Gorkha

Gorkha is the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the king who began the unification of Nepal, and its hilltop palace, Gorkha Durbar, is reached by a stone stairway of about 1,500 steps from the bazaar in 30 to 45 minutes. From there you look north to Manaslu, Himalchuli and Annapurna, and a day's walk away the Manakamana temple on Kafakdada hill (about 1,300 m) can be reached on foot from Anbu Khaireni in about 3 hours. No permit, no flight and no altitude are involved, and the town is an easy overnight on the road between Kathmandu and Pokhara. The walks are short, steep and cultural rather than alpine, so they suit families and anyone resting between bigger treks. The best months are October to December and March to April, and buses take about 6 hours from Kathmandu and about 4 hours from Pokhara.

Gorkha and its hills

Gorkha is a hill district town in Gandaki Province, about 140 km west of Kathmandu, with the Gorkha Durbar looking out over the Trishuli and Marsyangdi valleys. Wikipedia says the municipality was created in 1996 as Prithvinarayan, after the king, and was renamed Gorkha in 2009 after the monarchy ended; at the 2021 census it had 53,285 residents. It is also the starting point of the trekking routes into the Manaslu and Ganesh Himal areas, which lie far to the north, so you may meet trekkers here in the season even though the town and its walks are far below any park or restricted area.

The old centre is a stone-paved bazaar with the bus park and the museum at its foot, and the palace above it is the reason most people come. The walks in this region are short, steep and historical rather than scenic in the trekking sense: a climb to a palace and a pilgrimage walk to a temple, joined by an easy day each. That makes Gorkha a good half-way stop on the Kathmandu to Pokhara road, and a gentle introduction to Nepali hill walking.

Gorkha Durbar

Wikipedia dates the palace to the 16th century, built by King Ram Shah on a hilltop at about 1,000 m, and says it is an example of Newari architecture with fortified walls about three feet thick and floors held up by extended wooden beams. It is the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Shah, who was born in 1723, and he was born in the Dhuni Pari, a part of the palace. Temples stand inside the compound: the Kalika temple in the west part, built in the 17th century with wooden carvings of birds, animals and deities, the Gorakhkali temple on the south-west, and the Gorakhnath temple and a cave where the yogi Gorakhnath is said to have meditated. An eternal flame in the south part has burned, according to tradition, since the unification of Nepal.

The April 2015 earthquake partly damaged the palace, and Wikipedia records that reconstruction began on 15 November 2017 and was still under way in 2022, so scaffolding and closed rooms are possible. Visitor numbers recorded by the Gorkha Museum rose from 48,233 in 2015 to 2016 to 77,753 in 2017 to 2018. A guide to the site notes that the main Kalika temple is usually closed to non-Hindus, who can look in from outside if the door is open, that animal sacrifices still take place, especially on Saturdays, and that the Gorakhnath cave cannot be entered but can be seen through lattice windows.

The climb itself is a stone stairway of about 1,500 steps that starts just north of the museum. Nepal Traveller gives 30 to 45 minutes on worn stone steps that can be uneven, and The Longest Way Home gives about 45 minutes with rest stops and notes that nothing is sold at the top, so carry water. You can also take a taxi to the rear of the fortress and walk the last 5 minutes. On our map the walk from Gorkha bazaar to the Kalika temple and back is 2.3 km with about 270 m of climbing.

The museum, the viewpoints and the festivals

Below the palace, the Gorkha Museum in the Tallo Durbar, the lower palace, shows armour, paintings and the Divya Upadesh of Prithvi Narayan Shah, according to Wikipedia, and The Longest Way Home gives its hours as 10:30 to 15:30 from November to January and to 16:30 from February to October, shorter on Mondays. Near the palace, Sita Pati is a small rest house where a guard may let you look through the window, and the Hanuman Bhanjyang pass gives a view of the palace with snow peaks behind it, including Manaslu at 8,156 m. Gorakhnath cave has a fair every year on Baisakh Purnima, the full moon of Baisakh in April or May, and the Kalika temple draws worshippers all year. Plan the visit for a clear morning, since the view is the point and cloud can build later in the day.

