

Heritages and Temples
The literary meaning of Lalitpur, also known as Patan, is ‘the city of fine arts’. There are a lot of temples, pagodas, stupas, monastries, maths, and chaityas in Patan. The most important monument is the Patan Durbar Square, which was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. The Patan Durbar Square Complex consists of 19 monuments in and around it. Some of the popular monuments are the Kumbeshwor temple, the Rato Machhendranath temple, Krishna Mandir, Banglamukhi temple and the Hiranya Varna Maha Vihar.

Handicrafts
Patan is renowned for producing the highest number of artists and finest craftsmen ever recorded in the Nepalese history. The most famous of these is Arniko, who spread the legacy of this city far and wide. Traditional handicrafts and small scale and cottage industries are still popular among the residents of Patan. The majority of people living in the Patan city are Newars.

Ashokan Stupas
According to a legend, Emperor Ashoka of India visited Patan with his daughter in 250 BC and erected 5 stupas, four around Patan (one in each of the corner) and one in the middle. The 4 Ashokan stupas are at Imadol in the east, Ibahi in the north, Pulchowk in the west and Lagankhlel in the south.

Museum
Patan Museum, which dates back to 1734, is situated in the Keshav Narayan Chowk. Most of the objects are cast bronzes and gilt copper repousse work, traditional crafts for which Patan is famous. There are about 1500 objects on display in the museum. There is also a café offering various delicacies right next to the museum. The museum is open from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm, except on Tuesdays.

Transportation
In order to go to Patan, you could board a safa tempo that leaves from Kathmandu main post office or a micro bus (route 14) that leaves from Shahid gate. You will reach Lagankhel from where you could walk ten minutes north to reach Patan Durbar Square. If you take a bus (route 26) then it will drop you in Patan Dhoka from where you can reach Patan Durbar Square in about fifteen minutes. If you take a taxi from Thamel, it will cost you about Rs. 200 (about 3 dollars). If you are in other areas of the valley, you could take a public vehicle to Lagankhel Bus Park and walk from the bus park.

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Specialty
Bhaktapur is referred to as the ‘Living Heritage’, ‘City of Culture’, ‘An Open Museum’ and ‘Nepal’s Cultural Gem’. Bhaktapur is renowned for its colorful festivals, craftsmanship of its locales, beautiful monuments and brilliant handicrafts. The handicrafts found in Bhaktapur include paubha scroll paintings, papier mache masks, jewelry, ceramic products, woodcarvings, and metalwork. Bhaktapur is best known for Bhaad Gaule Topi (a special type of cap), ju-ju dhau (yoghurt, ju-ju dhau literally means the king of all yoghurt varieties) and the home spun haku-patasi (black sari). Foreigners and SAARC nationals have to pay an entry fee to enter this city.

Heritages and Temples
Tachupal Tole is located in the older east end of Bhaktapur while Taumadhi Tole and Durbar Square dominate the west end. Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Changunarayan Temple of Bhaktapur district are the two monuments enlisted by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites

Some of the other important Hindu and Buddhist temples and shrines in Bhaktapur are the Nyatopola Temple, Bhairabnath Temple, Peacock Window, Big Bell, Lokeswor Mahavihar, Prassannasheel Mahavihar, Chattu Brahma Mahavihar, Jaya Kirti Mahavihar, Sukra – varna Mahavihar and Dipanker Mahavihar.

Festivals
Some of the important festivals of Bhaktapur are Gai Jatra (July or August), Bisket Jatra (April) and the tantrically inspired Nava Durga Dance during the Dasain festival (October or November).

Places to Eat
Some of the popular restaurants of Bhaktapur are Bhaktapur Gate Restaurant, Café de Peacock, Café Nyatopola, Durbar Square Restaurant, Marco Polo Restaurant, Nyatopola Restaurant and Rooftop Café.

Transportation
There are buses that leave for Bhaktapur from Bagbazaar. These buses will drop you off at Taumadhi Square. You can also board a Dhulikhel bound bus or a Nagarkot bound bus and get off at Thimi. There are minibuses that leave for Bhaktapur from the City Bus Park, Kathmandu. These minibuses drop you at Sidha Pokhari, which is a five minute walk west of Durbar Square.

