Best Things To Do In Kyoto | International Traveller

Compared to other Japanese cities, Kyoto is smaller in size and population, but it delivers a remarkable cultural depth – from its historic temples and tranquil shrines, through to its intimate, pocket-sized cocktail bars.

Offering a more immersive, nature-rich and historically layered experience than Japan’s larger cities, Kyoto is a genuine cultural reset. Serene and captivating, it’s a place that encourages you to slow down – inviting reflection not only inward, but backwards, drawing on centuries of tradition for a sense of purpose, perspective and restoration. Here, the focus shifts away from cutting-edge technology and neon-lit nightlife, and toward timeless rituals, craftsmanship, and the beauty of everyday simplicity.

From the mesmerising Kinkaku-ji temple and cherry blossom-lined Philosopher’s Path to the bustling Nishiki food markets, we’ve curated a comprehensive guide of the best things to do in Kyoto, whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning to uncover even more of its enduring charm.

Wander through Fushimi Inari

Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine in Kyoto, Japan — Fushimi Inari Taisha is Kyoto’s most iconic Shinto shrine for its vermilion torii gates. (Credit: Getty/Elena Zolotova)

One of Kyoto’s most significant shrines – and undoubtedly one of the most photographed – Fushimi Inari Shrine is a mesmerising, torii gate-lined hike dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice, prosperity, and business. Stretching roughly 5 kilometres in length through the sloped forest of Mount Inari, the trail takes two to three hours to complete, guiding visitors through thousands of striking vermillion gates that form an almost surreal, tunnel-like pathway.

What sets this experience apart is that the gates are more than just visually arresting; they are also offerings, donated by individuals and businesses in gratitude for success or in hope of future prosperity. While the shrine is open 24 hours a day, visiting during off-peak periods – particularly in winter – offers a more peaceful experience. Even then, it’s worth arriving early to fully appreciate its quiet, atmospheric beauty before the crowds descend.

Soak in the beauty of Kinkaku-ji

Golden Pavilion Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto — Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion) is especially vibrant in autumn. (Credit: Getty/tang90246)

Kinkaku-ji is easily one of the most striking buildings in Japan. Originally built in the 14th century as a shogun’s retirement villa, the iconic Buddhist temple is now a UNESCO World Heritage-listed, meticulously preserved in shimmering gold leaf and set against a background of lush, manicured gardens.

Wander around the surrounding gardens to soak in the pavilion from carefully considered viewpoints – every path, branch, and pond has been intentionally positioned to harmoniously frame the architecture. Like many of Kyoto’s iconic landmarks, its magnetism draws crowds, so it’s worth arriving early. Aim to be there when it opens at 9am to experience its beauty at a slower pace.

Wander through Ginkaku-ji

Ginkaku-ji Temple of the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto, Japan — Ginkaku-ji Temple embodies the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, or finding beauty in the imperfect and understated. (Credit: Getty/Sean Pavone)

Built in 1482 by shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a retirement villa and modelled after its gilded counterpart, Kinkaku-ji, this understated Buddhist temple offers a more contemplative experience.

While visually understated, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site is nestled at the foot of Higashiyama’s wooded hills, presenting a thoughtfully composed landscape of moss gardens, raked sand and winding paths. It’s an introspective glimpse into Japan’s cultural and aesthetic traditions.

Stroll along the Philosopher’s Path

Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto — Follow a scenic route through a canal lined with hundreds of cherry blossoms. (Credit: Getty/Spuyan)

Japan’s cherry blossom season – typically arriving in early April and lasting just a few fleeting weeks – is a magical time to explore the country, and Kyoto is no exception. One of the most beautiful ways to experience the soft bursts of spring colours is by strolling along the Philosopher’s Path, which winds through the northern part of Kyoto’s Higashiyama district.

Starting near Ginkakuji and finishing at Nanzenji, the two-kilometre path follows a tranquil canal, lined with cherry trees, passing temples like Anraku-ji and Honen-in. It’s an easy and scenic walk that captures Kyoto at its most poetic.

Wander through Nanzen-ji

Nanzen-ji temple in Kyoto — Nanzen-ji temple stands at the base of the Higashiyama mountains. (Credit: Getty/Elena Zolotova)

Speaking of Nanzen-ji, it’s a destination in its own right. Nestled at the base of Kyoto’s forested Higashiyama mountains, this expansive Zen temple complex dates back to the 13th century and is considered one of the most important Zen sites in Japan.

