First-Timer's Kathmandu Travel Guide - Kathmandu Trip Ideas
Kathmandu, located in Kathmandu Valley of middle Nepal is the politic, economic, culture and tourism center of Nepal and the first destination foreign tourists come to discover abundant culture and grand natural beauty of the holy land. With its long history of more than 1200 years, Kathmandu offers vast ancient architectures maintained in original style, reverent Hindu faith and many kinds of tour activities, such as trekking, boating, etc. Elevated at 1370 m (4,495 ft) above sea level, Kathmandu show travelers world cultural heritage sites, including Durbar Square, Boudhanath Temple, and Pashupatinath Temple... together with beautiful natural scenery, all of these make it a must-visit on southern Mount Everest.
Kathmandu - Capital of Ancient Dynasty
The city was initially named Kantipur in 723 A.D, which means “city of light” and later in 16th century of Licchavi era it was called Kathmandu for the whole city is said to be built around a temple in center location. Since 1768, Kathmandu has been served as capital of Shah Dynasty until now. Thanks to the political history background, Kathmandu reserves numerous precious cultural relics.
Top Kathmandu Attractions
Kathmandu is always the first destination of your Nepal tour and portal to discover Nepal history and culture. Mixed ancient history and Hinduism and Buddhism, the city assembles all its cultures into corners in the tremendous ancient architecture like squares, palaces, temples… Sure you will be amazed by the artistic carvings and status while visiting historic spots in Kathmandu. Moreover, the beautiful landscape of Kathmandu Valley and view of the Himalayas in Nagarkot definitely keep you busy with camera.>>Learn More about Kathmandu Attractions and Things to Do
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Kathmandu Durbar Square
Type: Landmark, Religion, Architecture, History
Altitude: 1,370 meters
The Best time to visit: September to November, February to April
Never miss Durbar Square for the discovery tour in Kathmandu. Used to be a royal palace, Durbar Square is a cluster of classic architectures, temples, palaces and courtyards. Exotic and erotic carvings can be found everywhere.
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Boudhanath Stupa
Type: Landmark, Religion, History, Architecture
Altitude: 1,370 meters
Best time to visit: September to November, February to April
A must-visit site in Kathmandu! As the largest Buddhism Stupa of east Kathmandu, Boudhanath Stupa gains countless good reputation among tourists for its gorgeous appearance, construction, and holy center of Buddhism.
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Pashupatinath Temple
Type: Religion, History, Architecture
Altitude: 1,370 meters
Best time to visit: September to November, February to April
An honored Hindu Temple near Tribhuvan Airport. The best places for tourist to experience Hindu belief through a bunch of historic buildings, delicate carvings and special public cremation ceremony by the holy Bagmati River.
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Swayambhunath Temple
Type: Religion, Architecture, History
Altitude: over 1,370 meters
Best time to visit: September to November, February to April
Being the oldest Buddhism Temple of Nepal, Monkey Temple is a good viewing place of the whole Kathmandu Valley. Located on top of mountain in west Kathmandu, temples, stupa and Buddha status, monkeys are worth visiting.
How to Get to Kathmandu
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There are two ways foreigners can travel to Kathmandu Nepal – flying to Kathmandu from available countries and driving to Kathmandu from Tibet China.
Flights to Kathmandu: Fastest and comfortable way to travel to Kathmandu Nepal is taking an international flight to Kathmandu Tribhuvan Airport - the only international airport in Nepal and you can fly from Lhasa Tibet, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Kunming in China or other countries directly. Daily Lhasa Kathmandu Flights takes 1.5 hrs and Chengdu Kathmandu Flight is about 3 hrs… Bonus is you may view the gorgeous snow-covered Mount Everest from seats by the window during your flight.
Driving to Kathmandu: Zhangmu Port was badly damaged and closed from the Nepal earthquake in 2015. The reopening of Gyirong Port on August 30, 2017, made the overland driving between Nepal and Tibet a reality again. Overland driving from Lhasa to Kathmandu via Gyantse, Shigatse extends Tibet tour southwestward Gyirong along with wonderful natural landscapes and Buddhism monasteries. Read more >>
Best Time to Visit Kathmandu
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Although located at southern Himalayas where snow-capped mountains are, Kathmandu (elevation: 1370m/4495ft) in Kathmandu Valley has a different climate feature from other cities in Nepal because it’s special geographic location and topography. Facing warm current from the Indian Ocean is the benefit of much rainfall in summer days, but a not good time for travel.
