Bhagwan Bahal (Vikramashila Mahavihar)
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Thamel, central Kathmandu
Claimed to be the oldest monastery in the Kathmandu Valley, rebuilt by the great Indian master Atisha in 1041 CE and home to a 7-foot gold statue and a priceless Prajnaparamita manuscript.
Boudhanath Stupa
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Boudha
One of the world's great stupas and the heart of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal — raised, legend says, by a poultry-keeper and her sons, and rebuilt after 2015 by its own community.
Ha Bahal (Ratnakar Mahavihar)
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Mangal Bazaar, Patan
Ratnakar Mahavihar (Ha Bahal) is one of Patan's most significant bahals — the official residence of the living Kumari goddess of Patan, with exclusively Vajracharya membership.
Hiranya Varna Mahavihar (Golden Temple)
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Patan Durbar Square area
Patan's celebrated Golden Temple — a 12th-century Newar Buddhist bahal sheathed in gilded copper, with a rotating boy priest and an 800-year-old Prajnaparamita manuscript.
Lumbini — Birthplace of Buddha
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Lumbini Development Zone
Birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Buddhists worldwide.
Maya Devi Temple
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Sacred Garden, Lumbini
The sacred core of Lumbini — the shrine built directly over the exact spot where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautama in 623 BCE.
World Peace Pagoda, Pokhara (Shanti Stupa)
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Ananda Hill, south of Phewa Lake
A gleaming white Buddhist stupa on the Ananda hill above Phewa Lake — one of the first peace pagodas built in Nepal and a favourite sunset viewpoint over Pokhara and the Annapurna range.
Yetakha Bahal (Bhaskarakirti Mahavihar)
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Near Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, accessible via lane from Maju Dewal toward Naradevi
Home to the oldest known wooden torana in the Kathmandu Valley (radiocarbon-dated 900-1030 CE) and stunning yaksha struts — a vast monastery courtyard hiding in plain sight near Durbar Square.
Ashoka Pillar, Lumbini
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Sacred Garden, Lumbini
The 249 BCE sandstone pillar raised by Emperor Ashoka beside the Maya Devi Temple — bearing the earliest known inscription identifying Lumbini as the birthplace of the Buddha.
Asura Cave (Yangleshö)
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Pharping
A sacred Buddhist cave in Pharping where Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) is believed to have attained the realization of Mahamudra, one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the Kathmandu Valley.
Bhinche Bahal (Mayurvarna Mahavihar)
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Central Patan, near Pilache Bahal
One of the 18 principal mahavihars of Patan, the 'Peacock-colored Monastery' is a well-preserved example of the traditional bahal pilgrimage circuit.
Bu Bahal (Yashodhar Mahavihar)
- Faith
- Buddhist
- In
- Gabahal, Patan
An ancient monastery named after Yashodhara, wife of the Buddha, historically notable as founded by a converted Brahmin reflecting the Valley's fluid religious boundaries.