Nepal holds Pashupatinath, Muktinath, Janakpur and Lumbini, the Buddha's birthplace. Whether you come to worship or simply to see, here is how to reach them and be a welcome guest.
Current notice: Kailash rules change every year. Please check the 2027 arrangements with your operator and India's foreign ministry before booking (as of November 2026).
The essentials
Only Hindus may enter Pashupatinath's main sanctum; everyone may watch from the ghats.
Muktinath is at about 3,800 m, high enough for altitude sickness, so please take it gently, especially with heart or lung conditions.
Muktinath needs an Annapurna (ACAP) permit; Indians pay the SAARC rate of NPR 1,000.
At Lumbini, Indian nationals pay NPR 80 a day for the Sacred Garden and Maya Devi Temple.
Take off your shoes at temples, leave leather outside where asked and walk clockwise around stupas.
Hindu sites
Pashupatinath is open 4 am to 9 pm, and Indian nationals enter free. Leather and photography aren't allowed inside. The trust's website gives two times for the evening aarti, so please check on the day.
Janakpur, Sita's birthplace, has the Janaki Mandir. Ram Navami (around April) and Vivah Panchami (around December) draw big crowds. There are flights from Kathmandu and a train from Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha, near Janakpur.
Manakamana is a 10-minute cable car ride from Kurintar, on the Kathmandu–Pokhara road; Saturdays and Tuesdays are busiest.
Dakshinkali, 22 km from Kathmandu, is busiest on Tuesdays and Saturdays, when animals are sacrificed. Some visitors find this hard to watch.
Budhanilkantha, 9 km north of Thamel, has a reclining Vishnu carved from one stone; its fair falls on Haribodhini Ekadashi (October or November).
Gosaikunda, a sacred lake at 4,380 m, fills with pilgrims at Janai Purnima (July or August). It is a one-to-two-day walk from Dhunche, in Langtang National Park.
Muktinath and altitude
Pilgrims bathe under its 108 water spouts, and the Jwala Mai temple beside it has an ever-burning flame.
Most fly from Pokhara to Jomsom, then continue by road. Flights go in the morning, as strong winds stop them later. You can also go all the way by road via Beni.
Altitude sickness can affect anyone, however fit, and flying up quickly raises the risk. Headache, nausea or tiredness can start within hours. If symptoms get worse, please go down; even 300 m helps.
Anyone with heart or lung disease should see a doctor first, and it's wise to skip alcohol for two days.
ACAP costs NPR 3,000 for other foreigners and double at a check-post. We couldn't confirm whether pilgrims who don't trek need a TIMS card, so please ask when you buy your permit.
Buddhist sites
Lumbini's Sacred Garden holds the Maya Devi Temple and Ashoka's pillar. Take off your shoes, dress modestly and leave food and drink outside.
The spread-out monastic zone has monasteries from many countries; a bicycle or cycle-rickshaw helps.
Lumbini is 22 km from Bhairahawa airport. From Gorakhpur, go by bus or taxi to the Sunauli border; see our getting-there guide.
At Boudhanath and Swayambhunath pilgrims walk clockwise, turning prayer wheels. Swayambhunath's monkeys can bite, so keep food out of sight.
Namo Buddha, where a past Buddha is said to have fed a starving tigress, is about three hours' walk from Dhulikhel or Panauti.
Customs and respect
Some Hindu temples don't admit non-Hindus, so look for signs at the gate. Ask before photographing people or rituals.
Cremations at Pashupatinath happen in the open. A funeral is a family's private grief, so please keep your distance and put your camera away near a pyre.
Use your right hand to give and take, don't touch anything with your feet, and don't touch people's heads.
The Pashupati trust publishes its puja rates online, worth checking before you agree a price with anyone.
Indian visitors: which rupee notes you can bring, and paying by UPI, are in our money guide.
Festivals
Maha Shivaratri (February or March) brings sadhus from India and huge crowds to Pashupatinath. At Teej (August or September) it fills with women in red.
Dashain (September to November) and Tihar (October or November) are family festivals, and travel is busy as people head home.
Buddha Jayanti falls on the full moon of April or May; Swayambhunath is free that day.
Kailash Mansarovar via Nepal
In 2026 pilgrims crossed into Tibet at Kerung (via Rasuwa) and Hilsa (via Humla); Tatopani was closed. The season usually runs June to August.
In June 2026 about 52 Indians were stranded in Kathmandu without Chinese visas and permits. India's foreign ministry asks pilgrims to use a registered operator and not to set off until every document is in hand.
General guidance from the sources listed, not a guarantee. Rules, fees and trail conditions change; confirm with the official source or a registered trekking agency before you go.