Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Kathmandu sits in a wide bowl of a valley at about 1,400 meters, ringed by green hills with the high Himalaya visible on clear days. It is Nepal's capital and largest city, and for most travelers the gateway to the country's trekking regions.
Kathmandu Durbar Square and Hanuman Dhoka
Kasthamandap
Kumari Ghar
Asan and Indra Chowk
+5 more places
The city can feel chaotic at first, with traffic, dust and narrow lanes busy with motorbikes and porters. Slow down and it reveals a living culture: morning offerings of flowers and rice, butter lamps at stupas and festivals that fill the squares.
Few cities place so much living heritage within such a small area. The Newar people, the valley's original urban culture, built three royal cities here, each with its own palace square, and their craftsmanship in wood, brick, stone and metal shows up on almost every street corner.
Kathmandu is also a city of great pilgrimage sites. Swayambhunath and Boudhanath draw Buddhist pilgrims from across the Himalaya, and Pashupatinath is one of the holiest Hindu temples in South Asia.
Kathmandu Durbar Square, also called Basantapur Durbar Square, was the seat of the city's kings for centuries. The palace complex, Hanuman Dhoka, takes its name from a statue of the monkey god Hanuman beside the entrance, and its courtyards hold museum displays.
Kathmandu Durbar Square surrounds the old royal palace complex known as Hanuman Dhoka. Photo: Bijay Chaurasia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
At the southwest corner of the square stands Kasthamandap, a large wooden pavilion traditionally said to have been built from the timber of a single tree and often linked to the origin of the name Kathmandu.
Kasthamandap, the timber pavilion often linked with the city's name, was rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake. Photo: Chainwit., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Kumari Ghar, an eighteenth-century building with elaborate carved windows, is the home of the Royal Kumari, a young girl venerated as a living goddess. Visitors may enter the courtyard, and the Kumari sometimes appears briefly at an upper window.
Kumari Ghar is the residence of the Royal Kumari, the living goddess of Kathmandu. Photo: Rajesh Dhungana, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
North of Durbar Square, a diagonal lane leads through Indra Chowk to Asan Tole, a historic market crossroads. Stalls sell spices, grains, brass pots, textiles and beads, and small temples sit in the middle of the bustle.
Asan Tole is a historic market crossroads where several old trade routes met. Photo: Matt Zimmerman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Thamel is the busy traveler district, packed with guesthouses, trekking agencies, gear shops, bookstores and restaurants. On its edge, the Garden of Dreams is a quiet neoclassical garden created in the 1920s for a Rana-era palace and later restored, with pavilions, fountains and lawns.
The Garden of Dreams was created in the 1920s and restored as a public garden. Photo: Gerd Eichmann, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Swayambhunath crowns a hill west of the center, its white dome and gilded spire painted with the watchful eyes of the Buddha. Monkeys roam the grounds, earning it the nickname Monkey Temple.
Boudhanath, on the eastern side of the city, is one of the largest stupas in the world and the heart of Nepal's Tibetan Buddhist community. Prayer flags stream from the spire, and monasteries, shops and rooftop cafes ring the plaza.
Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world and a center of Tibetan Buddhist life in Nepal. Photo: Nabin K. Sapkota, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pashupatinath, dedicated to Shiva, lies on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. The main temple is open only to Hindus, but visitors can explore the surrounding complex, watch rituals from the opposite bank and see the many shrines and sadhus.
Pashupatinath, on the banks of the Bagmati River, is one of the most sacred Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva. Photo: Bijay Chaurasia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Patan, also called Lalitpur, lies just south of the Bagmati River and is known for its metalworkers and woodcarvers. Its Durbar Square is perhaps the most harmonious in the valley, with the stone Krishna Mandir, completed in the seventeenth century, standing among tiered temples and the old palace.
Krishna Mandir in Patan Durbar Square was built of stone in the seventeenth century. Photo: Nrik kiran, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
About an hour east of central Kathmandu by road, Bhaktapur is the best preserved of the three royal cities. Its brick lanes link Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square with the five-tiered Nyatapola Temple, Pottery Square, where clay pots dry in the sun, and Dattatreya Square with its old monasteries.
Nyatapola, completed in 1702, is the tallest pagoda temple in Bhaktapur. Photo: Nrik kiran, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
For mountain views, head to the valley rim. Nagarkot, east of Bhaktapur, is known for sunrise views of the Himalaya on clear days.
Dal bhat, lentil soup with rice, vegetable curry, greens and pickles, is Nepal's everyday meal, often served with free refills.
Newari cuisine is the valley's own. Look for samay baji, a platter of beaten rice with spiced meat, black soybeans, egg and pickles served at festivals; bara, savory lentil patties; choila, spiced grilled meat; and yomari, steamed dumplings filled with molasses and sesame.
Popular dishes to try in Kathmandu
Thamel is the most convenient base for first-time visitors and trekkers, with a huge range of lodging, restaurants and travel agencies, and it is within walking distance of Durbar Square.
Patan, especially around its Durbar Square, suits travelers who want a calmer, more local atmosphere with heritage guesthouses and good cafes.
Where to stay in Kathmandu
October and November are the most popular months.
March and April bring warm days and rhododendrons blooming in the hills, though haze increases as the season goes on. December to February is cool and dry, with chilly mornings and evenings but sunny afternoons.
Tribhuvan International Airport is Nepal's main international gateway, a short drive east of Thamel, with connections across Asia and the Middle East.
Within the city, taxis are plentiful; agree on a fare before you set off, as meters are rarely used. Ride-hailing apps such as Pathao and inDrive are widely used and help avoid haggling.
Start at Kathmandu Durbar Square and Kasthamandap, visit the courtyard of Kumari Ghar, then walk through Indra Chowk and Asan.
Visit Pashupatinath in the morning, then continue to Boudhanath.
Spend the day in Patan, exploring Durbar Square, the Patan Museum and the Golden Temple, then try a Newari meal in the old quarter.
Head to Bhaktapur for the full day, or rise early for a sunrise trip to Nagarkot and continue to Bhaktapur afterwards.
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