Nepal · Culture

Palpa, an ancient hill town tour from Pokhara

3 Days Round trip from Pokhara Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Explore the ancient hill town of Tansen from Pokhara
  • 02 Visit heritage landmarks including Tansen Durbar and Shital Pati
  • 03 See important religious sites such as Bhagwati Temple and Amar Narayan Mandir
  • 04 Enjoy views from Shreenagar Tower and the surrounding hills
  • 05 Visit the riverside Rani Mahal on the banks of the Kali Gandaki River
  • 06 Walk through streets lined with traditional Newari-influenced architecture
  • 07 Travel with private transfers and guided sightseeing included
  • 08 Includes accommodation and meals during the tour

Discover the historic hill town of Tansen on a 3-day journey from Pokhara, combining cultural heritage, architecture, and scenic landscapes. Explore cobbled streets, traditional Newari-influenced houses, and important landmarks that reflect Palpa’s rich religious and royal history.

Your trip includes a full day of sightseeing in Palpa, with visits to sites such as Bhagwati Temple, Shital Pati, Mul Dhoka, Tansen Durbar, and Amar Narayan Mandir, plus a visit to the riverside Rani Mahal on the banks of the Kali Gandaki. With private transfers, accommodation, meals, and guided sightseeing included, this is a relaxed way to experience one of Nepal’s lesser-visited cultural gems.

Discover the historic hill town of Tansen on a 3-day journey from Pokhara, combining cultural heritage, architecture, and scenic landscapes.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 3 Days
Tour type Private
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Included
Transport Included
Wheelchair access No
Cities Pokhara, Tansen
Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Day 1: Hotel pick up and drive to Palpa (5 hrs drive)

  • Your English speaking driver will pick you up from your Hotel in Pokhara and takes you for a drive to Palpa. Overnight at hotel. 
  • Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner 
  • Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 
2
Day 02

Day 2: Full day Palpa sightseeing

Early morning hike to Shreenagar Tower, enjoy view of glorious mountains and Palpa town and after breakfast Visit these sites:

  • Bhagwati Temple: Bhagawati Temple was rebuilt by Colonel Ujir Singh Thapa, the governor of Palpa in 1815 in commemoration of the victory over colonial British Indian Forces in the battle fought at Butwal. He took oath to build a large temple and organize chariot processions to Goddess Mahis Mardini if he gets victory in the battle.
  • Bhagawati Temple is three small temples of Shiva, Ganesh and Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom. Every August, a chariot procession of deities is paraded through the town with military honor to observe the historic battle.
  • Shital Pati: Literally known as “Cool Resting Place’’ this octagonal landmark was built by General Khadga Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana during his tenure (1891-1902 AD) as western commanding chief of Nepal, based in Tansen, Palpa. Built in Mughal style, its unique architecture resembles a fort or a rook- shaped castle tower piece in a chess board. Shital Pati is believed to have been built a few years earlier than the Rani Mahal.
  • The Mul Dhoka (main gate) or Baggi Dhoka (gate for horse drawn carriage) as the locals call it, is probably the only one of this size and dimension in Nepal. The gateway leads to the famous Ranaujieshwori Bhagwati temple, regarded as the guardian deity of Tansen and to the Tansen Durbar square which since accommodated various district level government offices. There are fine woodcarvings on the buildings on both sides of the gate, examples of the fine Newari craftsmanship.
  • Tansen Durbar was built in 1927 AD by Pratap Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana and formed the grand palace that was the seat of the Rana governors. Though in January 2006 during the Maoist insurgency it was destroyed, after the abdication of the king a few months later, the palace was one of the first government buildings to be restored
  • Amar Narayan Mandir: The large classic three-tiered pagoda style temple is sacred to the Lord Vishnu. It was built in 1807 AD by the first governor of Tansen, Amar Singh Thapa and is very beautiful with its carved wood deities. The erotic carvings on the wooden struts are remarkable. The temple is surrounded by one meter wide stone wall locally known as the Great wall of Palpa. In the vicinity of the temple, there are two other temples. Mahadev Mandir is found just below, sacred to Shiva and the other is to Vishnu Paduka.
  • Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
  • Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel
3
Day 03

Day 3: Rani Mahal sightseeing and drive back to Pokhara

After breakfast, drive for Rani Mahal:

  • Rani Mahal is a Rana palace located in the banks of Kali Gandaki River in Palpa district of Nepal. This palace was constructed by General Khadga Samsher Rana JBR in 1893, named after his wife as Rani Mahal (Literary translates as Queens Palace.

After sightseeing, drive back to Pokhara.

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Pokhara 2 cities · 3 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Dinner
  • Lunch
  • Breakfast
  • All private transfer with luxurious vehicle
  • Hotel pick up and drop off service
  • Guide during sightseeing
  • All entrance fees wherever applicable
  • Accommodation in Hotel Srinagar or similar in all meals plan
  • Accommodation in twin/double sharing basis. For solo traveler we provide single room.

What's Not Included

  • Tips
  • Any optional sightseeing and activities fee
  • Any drinks
  • Lunch on last day
  • Guide while travelling to Palpa and returning back to Pokhara

Know before you go

  • INFANTS MUST SIT ON LAPS
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • No public transportation nearby
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • Kindly provide the name of Hotel inside Pokhara for pick up and drop off service.
  • We offer pick and drop off service from any Hotels inside Pokhara city.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Pokhara, NP
Tour start
Pokhara, NP
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 3 days finish where they began, in Pokhara.

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