When to go to Kathmandu?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: October to November and March to April
At a glance
Why go to Kathmandu?
The Kathmandu Valley packs seven World Heritage monument zones into a radius of some twenty kilometres: three royal squares, two great Buddhist stupas and two major Hindu shrines. That density comes from history: until unification in 1769, three rival kingdoms, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, competed with one another through temples, palaces and commissions to Newar artists. The result fits into a few square kilometres and can be seen in three or four days.
The city was hit hard on 25 April 2015 by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that killed nearly nine thousand people across the country and destroyed several of the valley's oldest temples. Some have been rebuilt using traditional techniques, in brick and carved wood; others are still under repair or no longer exist. Visitors therefore see a heritage in the process of recovery, with bamboo scaffolding and carpenters' workshops at the foot of the pagodas.
It is also the unavoidable gateway to any trek in the Himalaya. Permits, domestic flights to Lukla or Pokhara, guides and gear are all sorted out in the Thamel district, where the hippie trail was already ending in the 1960s. You spend two or three days here before setting off, and often as many on the way back, which leaves plenty of time to explore the valley without making it a separate destination.
Map of Kathmandu: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Boudhanath
- Swayambhunath
- Pashupatinath
- Patan
- Bhaktapur
How much does a trip to Kathmandu cost?
Nepal remains one of the cheapest destinations in Asia. The biggest item is the international flight; everything else is counted in tens of euros a day. Site admissions do add up, though: the three royal squares and the two shrines come to around thirty euros per person.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €20-35/day | Thamel hostel, dal bhat and momos, local buses, two or three paying sites over the stay |
| Comfort | €55-95/day | Mid-range hotel, taxi for the day, all the listed sites, varied restaurants |
| Premium | €220+/day | Heritage hotel, private guide, car with driver, scenic flight over Everest |
The Nepalese rupee cannot be exchanged outside the country and taking it out is theoretically forbidden. Cash machines are plentiful in Thamel but cap withdrawals at around 35,000 rupees and charge a fixed fee of about 500 rupees: withdraw large amounts. Cards are accepted in hotels and large agencies, rarely elsewhere. Keep 100 and 500-rupee notes for taxis and stalls.
Is Kathmandu safe?
Kathmandu is a safe city for its size, with few assaults and theft limited to badly closed bags in Thamel's narrow streets. The real issues are health and logistics. Air pollution reaches high levels from November to March, when temperature inversion traps particles in the valley bowl: a filter mask is useful for sensitive people. Tap water is not drinkable and stomach upsets affect a good share of travellers, so bring a filter bottle and avoid raw vegetables washed in tap water. Traffic is chaotic, with no usable pavements and no respected traffic lights, and crossing the road takes care. The country lies in an active seismic zone: the 2015 earthquake killed nearly nine thousand people, and the instructions posted in hotels are worth reading. Finally, general strikes, known as bandh, sometimes block traffic without warning.
What to see and do in Kathmandu
- Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Boudhanath Stupa
- Swayambhunath
- Pashupatinath
- Thamel
- Patan Durbar Square
- Bhaktapur
- Nagarkot hill
Kathmandu Durbar Square
The former royal square, heart of Malla and then Shah power, bristling with brick and timber temples built between the 12th and 18th centuries. The Hanuman Dhoka palace fills its eastern side with its nested courtyards, and the Kumari's house is home to a young girl revered as a living goddess until puberty, who appears briefly at a carved window. The 2015 earthquake destroyed several major buildings, including the Kasthamandap pavilion that gave the city its name, since rebuilt.
Boudhanath
A stupa 36 metres high and 100 metres across, one of the largest in Asia, whose white dome carries a square tower painted with the eyes of the Buddha on all four sides. The area became the centre of the Tibetan diaspora in Nepal after 1959, with some thirty monasteries round about. At daybreak and in the late afternoon, monks and residents walk clockwise around it, spinning the prayer wheels. The spire, which fell in 2015, was rebuilt within a year.
Pashupatinath
The country's most important Hindu shrine, dedicated to Shiva and spread along both banks of the Bagmati. The gold-roofed temple is reserved for Hindus, but the opposite bank remains open and overlooks the cremation ghats, where pyres burn constantly. Sadhus, ash-covered ascetics, live in the site's caves. The Maha Shivaratri festival, in February or March, draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Nepal and India, and the surrounding streets become impassable.
Swayambhunath
A hilltop stupa west of the city that tradition dates back more than two millennia, which would make it the valley's oldest shrine. Three hundred and sixty-five steep steps climb to it from the east, lined with statues and overrun by rhesus macaques. The summit mixes Buddhist and Hindu shrines, with chapels, a Tibetan monastery and a view over the whole valley. Several structures collapsed in 2015 and have since been rebuilt exactly as they were.
Patan
An independent kingdom until the 18th century, five kilometres to the south, Patan has the best-preserved royal square in the valley. Its museum, set in the palace's restored courtyards, is considered the finest museum of Newar art in the country. In front, the stone Krishna temple lines up twenty-one carved roofs, a rarity in an architecture of brick and wood. The Buddhist Golden Temple, with tortoises in its courtyard, and the bronze-casters' workshops in the northern lanes round off the visit.
Bhaktapur
The third royal city, thirteen kilometres to the east, which escaped urban sprawl and is therefore the best preserved. Motor traffic is restricted in the old town. The Nyatapola pagoda, five roofs over 30 metres, rises above five terraces guarded by pairs of figures of increasing strength. Pottery Square still dries its pieces in the sun, and juju dhau, buffalo-milk yoghurt served in a clay pot, is sold on every street corner. The ticket stays valid for several days.
How many days, and which itinerary?
