Gorkha City

About this historical and ancient hill town of Nepal - Royal Dynasty's  first 'Pick of all the lands in Nepal'


About Gorkha

A 25-kilometre road off the main highway connecting Pokhara and Kathmandu brings you to an ancient Gorkha - the untouched and captivating town of Nepal! Some 300 years ago, Nepal was divided into 50 tiny states, and Gorkha was one of them. King Prithivi Narayan Shah, the founder of the `Shah Dynasty' which runs Nepal today, unified Nepal into one kingdom. His Gorkha palace resides on top of a hill at an altitude of 3281 feet (about 1000 meters) The King would watch over his people as far as his eyes could see from the tallest palace in the very centre of Nepal! Gorkha is also the home of Gurkhas - the legendary brave warriors who fought with knives against guns.
Places to Visit and Things to do in Gorkha

Gorkha Palace

Visit the Gorkha palace here to begin your sightseeing in the region. Climb the palace steps from the bottom of the hill, all the way to the top, climbing about one thousand seven hundred steps (1700), in about two hours. That's some hiking to do! If you get tired sit down on a step or think how much easier the trip down will be! You will be glad you got to the top. On a clear sky day, you can view the Himalayan range including a spectacular view of Manaslu and Himalchuli Mountains and panoramic views of the valleys.
Gorkha is a scenic and historical hill town lying almost midway between Kathmandu and Pokhara. King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great, the founding father of Modern Nepal was born here. It was from this very place that the King began his campaign to unify all the then small kingdoms formulating the present kingdom of Nepal.
Situated on a hill overlooking the snowy Himalayan peaks are the beautiful Gorkha Durbar, a fort and an artistic temple complex built in the 16th century. Treks to the Manasalu Region start from Gorkha and treks to the Annapurna Circuit can be started from here too. Gorkha is also best combined with wildlife safari tours in the Royal Chitwan National Park.

 

Directions From Kathmandu to Gorkha Bazar

144 km - about 3 hours 16 mins
1.
Head west
0.9 km
2.
Turn left
0.4 km
3.
Turn right at Bhaktithapa Road
0.2 km
4.
Slight right toward Bagmati Bridge
0.5 km
5.
Take the 3rd left toward Bagmati Bridge
0.2 km
6.
Continue straight onto Bagmati Bridge
0.1 km
7.
Turn right onto Park Ln
2.2 km
8.
Turn left toward Ring Road
1.1 km
9.
Turn left at Ring Rd
11 m
10.
Sharp right onto Ring Road
2.4 km
11.
Turn left onto Kalankisthan Rd
1.9 km
12.
Sharp left to stay on Kalankisthan Rd
1.1 km
13.
Continue onto Tribhuvan Rajpath
6.1 km
14.
Slight right to stay on Tribhuvan Rajpath
0.1 km
15.
Turn left to stay on Tribhuvan Rajpath
12.5 km
16.
At Naubise, Tribhuvan Rajpath turns slightly right and becomes Prithivi Rajmarga
1.1 km
17.
Continue onto Prithvi Highway
17.8 km
18.
Prithvi Highway turns slightly right and becomes Prithivi Hwy / Prithivi Rajmarga
Continue to follow Prithivi Hwy
24.0 km
19.
Keep right to continue on Prithivi Rajmarga
0.5 km
20.
Continue onto Prithvi Rajmarg
22.0 km
21.
Continue onto Prithvi Highway
23.5 km
22.
Continue onto Prithvi Hwy
1.3 km
23.
Turn right onto Abukhaireni-Gorkha Highway
24.4 km