Districts
Bagmati Province
Nuwakot नुवाकोट
Nuwakot fort, Trishuli rafting
Nuwakot, north-west of the valley above the Trishuli river, holds the seven-storey Nuwakot Durbar from which Prithvi Narayan Shah staged his conquest of Kathmandu. The hilltop palace and the surrounding terraces reward a short detour. The district is also a road gateway toward the Langtang region.
About Nuwakot
Nuwakot lies about 75 km north-west of Kathmandu above the Trishuli river gorge, a district of terraced hillsides that carries more strategic history than its quiet appearance suggests. The central draw is Nuwakot Durbar — the seven-storey Saat Tale Palace built by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1762 after his capture of the district, from which he used the ridgeline position to cut off the Kathmandu Valley's supply line from Tibet and plan the unification campaign that absorbed the valley in 1768. The palace, with its carved wooden windows and tiered brick structure, is one of the best-preserved pre-unification palaces outside the valley.
The Trishuli river below Nuwakot town is a popular one- or two-day rafting run from Kathmandu, combining the road journey through the Trishuli gorge with river-running down to Mugling. Nuwakot Bazaar also preserves older Newar-influenced architecture and several temples connected to the Malla and early Shah periods. The district was damaged in the 2015 earthquake and the palace was rebuilt with foreign assistance. Bidur, the district headquarters on the river bank below, has a few basic hotels that make the area manageable for an overnight.
At a glance
- Headquarters
- Bidur
- Known for
- Nuwakot fort, Trishuli rafting
Getting there
Nuwakot is about 75 km north-west of Kathmandu via the Prithvi Highway to Galchhi or Kakani, then a local road up the Trishuli valley to Bidur — roughly two and a half to three hours by private vehicle. Public buses to Bidur depart from Kathmandu's Machhapokhari stand. The palace is a short climb above Nuwakot Bazaar from Bidur.