Best Temple Tours in Nepal — Our Top 15

1.Kathmandu Spiritual Sites: Bodhnath & Pashupatinath Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 185 reviews · from $60Our pick

Meet at Hotel Marshyangdi in Thamel at 3 pm for a four-hour small-group visit to Boudhanath Stupa and Pashupatinath Temple. Your English-speaking Nepali guide leads you by public transport and on foot, explains Buddhist and Hindu customs, and helps you find the evening Aarati ceremony.

“This is a great tour and cover lots of very interesting places. The guide was nice and knowledge that she explain things in detail.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Chandragiri Cable Car and Monkey Temple Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 139 reviews · 5 hours · from $3Best value

You’ll ride 2.4 km above Chandragiri Hills, visit Bhaleshwor Mahadev Temple and Everest View Tower, eat vegetarian or chicken momos, then explore Swayambhunath. Private guides such as Prakash, Biraj, and Nilakantha Acharya add history, local stories, and flexible pacing.

“My activity was awesome. Nilakantha was knowledgeable about the sights with excellent explanations, he continued to check in to make sure we were happy. Guided us through the crowds like a true professional. I would highly recommend this tour and this tour guide if I could give 10 stars I would .”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.2 Stupas and Kopan Monastery Spiritual Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 115 reviews · 5 hours · from $6

You’ll visit three important Buddhist sites by private car, with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and time for meditation at Kopan Monastery. Guides such as Pooja, Karma, Aneel, and Pranav explain Buddhist symbols, local customs, and Kathmandu life in clear, friendly terms.

“I really enjoyed myself. I was alone so the one on one relationship was excellent. My guide was Extra Ordinary. I have forgotten how to spell her name. She went over and beyond to make sure I was satified. I have made a new frienf.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Lunch with Nuns – Monastery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · from $135

Leave Kathmandu for a moderate 1 to 2 hour uphill walk through Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. At Nagi Gumba, meet resident Buddhist nuns, learn about Nepali religious life, and share lunch before returning by road. Hotel pickup is offered in Thamel, and the private tour lasts about 4 to 6 hours.

“So I've been volunteering for 2 months in Nepal and my mother came to visit me. Gap Nepal organized a whole trek for us to Poon Hill, everything was taking care of. Even if I got sick during the trek, they were super reactive and made it really easy for me and we were able to finish the trek in full health!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Monkey Temple – Swayambhunath Tour – Private/Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 50 reviews · from $15

Join a maximum of five people for a three-hour guided walk from Thamel to Swayambhunath. Guide Santosh explains Hindu and Buddhist traditions, valley legends, neighborhood temples, and the hilltop stupa. Expect stairs, local streets, striking views, and a small cash entrance fee.

“As a female solo traveller I can totally recommend this tour! Santosh is a very experienced tourguide who has a lot of historical knowledge. He told as many stories about hinduism and buddhism. If you like walking and seeing the stunning stupa and view over Kathmandu, you should totally book this tour!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Pashupatinath Temple Evening Aarati Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 3 hours · from $45

Join a private three-hour evening tour with a guide such as Ramesh, Rajat, or Anjan. Visit Pashupatinath Temple, learn how Hindu rituals work, and watch Aarati beside the Bagmati River as priests chant, ring bells, burn incense, and wave oil lamps.

“Both the guide Ramesh and the driver Santosh were polite and friendly. Ramesh was very knowledgeable, we had good time.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Chandragiri Cable Car & Monkey Temple Tour- Private/Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · 5.5 hours · from $5

Spend 5.5 hours visiting Chandragiri Hills and Swayambhunath from Kathmandu. Your guide handles the route, explains the temples, and arranges hotel pickup, transport, and a packed lunch. Private departures are flexible, while group tours follow a set morning time. Cable car and temple fees depend on your package.

“The guide was very informative and giving us encouragement to try the activities existing at the chandragiri hills. The best.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Private Chandragiri Cable Car and The Monkey Temple Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $5

Travel by private vehicle from Kathmandu to Chandragiri Hills, ride the 2.4-kilometer cable car, visit Bhaleshwor Mahadev Temple, then explore Swayambhunath, the famous Monkey Temple. Your guide, transport, tickets, bottled water, and vegetarian or chicken momos are included.

“We recommend this trip highly for those looking for a nice half day trip with a fun cable car ride, nice views of the city and surrounding hills and several interesting temple visits. On a day with less haze, views of the Himalayas would have beRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Pashupatinath Temple Aarti Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 29 reviews · 3 hours · from $71

Visit Pashupatinath Temple after dark with a private English-speaking guide and hotel transport. See the golden-roofed shrine, silver doors, riverside cremation ghats, and the evening Aarti ceremony. Guides such as Madhu add useful historical context, though late pickup can affect ceremony time.

