Nuwakot is a historic hill town about 4 to 5 hours’ drive from Kathmandu, set on a ridge above the Trishuli River and often called the “City of Nine Hills”. Long before the unification of Nepal, it was a strategic fortress town on the ancient trade route between Kathmandu and Tibet, and it became the base from which King Prithvi Narayan Shah planned his campaign to unite the country. The town’s centrepiece is the seven-storey Nuwakot Durbar (Saat Tale Durbar), a medieval palace complex with traditional brick and carved-wood architecture, overlooking terraced fields and the surrounding valleys. Nearby, the Bhairabi Temple remains an active place of worship, drawing devotees from the surrounding villages for rituals and festivals. Beyond its monuments, Nuwakot is a living cultural landscape, where Newar and Tamang communities farm the hillsides, keep age-old customs alive and welcome visitors into a slow, rural way of life. Quiet stone-paved lanes, organic farms and sweeping countryside views, with the Ganesh Himal and Langtang ranges on clear days, make it an ideal retreat for history lovers, photographers and anyone looking to experience authentic Nepal away from the crowds.