Nepal is a wonderful tourist destination for the world community, which is spread in the arms of the Himalayas. In fact, Nepal is located in the northern hemisphere in the global picture and in the southern direction of the Asian continent. Nepal is located between two powerful countries in the world, China and India. Geographically, a landlocked country, Nepal is a vast ocean in terms of natural beauty, cultural diversity, and ethnic unity. Where the timeless beauty of nature and the limitless flavors of different cultures can never be tasted.

All those who get the opportunity to visit Nepal will surely have an unforgettable experience of a lifetime. Therefore, there is a lot of reason for tourism in Nepal to show Nepal's opened and yet-to-be-opened secrets and to give all the travelers of the world a destination that will never quench their thirst.

Nepal is famous in the world as the country of Shakyamuni Gautam Buddha, the pioneer of peace, and the world's highest peak, Mount Everest. Apart from that, Nepal is best known as an excellent destination for adventure tourism and religious tourism.

Read Also: Important of Tourism in Nepal

In Nepal, the area from 59 meters to 8848.86 meters above sea level is covered. Due to the difference in altitude, there is diversity in the weather and climate. Geographical diversity, heritage, ethnic unity, and cultural diversity make foreign tourists want to visit Nepal. This has greatly helped Nepal's tourism industry to flourish.

Tourism in Nepal has slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic (Coronavirus). But in 2022, more than 400,000 foreign tourists have come to Nepal by air.

About Tourism in Nepal

Tourism in Nepal does not have a very long written history. After Sir Edmond Hillary and Tenzing Norje Sherpa successfully climbed Mount Everest in 1951 AD, it is believed that there was some potential for tourism in Nepal. However, due to Rana's rule, Nepal was completely closed to foreign tourism. in 1956 AD, the National Planning Council and National Tourism Development Board were established. In 1959 AD, Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation also started service.

Read Also: World Heritage Sites in Nepal

Establishing these various organizations can be considered the first step to introducing foreign tourism in Nepal. From the past until now, many foreigners come to Nepal to climb the mountains.

Place to visit in Nepal

There are many famous tourist spots or places in Nepal that have earned a lot of fame at the international level. Below is a brief explanation of some famous tourist sights of Nepal.

1. Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu is the gateway for foreign tourists entering Nepal by air. Kathmandu, which is also the capital of Nepal, is also known as the city of temples in the world. Kathmandu Valley includes Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur. UNESCO has included 10 places of Nepal in the World Heritage Sites list. 7 of them are in Kathmandu Valley.

2. Pokhara

Pokhara is known as the tourist capital of Nepal. The natural beauty of this place is such that it fascinates world tourism. Paragliding, TalBarahi, Gupteshwari Cave, Sarangkot, Cable Car, Lake Side, Boating, amazing views of fishtails etc. are the main attractions of Pokhara. The journey to Annapurna Base Camp also starts from this place.

3. Chitwan

The main attraction here is Chitwan National Park. It is the most visited national park in Nepal by domestic and foreign tourists. Many tourists come here for jungle safari. An endangered one-horned rhinoceros and spotted tiger are found in the forest here. And, different species of birds can be easily observed in the lakes of this place.

4. Lumbini

Lumbini is the main centre of the world Buddhist faith. It is the birthplace of Lord Gautama Buddha, the star of Asia. Being a legendary place with a long history, researchers, and tourists from around the world who believe in Buddhism visit Lumbini.

5. Mt. Everest

Reaching Mount Everest is everyone's dream. Many tourists who come to Nepal come to climb the mountains. And, of course, not all of them can climb Mount Everest. But most of them travel to Lukla / Namche (Entrance of Mt. Everest).

6. Sindhupalchowk

Sindhupalchok is an excellent destination in terms of religious and adventure tourism. Tourist destinations like Jugal Snow Range, Panchpokhari Trekking, Bhotekoshi Bungee, Bhotekoshi Rafting, Cannoning, and Paragliding are included in Sindhupalchok. This place is very close to the capital Kathmandu.

7. Annapurna Base Camp

Annapurna base camp is one of the popular trekking routes in Nepal. It is located in the north of Pokhara Valley. Most of the foreigners, who want to feel adventure, go to Annapurna base camp. It is situated at an altitude of 4,130 meters. This trekking route is also known as ABC Trek. Mainly, this is famous for the adventure all over the world. This is the gateway to the Machhapuchre mountain. It is the place where you can feel natural peace and power. Poon Hills, Annapurna Mountain, Dhaulagiri Mountain, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchre etc. are the major attraction here.

