My first impressions of Kathmandu will mirror most people’s as they fly into Nepal: sprawling pastel houses obscured by dust from the city’s many motorbikes and vehicles. Kathmandu is home to the country’s only international airport, so if you’re arriving into Nepal by air chances are you’ll spend some time in the capital. Many visitors merely pause before heading north to the Himalayas, but Kathmandu deserves more than just a stopover. Its citizens alone—some of the most friendly, honest and laidback people I’ve ever met—justify a longer stay.
Whether you have one day or longer, here’s a comprehensive guide to Kathmandu’s highlights to start exploring the city.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and, at no extra cost to you, I receive a small commission if you make a purchase via these links. For more information, visit my disclosure page.
The stupa sits in the middle of a massive pilgrimage site, sacred for both Buddhists and Hindus. The compound is on top of a hill in northwest Kathmandu, and managed to escape the 2015 earthquake pretty much unscathed. We cheekily skipped the steep climb to the temple and got a taxi up instead. We’d been trekking for two weeks; I think we’re excused!
Because of the supposedly holy monkeys that abound there, the stupa is also known as the Monkey Temple. They were scampering all around the many shrines and temples that scatter the lower levels of the complex. From afar it wasn’t hard to see them as adorable and photogenic. However, if we got too close it was easier to see how grim and actually quite savage they were!
The actual stupa is at the very top of the hill, up more steps lined with stalls and vendors. Peering through the street sellers as I climbed, I was rewarded with panoramic views over Kathmandu. Upon reaching the top of the hill, the stupa itself cannot be missed. On top of a massive, white-washed orb sits the golden spire with a face on each side. The eyes in every direction represent the omniscience of Buddha, while the nose is actually Nepali for “one” and represents unity through Buddhism.
Thamel is one of the oldest parts of Kathmandu, and the area where the majority of tourists stay—especially backpackers and trekkers. The streets are packed with shops selling souvenirs and hiking equipment. North Fake, anyone? It’s worth wandering through the streets to get a taste of Nepali artefacts and customs. However, we strayed outside this bubble of tourism to the outskirts of Thamel. We were treated to lower prices and a more authentic portrayal of everyday life in Kathmandu. Just a couple of streets over and we were the only tourists in sight.
Just outside Thamel, Kathmandu’s Durbar Square is popular with tourists. It’s home to the old royal palaces of the city’s kings and is often used as an example of the wreckage caused by the 2015 earthquake.
I actually skipped visiting at the recommendation of my guide, who’s a local. Instead of paying to enter the square, he took me through the surrounding streets, where I could see the earthquake’s devastation throughout the city. However, I have it on good authority that a good way to spend an afternoon in Kathmandu is sipping coffee overlooking the square.
Having just returned from my Everest Base Camp trek, I went for a massage at Seeing Hands in Thamel. The whole team at the clinic, from the masseurs to the therapists, are visually impaired, which is such a cool initiative. They now have branches all across Nepal because the standard is so amazing. Even if you haven’t been trekking, I highly recommend a massage here.
As the name suggests, Kathmandu’s Garden of Dreams is the perfect place to take a break from the city. A remnant of Nepal’s colonial days, the garden boasts beautiful lawns, pavilions, ponds and gorgeous orange flowers creating shaded nooks.
Though the entrance is on the main road, the garden was so peaceful once I was within its walls. There was a small entrance fee but it’s worth it to feel untouched by the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu’s many motorbikes and street sellers for a while.
Situated near the city’s airport, Boudhanath is the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of Tibet. Like Swayambhunath Stupa, the temple’s golden spire features Buddha’s three omnipresent eyes. Strips of coloured prayer flags representing the five elements cascade from the spire to the ground. The base of the stupa is indented with prayer wheels, which I stopped to spin as I walked around the temple in the conventional clockwise direction.
