Bandipur is a perfectly preserved hilltop Newari trading town midway between Kathmandu and Pokhara, sitting on a ridge at 1,030 metres with spectacular views of the Annapurna and Manaslu ranges. The car-free main street is lined with beautifully maintained 18th and 19th century merchant houses, temples, and rest shelters, earning it recognition as one of Nepal's most picturesque towns. The nearby Siddha Gufa cave — one of Nepal's largest — and the dramatic Tundikhel meadow at the ridge top add to the town's considerable appeal.