Exceptionally picturesque and peaceful, the grounds are home to multiple sub-temples and gardens. While some require a fee, the main precinct is open to the public and free to explore. The striking Sanmon Gate is certainly a highlight as it invites visitors to climb to the top for sweeping views of the surrounding trees and temple gardens.

Find inner peace at Ryōan-ji

Zen Rock Garden in Ryoanji Temple — Spot moss-covered boulders on a bed of meticulously raked white gravel. (Credit: Getty/vanbeets)

Another UNESCO World Heritage-listed site worth adding to your itinerary is Ryoan-ji. The Zen Buddhist temple – also known as Temple Of The Peaceful Dragon – is home to one of Kyoto’s most serene and reflective Zen rock gardens, celebrated as a masterclass in meditative minimalism.

Comprising 15 carefully-placed moss-covered rocks set within a bed of raked gravel, the garden invites contemplation. Visitors are encouraged to sit on the wooden verandah for a rare and welcome pause from the pace of modern life and a moment of calm.

Nishiki Market

A stay in Kyoto wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Nishiki Market. Dubbed “Kyoto’s Kitchen", the vibrant 400-year-old food markets stretch across five city blocks in the heart of Kyoto and are best experienced as a cultural, roaming grazing feast.

From skewered seafood delicacies – like baby octopus stuffed with boiled quail eggs – and moreish tamagoyaki (savoury Japanese pancakes), the aromatic markets are brimming with flavours. Here, it’s less about sightseeing and more about tasting your way through Kyoto. Be sure to come hungry – and early at around 10am – but be mindful not to eat while walking; standing at the stall while trying the food is polite and a sign of respect.

Walk through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, Japan — Walk past towering stalks of bamboo up to 25 metres high. (Credit: Getty/ndcityscape)

One of the most calming ways to kick-start a morning in Kyoto is a stroll through Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. An immersive and almost cinematic experience, the path itself stretches only around 600 metres long, yet is lined entirely with towering bamboo stalks that gently rustle in the wind, creating a sensory walk that’s visually striking.

With flat, easy-to-navigate pathways, the grove is accessible to all travellers and, notably, free to enter and open 24 hours a day. Arrive early to slow your pace and take in the beauty of the bamboo in relative stillness and dappled sunlight before the crowds begin to gather.

Meet wild monkeys up-close

wild monkeys in Arashiyama, Japan — Japanese macaques roam freely in Arashiyama Monkey Park. (Credit: Getty/AiMuse)

If you’re seeking something different to break up the temple trail, Arashiyama Monkey Park is an unexpectedly playful experience the whole family will enjoy. Perched on the slopes of Mount Iwatayama in Kyoto’s Arashiyama neighbourhood, the park is home to over 120 Japanese macaques who roam freely on the mountain.

While visitors can’t touch the monkeys, the rare experience is still an immersive one, allowing travellers to get up close and personal with the monkeys, observing them from a safe and respectful distance. Different from zoos, where monkeys are trapped behind glass enclosures, this park flips the script, allowing visitors to feed the monkeys from within a small hut.

Spot Geishas in Gion

Geishas in kimono — Gion is Kyoto’s most prestigious and historic geisha district. (Credit: Getty/Xavier Arnau)

A masterclass in historic preservation, Gion is Kyoto’s most famous geisha district, offering travellers a rare sense of living tradition – where centuries-old customs continue to shape daily life. Wandering through its lantern-lit streets, it’s easy to feel as though you’ve stepped back in time.

While deeply rooted in tradition, the path to becoming a geisha, known locally as geiko, is still a highly respected profession; training is rigorous and can take years to complete. Far from just a tourist spectacle, geikos and their apprentice maikos are highly-skilled artists and entertainers. Visitors may catch a glimpse of them moving between appointments at dusk, and are encouraged to admire respectfully from a distance, without interruption and hassling them for a photograph.

Book a Kaiseki dining experience

Japanese kaiseki cuisine in Kyoto — Dine on the traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine. (Credit: Getty/mapo)

Beyond geiko sightings, Gion is home to some of Kyoto’s best dining with a string of traditional teahouses, refined kaiseki restaurants and Michelin-starred establishments. For a truly memorable experience, plan ahead and secure a reservation at one of the acclaimed venues, such as the three Michelin-starred Gion Sasaki, or opt for the meticulous seasonal cuisine of two-star favourites like Gion Maruyama or Gion Nishikawa.

