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A vibrant Buddhist temple with garden decorations in Lumbini, highlighting religious architecture.

Terai

Lumbini

The birthplace of the Buddha and a garden of world monasteries.

Photo: Nar Bahadur Lamichhane GC · Pexels(opens in a new tab)

Region
Terai
Best time to visit
November to February; summers in the Terai are very hot.
How long to stay
1–2 days
Experiences
1 nearby

Overview

Lumbini is a UNESCO World Heritage Site revered as the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama. The Maya Devi Temple marks the spot; around it, a planned monastic zone holds temples built by Buddhist communities from across Asia, best explored slowly by bicycle.

Where is Lumbini?
KathmanduChitwanPokharaLumbini
  1. Lumbini
  2. Chitwan
  3. Pokhara
Open in OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

Plan your visit

Tours to LumbiniSee suggested itineraries

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Why visit Lumbini

  • One of the four most sacred pilgrimage sites in Buddhism
  • Peaceful cycling between monasteries from Thailand, Germany, China and more
  • Easily combined with Chitwan on an overland route

What to see

  • Maya Devi Temple

    The sacred garden and temple enclosing the marker stone and the Ashokan pillar from 249 BC.

  • Monastic Zone

    East and West monastic zones with temples from more than a dozen countries, linked by a central canal.

  • Lumbini Museum

    Archaeology and the story of the site’s rediscovery in 1896.

  • Ashoka Pillar

  • World Peace Pagoda

Good to know

  • Hire a bicycle or rickshaw; the site is far larger than it looks on the map.
  • Shoulders and knees covered inside temples; shoes off at the Maya Devi Temple.

Frequently asked questions

Photo gallery

Lumbini in pictures

Things to do

Experiences in Lumbini

A detailed view of a historic temple in Kathmandu's Durbar Square featuring traditional architecture.

Easy

Cultural Tours

Heritage squares, living temples, monasteries and craft traditions.

Typical duration
Half day to several days

Plan

Suggested itineraries with Lumbini

Day-by-day trips by our team. Ask local agencies for a quote on any of them.

Vibrant outdoor shrine in Butwal, Nepal, showcasing colorful fabrics and religious offerings under trees.
4 days

Suggested itinerary

4 days: Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha

A focused pilgrimage: the Maya Devi Temple and Ashoka Pillar, the monasteries of the Monastic Zone, and Tilaurakot, the palace ruins of ancient Kapilavastu.

Places
Lumbini
Trekking
No trekking
Vibrant prayer flags hanging outdoors in Butwal, Nepal, under a sunny sky.
6 days

Suggested itinerary

6 days: Lumbini and Chitwan

The birthplace of the Buddha and the wildlife of the Terai in one unhurried trip through Nepal’s lowlands.

Places
Lumbini · Chitwan
Trekking
No trekking

From travellers

Stories from travellers who went to Lumbini

First-hand accounts from people who visited recently. Read one, then plan a trip like it.

Read more traveller stories →

Nearby

Often combined with

An Indian rhinoceros foraging on grassy terrain, showcasing wildlife in their natural environment.
National park

Terai

Chitwan

Rhinos, tigers and Tharu culture in Nepal’s lowland jungle.

Peaceful scene of blue rowboats on a calm lake at sunset with mountain backdrop.
City

Gandaki

Pokhara

Lakeside calm beneath the Annapurna skyline.