Nuwakot

Panoramic Himalayan views and a proud fortress of Prithvi Narayan Shah

Nuwakot is a hill district northwest of Kathmandu, home to Nuwakot Palace, the fortress from which Prithvi Narayan Shah launched the campaign that unified modern Nepal.

The seven-storey palace complex, built in traditional Newar style, overlooks the Trishuli River valley and remains one of the country's most significant historical monuments outside the Kathmandu Valley.

Kakani, a cool hilltop retreat on the district's southern edge, offers Himalayan morning views within an easy drive of the capital.

Nuwakot

Culture

People & Culture

Nuwakot is home to Tamang communities across its hill villages, alongside Newar settlers connected to the historic palace town. Nuwakot Palace holds particular significance in Nepali history as the base from which Prithvi Narayan Shah's forces conquered the Kathmandu Valley in 1768-69, unifying the country's many small kingdoms into a single state. The district's Trishuli valley farmland has changed relatively little in the centuries since.

Activities

Things to Do

  • Visit Nuwakot Palace, Prithvi Narayan Shah's fortress palace

  • Take in Himalayan morning views from Kakani

  • Explore the Trishuli River valley's hill villages

    • Visit Devighat, riverside site at the Trishuli-Tadi confluence where Prithvi Narayan Shah spent his final years

Travel Information

Best Time to Visit

October, November, March, April

Stories from Nuwakot

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