Almost every visitor who comes to Nepal wants to go to Everest Base Camp. Almost every visitor who goes to Bhutan is only interested in visiting the Tiger's Nest. Both are absolutely unique experiences – undoubtedly, there is every reason to undertake them. But if that’s the beginning of your trip and the only goal, you are sure to miss the best parts of both these countries.
There are many incredible spots in Nepal and Bhutan that newcomers will not easily identify, not because it is impossible to explore them, but because in its infrastructure they do not appear on any active tourism lists. Such places do not require an invitation for butter tea from a local. Or where you are the single visitor in an endless number of festivities devoted to some old-style temples. Or where the surrounding country looks exactly the same as two hundred year because no one has found any need to develop it.
For those who do not wish to be called tourists, but travelers, here is the version of Nepal and Bhutan we… Most might not apply: there are places off the beaten path where everyone and everything awaits; one just has to search, and they shall find.
No matter how good of a swimmer one is, it is hard to resist throwing your bread back to the mother. That joins this inclusive region of the world as shamans asked for bread too (or so the story goes). Pointless it would be to fight, simply join the spindle of research and throw anything and everything in the cooking pot, ends and all. It’s probably the best time to visit nepal and bhutan after all that has happened since peace is yet to be found.
All Travelers will mostly take road trips in most cases when traveling from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The Bandipur junction will mostly be ignored. And that is precisely where the incorrectness sets in.
Bandipur stands on a hill at approximately 1,030 meters rising above the Marsyangdi Valley. And it belongs to some of the best time to visit nepal and bhutan guarded Newari settlements of Nepal and surprisingly few visitors come here. It’s rectangular design of a central bazar is literally an open-air gallery of 18 th century structures for there are cobble stoned streets, finely carved timber windows,and colored buildings that look as if they have just been built with few alterations. This may however be misleading for there are very few places where vehicles can go and that is where Bandipur is found.
The town it is on one of the most important ancient trade routes in the region that is from India to Tibet. In the 1970s when the road bypassed Bandipur, this small town has remained at the same stage for ages. The presence is due to what the highway brought in terms of destruction, it brought in an equal measure in conservancy and that is why Bandipur is now purer than a water drop.
From the edge of the mountains, early in the day Poonhill Trek offers probably one of the widest views of Annapurna and Manaslu ranges which is as good as Nepal can offer. As the sun begins to ascend the sky dipping in between clouds and hills, throwing the first rays of light over the mountains, it is one of these images that you can understand why so in a hurry.
Give yourselves a break, make it a stay; outdoors has so much more to offer at night. Stroll the streets during the sunset it being the time when citizens enjoy the outdoors of their origins most. Dine at the family restaurant that decides the menu depending on what has been prepared that day. Slow travel pays off in Bandipur more than in most places in Nepal.
To the south and west of Pokhara stretch the hills of Tansen. Few travelers have it on their maps, and for good reason.
Tansen is at such an altitude, which is 1,371 meters. This used to be the seat of the Sen Dynasty whose palaces and temples remain to date, enhancing its beauty in ruins. The Rani Mahal also known as the palace within the wilderness nicknamed as the Nepalese Taj Mahal months if not years after it was but up still stands on the banks of the Kali Gandaki River outside the town. Deep David is deserted by herds of tourists.
The old Newari town was comprised of a network of narrow streets, weavers of the spectacular dhaka fabric (the place is well known for dhaka, which has made Tansen famous), metalsmithing shops that make the famous Dhaka hat, and finally temples filled more with pigeons than people. Amar Narayan Temple which is one of the main pagodas erected some terraces of 80 different elements in the center of the bazaar is a gem of Newari architecture in the western part of Nepal.
Tansen is a last stop before Ridi Bazaar. At the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Ridi rivers is a stopping place for pilgrims which is surrounded by cliffs which are full of shaligram (sacred stones in the form of ammonites which do not occur anywhere else in the world). You’d be hard pressed to find more than a handful of visitors at any time.
