Where to base yourself

Which region to explore in Nepal

Every region scored for accessibility, value, local feel, and more. Honest trade-offs on each — no superlatives without substance.

AllBudgetLocal feelNightlifeFamiliesWalkabilityMost central

Top pick

Kathmandu Valley

UNESCO World Heritage at every turn — Pashupatinath's cremations, Bouddhanath stupa, three Durbar Squares, and the chaotic spiritual energy of South Asia's most sacred city.

Kathmandu Valley Nepal — Bouddhanath stupa with its white dome and colourful prayer flags rising above the Tibetan Buddhist monastery neighbourhood

Kathmandu Valley

Top pick

UNESCO World Heritage at every turn — Pashupatinath's cremations, Bouddhanath stupa, three Durbar Squares, and the chaotic spiritual energy of South Asia's most sacred city.

7/10

Walk

7/10

Price

8/10

Local

10/10

Central

Pokhara Nepal — colourful wooden rowboats lined up on the shore of Phewa Lake with the forested Annapurna foothills rising behind

Pokhara

Top pick

Nepal's second city — Phewa Lake, direct Annapurna views, world-class paragliding, and the most relaxed base for the Annapurna region.

7/10

Walk

6/10

Price

7/10

Local

8/10

Central

Annapurna Nepal — the Annapurna massif at dawn viewed from Poon Hill with pink rhododendrons in the foreground

Annapurna Region

Good

Nepal's most diverse trekking circuit — the Annapurna Circuit, Poon Hill sunrise, Annapurna Base Camp, and the transition from subtropical jungle to Tibetan plateau.

3/10

Walk

5/10

Price

8/10

Local

7/10

Central

Everest Base Camp Nepal — the Khumbu Glacier moraine and the view towards the South Col route on Mount Everest

Everest Region / Khumbu

Trade-off

The world's most iconic trek — Everest Base Camp, the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar, and the Himalayan giants above 8,000 metres.

3/10

Walk

3/10

Price

8/10

Local

8/10

Central

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