Trek Guide

Kathmandu Travel Guide 2026: What to See, Do & Eat

Complete guide to Kathmandu in 2026 — Thamel, UNESCO heritage sites, the best restaurants, getting around, day trips, and how long to spend in…

By Travel Himalaya Nepal · Jun 15, 2026

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Two to three days covers Kathmandu's essentials — Durbar Square, Boudhanath , Pashupatinath , Swayambhunath , plus a half-day in Bhaktapur. The valley holds seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites ; four are within 30 minutes of Thamel by taxi. Use ride-hailing…

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Quick Facts: Kathmandu 2026

Altitude: 1,400 m (4,593 ft) Best time to visit : October–November and March–April Currency: Nepalese Rupee (NPR). 1 USD ≈ 134 NPR (2026) Tourist visa on arrival: 15 days USD 30 / 30 days USD 50 / 90 days USD 125 — see our Nepal visa guide Airport: Tribhuvan…

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How Long to Spend in Kathmandu

Two full days covers the essentials: Durbar Square, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, and a wander through Thamel. Three days is more comfortable and allows for a half-day in Bhaktapur, the best-preserved medieval city in the valley. If you are…

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Kathmandu's UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Kathmandu Valley contains seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Most visitors reach four of them without difficulty — all are within 30 minutes of Thamel by taxi. Nepal's holiest Hindu temple on the Bagmati. Non-Hindus visit the cremation ghats; arrive…

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Pashupatinath Temple

Nepal's holiest Hindu temple complex sits on the banks of the Bagmati River, 5 km east of Thamel. The main shrine is closed to non-Hindus, but the surrounding ghats — stone riverbank steps used for cremation ceremonies — are open, sobering, and deeply moving…

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Boudhanath Stupa

The largest stupa in Nepal and one of the largest in the world, Boudhanath draws Tibetan pilgrims who circumnavigate its base in an endless clockwise stream, spinning prayer wheels. The painted eyes of the Buddha stare out from all four sides of the central…

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Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple)

Kathmandu's most photographed site sits atop a hill 3 km west of Thamel. The 365 stone steps are guarded by rhesus macaques — keep your sunglasses in your pocket. The stupa dates to at least the 5th century and offers a panoramic view over the entire valley…

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Kathmandu Durbar Square

The old royal palace complex at the heart of the city suffered significant damage in the 2015 earthquake, but reconstruction is ongoing and the square still contains the Kumari Ghar — home of the living goddess, a young girl chosen through strict religious…

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Thamel: Practical Navigation

Thamel is the tourist district — chaotic, overpriced by Nepali standards, but also extremely convenient. Gear shops line every alley selling everything from down jackets to trekking poles; quality varies enormously. Reputable brands (The North Face…

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Things to Do in Kathmandu Beyond the Temples

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Bhaktapur Day Trip

Bhaktapur Durbar Square, 13 km east of Kathmandu, is the best-preserved medieval city in the valley and has less vehicle traffic than Kathmandu. The 55-Window Palace, Nyatapola Temple (Nepal's tallest pagoda at 30 m), and the pottery squares are…

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Patan (Lalitpur) Half-Day

Patan, immediately south of Kathmandu across the Bagmati, has a Durbar Square that rivals Bhaktapur's and is only USD 10 to enter. The Patan Museum inside the old palace is one of the best museums in Nepal — its collection of bronze ritual objects, stone…

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