Dakshinkali Temple & Pharping — Day Trip from Kathmandu

Visit the hilltop shrine of Goddess Kali, 23km south of Kathmandu, with stops at Taudaha Lake and Chobar Gorge — 1 day

Dakshinkali Temple stands on a forested hilltop 23 kilometers south of Kathmandu Valley, one of the most visited Hindu pilgrimage sites in Nepal. The shrine is dedicated to Goddess Kali and draws particularly large numbers during Dashain, Nepal's major autumn festival. The temple can be visited as a day excursion from Kathmandu, combined with nearby sites including Taudaha Lake—a shallow freshwater body populated by ducks and carp—and Chobar Gorge, a limestone canyon whose formation is attributed in local tradition to the bodhisattva Manjushri. The route also passes through Pharping, a Newar settlement historically known as a meditation retreat center.

Highlights

Darshan at Dakshinkali Temple, hilltop shrine dedicated to Goddess Kali
Taudaha Lake, freshwater lake with resident duck and carp populations
Chobar Gorge, limestone canyon south of Kathmandu Valley
Pharping village, traditional Newar settlement and pilgrimage site

Day by day

1Dakshinkali Temple Darshan, Taudaha Lake & Chobar GorgeDakshinkali Temple · Taudaha Lake · Chobar Gorge · Kathmandu

A 1.5-hour drive southward from Kathmandu leads to Dakshinkali Temple, a hilltop shrine dedicated to Goddess Kali situated 23 kilometers outside the valley. The temple draws Hindu pilgrims year-round and sees particularly heavy visitation during Dashain festival. After visiting the temple, the route continues to Taudaha Lake, a shallow freshwater body inhabited by ducks and carp, where time permits for observation of the water and surrounding area. The itinerary then moves to Chobar Gorge, a limestone canyon that local tradition credits to Manjushri, the bodhisattva said to have cut the passage to drain the prehistoric lake that once filled the Kathmandu Valley. The day concludes with return to Kathmandu.

Where you go

Map: Dakshinkali Temple & Pharping — Day Trip from Kathmandu route — Numbers follow the itinerary order. © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap

1Kathmandu

Included

Included
Airport Transfers
Window Seats - Mountain Flights
Everest View Certificate

Not included

Excluded
Breakfast or any meals
Personal Expenses
Airport

Activities: Sightseeing