Many people come to Nepal and Bhutan for vacations throughout the year. The best time to visit Nepal and Bhutan is preferred during August and September which is the peak of tourism seasons in both places. Winter months are usually not ideal for anyone who wishes to travel to either of the countries as it will be gripped in freezing cold temperatures. Spring is another shoulder season when it comes to visiting both the countries.
The chances of meeting someone who has heard about Rara Lake are slim. Even slimmer, however, are the chances of meeting someone who has been there.
Rara Lake is the biggest of all lakes that can be found only in the hinterland of the Mugu district, Western Nepal. An exquisite lake amidst pine and juniper forests with snow-capped mountains in the background, textures that almost look cinematic, somewhat spooky. It is located at a height of 2,990 meters and fenced by Rara National Park which has red pandas, Himalayan black bears, musk deer along with more than 200 different bird species.
It’s either worth catching a flight to Talcha Airport (often closed) or hiking back for weeks to the Lake. There is nobody to offer you luxury, and the Internet is rather capricious. There is, however, one of the most virgin areas high-mountain surroundings in the world – and the unrivaled pleasure of being in such a hard-to-access place. And it is a pleasant activity where few dare to explore this wonderland.
Ideal season for trekking in the Himalayas; it is the best time to visit nepal and bhutan this time of the year and even the Everest base camp is enjoyable.
For those who have already experienced the standard tourist attractions in Nepal and seek to explore genuinely unspoiled hidden destinations in Nepal and Bhutan, Rara Lake is the place to go.
Most people don't associate Nepal with tea. They should.
Ilam is located in an eastern district of Nepal where tea is grown significantly. The picturesque rolling tea plantations here with colonial bungalows and mist-clad hills resemble Darjeeling than Nepal as seen on a tourist map. This hill town is located at about 1,600 meters above sea level, and it is surrounded by some of the top quality tea states famous for the production of white and green tea.
Ilam is where the actual trek to Kanchenjunga Base Camp, an isolated and strenuous trek begins from, allows the trekkers an opportunity to glimpse at the third highest peak in the world without the nuisances of Everest or Annapurna. This trekking trail goes along the Rato Top Takura where primitive Ria and Limbu villages, with pocketania of ancestral performers of animism and Buddhism, are still widely present.
The Ilam Mait Pokhi, a sacred place, is a lake encircled by rhododendron trees and is also considered to be one of the most densely populated regions in Nepal which holds the diversity of numerous orchids, migratory birds and inhabits a small temple whose devotees come from all over east hills.
If we look at the further north direction of Nepal from the rivers Seti and Karnali, there is Khaptad National Park, which is a plateau found at an elevation of 3,300 m where a Hindu saint Khaptad Baba is thought to have practiced meditation for more than half of the 20th century.
Visitors fly to one of the local – Dipayal or Chainpur - airports to access the park. Only after that travel lasts for 1-2 days before reaching the park. The plain is huge and stimulating - green pastures and medicinal herb woods and the utter lack of any sound at all can be enthralling for city people. No accessible roads or accommodations exist in the park, and they even lack a number of visitors.
The plateau blooms with wild flowers in June. In October there emerges a view of mountains Api and Saipal covered by snow—peaks that are rarely summitted since they back out at 7000 meters and few venture that far in. T he cultural tours of this area explore Doteli’s villages which deploy architecture and dressing that is dissimilar to that of other Nepalese areas the majority of Nepalese never get to see.
The high season to visit the Himalayas is the autumnal months and is said to be the best time to visit nepal and bhutan for obvious reasons.
Bumthang is considered to possess the soul of Bhutan.
Located in central Bhutan atop altitude of around 2,600 meters, Bumthang Valley is a four-contiguous valley — Choskhor, Tang, Ura, and Chhume — each valley has within its physical bounds some of the oldest and sacred religious areas of the country. Paro and Thimphu may receive the largest amount of tourist traffic into Bhutan; Bumthang on the other hand is mostly tranquil – saved only for those who dare to see beyond what is in plain view.