Manakamana

Manakamana temple is the most famous Hindu pilgrimage site in the district. Wikipedia places it at 1,300 m on Kafakdada hill, between the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers, about 106 km west of Kathmandu and 94 km east of Pokhara, and describes a two-storey pagoda-style temple of the goddess Bhagwati, whose name means that she grants wishes. The priest must be a Magar, a descendant of the saint Lakhan Thapa Magar, who in legend served the Gorkha kings. Many visitors ride the cable car, which opened in 1998, but the temple can also be reached on foot.

The walking route starts at Anbu Khaireni, on the Prithvi Highway, and climbs on stone steps and a track beside the cable car line. Wikipedia gives about 3 hours up. A 2009 trip report logged about 4 hours and 6 km, and a 2007 report from a group of hikers describes full sun, stony steps and donkeys carrying rice and gas cylinders on the way up, then a return on the cable car's track to Kurintar. On our map the climb from Anbu Khaireni to the temple is 6.8 km with about 1,030 m of climbing, mostly on a track. Take the cable car down if your legs are tired.

Getting there

Gorkha town is about 140 km west of Kathmandu, a 4 to 5 hour drive according to Nepal Traveller, and The Longest Way Home gives about 6 hours by frequent buses from the Gongabu bus park, or a morning tourist bus to Anbu Khaireni in 3.5 hours and a local bus to Gorkha in 1 hour more. From Pokhara it is about 4 hours. Gorkha has direct bus service from Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan, and the bus park south of the museum has buses back to each of those and to Anbu Khaireni. Palungtar airport in the neighbouring municipality is out of service. We found no confirmed fares, so transport is shown as items to check.

Best season

October to December gives the clearest skies and the best mountain views, and March to April is pleasant, with rhododendron in bloom, according to Nepal Traveller. June to August is slippery and hazy and is best avoided. Heat is the main hazard on the Manakamana climb, which is mostly in the open, so start early whatever the month.

Where to stay

The Longest Way Home lists Hotel Brindaban at the rear of the palace, Chhen Bed and Breakfast near the bus park, which it calls the best option, Hotel Gorkha Bisauni with a garden, and larger hotels aimed at Nepali visitors, and OpenStreetMap shows several more homestays and hotels in the bazaar. We have no sourced room prices for the district, so our cost lines use Nepal-wide low-altitude ranges for lodging and meals and say so.

Permits, guides and rules

No trekking permit and no TIMS card is needed for these walks. Gorkha town and Manakamana are not in a national park or conservation area, and they are not a restricted area; the Manaslu Conservation Area and its restricted-area permits begin far to the north. The Nepal Tourism Board rule of April 2023 for national parks and conservation areas therefore does not apply, and a local guide is optional. Gorkha Durbar is free to enter at present according to The Longest Way Home, with a rumour that a fee of NPR 500 may return; the Gorkha Museum (Tallo Durbar) charges NPR 100 plus NPR 200 for a camera. Wikipedia notes that the Gorakhnath shrine and Kalika temple are open with no entrance charges. See our guide rule page for the rule in full.

Altitude and safety

The palace is about 1,000 m and the temple 1,300 m, so altitude is no concern. The risks are heat and humidity on the Manakamana steps, uneven worn stone on the palace stairway, and slippery steps in the monsoon. Both climbs have long stretches of stairs, so go slowly, carry water and start early. Do not photograph inside the temples without permission, and avoid animal sacrifice areas if you would rather not watch.

Practical tips

• Buy water in the bazaar before the palace climb; nothing is sold at the top.
• Start the Manakamana walk before 9 am and take the cable car down if it is hot.
• Take small notes for lodges, since machines may be only in the town centre.
• Museum opening hours are limited and shorter on Mondays; check on the day.
• Time Gorkha with a clear morning: the view from the palace is the point.

Sources and how we checked them

The palace and town facts come from Wikipedia, the climb details, fees and bus times from The Longest Way Home (updated October 2026) and Nepal Traveller (July 2026), and the Manakamana facts from Wikipedia and two trip reports from 2007 and 2009. Where sources give different times, we give the range. Distances and climbing are from our own map of OpenStreetMap trails and terrain data, checked on 19 October 2026.