In contrast with the Monkey Temple, I didn’t see any street sellers within the complex. Instead, the stupa stands in a wide, circular courtyard lined with cafés, hostels, shops and Tibetan monasteries. We visited one of the monasteries for good views of the stupa from its balcony. We then visited the Rincheling Thangka Gallery and Art School, also in the circuit surrounding the stupa. The school was full of incredibly intricate mandalas by both amateur and expert painters. The artists have to stick strictly to one of four patterns when designing their mandalas. One of these matches Boudhanath Stupa itself if it’s looked at from a bird’s eye view.
Located on the banks of the Bagmati River, Pashupatinath Temple is the biggest Shiva Hindu temple in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visited it at the same time as Boudhanath Stupa as they’re both on the northeast outskirts of Kathmandu. Non-Hindus aren’t allowed inside the temple itself, but the guides were very keen on allowing us to have our photo taken in front of the gates.
However, it was the river that most intrigued me. Hindus believe the temple is so sacred that if they die within its compound they will be reincarnated as a human, no matter what their sins. Families sat on the riverbank with their deceased wrapped in bright cloths. They were queuing for the large brick pyres that border the river, waiting to cremate their loved ones in the open air. The place was full of visitors, some locals and some tourists, spectating from the opposite bank. This didn’t seem to perturb those waiting.
The river was murky, with cows, ash and broken coffins strewn across it. A couple of young boys were playing in the river, using the dark water to wash their naked bodies. Acrid smoke from the burning bodies obscured the view across the river. All this contrasted greatly with the bright shrouds of the dead, the colourful saris of the local women, and the bold yellow of the sadhus.
In a way, this perfectly summed up Kathmandu for me. It’s colourful, and a little overwhelming at first, but with a calm and cohesive energy lingering beneath the surface.
For a quick lunch, this little spot does the most amazing vegetarian wraps for 200 NRP (about £1.35). I’m always so happy to find somewhere that does a cheap salad when I’m travelling! The café is small, so be prepared to wait a little bit for a seat. But they do have free WiFi, so what’s not to love?
This unassuming restaurant was the one that made me realise I could love spicy food. It is beloved by both locals and tourists, making it a wonderful mix of authentic and touristy. It does great vegetarian food and, most importantly, it’s tasty and cheap.
The constant crowd of both locals and tourists outside this hole in the wall betrays how good their lassis are. Popular in South Asia, a lassi is a drink that consists mainly of yoghurt. They are so good here that I had two!
I know, I know—pizza isn’t very Nepalese. But Kathmandu has such a range of incredible eateries. When you’ve been trekking for two weeks and you need some familiar comfort food, this pizzeria, which is on the fancier end of the scale, is the place to come.
Within Thamel, the tourist hub of Kathmandu, walking is the easiest way to get around. To make longer journeys, taking a taxi is probably a better bet. It’s not hard to hail a taxi on the main roads. I was often asked if I wanted a ride.
If you want to hire a driver to visit multiple sites in Kathmandu, I suggest asking at your accommodation to see if they have any cheap options before hailing a cab on the street. I know a lot of hostels are able to group travellers together to cut costs. Alternatively, if you’re trekking and have a reliable guide in Kathmandu like I did, they might be able to hook you up with a driver.
Of course, if you’re feeling really adventurous, there are even apps that allow you to hop on the back of someone’s motorbike. I feel like this option isn’t for the faint-hearted, however!
Thamel, in central Kathmandu, is the city’s most touristy neighbourhood. It has a wide variety of hotels and hostel, making it perfect for all budgets. It’s an especially convenient area to stay for backpackers and trekkers, as the streets are packed with shops selling hiking equipment. It’s also a good area to stay in a as solo traveller.
I stayed in a couple of different hostels either side of my Everest Base Camp trek. Both were simple and cheap, and I would recommend them both. Alternatively, see all accommodation in Kathmandu.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and, at no extra cost to you, I receive a small commission if you make a purchase via these links. For more information, visit my disclosure page.
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