Kathmandu travel guide

Stupas, Durbar Squares and the gateway to the Himalaya. Most people stay 2–4 nights. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr.

Highlights

• Swayambhunath
• Boudhanath Stupa
• Pashupatinath aarti
• Kathmandu Durbar Square
• Everest mountain flight

Things to do in Kathmandu

• Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) · 1.5 h · about ₹130 per person. About 365 steps up the east side; the west car park is easier. Walk clockwise around the stupa and keep food out of sight of the monkeys.
• Boudhanath Stupa evening kora · 2 h · about ₹250 per person. Join the clockwise kora at dusk when pilgrims light butter lamps; rooftop cafés overlook the dome. Foreigner entry about NPR 400.
• Pashupatinath Temple & evening aarti · 2.5 h · about ₹800 per person. Only Hindus may enter the main temple; others watch from the east bank of the Bagmati. Open-air cremations take place on the ghats, so photograph discreetly if at all. The aarti starts around 6pm (earlier in winter). Foreigner ticket about NPR 1,000–1,500.
• Kathmandu Durbar Square & Kumari Ghar · 2 h · about ₹650 per person. Foreigner ticket about NPR 1,000; ask at the office for a pass if you will come back. The Kumari sometimes appears at her window — photos of her are not allowed.
• Thamel and Asan bazaar walk · 2 h · free. Walk from Thamel via Kathesimbhu Stupa to Asan and Indra Chowk; spice, bead and brass stalls. Bargain politely for souvenirs and trekking gear.
• Garden of Dreams · 1.5 h · about ₹300 per person. A restored neoclassical garden next to Thamel; a quiet spot for coffee after a sightseeing morning.
• Everest mountain flight · 3 h · about ₹21,000 per person. One-hour sightseeing flight at about 6:30–7am, about US$230–260. Weather-dependent: cancelled flights are rebooked or refunded, so book it early in your stay.
• Nepali and Newari cooking class (momo making) · 3.5 h · about ₹3,500 per person. Most classes include a local market visit; vegetarian versions of momo and dal bhat are standard.
• Chandragiri Hills cable car · 4 h · about ₹2,000 per person. About 45 min from Thamel; on clear mornings Oct–Feb the Himalaya shows from Annapurna to Everest. Foreigner fares are higher than local fares.
• Shivapuri National Park hike (Nagi Gompa) · 6 h · about ₹1,500 per person. Start at Budhanilkantha; the climb to Nagi Gompa takes about 2h, longer to Shivapuri peak. Park entry about NPR 1,000; hike with a guide or in a group.
• Newari dinner with a cultural dance show · 2.5 h · about ₹2,000 per person. Several restaurants in Thamel and Durbar Marg serve multi-course Newari sets with masked and folk dances.
• Narayanhiti Palace Museum · 1.5 h · about ₹320 per person. The former royal palace, including the site of the 2001 massacre. Phones and cameras go in lockers at the gate; check opening days locally.
• Kopan Monastery visit and meditation · 2 h · free. Hilltop Tibetan Buddhist monastery above Boudha; drop-in talks and short courses run on set dates, so check the schedule first.

Where to stay in Kathmandu

• Thamel guesthouses (budget, ₹1,500–₹3,500 a night): Walk to cafés, trekking shops and agencies; noisy at night on the main lanes.
• Thamel edges and Lazimpat (mid, ₹4,500–₹9,000 a night): Quieter streets with gardens, 10 min from Thamel and the Garden of Dreams.
• Boudha guesthouses around the stupa (mid, ₹2,500–₹6,000 a night): Walk the evening kora; calmer than Thamel and closer to the airport.
• Durbar Marg and heritage hotels nearby (premium, ₹14,000–₹32,000 a night): Restored Newari-style courtyards and large garden hotels near Durbar Marg and Battisputali.

What to eat

• Momo (steamed or jhol momo in broth): Momo shops in Thamel, Asan and around New Road
• Dal bhat with seasonal vegetables and achar: Local bhojanalayas and Thakali kitchens in Thamel and Jhamsikhel
• Tibetan thukpa and butter tea: Cafés and canteens around Boudhanath

Getting there

• ~20–30 min to KTM airport
• ~25 min flight or 7–8h tourist bus to Pokhara
• ~5–6h bus to Chitwan or a short flight to Bharatpur

Good to know

• Jun–Sep monsoon: sights still work, but mountain views and the Everest mountain flight are often clouded out.
• Dashain and Tihar (usually Oct–Nov) close offices and fill buses and flights; dates shift each year.

Nepal itineraries with Kathmandu

• Long weekend: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Nagarkot and Dhulikhel · 5 days, Kathmandu → Nagarkot → Dhulikhel · from ₹25,750 per person, base estimate before flights. A short break that never strays far from the airport: Kathmandu's main sights, Bhaktapur, a Nagarkot sunrise and a night in Dhulikhel.
• Buddhist and Hindu Nepal: Kathmandu, Patan and Lumbini · 6 days, Kathmandu → Lumbini · from ₹33,675 per person, base estimate before flights. The great stupas and Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Patan's Golden Temple, then a flight to Lumbini for the Buddha's birthplace and its monasteries.
• Kathmandu Valley heritage: Bhaktapur, Patan and Nagarkot · 6 days, Kathmandu → Nagarkot · from ₹29,625 per person, base estimate before flights. All three royal cities of the valley — Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan — then two nights on the Nagarkot ridge for sunrise and a walk to Changu Narayan.
• First trip: Kathmandu, Patan and Pokhara · 7 days, Kathmandu → Pokhara · from ₹56,375 per person, base estimate before flights. The standard first visit: Kathmandu's stupas and Durbar Squares with a Patan day, then Pokhara for the lake, a Sarangkot sunrise and paragliding.
• Hill towns: Kathmandu, Bandipur and Pokhara · 8 days, Kathmandu → Bandipur → Pokhara · from ₹51,300 per person, base estimate before flights. Break the Kathmandu–Pokhara drive with two nights in car-free Bandipur, then finish with lake and mountain days in Pokhara.
• Honeymoon: Kathmandu, Nagarkot and Pokhara · 8 days, Kathmandu → Nagarkot → Pokhara · from ₹68,675 per person, base estimate before flights. A quiet ridge above the valley for sunrises, then four slow days in Pokhara with lake boating, paragliding and a Begnas Lake afternoon.
• Newari towns: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Patan, Dhulikhel and Bandipur · 8 days, Kathmandu → Dhulikhel → Bandipur · from ₹39,225 per person, base estimate before flights. Newari architecture and food from the valley's royal cities to the hill towns of Dhulikhel, Panauti and Bandipur, with the Namobuddha hike along the way.
• Terai: Chitwan safari and Lumbini · 8 days, Kathmandu → Chitwan → Lumbini · from ₹42,800 per person, base estimate before flights. Kathmandu's highlights, three nights in Chitwan for wildlife, and the Buddha's birthplace at Lumbini, flying home from Bhairahawa via Kathmandu.
• Wildlife: Chitwan rhinos and Bardia tigers · 8 days, Kathmandu → Chitwan → Bardia · from ₹61,650 per person, base estimate before flights. Nepal's two big lowland parks: rhinos, canoes and Tharu villages in Chitwan, then remote Bardia for tiger tracking and a river float on the Karnali.
• Adventure week: mountain flight, paragliding and safari · 9 days, Kathmandu → Pokhara → Chitwan · from ₹97,850 per person, base estimate before flights. For active groups: an Everest mountain flight, paragliding, an ultralight, the zipline and a day hike from Pokhara, then a jungle walk in Chitwan.