In Bumthang, there is a temple called Jambay Lhakhang; it is said that all the 108 temples that exist today were built in one day by a Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century to contain the demoness whose body lay all over the Himalayas. Whether or not the tale holds any truth, there is something very profound about being inside the ancient edifice – when looking at the burning butter lamps and the walls that have so much history and emotion locked in them.
About a quarter of an hour away from the Choskhor area, Tang Valley holds Ogyen Choling Palace and Museum, an old country mansion from the 1600s which evokes memories of the aristocracy in Bhutan. Till Date, the estate is being cared for by its original owners.
Apples, along with buckwheat cultivation and Red Panda, one of the two microbreweries in Bhutan, are quite famous in Bumthang. This brewery is housed in a restructured farmhouse and brew and serves delicious beer made from locally sourced ingredients.
Therefore, for travelers looking to prepare a Nepal Bhutan itinerary that departs from the normal ideals that are presented, the inclusion of Bumthang is a must.
The best time to visit Nepal and Bhutan, other than to simply sightsee, is during the festival season, which happens in October and November and March and April because tourists tend to thin out and the weather tends to be milder.
Phobjikha is located in the temperate climate of the black mountains on the Western side, known for its glacial sceneries at nearly 2,900 metres above the sea level. The landscape is essentially idyllic; wide, flat openness and quietness that makes,one wish to explore at leisure and refrain from being articulate.
The Gunglin Black mountain range serves as a habitat for black-necked cranes on arrival in the winter from October till February in the conservation area, black-necked cranes a rare bird in Bhutan as its associated with dead Lamas believed to be reincarnated in a crane. Bhutan seats close to hundred home to avian wintering migratory visitors every year around this time from Tibet and their characteristic flight patterns because. These features are that they fly in a circle three times before landing in the arc inside which Gangtey Lhakang is located several levels above this valley that they come to several pataka. This to the native ones is a kind of saying ‘hello’ in defence of the stern fertilizer of monks in the few minutes they take to fly around stopping on each level to drop another load of fertilizer. There will be some who would insist that December is the best time to visit Nepal and Bhutan watching the dishonours being paid to the monks from above.
In Bhutan, the finest restoration of a Nyingmapa Buddhist monastery is found at Gangtey Gompa (Gangtey Goenpa). Located in a small hill roughly in the middle of the valley, it was rebuilt in the Jataka period during the seventieth century. Present-day, the monastery retains its activity welcoming the monks and does not act as a museum comprisable of antiquities.
Khemari is a popular dance, music and awareness festival held in Phobjikha in November to welcome the black-necked cranes. Taking part in this quiet celebration of the region is one of the best time to visit nepal and bhutan.
The Haa Valley, located in western Bhutan near the border with Tibet, is one of the last places in the country to be opened up to tourism, having welcomed its first international visitors only in 2002. The valley has no significant hotels, no tourist buses and little tourist-oriented infrastructure. What it does have is a dazzling valley pure and genuine in its traditions that makes one feel as if arriving in Bhutan before tourism arrived.
Both Lhakhang Karpo (White Temple) and Lhakhang Nagpo (Black Temple), allegedly built around the 7th century, are located within the valley, at the base of the valley, and sit next to each other. Both of these points of interest remain functioning temples, each one merits a visit that will not have many other sightseers.
For this reason, the best time to visit Nepal and Bhutan is during the summer season. Winter can still be considered but it can be very difficult due to the low temperature which is quite icy and snowfall enhanced by strong winds.
Traditional Haa-pa culture does have subtle differences compared to other cultures in Bhutan - there is a unique dialect for instance, the traditional dress is not the same and due to geography of the valley, some traditions and customs that are assumed to be extinct in many places in Bhutan are still in practice. One can also avail of 'village homestays' which is available for tourists and this is one of the most tenacious form of cultural tourism in the whole of Bhutan.