“Super interesting visit to this Hindu temple. Learned an awful lot that was fascinating! Unfortunately our driver was quite late and we missed the beginning of the ceremony but it was still a good visit.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Guided Walking Tour with Monkey Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $15

Join an English-speaking guide, often Shiva, for a walking tour from the Garden of Dreams through local neighborhoods, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Newari streets, and a cremation area before climbing to the Monkey Temple. Expect 45 minutes of uphill walking, stairs, ritual sites, and a return to Thamel on foot.

“Die Tour war sehr interessant! Ich würde sie jedem weiterempfehlen!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Sacred Pashupatinath: Aarati,Cremation Rites & Boudha Stupa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 2 - 5 hours · from $11

Join a local guide such as Razz, Pranav, Karma, or Sudhir for a 2 to 5 hour visit to Boudhanath Stupa and Pashupatinath. Walk the sacred kora, learn about Hindu rites, watch cremations from a respectful distance, and attend the evening Aarati. Hotel pickup is optional.

“Amazing tour super happy with it. Pushupatinath is a MUST SEE in Kathmandu. See the Hindu cremations Up close and personal. The temple is one of a kind with lots of sadhu holy men. Razz our guide explained everything very well and I highly recommend him.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.PashupatiNath and BoudhaNath – Private/Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $15

In about three hours, an English-speaking guide leads you from Pashupatinath’s sacred river and cremation ghats to Boudhanath’s Tibetan Buddhist center. You’ll learn about Hindu rites, Buddhist teachings, prayer flags, monasteries, mandalas, and Thangka painting in a group of no more than five.

“Our tour of Pashupatinath and Boudhanath was great, largely thanks to our guide Santosh! When we mentioned wanting to see the aarati ceremony, he adjusted our tour schedule to accommodate this special experience.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.From Lakeside: Pokhara Private Day Tour with Pagoda Hills

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 17 reviews · 5 hours · from $38

Spend five hours exploring Pokhara by private air-conditioned Jeep with an English-speaking guide. Visit Fewa Lake, the International Mountain Museum, Davis Falls, Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, and World Peace Pagoda. Guide Bidur has earned special praise for his friendly explanations of local culture.

“Bidur was a good tour guide. He was very personable with us. He listened to us and responded with very good information about culture and customs. It was an enjoyable time with him.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Pokhara: Golden Hour at Peace Pagoda – Himalayan Sunset Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 16 reviews · 3 hours · from $10

Leave your Pokhara hotel by comfortable vehicle for World Peace Pagoda, where you get mountain, lake, and city views at sunset. An English-speaking driver and local guides such as Samundra, Pujan, Bidur, and Roshan have led this experience. Expect a gentle walk, quiet time, and a hotel drop-off.

“The driver was efficient and communicated well with Pujan my guide, appearing exactly where we exited from any building. Pujan himself was friendly, knowledgeable, approachable, insightful, and very strong at communicating the cultural contexts around each destination. Any questions I had, he answered brilliantly. He also recommended a restaurant for my lunch, and went above and beyond to translate for me. Being non-religious, I wanted a focus on the natural destinations instead of religious tourism, and Pujan was flexible and adaptable in ensuring I got all the insights I wanted out of this tour. The price was high for 3 locations but for the service- the team were incredibly reliable.…”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Pashupatinath Temple Evening Aarati Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 11 reviews · 3 hours · from $22

Visit Pashupatinath Temple at dusk with an English-speaking guide, then watch the sacred Aarati beside the Bagmati River. Pickup is available from Thamel, Boudhha, or central Kathmandu. Guides such as Razz, Ravi, and Shankar explain the Hindu rituals, cremation customs, and symbolism.

“I had the pleasure of joining the Evening Aarati Tour at Pashupatinath Temple, and it was truly a memorable experience; made even better by our guide, Razz! From the moment the tour began, Razz impressed me with his deep knowledge not only of the Pashupatinath Temple and its rich Hindu traditions, but also of Buddhism, which added a wonderful layer of context to everything I saw and experienced. He explained the rituals, symbolism, and history in a way that was engaging and easy to understand, even for someone unfamiliar with the culture. His passion for the heritage of Kathmandu was evident, and his kind, respectful nature made the entire experience…”

Check availability →Read our full review