Scenic Hill Towns
Gorkha
Situated on a hill overlooking the snowy peaks of the Himalaya is the beautiful Gorkha Durbar, a fort, palace and temple complex. It was built during the reign of King Ram Shah (1606-1636), the father of Prithivi Narayan Shah. It was from this very palace that King Prithivi Narayan Shah began his campaign to unify the Kingdom of Nepal . The temples of Gorakhnath and Kali within the Gorkha Durbar are certainly outstanding examples of Nepali architecture.

Treks to the Manaslu Region begin from Gorkha. It is also possible to do the Annapurna Circuit Trek using Gorkha as the base. Back until 1974 before the completion of the Kathmandu-Pokhara Prithivi Highway , one had to either fly or trek via Gorkha to get to Pokhara. Gorkha lies mid-way on this trekking route. So, one can get there on doing a 4 to 5 day trek from either Kathmandu or Pokhara.

The route to Gorkha from Kathmandu follows the Prithivi Highway to Pokhara for 118 km till the Abu Khaireni intersection. Thereafter, one takes the diversion going northwards for another 18 km.

Bandipur
An ancient trading outpost of a bygone era, the town of Bandipur has only recently come into the limelight as a hill-resort after a 7 km vehicular road was constructed to connect it with the Kathmandu-Pokhara Prithivi Highway . Before the advent of vehicular transportation in western Nepal , Bandipur's location made it a significantly important trading station between western Tibet and British India .

Bandipur is the ideal getaway for those in quest of peace and solitude since this trade-entrepot of times forgotten has long lost its use. Besides the gorgeous view of the central Himalaya and the Marshyangdi Valley , there are a couple of peculiar natural sights like limestone caves, an endless tunnel and the surrounding hills too are very odd in design.

Tansen
Tansen is situated on the slopes of Shreenagar Danda at an altitude of 1343 meters. It is central Nepal 's most popular summer resort on account of its location and climate. The views from Tansen are spectacular. Towards the north you have an ultra-wide mountain panorama all the way from Mt. Dhaulagiri in the west to Mt. Gauri Shankar in the east. Look downhill, and you have a sweeping view of the Tinau river valley, the Churia hills, and the Terai.

It takes around six hours to get to Tansen from Pokhara. If you are heading towards Lumbini from Pokhara via the Siddhartha Highway , Tansen is the ideal spot to break the journey for a night, and the right place to stay would be the Hotel Shreenagar, Tansen's best hotel.

Charikot & Dolakha
Charikot is a small village situated on a ridge offering spectacular views of the mountains, particularly Mt. Gauri Shankar. Lying northeast of Kathmandu at a distance of 133 kilometers, it takes around 6 hours to get there by car.

Dolakha, an ancient Newari settlement is an hour away by foot. The town of Dolakha used to be an entrepot of the trade between Tibet , Northern India and the Kathmandu Valley . In the upper eastern part of the town, there is the famous roofless temple of Bhimsen , also known as the Bhimeshwore Mahadev.

Jomsom
Easily accessible via a 20-minute flight from Pokhara, Jomsom lies nestled beneath the splendor of Mount Nilgiri . For those of you not inclined to make it to the mountains the hard way, i.e. slogging it on foot step by step in a gradual process, taking the US$ 50 flight to Jomsom from Pokhara is the ideal alternative.

Jomsom, at an altitude of 2,700 meters lies tucked in between two giant mountain ranges, the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri- both reach out to the sky beyond 8,000 meters at their highest points, and although these ranges are around 35 kilometers apart, consider yourself to be technically positioned at the bottom of the world's deepest gorge, the Kali Gandaki Valley with a spectacular view of Mt. Nilgiri looming ahead like a huge snowy pyramid.

From Jomsom, one may venture on to leisurely treks for a day or two northwards to Kagbeni or southwards to Marpha, Tukuche, and Lete-Kalopani; all of these places can be reached with effortless walking on an almost leveled surface. On the other hand, should the rarefied mountain air hinder your walking ability; you may choose to explore the area on a pony that can be made available by your hotel at a reasonable price.

Hile
The town of Hile in the eastern hills of Nepal at an altitude of 1,850 meters offers a pleasant climate and a spectacular panorama of the major peaks of the eastern Himalaya that include Mt. Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and Kumbhakarna (Jannu).