For one of those travelers who for some reasons want to explore all the hidden places in Nepal or Bhutan showers- not beaches- come to mind in Bhutan, Haa Valley.
Eastern Bhutan lies at the end of the country, lost in the folds of the mountains and among the deep river valleys, quite picturesque, and some traditional villages with rich weaving traditions. The best time to visit nepal and bhutan, especially eastern part, is in winter.
Trashigang, is the main administrative block for the eastern part of Bhutan which is considered as the cocoons outside the comfort of a city.
The drive from Thimphu to Trashigang will take two hours over two days and less by flight from Paro depending on the weather condition. Most tour companies do not even bother covering this area due to its intensity. And that is what makes such a place so amazing.
The Trashigang Dzong is on the summit of an isolated hilltop by the confluence of two rivers so daring in location it looks like it was set up by a film director. The bustling Paro is also free from shop and cuisine to cater to the crafts loving tourists. The Merak-Sakteng region is inhabited by the semi-nomadic Brokpa who wear distinct yak hair hats and still practice highland pastoralism.
Woven cloth is an equally great asset Trashigang can also boast of. The eastern region of Bhutan is rich in the tradition of supplementary silk weaving called kishuthara, some of the best woven textiles can be found there– and even the best textile workshop in Thimphu would not compare to purchasing from a local artisan and witnessing the process of patterning on a backstrap loom; there is a more interesting souvenir in hand.
It helps a great deal to know the capping circumstances when planning a trip without a hitch. The best time to visit Nepal and Bhutan is during the summer season for trekking though such activities can be done even at other times.
It is not the matter of choosing the most sought-after or the lesser-known travel destinations that results in the best travel experiences in Nepal and Bhutan. It is the correct blending of both.
Explore the squares of Kathmandu’s Durbars and then stay for a couple of days in Bandipur in a very relaxing undisturbed environment. Take the Annapurna Base Camp but hike back into the valley from Tansen on your trip back to the South. Make a trip to the Tiger’s Nest and Thimphu but also consider flying to Bumthang and Phobjikha valley before wafting back home.
Factoring in Nepal Bhutan tour costs for such extensions is key; many such places are low cost additions to the itineraries but they come in after a good deal of planning. The cost of traveling to the less promoted places in Nepal and Bhutan is not high; they are simply not as well organized and thus, a greater care must be taken to include them and to do so welL.
The best time to visit nepal and bhutan is that anyone planning for it should makeichi sure to check the seasons in both countries and the important events.
There is another aspect to it: The answer to this dilemma of Nepal versus Bhutan can be much funnier if one thinks beyond the obvious. To wit - there is Nepal with its deserts, jungles and tea plantations and there is Bhutan which is more friendly interesting - less aggressive - in its approach - spiritual and psychological ways are equally, if not more - maintained. All this is wonderful.
For those tired of typical New York tourist attractions, there is a New York Nepal and Bhutan package offered by Midasia Routes. This travel package provides something exclusive because their packages are focused on unconventional locations so anyone can wanting something different. The packages also come complete with custom itineraries, cultural experts, and accommodation options, which are different from just hotels.
Travelers who are from California and have visited Southeast Asia and want more challenges; there is a Nepal and Bhutan travel package specifically for people in this State. The reason is that it focuses on Enazious e.g. Rara Lake, Bumthang, Haa Valley, Ilam that distinguishes itself from any other region in the world. Midasia Routes has led hordes of residents of Los Angeles, as well as neighboring cities like San Francisco, too far flung regions of Nepal and Bhutan remote lands.
The travel enthusiast in Florida aspiring to experience the culture and life as it is can opt for Nepal and Bhutan tour package in Florida the alternative way by traveling through Bandipur, Phobjikha and eastern Bhutan & these specific parts on one of my to-do lists. There are some immersion trips and cultural tours that the locals themselves recommend. Of course, these are usually great for their aspects such as walks and the best time to visit nepal and bhutan which may entail some ‘prop’ gears and accessories and finally accommodation on those countries’ soil.