Take part in a tea ceremony

matcha tea ceremony in Kyoto — Whisk your own matcha with a chasen. (Credit: Getty/kumikomini)

Refined over centuries, Kyoto’s traditional tea ceremonies are an essential cultural experience. While centred around the ancient and artistic ritual of making, savouring and serving matcha tea, the rituals are intimate, respectful, and meditative, as guests watch as a host carries out precise and intentional tea making – embodying the philosophy of wa-kei-sei-jaku, which represents the harmony, respect, purity, and tranquillity of tea making.

Depending on the type of cultural experience you’re looking for, there are a range of options across the city. Highly traditional ceremonies, such as those connected to the Urasenke Tea School, offer the most authentic insight but might be a little harder to secure a booking. More widely available are smaller, thoughtfully run sessions, often held in centuries-old machiya tea houses. Wherever possible, opt for a slower, more intimate setting over shorter, high-turnover experiences to fully immerse yourself and appreciate the experience.

Visit Yasake Shrine

Shrines are abundant across Kyoto, but Yasaka Shrine – also known as Gion Shrine – is one of the most famous. Positioned between Gion and Higashiyama, the shrine dates back over 1,300 years and holds deep historical significance among Kyoto locals, as it’s not just a place of worship, but it played a crucial role in protecting Kyoto from disease, and is the origin of Gion Matsuri, one of Japan’s most important cultural festivals.

Free and open 24 hours a day, the shrine is magnificent in the daylight but even more vibrant at night. Here, visitors are welcome to explore the grounds, wander through the main hall and observe – or take part in – a traditional Shinto ritual: bow twice, clap twice and make a wish.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

Visit TeamLab Biovortex

Redefining what a museum can be, teamLab is a Japanese art collective made up of engineers, artists and designers, who create immersive, sensory, and reactive large-scale art worlds to move through. It isn’t just one fixed museum, but a series of evolving, semi-permanent exhibitions where art and technology collide.

teamLab Biovortex in Kyoto opened late 2025 and has become a permanent art institution. A stark but welcome contrast to Kyoto’s historic beauty, travellers can expect to wander through a sea of solidified lights, bask in ephemeral crystalised rain, and wander under a canopy of kaleidoscopic glass lanterns.

Bar hop through Pontochō Alley

Pontochō Alley in Kyoto — Step back in time at the historic Pontochō Alley. (Credit: Getty/Abdulkarim)

Celebrated as one of the best food and drink destinations in Kyoto, Pontochō Alley is brimming with characterful bars and intimate restaurants, tucked discreetly behind shopfronts, often upstairs or hidden behind unassuming wooden doors, which only adds to its allure and intrigue.

Running alongside the Kamogawa River, the narrow, lantern-lit street strip offers a compelling mix of traditional kaiseki dining, casual izakayas pouring crisp local beers paired with yakitori, and softly glowing Japanese whiskey bars. By day, it’s a quiet, atmospheric laneway; by night, it transforms into a lively, energetic hub where locals and visitors alike gather to eat, drink, and linger.

Take a day trip to Nara

a Sika deer in Nara Park — A Sika deer roams near the Ukimido Pavilion in Nara Park. (Credit: Getty/gyro)

If feeding and (respectfully) interacting with free-roaming deer amid lush gardens and temples sounds like your cup of tea, then a day trip to Nara is certainly one to add to your itinerary. Just 45-minutes by train from Kyoto, it offers a picturesque and enriching escape into nature and history.

Wander through Nara Park, home to expansive green spaces and iconic landmarks, such as Tōdai-ji Temple, before sampling the area’s moreish matcha sweet treats. The true highlight, however, is the deer. Regarded as sacred messengers in Shinto belief, these playful, calm and curious creatures roam freely throughout the park. Visitors can feed them special crackers and even capture a selfie or two – but it’s important to remember that, while accustomed to humans, they are still wild animals, so approach with care and respect.

