Three medieval royal cities in one valley, under the Himalaya.
The Kathmandu valley was three separate kingdoms — Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur — and each kept its own palace square. Bhaktapur is the best preserved and the one to prioritise if you only pick one.
Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world, is the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Nepal and is at its best at dusk when the whole neighbourhood circles it. Pashupatinath on the Bagmati is Nepal's holiest Hindu site and its open cremation ghats are confronting.
Thamel is where trekking is arranged, gear is bought and everyone eventually eats. Most visitors use Kathmandu as the beginning and end of a longer trip, but the valley itself deserves three days.
Ranked by how much each place adds to a visit — not alphabetically, and never paid for.
1
One of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal, ringed by monasteries and rooftop cafés.
2
The best-preserved of the three royal squares, with the 55-Window Palace, Nyatapola temple and a car-free old town of brick and carved…
3
A hilltop stupa above the city, reached by 365 steps, with painted eyes on all four sides and a valley panorama.
4
The most concentrated collection of Newari architecture anywhere, with a royal palace turned museum widely rated the best in Nepal.
5
Nepal's holiest Hindu site, on the Bagmati, where open-air cremations take place on the ghats throughout the day.
6
The old royal square in the middle of the city, with the Kumari's house, Hanuman Dhoka palace and temples still being rebuilt after the…
7
A ridge village at 2,100 m on the valley rim, with a Himalayan panorama that can reach Everest on the clearest mornings.
8
The traveller district: trekking gear, bookshops, thangka studios, momo houses and the agencies that arrange every trip in Nepal.
Distance is what breaks itineraries. See how the city actually lays out before you commit to a day.
A hotel built as a museum of rescued Newari woodcarving, and the best stay in the valley.
Long-running, quiet mid-range hotel with a garden, a short walk from Thamel.
Community-run Newari restaurant in Kirtipur serving the valley's own food, not the tourist…
Where TIMS cards and trekking permits are issued before you head to the mountains.
Tribhuvan International (KTM), 6 km
Tribhuvan is the only international airport, with flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok, Doha and Dubai. Visa on arrival is available for most nationalities — carry photographs and cash.
None serving Kathmandu
There is no railway to Kathmandu. The nearest Indian railhead is Raxaul, then a long road journey.
The road from the Indian border at Sunauli or Raxaul takes eight to twelve hours and is slow. Pokhara is six to eight hours by road, or 25 minutes by air.
Taxis (agree the fare — meters are rarely used), ride-hailing apps like Pathao and InDrive, and cycle rickshaws in the old city. Traffic and dust are the two constants; a mask helps in winter.
Per person, per day, excluding travel to the destination. A three-day trip for two is shown for comparison.
Clean budget stays, local food, shared or public transport.
Well-rated 3–4★ hotels, sit-down dining, private cabs.
October and November are clear, dry and the best mountain visibility of the year. The monsoon from June to September brings rain and cloud. Winter is cold and hazy but dry; spring brings rhododendrons and some haze.
Newari cuisine is the valley's own — bara, chatamari, choila and yomari — alongside dal bhat, momos everywhere, and the Thamel restaurant scene that feeds trekkers everything from steak to apple pie.
Thamel for trekking gear (much of it copied, some of it genuine), pashmina, singing bowls, thangka paintings and Nepali tea. Patan for metalwork and jewellery from workshops that have run for generations.
Thamel's bars and live music venues, most closing by midnight. Elsewhere the city is quiet after dark.
Kathmandu is safe for visitors; the main risks are traffic, air quality in winter, and altitude if you head straight into the mountains. Trekking permits (TIMS and national park entries) are required and checked. Buy travel insurance that explicitly covers helicopter evacuation if you plan to trek.
Buy monument-zone tickets at each site; Bhaktapur's is the most expensive but valid for multiple days if you ask for it to be extended. Load your trekking permits before leaving Kathmandu — the Nepal Tourism Board office handles them. Load-shedding is much less common than it once was, but keep a power bank.
Walk clockwise around stupas. Remove shoes and leather before entering temple precincts. Photography at Pashupatinath's cremation ghats is deeply inappropriate — do not do it.
Three days: one for Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swayambhunath, one for Patan and Boudhanath, one for Bhaktapur. Add a night at Nagarkot if you want the Himalayan sunrise.
October and November are the clearest, followed by March and April. During the monsoon and in the hazy winter months the mountains are often invisible from the valley rim.
Most nationalities get a visa on arrival at Tribhuvan airport — carry passport photographs and the fee in cash (US dollars are easiest). Indian citizens do not need a visa but should carry photo ID.
Yes — Thamel is full of agencies and permits are issued at the Nepal Tourism Board. Compare several operators, confirm in writing what is included, and take insurance that explicitly covers helicopter evacuation.
Tea, a toy train, and Kanchenjunga on a clear morning.
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