Plan extra time: Remote destinations in both countries require buffer days for weather, road conditions, and domestic flight delays.
Hire knowledgeable guides: A guide who specializes in eastern Bhutan or far western Nepal changes the experience entirely. Generic guides often don't know these regions deeply.
Travel light: Many offbeat areas involve small guesthouses with limited facilities. Pack accordingly.
Respect local customs: Remote communities in both countries have distinct traditions. Follow your guide's lead on dress codes, photography, and behavior at religious sites.
Check the best time to visit Nepal and Bhutan for each specific region — Rara Lake is best in October; Phobjikha crane season runs November–February; Bumthang's apple harvest happens in October.
Popular places are popular for a reason, i.e. they deserve the attention. There are many travel destinations famous for example in Nepal and Bhutan, but such places offer only shallow tourism as opposed to deep travelling meaning tourism that resists ideals and paradigms which are associated with conventional tourism.
Bandipur during dawn. Catha drank the buja with things in the farmhouse of the bumthang family. Foldout the neck of a crane to sake valley as the sun begins to rise. And there is a woman in Trashigang spinning threads of silk into designs that she learned from her “talu” (grandmother). Such adventures may not suffice for capturing the picturesque crazy views – this concept is, however, fully understood and indeed appreciated by people. That is why they are worth in severance.
Do your best to stay away from western tours, as they are too cold. On the way to the Amazon, ‘no silence pale face’ can access; the ‘Wednesday wheezing’ hair will dry the voice off during experience – these are the moments most pursuits are tailored to.
The knowledge that Kathmandu floods and many other people come and go during this season makes it easy to determine the best time to visit nepal and bhutan for the view beyond this basin of the Himalayas.
Ever considered going off the beaten path? Why not try Bandipur, Tansen, Ilam, Rara Lake, and Khaptad National Park ajar in the valleys of Nepal. It is transporting to entirely different terrains compared to the usual Kathmandu-Pokhara-EBC trail and yes, all these places are within reach with just a little careful expenditure introduced in the itinerary. To include Bandipur and Tansen entrance, additional fees, which would be quite minimal and all that is required, would be an inclusion of two destinations, nepal and bhutan offer offers the best time to visit nepal and bhutan in almost all other aspects excluded.
Bumthang is regarded as one of the most spiritual and cultural places in Bhutan when considering the opinions of Bhutan experts. It has a number of old temples, apple trees, villages, burials of houses including that of Changangkha Lhakhang. It is said to be one of the best places to visit in Bhutan as far as the Bhutanese culture is concerned, without being crowded like say, Paro and Thimphu. For this reason it requires staying extra 1 or 2 days in Bhutan.
Black-necked cranes start arriving in Phobjikha Valley in late October and stay there until February next year. It is the best time for an avid crane photographer to see the cranes from November to January. It is also held in the month of November every year; the Black-Necked Crane Festival consists of crane watching besides dance and culture, perfect for best time to visit nepal and bhutan.
Due to the distance and the condition of the roads, the travel to eastern Bhutan needs at least extra three to four days out of the scheduled time for the western Bhutan. While this is not usually part of the packages, it is available upon request provided sufficient notice is given. Such an extension should only be considered after securing a knowledgeable tour operator who has been to eastern Bhutan rather than just Paro and Thimphu.
Strategic routing is one of the major factors in this case. Bandipur suits the itinerary of Kathmandu-Pokhara since it can be reached within four hours from there. When considering the journey from Thimphu to Bumthang, Phobjikha is another destination that is already on the way. Tansen is a good option for a stopover between Pokhara and Chitwan. Discuss with the tour organizer how to include other high points in the current itinerary rather than viewing them as additional tours – it is quite common for such tasks to not be as complex as they seem to most travelers.
Want to build a Nepal and Bhutan itinerary that goes beyond the guidebook? Contact Midasia Routes and let our specialists design a journey through the places most travelers never find.
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