Gorkha

Birthplace of Nepal's unification, where history echoes in stone

Gorkha is the historic birthplace of Nepal's unification, the hilltop seat from which Prithvi Narayan Shah launched the campaign that founded the modern Nepali state.

Gorkha Durbar, the hilltop fortress-palace overlooking the district, remains one of Nepal's most significant historical monuments and gives the district, and the Gurkha soldiers who take their name from it, their shared identity.

Gorkha is also the starting point for the Manaslu Circuit, a restricted-area trek around Manaslu (8,163 m), the world's eighth-highest mountain.

Gorkha

Culture

People & Culture

Gorkha is home to Gurung and Magar communities in its higher Manaslu-region villages, long the recruiting ground for the British and Indian Army's Gurkha regiments, whose name derives directly from the district. Gorkha Durbar remains a site of national pilgrimage tied to Nepali identity and history, while the Manaslu region's Tibetan Buddhist villages preserve a culture closely related to Mustang and Dolpo further west.

Activities

Things to Do

  • Visit Gorkha Durbar, birthplace of Nepal's unification

  • Trek the Manaslu Circuit around the world's eighth-highest peak

  • Explore Gurung and Magar villages across the district's hills

    • Visit Manakamana Temple, hilltop Hindu pilgrimage temple reached by cable car from Kurintar

Travel Information

Best Time to Visit

October, November, March, April

Stories from Gorkha

All guides

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