Things to do in Bandipur
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Bandipur
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best window and peak season, clearest Himalayan views after monsoon, with Dashain and Tihar filling the town.
Winter, cold mornings and evenings in unheated rooms but often the sharpest mountain views and a quieter bazaar.
Second season, warming weather and rhododendron bloom, with haze building by May and views becoming a dawn only chance.
Monsoon, lush and quiet but clouds hide the mountains, trails are muddy with leeches and the highway carries peak landslide risk.
What's on
- Dashain and Phulpati at Khadga Devi September to October, Phulpati is the seventh day, dates vary by lunar calendar
Nepal's greatest festival, and the one day Khadga Devi Temple opens for the sword procession in Bandipur.
- Tihar October to November, dates vary by lunar calendar
The festival of lights, when bazaar houses are lit with oil lamps and marigolds for the prettiest evenings of the year.
- Yomari Punhi December full moon, date varies
The Newari full moon festival for yomari dumplings, the time to eat them on the bazaar where the dish belongs.
Best things to do in Bandipur
Bandipur Bazaar
A traffic free stone street of carved Newari merchant houses, temples and cafes, and the whole reason to come to Bandipur.
Tundikhel
The open parade ground at the north end of town, with the widest Himalayan panorama in Bandipur on a clear sunrise.
Thani Mai Temple
A small hilltop temple above the bazaar, climbed by steps for a near 360 degree view and the best sunrise in town.
Khadga Devi Temple
Bandipur's most sacred temple, housing a wrapped sacred sword and opening only on Phulpati during Dashain each year.
Bindabasini Temple
The bazaar's working pagoda temple to Bindabasini, a quick stop that anchors the north end of the main street.
Silk Worm Farm
A small working silkworm farm showing rearing and silk stages, a modest half hour visit when the season is active.
Where to stay in Bandipur
Main Bazaar
first visit, heritage houses and dawn atmosphere
The traffic free street itself, with the Old Inn, Bandipur Chhen and Gaun Ghar on it and every sight a short walk away.
Tundikhel road
groups, families and easier vehicle access
Above the bazaar toward the viewpoint meadow, quieter and more spacious, home to Bandipur Mountain Resort.
Bandipur town off bazaar
budget and family value
Small hotels a short walk from the street, including Hotel Aagaman, with the same mountain view for less money.
Think twice about
- Dumre highway strip
A truck stop town on the Prithvi Highway with no reason to sleep there. Sleep up in Bandipur for the dawn view and the quiet street.
- Prithvi Highway in heavy monsoon rain
Landslides block this highway for hours or days in monsoon, notably at Krishnabhir. Travel by day, check conditions and wait a slide out.
Best restaurants in Bandipur
Gaun Ghar
The bazaar restaurant most often named for its Thakali thali sets, served in a traditional house on the main street.
The Himalayan Cafe
The bazaar cafe for coffee, momos and home baking with a mountain outlook, the place visitors return to daily.
Samay Baji
A small eatery by the temple serving only Newari samay baji platters, the most local plate on the bazaar at low prices.
Falcha
A local facing restaurant for chatamari and dishes off the tourist menu, where visitors are often the only ones in the room.
Pratiksha Restaurant
The bazaar snack stop for hot samosas and tea between hikes and bus times, cheap, quick and fresh from the fryer.
Outdoor things to do in Bandipur
Siddha Cave
One of Nepal's largest caves, a vast dark chamber reached by a steep walk, impressive and genuinely slippery inside.
Ramkot
A Magar village of round thatched houses reached by a two hour walk through terraces and forest west of Bandipur.
Bandipur to Dumre Trail
The old foot trail dropping from Bandipur to Dumre past the cave area, free and scenic and hard on knees and lungs.
Bandipur Cable Car
A seven minute gondola from near Dumre up to Bandipur, opened in 2024, turning the steep road climb into a view.
Best hotels in Bandipur
The Old Inn
A restored Newari merchant house on the bazaar with a garden terrace, the closest thing Bandipur has to a luxury stay.
Bandipur Mountain Resort
A larger resort hotel above the bazaar with terraces and parking, the practical mid tier choice for groups and families.
Bandipur Chhen
A small bazaar guesthouse with a view balcony and famously helpful owners, the sweet spot stay for most visitors.
Hotel Aagaman
A clean family run budget hotel with private bathrooms and a restaurant, the cheap tier done properly in Bandipur.
Is Bandipur expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NPR 3,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NPR 7,000 a person |
| Splurge | NPR 14,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- The Old Inn: weeks ahead
- Bandipur Mountain Resort: a few days ahead
- Bandipur Chhen: a few days ahead
- Book the Old Inn and Bandipur Chhen ahead in October, November, March and April and around Dashain and Tihar.
- Confirm Dashain Phulpati dates, silk farm operation and cable car running on the day, as none has a fixed tourist schedule.
Is Bandipur safe?
- Demonstrations are possible with little warning, particularly in cities, and protest and flood situations can change at short notice.
- Petty crime occurs in tourist areas; the standing dangers are road hazards and earthquake, flood and landslide risk.
- Travel the Prithvi Highway and the Dumre access road by day and accept delays in monsoon rather than pressing a driver to push on.
- Carry insurance including medical evacuation, as care in Bandipur is basic and fuller hospitals are in Dumre, Pokhara or Kathmandu.
Bandipur travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Doing Bandipur as a two hour highway day trip and missing its dawn and dusk entirely.
- Expecting to see inside Khadga Devi Temple outside its single Phulpati opening in Dashain.
- Trusting a same day Kathmandu to Bandipur to Pokhara plan with no slack for highway delays.
- Attempting Siddha Cave in sandals or heavy rain, when its floor and trail are at their most slippery.
Getting around Bandipur: public transport and more
- Walk everywhere in town. The centre is traffic free and every bazaar sight is minutes apart on foot.
- Reach Bandipur by bus to Dumre, then a 30 to 40 minute local bus, jeep or taxi up the steep access road, or the cable car.
- Siddha Cave is about one and a half hours on foot and Ramkot about two hours each way, both best started in the morning.
Who Bandipur suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Bandipur your trip
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