Bandipur & Midlands
The scenic middle hills between Kathmandu and Pokhara — preserved Newari hilltop towns, panoramic viewpoints, and quiet trails off the tourist circuit.
Trails
2
Best Season
October-April
How to Get There
Bandipur is a 20-minute drive off the Prithvi Highway, about 4 hours from Kathmandu or 3 hours from Pokhara. Daman is on the Tribhuvan Highway, about 2.5 hours from Kathmandu.
Permit Information
No permits required. Small entry fee for Siddha Cave in Bandipur.
The midlands between Kathmandu and Pokhara offer a network of trails through some of Nepal's most scenic and culturally rich hill country. Bandipur, a beautifully preserved Newari hilltop town, and Daman, a legendary Himalayan viewpoint, are the highlights of this often-overlooked region.
Bandipur sits on a ridge at 1,030m, its car-free bazaar lined with 18th-century slate-roofed Newari buildings. Short trails lead to the Thani Mai hilltop temple (panoramic Himalayan views from Dhaulagiri to Manaslu) and Siddha Gufa, one of Nepal's largest caves. Daman, on the old Tribhuvan Highway, offers what many consider the single most comprehensive Himalayan panorama in Nepal — eight 8,000m peaks visible in one sweep.
These destinations make excellent day trips or stopovers on the Kathmandu-Pokhara route, yet they see very few international tourists compared to the major trekking regions.