Itineraries
Where to stay
Thamel for first-timers, close to Durbar Square and full of restaurants; Boudha for a quieter base by the great stupa; Patan (Lalitpur) for old courtyards and the Jhamsikhel restaurants.
The areas: Thamel, Boudha, Patan (Lalitpur).
Where to stay in Kathmandu: areas and adviceHotels in KathmanduPlaces to see
All things to do in NepalMarketAsan BazaarThe old market square where six roads meet around the Annapurna Temple, busy with spice and grocery stalls.Entry: Pay as you go
TempleBhairavnath Temple, BhaktapurA three-storied pagoda temple to Bhairav that stands beside the Nyatapola Temple.Entry: Fee not confirmed
MuseumBhaktapur Durbar SquareRoyal square of 13th to 18th-century buildings with the Palace of 55 Windows and the Golden Gate.Entry: NPR[fee]
FoodBoudhaThe neighborhood around the great stupa, one of the main restaurant areas of the Kathmandu Valley.Entry: Pay as you go
TempleBoudhanath StupaThe largest stupa in the Kathmandu Valley, ringed by monasteries and circled by pilgrims all day.Entry: NPR[fee]
TempleChangu Narayan TempleThe oldest known temple in Nepal, with origins in the 4th century, on a ridge above Bhaktapur.Entry: NPR[fee]
FoodDurbar MargA central Kathmandu avenue near the Garden of Dreams that is one of the city's main restaurant areas.Entry: Pay as you go
NatureGarden of DreamsA restored garden of the Kaiser Mahal at the edge of Thamel, with pavilions, fountains and a moon gate.Entry: NPR[fee]
TempleGolden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar)A 12th-century Buddhist monastery in Patan with gilded facades and fine wood and metal work.Entry: Fee not confirmed
TempleItum BahalOne of the largest and oldest Buddhist courtyards in old Kathmandu, with two shrine courtyards.Entry: Fee not confirmed
FoodJhamsikhelA Lalitpur neighborhood west of old Patan that is one of the valley's main restaurant areas.Entry: Pay as you go
MuseumKathmandu Durbar SquareThe old royal square of Hanuman Dhoka, with palace courtyards, palace museums and more than 50 temples.Entry: NPR[fee]
TempleKumari Ghar17th-century temple and official home of the Living Goddess Kumari, on the edge of Durbar Square.Entry: Inside Durbar Square
TempleKumbheshwar TemplePatan's five-storied Shiva temple, built in 1392, with a sacred spring in its courtyard.Entry: Fee not confirmed
ViewpointNagarkotA hill settlement 32 km from Kathmandu known for sunrise and sunset views from its view tower.Entry: Free to visit
TempleNyatapola Temple, BhaktapurA five-storied temple whose stairway is lined with stone guardians; it survived the 1933 earthquake.Entry: Fee not confirmed
TemplePashupatinath TempleNepal's most revered Hindu temple on the Bagmati River, with cremation ghats along the banks.Entry: NPR[fee]
MuseumPatan Durbar SquarePatan's royal square of palace courtyards and pagoda temples, facing the 17th-century stone Krishna Temple.Entry: NPR[fee]
MuseumPatan MuseumRestored palace courtyard of 1734 showing about 300 Hindu and Buddhist bronzes and repoussé works.Entry: NPR[fee]
NatureSiddha Pokhari, BhaktapurA large rectangular water tank from the Licchavi period, at the Bhaktapur bus stop.Entry: Free to visit
TempleSwayambhunathHilltop Buddhist stupa west of the city, known as the Monkey Temple, with views over the valley.Entry: NPR[fee]
FoodTaumadhi Square, BhaktapurThe square below the Nyatapola Temple, a lunch stop for Bhaktapur's juju dhau yogurt in clay pots.Entry: Pay as you go
FoodThamelKathmandu's tourist district of restaurants, bars, book shops and trekking gear stores, busy late into the night.Entry: Pay as you go
TransportTribhuvan International AirportKathmandu's airport, for international arrivals and the domestic flights to Pokhara.Entry: Free to visit