Transportation
There are domestic flights to Pokhara offered by Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) as well as various domestic airlines. There are buses that leave for Pokhara from Kathmandu as well as various cities in the Terai region. It takes about 35 minutes to reach Pokhara via air and 5 to 6 hours by bus from Kathmandu. You could also reserve a taxi and go to Pokhara from Kathmandu but this will cost you nearly the same amount as an airline fare.

The airport is situated in the middle of the town and there are regular flights to Kathmandu, Jomsom, Bharatpur and Bhairahawa from here. You could also charter a helicopter to Manang and Jomsom from here.

Lakes
Pokhara is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal. Pokhara has several beautiful lakes and offers stunning panoramic views of the Himalayas. There are eight lakes inside the Pokhara valley. These include Phewa (the second largest lake of Nepal), Begnas, Rupa, Maidi, Khaste, Gunde, Dipang and Kamal Pokhari. In an island, at the middle of the lake, is the Tal Barahi Temple. On the southern shore of the Phewa lake, atop a hill, is the huge stupa of the World Peace Pagoda.

Trekking
Pokhara is the starting point for many popular trekking and rafting destinations. Some of the treks for which Pokhara is the starting point include- Jomsom trek, Annapurna Sanctuary trek, Ghorepani Circuit trek, Naudanda trek, Ghachowk trek, Sarangkot trek and the Kahun danda trek.

Places to visit
Some of the must visit areas of Pokhara include Devi’s Fall, Bindyabashini Temple, Mahendra Gufa (cave), Chamero Gufa (Bat cave), Gupteshwar Gufa (cave), International Mountain Museum, Pokhara Regional Museum and the Natural History Museum.

Places to Stay
Lakeside and Damside areas, which are located along the north shore of the Phewa Lake, are the major tourist hubs in Pokhara. There are a number of hotels, lodges, restaurants, bars, pubs, book shops, souvenir shops, Intenet cafes and ice cream parlors situated here. You will also find shops which have scooters, motorbikes and bicycles for hire.

Culture
Pokhara is also very rich culturally. People belonging to different castes like Brahmins, Kshetris, Newars, Gurungs, Magars, Thakalis, Damais (tailors), Kamis (blacksmiths), Sunars (goldsmiths) and Podes (sweepers) live here. There is a small Muslim community as well.

Climate
The climate of Pokhara is very pleasant. The monsoon season lasts from June to September. The best time to visit Pokhara is from October to November. At this time of the year, the climate is mild, the air is fresh and the visibility is good.

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The Annapurna Circuit Trek starts from Besisahar. To reach Besisahar from Kathmandu, you have to reach Dumre by bus. From Dumre, buses and 4Wds run in regular intervals to Besisahar. There are direct micro buses from Kathmandu and buses from Narayanghat to Besisahar.

Please read Annapurna Circuit Trekking for comprehensive itinerary.

Mini and micro buses leave frequently for Sundarijal from Kathmandu’s City Bus Station (cost about a third of a dollar). You could also go to Jorpati and catch a bus for Sundarijal at the junction. If you take a taxi from Kathmandu, it will cost you around 10 dollars.

The Everest Base Camp Trek starts in Jiri or Lukla. Buses leave Kathmandu for Jiri (cost about 4 dollars) between 5.30 am to 8 am and take around 10 hours. There is an ‘express’ bus that leaves the Kathmandu Bus Station for Jiri at 6 am (cost about 4.5 dollars). Make sure you guard your luggage well on such bus trips.

To start the trek from Lukla, either fly from Kathmandu in domestic airlines to Lukla airport or walk from Jiri to Chablung, the nearest place on the trail from Lukla. The trail from Jiri to Chablung requires 7 days to complete. If you are flying in to Lukla, walk past Chablung to Phakding for the overnight accommodation.

Please read Everest Base Camp Trek for comprehensive itinerary.

In Nepal, traffic travels on the left side of the road.

Yes, Boudhanath stupa is listed as a World Heritage Site. Boudhanath is located in the eastern side of Kathmandu, north of the airport and is about 6 kilometers from Thamel, from where you could take a taxi. You could also take a micro bus or tempo (route number 2) from various parts of Kathmandu to reach there.

There is an admission fee of Rs. 50 (around 80 cents) for foreigners and Rs. 20 (third of a dollar) for citizens of the South Asian countries.