Three full days cover the three royal squares and the two great shrines. Five days let you add Nagarkot, a night in Bhaktapur and a spare day for trekking formalities. Beyond that, Kathmandu serves as a base for Pokhara, Chitwan or a departure into the Himalaya.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Kathmandu guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of Nepal
The valley in three days
Day 1: Kathmandu Durbar Square in the morning, the Kumari's house, lunch in Thamel, Swayambhunath in the late afternoon for the light over the valley. Day 2: Pashupatinath early in the morning from the east bank, then Boudhanath for the evening kora and a Tibetan dinner on a terrace. Day 3: a full day in Patan, the palace museum, the Krishna temple, the Golden Temple and the bronze-casters' workshops in the northern lanes.
Five days with Bhaktapur and Nagarkot
The first three days, then on to Bhaktapur with a night there: the town empties of visitors after 5pm and you have the pagodas to yourself in the early morning. The next day, up to Nagarkot, at 2,175 metres, to sleep facing the Himalayan range and be in position at sunrise. Walk back down to Changu Narayan in three hours, then bus or taxi to Kathmandu.
Nepal in two weeks from Kathmandu
Three days in the valley, then a flight or bus to Pokhara, seven hours on the road for two hundred kilometres. From there, a short trek such as Poon Hill, four to five days, or the approach to Annapurna Base Camp, around ten days. Return via Chitwan National Park for the one-horned rhinos, two nights. Always allow two buffer days in Kathmandu before the flight home, as domestic connections are often delayed.
Getting there and getting around
Tribhuvan airport is six kilometres from the centre, twenty minutes without traffic and an hour at peak times. The visa is issued on arrival at the self-service kiosks, on presentation of a passport valid for six months and payment in cash or by card. Bring a passport photo as a backup.
In town, taxis are the simplest option: agree the fare before getting in or insist on the meter, with a ride from Thamel to Boudhanath costing around 500 to 800 rupees. Local ride-hailing apps work well and do away with haggling, including for motorbike taxis.
Local buses and microbuses serve Patan, Bhaktapur and Nagarkot for a few dozen rupees, but they are packed and run to no fixed timetable. A taxi for the day, around €30 to 45, remains more efficient for combining several sites in the valley in one trip.
For the rest of the country, flights to Pokhara and Lukla leave from the domestic terminal. Weather cancellations are frequent, especially to Lukla: always keep two days' margin before an international flight home. Long-distance buses take seven hours to Pokhara.
Where to stay in Kathmandu?
Thamel has dozens of hostels and small hotels at €8 to 25 a night, with a double room, hot water and wifi. It is the most practical area for preparing a trek, with agencies and gear-hire shops at every turn, but also the noisiest until late in the evening.
Mid-range hotels are spread between Thamel, Lazimpat and Boudhanath, at €40 to 90 a night. Several occupy former Rana mansions with gardens. Staying in Boudhanath changes the pace of the trip: you wake to the sound of prayer wheels and the air is a little less heavy.
Bhaktapur and Patan offer restored Newar guesthouses at €25 to 60 a night, often with rooms whose carved wooden windows look onto a square. Spending a night there lets you see these towns emptied of visitors once the ticket offices close.
The top end remains limited but interesting: a heritage hotel in Boudhanath built with carved woodwork salvaged from demolitions, two international chains and a few ridge-top lodges at Nagarkot. Expect €120 to 350 a night, with rates falling sharply during the monsoon.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in Kathmandu?
Dal bhat is the national dish: rice, lentils, curried vegetables and pickles, refilled as often as you like. It costs €2 to 5 in a local restaurant, more in Thamel. It is the standard meal of porters and guides, and the surest way to eat a balanced diet for next to nothing.
Momos, steamed or fried dumplings of Tibetan origin filled with buffalo, chicken or vegetables, are sold everywhere for €1.50 to 4 for a portion of ten. The stalls of Boudhanath, also known as Boudha, also serve thukpa, a noodle soup in bone broth, very common in winter.
Bhaktapur makes juju dhau, buffalo-milk yoghurt set in porous clay pots that absorb the excess water. It is thick, slightly sweet and eaten on the spot for less than a euro. The stalls of the historic centre have been selling it for generations.
Thamel offers plenty of international food, from pizzerias to Korean restaurants, at €5 to 12 a dish. Tap water is not safe to drink: buy bottled water or use a filter bottle, as several refill stations in the area help cut down on plastic.
Entry requirements
A visa is required for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports. It is issued on arrival at Kathmandu airport and the main land borders, for 15, 30 or 90 days and paid in US dollars, or can be pre-registered online up to 15 days before arrival. The passport must be valid six months from entry.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about Kathmandu
How many days should you allow for the valley?
Three full days cover the three royal squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, as well as Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and Pashupatinath. Five days let you add Nagarkot, a night in Bhaktapur and some leeway for trekking formalities. Most travellers spend two or three days here on the way out and as many on the way back.
What is the best time to visit?
October and November have the clearest skies of the year, just after the monsoon, with mild temperatures and visibility that reaches all the way to the Himalaya. March and April come next, with the rhododendrons in flower. From June to September, the monsoon drenches the valley. From December to February, the air is cold in the morning and heavily polluted.
Are there still traces of the 2015 earthquake?
Yes. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake of 25 April 2015 killed nearly nine thousand people across the country and destroyed several temples in the valley. Much has been rebuilt using traditional techniques, in brick and carved wood. Some works are still visible, with bamboo scaffolding, and a few buildings have not been raised again.
Can you see Everest from Kathmandu?
Not from the city itself, whose horizon is closed off by the hills of the valley. From the Nagarkot ridge, at 2,175 metres and thirty-two kilometres to the east, Everest appears on a clear day as a dark triangle more than a hundred and fifty kilometres away. One-hour scenic flights also take off from Kathmandu and follow the range, for around €200.
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