Apart from this, Dhorpatan, Khaptad, Rara, Ilam, Dolakha, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Kanchenjunga, Bardiya, Shuklaphant, Ghandruk, Shree Antu, Rara Lake, Se - Phoksundo and Ghale villages are famous tourist places of Nepal.

Things to do in Nepal

Nepal is the naturally beautiful with rich in bio diversity, culture, festival, religious, ethnicity, heritage and more. Here are the some activities that can do in Nepal.

1. Mountaineering

Climbing is a major tourist activity in Nepal. First of all, climbing can be considered to show the potential of tourism in Nepal. In the beginning, foreigners used to visit Nepal for a long time to climb. Nepal is a country spread in the arms of the Himalayan mountain range.

Most of the world's 8,000 highest mountains are in Nepal. Therefore, Nepal has become the main destination for every climber. Mountain lovers, adventure tourists, and researchers come to visit Nepal's mountains. Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Annapurna, Gauri Shankar, Gangchempo, Jugal, Gyalzen Peak are famous mountains in the world.

2. Trekking

One of the adventure tourism activities that can be done in Nepal is trekking. Here are trekking routes that have earned a name in the world tourism industry. Annapurna, Helambu - Panchpokhari, Bhairavkunda, Gosaikunda, Pathibhara, Ghandruk, Khaptad, and Everest base camp are famous trekkings in Nepal.

3. Rafting

Rafting in Bhotekoshi, Trishuli, and Karnali rivers is famous around the world. Bhotekoshi Rafting is famous for whitewater rafting.

4. Bungee Jumping

Bungee jump has been conducted in Bhotekoshi Bungee, Sindhupalchowk and Kushma Bungee Jump, Pokhara.

5. Paragliding

Paragliding is in operation in Pokhara, Panchpokhri, Godawari, Phulchoki, Lamachaur and other areas of Nepal

6. Yoga and Meditation

Nepal is a great destination to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul through yoga, and meditation with a naturally pure environment. There are numerous yoga and meditation retreats in serene locations where you can unwind and find inner peace. Many foreigners visit Nepal for Yoga & Meditation purposes.

Important of tourism in Nepal

Tourism directly benefits all Nepalese people along with the government of Nepal. Internal and external tourism is the strong basis of Nepalese economic development. The importance of tourism in Nepal is given below.

1. Create Employment

Tourism is important in Nepal to create employment opportunities for all people within the country. If the tourism industry continues to flourish, more hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and travel guides are needed, which are a means of creating employment opportunities.

2. Accumulation of foreign currency

The influx of foreign tourists has helped to accumulate foreign currency in Nepal. Which is a good aspect for the Nepalese economy.

3. Development of infrastructure

The tourism industry will play an important role in the infrastructure development of Nepal. Tourism that is now flourishing in Nepal has created the latest infrastructures in Nepal.

Best time to visit Nepal

Nepal is mainly spread over three geographical areas (Himalayan, Pahad, Tarai). There is a variety of seasons in all parts of Nepal. Nepal is an evergreen destination for world tourism. There are four distinct seasons in Nepal. They are the winter season, summer season, spring season and autumn season.

The average temperature during the day is 22°C (72°F) and the average temperature at night is 12°C (54°F). Seasons that everyone can visit in Nepal are the autumn season and spring season. However, the best time to visit Nepal can be determined by what type of tourist activity you are doing in Nepal.

Different type of Tourism in Nepal

Many types of tourism are practiced worldwide. Many types of tourism can be done in Nepal. Among them, some important tourisms are briefly explained.

1. Adventure tourism

Adventure tourism is the most preferred tourism by domestic and foreign tourists. Nepal has become a hub for adventure tourism as it covers all terrains of mountains, hills and terai. There are adventure tourism activities like climbing, trekking, hiking, bungee, rafting, rock climbing etc. in Nepal.

2. Religious tourism

Nepal is a country inhabited by many religious communities. Thousands of religious tourists come here every year. Pashupati, Mukti Nath, Lumbini, Pathibhara, Kailash Mansarowar, Bauddha, Swayambu, are popular places for religious tourism in Nepal.

3. Cultural tourism

Culture is the identity of any community. Nepal is an important destination for cultural tourism with multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-community diversity. In Nepal, internal and external tourists go to different places to study the culture and customs.