Day trip to Osaka

takoyaki in osaka — Grab a takoyaki in Dotonbori. (Credit: Getty/martinhosmart)

If an extended stay in Osaka – Japan’s culinary capital – isn’t on the itinerary, then a day trip from Kyoto is well worth the short 30-minute train ride. More modern and fast-paced, with food culture at its core, Osaka offers a lively, atmospheric contrast to Kyoto, and is the ultimate destination for a street food safari.

While Osaka Castle is one of the country’s most iconic landmarks, it’s slightly out of the way for a shorter visit. Instead, maximise your time by arriving hungry and heading straight to Dotonbori – the canal-lined district, often described as the neon-lit heart of the city. Here, you can wander past countless food stalls serving moreish takoyaki (octopus balls), okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes), and kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers), before washing it all down with a crisp local beer or cocktail at one of the many bustling izakayas.

Learn how to make your own raku ware

Kyoto is the birthplace of Raku pottery – handcrafted tea bowls traditionally used in tea ceremonies – so, there’s no better place to deepen your appreciation of tea culture than by creating your own.

Rooted in the charming Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy – the beauty of imperfection – raku is shaped by hand rather than thrown on the pottery wheel, with artisans moulding the clay to fit naturally in the palm. The result is a piece that feels personal and unique. Across Kyoto, a range of workshops and studios offer raku lessons, from accessible group sessions to more considered, private classes for those seeking a deeper cultural immersion.

How many days do you need in Kyoto?

Cherry blossoms bloom along the houses in Kyoto, Japan in spring. (Credit: Getty/Sean Pavone)

Kyoto is a city that rewards slowness – where stillness isn’t just encouraged, but part of the natural rhythm of daily life. The more time you have, the better. That said, four days is ideal to comfortably explore the city and tick off most of its iconic landmarks, parks and cultural highlights. A full week affords a holistic and deeper understanding of local culture, but could feel a touch too long, while a weekend is possible but likely to feel rushed.

What is Kyoto most famous for?

Jizo of the 16 Arhats at Rokkaku-do Temple in Kyoto — Kyoto is the spiritual heart of Japan with thousands of shrines and Buddhist temples. (Credit: Getty/HanzoPhoto)

As Japan’s former imperial capital of Japan for over 1,000 years, Kyoto is synonymous with the preservation of the country’s cultural and historical heritage. Renowned for thousands of shrines and Buddhist temples, as well as stunning natural landscapes, and meticulously manicured gardens.

For travellers, it offers a rare opportunity to step back in time, whether through traditional tea ceremonies, encounters with geishas, or the art of kaiseki dining – Kyoto is a refined, multi-sensory glimpse into ancient Japanese traditions.

Is Kyoto worth visiting?

Yes! While cities like Tokyo and Osaka offer travellers a bustling, vibrant blend of both traditional and contemporary Japanese culture, Kyoto is a welcome contrast; it modestly showcases the subtle beauty of Japanese culture through a more refined and serene lens.

After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?

In 1986, Nepal changed its clock. It had used India Standard Time since 1920 so, to differentiate, it wound its clock 15 minutes ahead of, not behind, its big-brother neighbour. Boss move. “Nepal is strongly opposed to the idea that our identity is connected to India,” says Community Homestay Network (CHN) guide Bikal Khanal.

Tharu dance is traditionally set to hand drums. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

Today, Nepal is the only independent country with a 45-minute deviation to universal time; an oddity that’s become a symbol of national pride. The quirk is nearly as endearing as Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport where carved varnished wood and shiny red bricks rule. One sign points to a ‘Travelator’ and another to a ‘Grievance Handling Desk’ while visas are noisily stamped at customs for US dollars, cash only. When am I?

Spot the endemic Nepal gray langur. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The 15 or 45 minute anomaly sees me tap out completely on timezone calculations. Why bend my brain calculating if it’s quarter to or quarter past elsewhere when I’m in the honking here and now of Kathmandu where the air is high-altitude crisp, the prayer flags flutter and the street dogs howl?

How tourism is changing in Nepal

Bardiya National Park is rich with wildlife. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

India is not the only association many Nepalis would like to shake. With eight of the world’s 10 tallest mountains, including Mount Everest and Annapurna, Nepal has long attracted mountaineers and trekkers, and expedition numbers are continuing to rise.

Tourism is one of the country’s biggest sources of foreign currency, so this growth is not negative, per se. But according to Ang Tshering Lama, who co-founded Phaplu Mountain Bike Club, being reduced to a mere trekking destination is limiting.

