Top 12 Kathmandu Things to Do & Kathmandu Tourist Attractions
22 September 2022 Last updated at 17:26
Exploration of Kathmandu, a world-famous travel destination with over 1200 years' history and several world cultural heritage sites, will leave you memorable life experience. As the capital and the biggest city in Nepal, Kathmandu never disappoints you…
Here - a bliss for all kinds of visitors especially for adventure buffs! You can do lots of things in Kathmandu: sightseeing, shopping, enjoying Nepalese food and attending grand festivals & events. It is a city that respects tradition and embraces modernity. Here we have selected Top 12 things to do & places to visit in Kathmandu to help you make your Kathmandu tour more memorable!
Kathmandu Top 12 Things to Do
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Admire Time-honored Architectures in Kathmandu Durbar Square
Location: center of Kathmandu City, Nepal
Kathmandu Durbar Square, the uppermost and best-known attraction in Kathmandu lies in old town of Kathmandu, in front of the former royal palace. It is one of the three Durbar Squares (the other two are Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square) in Kathmandu Valley listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a cluster of classic architectures and over 50 temples, palaces and courtyards which date back to the 12th to 18th centuries, the square maintains its original building style and glamour which show the greatest achievements of the Malla Dynasty.
☞ 2 Days Kathmandu Best Essence Tour
☞ 5 Days Kathmandu Pokhara Leisure Tour
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Feel Buddhism Atmosphere in Boudhanath Stupa
Location: East Suburb of Kathmandu City, Nepal
With a height of 36m and a perimeter of 100m, Boudhanath Stupa, holy land for Nepal Buddhism with a long history, is the largest round stupa in the world. It is built on three-storied polygonous bases in eastern Kathmandu. Many Nepalese and Tibetan monks and pilgrims circle clockwise for hours, chant mantras and turn prayer wheels here every day. The highlight is the massive multiple layers structure with plentiful Buddhist relics and four pairs of gigantic Buddha Eyes watching towards Kathmandu Valley. The massive stupas of Buddhist relics and the great view of the shrine will leave you a great impression and be a part of your life journey.
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Pay Respect to God Shiva and Life at Pashupatinath Temple
Location: east suburb of Kathmandu
Being a holy Hindu temple in east Kathmandu, Pashupatinath Temple complex is the embodiment of Hindu faith, religion, culture and tradition through its astonishing architectural beauty and sacred religious significance. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to pay homage to this temple and worship God Shiva of Hinduism, so it has a reputation of “The Temple of Living Beings”. By the Bagmati River, locals often hold public cremation ceremonies of the dead to liberate suffering souls. The ceremony usually lasts 3-4 hours and when the body turns into ashes and flows away with Bagmati River, it marks the end of one’s life.
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Find Inner Peace at Swayambhunath Temple
Location: Swayamhu Circle Road, Kathmandu, Nepal
Swayambhunath located on a peak of west Kathmandu is a large and old stupa with fantastic views of Kathmandu Valley. Because of the multitudinous monkeys around - the holy and instantly recognizable symbols of Nepal, Swayambhunath Temple is also called Monkey Temple. It is one of the most popular temples in Nepal to get close to the Nepalese style architectures which are painted with colorful eyes of the Buddha and is a perfect combination of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal. While appreciating the scenic view of Kathmandu city, you may find some peace inside in this serene environment.
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Trek from Kathmandu to Surrounding Sites
Kathmandu is Paradise for sports enthusiasts. Trekking in Kathmandu is very fashionable and well organized for international travelers. Equipment can be bought at any of the many shops in Kathmandu’s Thamel market and Pokhara. From Kathmandu, you can mainly take a long trek to Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, Langtang, Helambu, Gokyo and Mount Manaslu, and a shorter one to Poon Hill and Nagarkot around Kathmandu within several days. Annapurna and Jomosom starting from Pokhara are popular routes.
