Between the high trails and the lowland parks sit Nepal's cities and hill towns — heritage capitals, lakeside gateways, and quiet tea-garden districts. Ten worth building a trip around.
Nepal's capital and cultural core, a dense mix of temples, markets and modern city life ringed by terraced hills, and the starting point for almost every trip into the country.
A lakeside city framed by the Annapurna range, and the main gateway for Annapurna-region treks, paragliding and lake-town relaxation.
A separately administered heritage city east of Kathmandu, known for preserved Newar architecture, pottery squares and slower, walkable streets.
Across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu, a city of courtyards, metal-craft workshops and one of the valley's richest concentrations of temple architecture.
A hilltop town east of Kathmandu popular for sunrise views over a long stretch of the Himalaya, including Everest on clear days, without a multi-day trek.
A Newar town on the old trade route to Tibet, with mountain views and traditional architecture, often visited as an easy day trip from Kathmandu.
A hill district in eastern Nepal covered in terraced tea gardens, a green, unhurried region far from the main tourist circuit.
A hillside town with Newar-influenced architecture and wide valley views, historically an important stop on trade routes between the hills and the plains.
A preserved hilltop bazaar town of the 18th and 19th centuries, car-free at its centre, with Annapurna and Manaslu views from nearby ridges.
The main city of the Mithila cultural region in the southern plains, centred on the Janaki Mandir and known for distinctive Mithila folk art.