“Trekking is just one layer of our identity,” says Ang. “When it becomes the dominant narrative, it limits how we’re seen and how we see ourselves.” Nepal’s recent success, however, in diverting trekkers to less-trafficked areas such as Manaslu mofuntain, where visitor numbers rose by 117 per cent last year, offers hope that tourism can diversify even more radically.

Local men in Bhada village. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The founder of CHN, Shiva Dhakal, wants that change. “The whole idea of the Community Homestay Network is to promote experiences outside of trekking,” he says. “Community tourism changes lives and helps kids stay home instead of coming to the city or migrating to the Middle East.”

Ang grew up seeing people leave, “not because they wanted to but because there weren’t enough opportunities to stay”, he states. Yet from remote villages to living traditions; food, art, music and emerging subcultures, “there’s so much that’s not being seen.”

CHN is opening some of those doors. It doesn’t own, or fund, any homes. Rather, it promotes homestays to travellers on a single, slick platform, while fostering entrepreneurship in places where women, marginalised castes, Indigenous people and the youth stand to benefit the most.

A new generation demanding more

Dalla Town Hall, where volunteers discuss anti-poaching tactics. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The future prospects of next-gen Nepalis can no longer be ignored. On a Kathmandu tour with 33-year-old guide Monica K.C, we pass buildings torched in the September 2025 ‘Gen Z protests’, including the Supreme Court and Parliament House. Seventy-two people died. “They were anti-corruption protests,” says Monica. “Politicians’ children are living a lavish life but the airports are crowded with youngsters leaving to find work.”

We stop in ‘little Tibet’ at the wondrous sixth-century Boudha Stupa. “The wheel of life is Buddhism in a nutshell,” says Monica. “Things such as hate, ignorance and anger keep you rotating around the wheel, so you must follow the principles of Buddhism to detach. If you can’t, there’s no nirvana for you.”

Boudha Stupa's prayer wheels — Boudha Stupa’s prayer wheels are used to recite Buddhist prayers. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

In a sun-drenched twist to the usual temple visit, we ascend the stupa’s sloping plinth and roam its whitewashed dome. Tendrils of diaphanous prayer flags stream from a steeple-like structure where the Buddha’s unblinking eyes stare out. No nirvana for you…

bouda stupa prayer flags — Tibetan-style prayer flags embellish the whitewashed dome of Bouda Stupa, a Buddhist temple. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

The dome is delightfully free of guard rails or chiding from security. There is, however, a stern ‘No TikTok’ sign, perhaps in response to the youth’s newly flexed power. The booted-out Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, was replaced in a resounding election victory in March by 35-year-old Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu. The RSP’s manifesto indicates tourism is a priority, and that Nepal’s cultural identity in areas such as gastronomy will be strengthened.

Boudha Stupa vendors — Vibrant souvenir shops and cafes around Boudha Stupa. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

A more confronting stop awaits at Pashupatinath Temple. Today is Bala Chaturdashi, a Hindu festival where thousands of devotees gather to honour their dead ancestors. Vendors hauling foam mattresses do a lucrative trade as people set up for a night of vigil. This includes burning the bodies of recently deceased relatives on bamboo pyres in the Bagmati River, which flows into the sacred Ganges.

A woman at annual Hindu festival Bala Chaturdashi, in Kathmandu. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Wrapped in a shroud, the bodies are positioned with their heads facing north to the Himalayas where Lord Shiva resides. They’re covered with flowers and straw and set alight by male family members.

Hours later, the ashes are swept into the river where devotees will take a holy dip the next day. As much as Monica assures us it’s not voyeuristic to watch, I struggle to do so. “Here you see the reality of life because everyone ends up there,” she says, gesturing to the river.

Life unfiltered in the Terai region

tharu woman — Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The reality of life needs processing time, which the western Terai region delivers in spades. The Terai is largely separated from India by the Karnali River and Bardiya National Park, where elephants, rhinos and the elusive Bengal tiger roam.

Once a nomadic tribe, the Indigenous Tharu people are now the largest ethnic group here. “They didn’t know their daily life was interesting for international travellers but they’re starting to understand now,” says CHN founder Shiva.

