4 Must-Visit World Heritage Sites in Nepal [Cultural Heritage Sites]

Nepal is also a popular travel destination for World Heritage Sites explorer or traveler. Here one can explore different UNESCO World Heritage Sites with a mix of cultural and natural heritage. And the capital Kathmandu itself is the top favorite among tourists for 7 Cultural Heritage Sites under Kathmandu Valley by UNESCO. It was a privilege to explore some of the top heritage sites during my tours in Nepal. Do you like exploring UNESCO World Heritage Sites? This post is to explore UNESCO Cultural Heritage Sites, and the following 4 are the must-visit Cultural World Heritage Sites in Nepal.

If you’re planning for the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites tour in Nepal, then first you can go to Kathmandu Valley and then Lumbini. The list of UNESCO Cultural Heritage Sites under Kathmandu Valley is Boudhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Temple, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and Changu Narayan Temple. And for SAARC countries, Nepal offers the lowest cost ticket to visit any Cultural World Heritage Sites.

But if you keep interested only on UNESCO Natural Heritage Sites, then Sagarmatha National Park and Chitwan National Park are must-visit for you in Nepal. So, there are a total of 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal to explore. During the 2015 massive earthquake, many Cultural Heritage Sites under Kathmandu Valley got damaged. But most already renovated and also reopened for the tourists.

UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites in Nepal [Top 4]

Many like to visit Cultural Heritage Sites are to be familiar with the history and culture of that country or place. But here in Nepal, you can learn a lot about the life of Buddha and Buddhism by exploring many Buddha Pilgrimage sites, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And so Nepal is also famous to the world as Land of Buddha. The following are my top favorite Cultural World Heritage Sites in Nepal.

Lumbini

Lumbini is one of the most famous Buddha Pilgrimage sites among Buddhists from many countries in the world. It is the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha. The main attraction here is the Maya Devi Temple, one Sacred Pond, and the Pillar of Emperor Ashoka. Besides, there are many monuments, temples in various countries, and one Buddha Research Institute.

It is said Lord Buddha took birth here in 623 BC, and from then to still is one of the sacred destinations in the world. Every year many tourists from different countries visit Lumbini. There is one garden and also one oldest Bodhi Tree, where many Buddhist monks offer prayers all the time.

Maya Devi Temple with Ashoka Pillar

The Stupa of Maya Devi Temple

In 1997, Lumbini listed as UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in Nepal. The total area of this site is almost 4.8 km and located in the Rupandehi district in Nepal.

Entry ticket is a must for all to visit Lumbini. And you can directly travel Lumbini from Kathmandu by road or air. There are no shops, restaurants, and hotels at Lumbini.

If you’re planning to visit Lumbini or interested to know more, UNESCO’s Lumbini, Birthplace Of Buddha (World Heritage Series) is a great read to help you so.

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Boudhanath Stupa

The spherical stupa of Boudhanath is the main attraction of Boudhanath among tourists. Boudhanath is the most enormous (118 ft) Tibetan Buddhist Stupa in Nepal. So you can learn a lot about Tibetan culture from Boudhanath Stupa. Boudhanath Stupa is also one of the largest Buddhist Stupas in the world. There are also Prayer Wheels at Boudhanath. And you can see many Buddhist monks are busy to circle the stupa while chanting Mantras.

 Boudhanath Stupa

 The Largest Stupa of Boudhanath

Boudhanath is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Nepal and just 11 km from Kathmandu. Since 1979 Boudhanath is the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in Nepal.

Many Tibetan shops at Boudhanath Stupa sells many antique and traditional Tibetan items to the tourists. One must have to buy a ticket to explore the top of the Boudhanath Stupa.

Swayambhunath Temple

Swayambhunath is one of the oldest Buddha Pilgrimage sites after Boudhanath. It carries many years of old Tibetan Buddhist history. And the eyes of the Swayambhunath Stupa known as the eyes of Lord Buddha. There are many Holy Monkeys around Swayambhunath, and so this sacred site is famous as Monkey Temple to all.

Since 1979 Swayambhunath is the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in Nepal. This heritage site is also popular among Hindus with Buddhists in Nepal. There are many shrines, temples, shops, and restaurants to explore besides one Tibetan museum and library at Swayambhunath.

Holy Monkeys around Monkey Temple

 Swayambhunath Stupa

There are a total of 365 stairs to reach the top of the Swambhunath Temple, where you can see many Buddhist monks rolling Prayer Wheels and chanting Mantras all time.

Swayambhunath is just 4.8 km away from Kathmandu. Entry ticket is must to buy before visiting Swayambhunath Temple.

Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath is the pagoda style Hindu temple in Nepal. It is the most famous and popular sacred temple for Hindus in Nepal. There are many temples and shrines inside the complex of Pashupatinath.

Pashupatinath Temple listed as UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in 1979. It resides on the banks of the holy Bagmati River but just 5 km from the capital of Kathmandu. This temple is very close to Tribhuvan International Airport.

Western Entrance of Pashupatinath Temple

Remote View of Pashupatinath Temple

Every year during the time of the Shivratri Festival, many devotees visit this temple to offer prayers. Entry tickets needed to explore the temple and photography not allowed.

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Have you visited any Cultural World Heritage Sites in Nepal? Which one is your favorite?

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API