If you are struck by the beauty of Nepal and wishing to film your next project, then we have hand-collected the top locations for filming in Nepal.
The land of the Himalayas and mystical cities, Nepal has always won the heart of travelers and filmmakers around the world.
Being home to Mt. Everest, other historic and vibrant landmarks have made the Nepal popular backdrop for so many films and documentaries.
Movies like Everest, Doctor Strange, Witch from Nepal, To the North of Kathmandu, Himalaya, and so on are filmed here in Nepal.
Shooting in Nepal is possible for any season. Each season offers different breathtaking views of the landscapes, Himalayan plants, Rhododendron forest, clear view of Himalayan peaks and ranges, and so on. Apart from that, the cultural diversity and religions are the center point of Nepal.
Divided by the ancient Tibetan culture in the Upper Himalayan Region, to the mixed culture, religion, and history in the central and lower part of Nepal, it is cultural epiphany and knowledge to all the visitors.
Now imagine how the beauty and history of Nepal have bewitched the trekkers and the moviemakers from across the globe.
Below is our guide to what we consider to be some of the best and most iconic locations for filming in Nepal.
Want to walk in the small alleys that take you to the temples, shrines, palaces and historic monuments that Doctor strange has walked in the movie? If yes, then Welcome to Kathmandu, a capital city of Nepal, and a beautiful valley surrounded by the lush green hills and full of beautiful landscapes, arts, and architecture. Kathmandu city has become the number one spot for most of the travelers around the world because of its moderate climate, palaces, heritage sites, history, and culture.
Before forming in one single city, Kathmandu consists of three kingdoms, Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur, which are ruled by different dynasties of Nepal and equally rich in culture, arts, artifacts, palaces, temples, and shrines. They are called Durbar Squares and also listed in UNESCO world heritage sites. You can film over here, but you need to take a special permit from Heritage Sites. Similarly, Syambhunath, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, other hill stations like Nagarkot, Shivapuri, Dhulikhel and so on enhancing the footage of your movie or documentaries. You can end your tiresome day with some fun and night life of Thamel city, full of trendy clubs, bars, and hotspot for all the travelers.
Pokhara is the second most popular tourist destination after Kathmandu. You can call Pokhara a small package with big bangs. Why? The city is very small but is the gateway to the most popular trekking destinations of Nepal like Annapurna Region, Mustang Region, Manang Valley and so on. What’s makes Pokhara the best? From there you can see the glorious Annapurna Range, including Macchapuchhre (MT. Fishtail, because of its unique shape which resembles like tail of the fish).
Similarly, there is Fewa and Begnas Lake and the city lies in the lakeside. You can rent a boat, cruise along and in a meanwhile, you can enjoy the stunning view of Annapurna Range which is just a few distances away. It is also famous for adventure sports like paragliding, zip-lining, bungee jumping, ultra flight, canoeing and so on. Annapurna Range looks spectacular during sunrise and sunset from the Saragkot or Peace Pagoda. One can have a chill time in the restaurants and bars in the lakeside or Pame area. Pokhara city has featured in the Bollywood movie Wanted.
Located by 5 hours drive from Kathmandu, Chitwan National Park is home to famous One-Horned Rhino, Royal Bengal Tiger and Gharial Crocodile including 68 species of mammals, and 544 species of birds. That’s why it is one of the best locations for filming in Nepal.
Similarly, the “Tharu” community that surrounds the jungle in terms of offering their spiritual and welcoming dance is also a film worthy event with various others such as Rhino Rangers and Elephant Rides & Bathing. The numerous filming projects that have been filmed inside the national park. Remember that you need to take a permit from National Park to shoot over here.
Filming in Chitwan National Park
Just imagine, you are standing in the base of Mt. Everest and you are capturing the stunning footage of the Himalayas and mesmerizing landscapes. Its 100% sure that, your audience will surely love it. Everest Base Camp is one of the most popular trekking destinations in Nepal. Situated at the elevation of 5,380 m, you can see most of the above 8000m peaks up close like Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and so on.
Besides that, you can see the cultural diversity and lifestyle of Sherpa people. They are the most friendly people and a master at climbing Mt. Everest. Likewise, cascading rivers, waterfalls, tiny villages, herds of yaks, glacier lakes and high passes- paradisaical view that surely gives astonishing cinematographic shots that will surely take your audience’s breath away. One needs a lot of planning for filming in Everest and also you need to have a permit from National Park as well. But it’s a lifetime experience that will never go out of your mind.
Annapurna region is the most diverse and popular trekking region in Nepal. This region stretches from historic Mustang to Manang region, offering an astonishing view of the mountain range, alpine forest, and small settlements of Gurung community.
Annapurna region is very majestic and popular among travel enthusiasts and moviemakers. The main attraction of this part of Nepal is the Annapurna range that includes Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri and Macchaouchre. Established in 1986 by the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, this region offers you diverse culture, flora, and fauna, breathtaking views of the mountains and the best of them all, trekker friendly climate which makes it quite popular among trekkers worldwide.
As the name itself is enough to drive all travel enthusiasts to be there, Upper Mustang is the last forbidden kingdom. The Upper Mustang trek leads its way to the ancient Tibetan and Buddhist Kingdom of Mustang, also known as Lo. This trans-Himalayan mountain region borders with Tibet and has a separate Tibetan feel to it, both in its people, culture and religion. It consists arid landscape of high cliffs and rocks of unusual formations and colors.
The Mustang region is a relatively high altitude trek (3,000m to 3,800m), which is somehow intensified by the dry air. It wasn’t until the 1990s that tourists were allowed to enter the region. Trekking in the Upper Mustang one can see the uniqueness of the tree-less landscape, rocky trails and views of Nilgiri, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and the other Himalayas. Lo Manthang, the old capital, is reached in few days hence making it a trek worth going.
As the birthplace of the Gautam Buddha, Lumbini is among the four holy sites that pilgrims from the world over travel to during their lifetime. The inner sanctum of the Maya Devi Temple consists of marker stone, the exact spot where the Buddha was born 2,642 years ago, and around 1.6 million visitors see this place annually. Similarly, it is also popular for learning Buddhism and attracting extenal tourists with a library, the museum as well as monasteries built by various countries within the World Heritage Site.
Mayadevi Temple is the most sacred site located in the Lumbini Garden. It is the place where Lord Buddha was born. Archaeologists have discovered the exact spot where Lord Buddha was born. Not only that, but the inscriptions on the Ashoka Pillar nearby also prove that is the spot as his birthplace. The area of Lumbini Garden is 2.56 sq km and includes three zones, each covering one square mile connected by walkways and a canal.
Dolpo region is one of the highest altitude regions which is influenced by the Tibetan culture and religion in the upper part of the Dolpo district of western, Nepal. Phoksundo and Mugu Karnali valley lies in the north west and the sixth highest mountain in the world Mt. Dhaulagiri (8172mtr.) lies in the south west of this region. Dolpo region is home to some of the highest villages on earth, almost 90% of the region lies above 3500mtr. It is one of the least densely populated areas of Nepal, only having 5000 population lives in this region.
Dolpo Region provides an opportunity for the movie makers to soak in more of the culture of Himalayan trips, and to challenge their physical capacity. Home to people of Tibetan descent since the early centuries of Christianity, Tibetan refugees continue to trickle into Dolpo. The Upper Dolpo and Lower Dolpo offer an endless variety of landscapes not to mention a chance to interact with the local people. In Dolpo, the elevation of the trails ranges from 1650 meters (5,412ft) to 5136 meters (16,846ft) above sea level.
While wrapping up, these are the places or locations that foreign filmmakers should keep an eye on.