Kathmandu enjoys a monsoon climate: very moderate weather full year and obvious rainy season (from May to September) and dry season (from October to April). Best travel time of Kathmandu is in the dry season during September to November and February to April when the weather is balmy, bright and air is clear and rains little. Read more >>
Where to Accommodate in Kathmandu
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International tourism in Nepal makes Kathmandu a well-developed place to find accommodation based on your taste and budget with a variety of choices of hotels ranging from luxury, upscale, comfortable and economic hotel or hostels tourists can choose from. Thamel has various stores, restaurants and hotels.
Luxurious & Upmarket Hotels: Scattered in downtown Kathmandu or near Tribhuvan Airport, five-star hotels with well-equipped facilities and services like Yak and Yeti Hotel, Dwarika’s Hotel are highly recommended. They have convenient transportation, perfect rooms, currency exchange and entertainment centers.
Economic & Comfortable Hotel and Hostel:Lower-priced places to live in Thamel must meet your needs. Many budget hotels and hostels gather around for international tourists. Because of the best location in center Kathmandu, you can easily get to Durbar Square and Swayambhunath Temple nearby, or take tourist bus to Pokhara and Chitwan. Read more >>
Useful Kathmandu Travel Tips
- 1. How to Plan Kathmandu Travel
- Tribhuvan Airport of east suburb Kathmandu is the only international airport in Nepal. Thus, Kathmandu - the capital and biggest city is always chosen as the first destination of Nepal tour. Generally, four days are recommended to explore the highlights of Kathmandu Valley. In the first day, you will be picked up by our tour guide and sent to hotel for a rest, and get a “Welcome Dinner” in the evening. Then you visit landmarks and major spots in Kathmandu, like Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Temple, Pashupatinath Temple, etc in the next two days. Finally, you depart to take flight back home or you extend Kathmandu tours to Pokhara or Chitwan, or any other popular destination you like in Nepal with longer days.
- 2. Pack Advice on Kathmandu Tour
- For international travelers in Nepal, the first and most important document is valid passport and Nepal Visa. Suitcase maybe not a good idea for you since road condition is rough in Kathmandu. Therefore, a large backpack for big luggage and a smaller knapsack is suggested. Visitors in rainy season don’t forget to bring rain gears (umbrella, raincoat, etc), and should take warm clothes in winter days or in the evening, high-altitude places. If you travel to Kathmandu in dry seasons with moderate climate, just dress light and ready clothing of summer and autumn. Trekking equipment including jackets and shoes should be prepared in advance or bought in market of Kathmandu.
- 3. Other Hot Destinations in Nepal
- Pokhara, Chitwan, Nagarkot and Lumbini are also popular destinations in Nepal if you already toured ancient palaces, temples, stupas and natural spot you plan to visit in Kathmandu. More features of Nepal are waiting for your discovery, like Macchapucchare peak and Phewa Lake in Pokhara, miraculous National Park with abundant animals and plants in Chitwan, amazing Himalaya’s views from Nagarkot…
- 4. Necessary Permits for Visiting Kathmandu
- Nepal Visa is a must for tourists who are going to have a Nepal Travel. International visitors are eligible to obtain on-arrival visa at authorized entry points including the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu or submit visa application in any diplomatic mission of Nepal abroad. If you travel overland to Kathmandu from Lhasa Tibet, more visas and permits like Group visa and Tibet Travel Permits, Border Pass and other Tibet travel permits are required.
Most Recommended Kathmandu Tour Packages
Following are some other recommended Kathmandu tour packages that you may be interested in. All of our Nepal tour packages are customizable to meet your personal requirements. You can also contact us to customize a trip if you want.
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8 Days Kathmandu Pokhara Chitwan Highlights Tour
Kathmandu / Nagarkot / Pokhara / Chitwan / Kathmandu
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