Take a Jeep safari through Bardiya National Park. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

We fly Buddha Air to Dhangadhi airport and drive five hours to stay in Tharu homes. The journey to Bhada village is a blur of roadside fruit stalls, traffic-stopping sacred cows and fields sown with wheat, rice, mustard, spinach, cauliflower and potatoes. Nepal’s agriculture feeds only Nepal.

Marigolds are an important part of Hindu rituals. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

“The only thing we export is young people,” says our guide Bikal. As the light dims and we plunge evermore rural, mysterious mounds of compacted hay – some house-sized – loom like the creatures from Where The Wild Things Are. Even our trusty driver gets flummoxed by a dirt road that abruptly ends and we find ourselves hurtling across a paddock.

On arrival, some are ferried to mud-walled cottages greened by gourd creepers, with thatched roofs and rustic-chic mosquito nets. Myself and two others are ushered to the home of corner store owner, mechanic and mushroom farmer Man Kumar Chilaruwa and his wife Rajkumari.

community homestay entrance — A warm welcome at a community homestay. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

They escort us to a bunker-esque back building with steel doors and a folding security gate, behind which is gleaming linoleum, dolphin-printed tiles and a shower cavity that must be gingerly stepped through to reach the toilet.

The ceiling lights emit a rainbow of colours (the bathroom light gets stuck in, frankly, a quite frightening red). We’re nevertheless touched that our hosts invested in all this bling when the average salary is around $275 a month.

In the coming days, we participate in Tharu traditions such as making moonshine, dancing, weaving straw handicrafts and gold-panning. We’re fed well with staples of rice, mustard greens, lentil pancakes, daal, curried chicken and tomato chutney served on antibacterial saal leaves.

food at community homestay — Dig in. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Sonara community homestay president Indradevi Tharu tells us river snails are often served, and the boiled and pickled flesh of rats hunted in the rice fields. “Perhaps next time?” we say and all have a laugh.

The power of community homestays

community homestay owners in Nepal — Barda community homestay owners Parbati Chaudhary and Ram Krishni Devi Chaudhary. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

Immersing Western visitors in foreign cultural practices is not new. But with the Tharu, I never get that uneasy sensation that I’m being performed for. Despite being the only tourists, there’s no ‘othering’; just warm, composed and ultra-dignified welcomes. Like we’ve always been here.

“I love to have travellers in my village so I can see the world,” says local woman Parbati Chaudhary. “Why would I travel the world when the world comes to me?”

The graceful acceptance the Tharu offer, as well as the slow pace, works miracles on my frazzled nervous system. One day I even take a nap on a vacant homestay bed.

Sonara community room — An authentic stay in the Sonara community. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Roosters strut and goats bray as we sit on the ground in al fresco kitchens, rolling rice flour into cylinders steamed to make dhikri (dumplings). When water is needed, we fetch it using a hand-operated pump as a family of ducks strolls by, side-eying us like curious neighbours.

Animal lovers will delight in Tharu villages. Kind and resourceful inventions are everywhere, such as snacking stations where two posts lean together, with leafy boughs dangling on rope for baby goats to forage from.

CHN’s CEO, Aayusha Prasain, nods knowingly when one in our group says she cried when she left her host, Shayam Chaudhary, in Bhada. Shayam’s 17-year-old son, Prashant, had translated, which deepened the connection.

“Community tourism turns travel into a relationship, not a transaction,” says Aayusha. “It places decision-making power in the hands of local communities, especially women and youth.” Since 2018, CHN has hosted more than 4000 travellers from 52 countries in 408 households, and estimates women’s participation has increased by 381 per cent.

In the Bardiya community, where vexing human-animal conflict has been a balancing act for decades due to elephants raiding crops, long-time homestay operator Salik Ram Chaudhary says young people keep the older ones on their toes.

“We can’t keep homestays stagnant,” he says. “We have to upgrade our service and redefine our product or young people won’t see it as an attractive business. If we can keep evolving with this travelling trend we’re confident the youths will stay and continue it.”

Back in Kathmandu, Monica explains that after the deaths of young protestors in September, a determination had spread to not let their sacrifice be in vain. “We want to keep holding the government accountable,” she says. “We don’t know what situation we’re facing, but we’re ready to face it.”

Interested in Nepal but prefer to experience it in total comfort? Read our guide to luxury travel in Nepal.

Things to do in Kyoto: traditional tea ceremonies, geisha spotting and zen gardens