Destinations
6 places worth going in December · pilgrimages.
Uttarakhand · Haridwar
Haridwar
350 m
Where the Ganga leaves the mountains — Har Ki Pauri, the evening aarti, and the gateway to Char Dham.
Easy2 daysBest Feb Mar Oct Nov
Uttarakhand · Almora, Kumaon
Jageshwar Dham
1,900 m
A cluster of over 100 ancient stone temples inside a deodar forest, dating to the 8th–12th century.
Easy2 daysBest Mar Apr May Jun Sep Oct Nov
Nepal · Gorkha, Gandaki
Gorkha
1,450 m
The ancestral seat of the Shah dynasty, with the hilltop Gorkha Durbar and Gorakhnath temple.
Easy–moderate2 daysBest Oct Nov Dec Feb Mar Apr
Nepal · Bagmati
Kathmandu Valley & Nagarkot
2,175 m
Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Squares, and a Himalayan sunrise from Nagarkot.
Easy4 daysBest Oct Nov Dec Feb Mar Apr
Nepal · Rupandehi, Lumbini
Lumbini
180 m
The birthplace of the Buddha, with the Maya Devi Temple, the Ashoka Pillar and a monastic zone of world temples.
Easy3 daysBest Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar