Dhulikhelनमोबुद्ध
A hilltop stupa and Tibetan Buddhist monastery south-east of Dhulikhel, tied to the story of a prince who gave his body to a starving tigress.
This is the Buddhist pilgrimage hill with the stupa and the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery in Kavrepalanchok, not the wider Namobuddha Municipality around it.
Namo Buddha is one of the main Buddhist pilgrimage sites near Kathmandu, on a forested ridge in Kavrepalanchok District roughly 40-50 km by road south-east of the capital. It is part of the Dhulikhel area: most visitors either walk here from Dhulikhel in 3-5 hours or drive in and walk down afterwards to Panauti or Balthali.
The site has two parts. A white stupa stands in the small settlement below, said to hold relics of the prince in the story. Stairs then climb through prayer flags to the hilltop, where a stone carving marks the place of the sacrifice beside the large Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery of the Karma Kagyu tradition, with its gold roofs, assembly hall, monks' quarters and views towards the Himalaya on clear days.
Visitors can watch the monks' daily prayers in the main hall, walk the circuits around the stupa and hilltop, and stay overnight in simple accommodation nearby, which makes it a quiet stop on a two or three day village walk through Kavre.
The name means 'homage to the Buddha'. Tibetans know the place as Takmo Lüjin, 'tigress body offering'. According to the Jataka tradition, a prince called Mahasattva (in Tibetan sources Nyingthob Chenpo), an earlier incarnation of the Buddha, found a tigress too weak from hunger to feed her cubs and offered his own body to save them. This is a religious legend; local tradition places the prince's family palace at Panauti, about 8 km downhill.
The stupa is counted among the three most important stupas of the Kathmandu region, alongside Boudhanath and Swayambhunath, and masters from all the main Tibetan Buddhist schools have made pilgrimages here. The Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery was founded by Thrangu Rinpoche and completed in the 2000s. Many local residents are Tamang Buddhists, and a Namo Buddha fair is held in the area in late autumn.
Walk the kora
Circle the stupa and the hilltop shrines clockwise, as pilgrims do, spinning prayer wheels on the way.
Visit the monastery
Enter the main assembly hall quietly; monks gather for prayers at set times in the day, and visitors may sit at the back.
Hike in from Dhulikhel
Follow the signed village trail from Dhulikhel, about 3-5 hours, and arrange transport back or walk on to Panauti in about 2.5-3 hours.
Forecast for 1,750 m. Conditions change fast in the mountains.
Weather data: MET Norway, licensed CC BY 4.0. A forecast, not a guarantee.
Feb-Apr, Oct-Dec
The monastery offers simple guest rooms, and a few small guesthouses and a resort are in the area; most visitors stay in Dhulikhel.
No partner stays are listed here yet. List a property.
Namo Buddha is reached by road from Dhulikhel or Panauti, or on foot from Dhulikhel along village trails.
Nearest hub: Dhulikhel
Nearest hub: Dhulikhel. Times are typical ranges, not schedules, and vary with roadworks, weather and the season.
By busfrom PanautiLocal buses
Local buses run from the Banepa and Panauti side with a change, but services are infrequent and no reliable timetable was found, so the duration is left open.
By car or jeepfrom Dhulikhelabout 0.5-1 h
From Kathmandu allow 1.5 to 2.5 hours by car or jeep via Dhulikhel; the last stretch climbs a narrow rural road to the monastery.
Road: Sealed to Dhulikhel, then a narrow and partly rough rural road; a jeep is the safer choice in the monsoon.
By motorbikefrom Dhulikhelabout 0.5-1 hModerate riding
Short steep climb on rough rural road, slippery when wet.
Road: Narrow rural road, part sealed and part rough stone and earth.
On footfrom Dhulikhelabout 3-5 h3-5 h from Dhulikhel, about 10 to 14 km, with a steady climb to the ridge
The signed trail leaves Dhulikhel past the Kali temple and crosses farmland and pine forest to the ridge.
When to set off: leave Dhulikhel by 08:00 to reach the stupa before midday
None needed
No permit or fixed entry fee is needed for the stupa or monastery; donations are welcome.
Verify before travel: permit rules and fees change. Checked 2026-10-06 against Dhulikhel and Namo Buddha (Wikivoyage).
What this place is typically exposed to, and when. These are seasonal patterns, not a report on conditions now.
Landslidesmoderate in a typical yearJun-Sep
The rural roads up to the ridge from Dhulikhel and Panauti are earth and rough stone, and monsoon rain typically triggers slips and washouts between June and September.
Road blockagesmoderate in a typical yearJun-Sep
After heavy monsoon rain the approach roads can be impassable to cars, and the Araniko Highway feeder route is slow.
Othermoderate in a typical yearJun-Sep
The walking route from Dhulikhel is muddy and leech-ridden in the monsoon, with mist on the ridge for days at a time.
Coldlow in a typical yearDec-Feb
At about 1,750 m the exposed ridge is cold on December to February mornings and evenings, and monastery guest rooms are unheated.
Check current conditions before you travel
Roads, trails, passes and flights change with the weather and with roadworks, and nothing on this page describes conditions today. Before you set off, check the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology for weather and flood warnings, the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal for incidents, and the local authority, police or your licensed operator for road, trail and flight status.
A short, low walk south-east of Kathmandu from Dhulikhel to the Buddhist pilgrimage site of Namo Buddha, on to the farming village of Balthali, and down to the old Newar town of Panauti. No permit needed.
Drive or take a bus to Dhulikhel, then continue by road (about 30-45 minutes) or walk about 3-5 hours. The full drive from Kathmandu takes about 1.5-2.5 hours.
There is no fixed entry fee for the stupa or monastery at the time of writing; donations are welcome.
Yes. The monastery has simple guest rooms and there are a few guesthouses nearby, which lets you see the morning prayers and views.
Buddhist legend tells of a prince, an earlier life of the Buddha, who gave his body to feed a starving tigress and her cubs on this hill.
Town or village · 1,730 m
A farming village on a ridge above Panauti and Khopasi, reached on foot or by rough road, with terraced fields and homestays.
Town or village · 1,550 m
A Newar hill town on the eastern rim of the Kathmandu Valley, with a wide Himalayan skyline and walking trails to Namo Buddha and Panauti.
Town or village · 1,442 m
A small medieval Newar town at a river confluence south-east of the Kathmandu Valley, with old temples, quiet lanes and community homestays.
Town or village · 1,401 m
A medieval Newar city in the east of the Kathmandu Valley, known for its temple squares, pottery, woodcarving and festivals.
