Bandipur is one of the most attractive towns and is different from other destinations in Nepal. It is a beautiful town in a Newari Style at an elevation of 1030m. The town represents cultural heritage, Newari architecture, and mesmerizing views of snow-capped mountains. Bandipur offers a relaxed and peaceful environment away from the town hustle.
The main attraction is Bandipur Bazaar, it is the heart of the Bandipur. It is the perfect place to experience the lifestyle of local people and interact with locals about their traditions and culture. It provides amazing views of snow-capped mountains like the Annapurna Range, Dhaulagiri Range, and Langtang Range.
We can hike to Siddha cave and explore the largest cave in Nepal and its rock formation. The beautiful city is situated between Pokhara and Kathmandu. It is about 150km from Kathmandu and around 80km from Pokhara. It takes around 3 hours drive from Pokhara and 5 hours drive from Kathmandu.
Bandipur Highlights
- Bandipur represents cultural heritage, Newari architecture, and mesmerizing views of snow-capped mountains.
- Perfect place to experience the lifestyle of local people, and interact with locals about their traditions and culture.
- It provides amazing views of snow-capped mountains like the Annapurna Range, Dhaulagiri Range, and Langtang Range.
- Hike Siddha cave and explore the largest cave in Nepal.
How to get there
From Kathmandu there, a tourist bus is available or you can take a jeep to Bandipur. You need to book a ticket for a tourist bus which is around Rs 700 depending on the service that the bus provides like wifi, toilet water, and lunch. It takes around 5 hours drive to reach Bandipur from Kathmandu.
The local bus is also available from Kalanki, the bus is not comfortable. The bus carries people who want to come on the bus and there are no seats available. The local bus will not be the best option if you have more luggage. The price is around Rs 350-500 to Dumre.
After reaching Dumre you need to take a local bus to reach Bandipur which is around 15-20 minutes’ drive from Dumre which cost Rs 25 – Rs 35.
What to do in Bandipur
- Bandipur Bazaar is the main attraction, the street is filled with tourists with nice café and restaurants.
- Tundikhel is also the best place to visit. Mostly visited by locals for a picnic, can witness the best of mountains.
- Thani Mai temple is the main attraction with around a 10-minute hike from Bandipur School. It is also the best for sunrise and sunset.
- Ramkot is also one of the best places to experience traditional Magar culture and you can visit for lunch.
- Siddha Cave is one of the most recommended places to visit in Bandipur and is known as the biggest cave in Nepal. It will take around 40-50 minutes to reach there from Bandipur city. To enter the cave, you need Rs 200, Rs 100 for you, and Rs 100 for a guide. It is a beautiful cave with a slipper part, ropes, and ladders to climb to another part of the cave.
