Things to do in Nepal

Kathmandu is an antique city divided into the New Town and the Old town. Its architecture is a combination of Nepalese and western styles. Benefiting from its long history and profound Buddhist culture, the number of extant monasteries and temples is more than 2,700. It is said that "a temple can be seen every five steps and a nunnery can be seen every ten steps". Thamel is the landmark of the Old Town, where bustling lanes are crowded with bazaars. Machhapuchhre (Mt. Fishtail) and Phewa Lake make Pokhara a well-known tourist city. The Himalayas stands to the north of Pokhara like a natural protective screen. Annapurna Mountains and Mt. Fishtail are covered with snow all year around, towering into the sky against the fascinating scenery of Phewa Lake and lush green forests. In addition, Seti River Gorge, Mahendra Cave and David Fall are worth visiting. Patan is previously known as "Lalitpur", which means the city of art. One can find temples and stupas scattered all around the city. Bhaktapur is the cradle of Nepalese art and architecture of Middle Age and it used to be the capital in the Malla Dynasty. Palaces, courtyards, temples and statues with artistic characteristics are scattered all over there. Lumbini as the birthplace of Sakyamuni attracts a continuous stream of Buddhists. In memory of Sakyamuni's birth, Buddhists built numerous monasteries, temples and stupas there. Therefore, the place is regarded as the Buddhist Shrine as well as the revival base of contemporary Buddhism. Visiting Lumbini Museum is one of the top things to do when you are in the city.Chitwan National Park covers an area of more than 360 square miles (930 square kilometers) with over 50 kinds of plants and 43 species of animals including Indian rhinoceros, crocodiles and sika deer as well as more than 500 species of birds like kingfishers, night herons and hornbills. Elephant rides, bird-watching in a canoe and crocodiles seeking are good choices. Ticket: 500Rs. Durbar Squares can be found in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Kathmandu Durbar Square consists of antique architecture retained from the 16th century. One of the renowned sites is Hanuman Dhoka Palace with a history of hundreds of years, where portraits of monarchs of past generations and objects and photos of King Tribhuvan are exhibited. Patan Durbar Square is a great gathering of "Newari architecture". Ticket: 200Rs. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is called the National Gallery. Golden Gate and Window Palace, famous for the exquisite bronze ware and woodcarving, stand in the west of the palace. Ticket: 750Rs. Swayambhunath is also referred to as the Monkey Temple due to the presence of several monkeys in the temple. Every day before dawn, Buddhism and Hinduism pilgrims ascend 365 steps, pass vajra, and walk clockwise around the temple. Ticket: 100Rs. Pashupatinath is a tower structure surrounded by many small temples, which is similar to an image that the moon is clustered by a myriad of stars. It is the place where followers of Hinduism hold cremations and is open to pilgrims of Hinduism exclusively. Ticket: 250Rs.Nepal is praised as one of the best adventure lands. Its natural topography condenses various landscapes in a small region, where you can climb the highest mountain, appreciate the landscape of countryside and explore in forests.
Nepal provides the most thrilling bungee jumping in Asia, allowing tourists to jump from the chain bridge in the canyon. The Last Resort near Bhote Kosi River is counted as one of the top ten bungee jumping spots with a drop of about 530 feet (160 meters). Tourists can appreciate the compelling canyon landscape and have brand new view of Bhote Kosi River. Nepal is famous for the best white water rafting in the world. Different rivers are open to both experienced explorers and novices and different durations (from two days to three weeks) are provided for various demands.
Pokhara is deserved to be called the paradise of paragliding. Soaring above Phewa Lake or Pokhara Valley, tourists can have a full view of snow mountains, villages, temples, fields, forests and lakes. A lot of paragliding clubs are in business in Lakeside Pokhara, among which Sunrise and Blue Sky gain good reputation.

The price fluctuates from 8,500Rs to 10,000Rs for about half an hour paragliding and reservation is accepted. Besides, photography and video recording are provided for tourists with an extra charge from 1,700Rs to 2,000Rs.
Hiking is the most attractive project in Nepal. With about 100 perfect hiking routes such as Poonhill Trek, Annapurna Base Camp Trek (ABC), Annapurna Circuit Trek (ACT) and Everest Base Camp Trek (EBC), nearly everyone traveling here incline to enjoy the pleasure of hiking.

ABC starts from Nayapul or Phedi, generally costing seven days with an average trekking time of five or six hours per day. Landscapes such as snow mountains, forests, meadows and countryside won't disappoint tourists.

In terms of the number of natural and cultural attractions, ACT is the best choice. The huge elevation drop leads to multifarious landscapes, from broad-leaved forests on the plain, meadows on high mountains to barren mountain passes. Tourists can also feast their eyes with unparalleled snow mountains, arid deserts and dry-hot valleys by hiking through all the landforms.

EBC starts from Lukla with an altitude of 9,300 feet (2,840m). Gokyo Ri, Kalapathar and Chhukung are the three best observation decks to see glaciers and groups of snow mountains such as the Everest.

Furthermore, sunrise watching, jungle exploration and rock climbing are prevalent.Nepal is a country with numerous nationalities and colorful cultural activities. Tourists have a chance to appreciate the performances of folk songs and dances in upscale restaurants, which are usually in the tune of joy and happiness celebrating the changes of seasons and expressing youth love.

Gurung girls celebrate the coming of spring by songs and dances. Limbu People dance for the bumper harvest. Tamang People retain the custom of bride kidnapping, and the dance full of physical contact and flirtations shows their passion and openness. Tharu People mainly perform the stick dance with short sticks, long sticks, single stick or Nunchaku. The dance of Manjusri is one of the most importance dances in Nepal. Besides, Gurkha soldiers, brave and skillful in battles, are good at breaking the battle formation. A dance is performed to reproduce their desperate struggle with invaders. Kumari sacrificial dance is performed by Madhesi people to celebrate Dashain Festival. Four maidens put the sacrificial altar in the middle of the stage and six women in sari dance trippingly around the altar.