Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu

A noisy, dusty capital, but one with four World Heritage sites less than an hour apart.

Region: Kathmandu Valley
Time needed: 2–3 days
Entry: 1,000 NPR (≈ €6) (Durbar Square)
From Kathmandu: you're there

At a glance

Kathmandu is disorienting at first: traffic, horns, tangled electric wires, dust in the dry season. Then you turn a corner and find a small tiered temple where people have been laying flowers for centuries. That layering is what makes the city.

The valley has seven UNESCO-listed sites; four are in Kathmandu itself: the royal square (Durbar Square), the stupas of Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, and the temple of Pashupatinath. Two full days are enough to see them without rushing; a third lets you wander the bazaars and catch your breath before the rest of the trip.

Most travellers stay in Thamel, the tourist district: convenient but noisy. Patan (Patan) and Boudha are quieter alternatives.

Don't miss

Walking round the Boudhanath stupa at the end of the day, among Tibetan pilgrims.
The view over the whole valley from Swayambhunath, the “monkey temple”.
The evening ceremony (aarti) on the banks of the Bagmati at Pashupatinath.
The Asan and Indra Chowk bazaars, among spices, fabrics and small shrines.

Less good

Heavy traffic and pollution, especially from December to April.
Thamel is very touristy: touts and endless trekking shops.
Each site charges separately: about 2,600 NPR (≈ €15) for all four.

In pictures

Butter lamp at a temple in the north of the valley

What to see

Entrance fees for a foreigner from outside South Asia (SAARC), checked in September 2026. Prices change often: the ticket counters show the current rate.

UNESCO · city centre

Durbar Square (Basantapur)

1,000 NPR (≈ €6)

The old royal square: Hanuman Dhoka palace, some fifty temples and the house of the Kumari, a young girl worshipped as a living goddess, who sometimes appears at the window of her courtyard (photos of her are forbidden). Many monuments were rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake; work on the palace continues.

Time: 2 hours to half a day
Tip: Keep your ticket: it is checked at several entrances and is valid for the day.

Open in Google Maps

UNESCO · west

Swayambhunath

200 NPR (≈ €1.2)

The stupa with Buddha's eyes, on a hill west of the city, with the best view of the valley. It's called the monkey temple: there are plenty of them, so keep your bags closed and don't eat in front of them. The steep eastern stairway has over 300 steps; there is road access from the west.

Time: 1 h 30
When: Early morning, with the worshippers, or at sunset

Open in Google Maps

UNESCO · east

Boudhanath

400 NPR (≈ €2)

One of the largest stupas in the world, heart of the Tibetan refugee community in Nepal. You walk round it clockwise (the kora), spinning the prayer wheels. The monasteries and rooftop cafés around the square are well worth a detour.

Time: 2 hours
When: Late afternoon: the crowd of pilgrims, then the butter lamps

Open in Google Maps

UNESCO · east

Pashupatinath

1,000 NPR (≈ €6)

Nepal's holiest Shiva temple, on the banks of the Bagmati river. The main temple is for Hindus only; others see the courtyard from the entrance and watch the cremations on the ghats from the opposite bank. It is a place of mourning: no close-up photos of families, dress respectfully. The painted sadhus ask for money to be photographed.

Time: 1 h 30 to 2 hours
When: Late in the day for the aarti, the evening ceremony on the riverbank

Open in Google Maps

Free · centre

Asan, Indra Chowk and the lanes

free

Between Thamel and Durbar Square, the city's old bazaars: spice and fabric markets, neighbourhood temples, courtyards (bahal) opening up behind a porch. The finest walk in Kathmandu, preferably in the morning.

Time: 1 h 30 to 2 hours, on foot

Open in Google Maps

Planning your visit

In 2 days

Day 1: Swayambhunath early in the morning, then walk down to Durbar Square through the lanes; back to Thamel via Indra Chowk and Asan. Day 2: Pashupatinath in the late morning, then Boudhanath on foot (30 to 40 min) or by taxi, and stay around the stupa until evening.

With a 3rd day

Half a day in Patan, 20 minutes away, or a day in Bhaktapur, ideally with a night there.

For some calm

The Garden of Dreams, a neoclassical garden on the edge of Thamel (entry fee), for a break from the noise.

Getting there

Tribhuvan International Airport → Thamel

Time 20 to 40 minPrice 700 to 1,000 NPR (≈ €4 to €6)

Fixed-price taxi counter in the arrivals hall, or a negotiated taxi outside. Many hotels offer transfers. You get your visa on arrival: see Visa Nepal.

Getting around locally

On foot

Thamel, Asan, Indra Chowk and Durbar Square are all walkable (20 min from Thamel to Durbar Square). Swayambhunath is a 30 to 40 min walk from Thamel.

Pathao and InDrive

Ride-hailing apps work in Kathmandu, by car or motorbike taxi, with the price shown upfront. The easiest option for Boudhanath and Pashupatinath, near the airport.

Taxis

Meters are almost never used: agree on the price before getting in. Expect a few hundred rupees for a ride across town.

Where to stay

Thamel

The travellers' district: the widest choice of hotels at every price, restaurants, agencies. Convenient, but noisy at night. Pick a side street.

Boudha

Around the stupa, guesthouses run by monasteries or Tibetan families. Quiet in the evening and magical early in the morning, but 30 min from the centre.

Patan (Lalitpur)

Across the Bagmati river: quieter, guesthouses in old Newar houses, good cafés in Jhamsikhel. See Patan.

When to come

JFMAMJJASOND

bestpossiblenot advised

Kathmandu can be visited all year round. In October and November the sky is clear and you can sometimes see the peaks from Swayambhunath. From December to February the days are mild and sunny but nights are close to 0 °C (cheap hotels are poorly heated). From March to May it gets hot and a haze of pollution settles in.

From June to September, the monsoon mostly brings showers in the late afternoon and at night: the sites can still be visited, the mountains are hidden.

Festivals

Indra Jatra	September Eight days of masked dances; the Kumari is paraded on her chariot around Durbar Square.
Dashain	September–October The country's biggest festival: many shops close, Nepalis go back to their villages, buses are full.
Tihar	October–November The festival of lights: oil lamps, marigold garlands, offerings to crows, dogs and cows.
Losar	February–March Tibetan New Year, above all at Boudhanath.
Holi	March The festival of colours, very lively in Thamel and Basantapur.

Dates follow the lunar calendar and change every year.

Good to know

Air pollution: from December to April it often exceeds health limits. An FFP2 mask is useful on motorbike taxis or when walking along main roads.

Tap water is not drinkable. Refill a bottle at the filtered-water stations in hotels and cafés, or use a filter bottle.

Touts: fake guides at site entrances, “students” who want to practise their English before taking you to a shop, requests for baby milk powder (resold afterwards). A polite no is enough.

Money: there are plenty of ATMs in Thamel; fees vary a lot from bank to bank. Withdrawing cash: the fees of every Nepali bank are compared on ATM Fees.

You get your visa on arrival, at Kathmandu airport or at the border: form, fees and pitfalls to avoid on our dedicated site.

Visa Nepal →

Fancy a few days of walking? Permits, guides, transport and day-by-day itineraries on our trekking site.
Treks that start from here: Langtang Valley, Gosainkunda Lake, Manaslu Circuit, Tsum Valley, Numbur Cheese Circuit, Pikey Peak.

Trek Nepal →