☞ 3 Days Kathmandu Culture Tour with Hiking Experience
☞ 9 Days Nepal Ghorepani Poonhill Trekking Tour
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Marvel at Himalayas from Mountain Flight
Kathmandu Mountain Flight is a classic Nepali travel program to view magnificent Himalaya Mountains and the Mount Everest - the highest peak in the world from a mini airplane. The flight operated by the Nepalese domestic airlines takes off from Kathmandu airport to Everest from a very close distance, which is a life time award to see Mount Everest. You will be provided with a window to enjoy the most panoramic view of the mountains ranges. The flight usually takes at least 1-2 hours and you can see the snow-covered high hills from the plane clearly. It will definitely be an unforgettable experience.
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Enjoy the Thrill and Different View Brought by River Rafting
While Kathmandu trekking is widely known among tourists, river rafting is a hidden treasure and always chosen by in-the-know travellers. Now river rafting has been receiving increasing popularity. Many travel operators in Kathmandu and Pokhara organize a few hours’ river-rafting trips, for example, Trishuli River rafting, during your way to Pokhara or Chitwan from Kathmandu. When you are in Pokhara, you can canoe on Pokhara’s placid picturesque Fewa Lake and enjoy beautiful sunset views. Apart from the thrill brought by rafting, you will be awarded by the stunning scenery in Nepal that can only seen by waterways.
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Tour around Museums in the City
Museums in this city where you can find ancient temples, sacred detailed carvings, art, craft and more are best story tellers of this ancient city. The National Museum, Narayanhiti Palace Museum, Natural History Museum discourse on Nepali history in various fields. The Natural History Museum presents many specimens of rare animals such as crocodile, snake, and birds. The National Museum will give you a good idea about Nepal’s rich, sometimes tumultuous and always exciting history. And Patan Museum, one of the best museums in the world, is a synthesis collection of ancient bronze statues of gods of Hinduism and Buddhism and numerous artworks and pictures of Patan.
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Bring a Souvenir Home from Thamel
Kathmandu is an excellent place to shop for the wide variety of local products, souvenirs and handicrafts which you can buy at a favorable price. The best souvenirs are jewelry, clothes, cashmere shawl (Pashmina), decorative metal plates, "kukri" knives, rice paper, pottery, wood carvings, Masala Tea, and hand-made bags in Thamel in center Kathmandu. It is a bustling area known as “Little Hong Kong” in Nepal where hundreds of bars, restaurants and stores concentrate here. And the circinate street outside Boudhanath Stupa has many stores selling Thangkas (colorful Tibetan/Buddhist paintings depicting tradition or religious subjects), Tibetan woolen carpets, special masks, Tibetan knives, jewelries and lots of religious supplies and artifacts at reasonable prices.
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Have a Glimpse of the Living Goddess
Kumara Devi, the living Goddess of Nepal, is a young girl who lives in Kumari Bahal in Kathmandu Durbar Square. The Goddess is selected through a series of strict procedures from a bunch of girls who are about 4 years old. She will remain in the “office” until she reaches puberty and then she is a normal mortal again. People can see the Living Goddess sometimes on ordinary days when she comes to the windows on the third floor for a short time in the morning or late afternoon. Generally, the Living Goddess will not show any facial expressions and the locals believe that if she smiles at you, something bad will happen. Due to respect, no photos of the Goddess should be taken.
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Celebrate Grand Festivals with Locals
Nepal is a country rich in culture and tradition. In Nepal throughout the year you can witness many moments of happiness and excitement by the celebration of over 300 festivals. Dasain, also called Bara Dashain, is the longest and largest national festival in Nepal which takes place in June of Nepali calendar (around September and October). Followers gather in front of status of Durga with oblation of animals. Villages in suburb Kathmandu will decorate their houses with many symbolic items. Tihar - Festival of Lights (also called Deepawali or Diwali) is a five-day festival held on the fifteenth day of Kartika (around the end of October/start of November) celebrated by all Hindus with ritual house-cleaning, lanterns, candles, fireworks, and gift exchange. Holi is the most colorful and happiest festival in Nepal, which is celebrated in March for 7 days with splashes of water and colored powder which mean good luck.
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Try Cuisines from the World in Kathmandu
In tourist hot spots like Kathmandu, you’ll be taken aback at the range of cuisines that are offered. There are plenty of restaurants on the street especially in areas like Thamel. Just within 5 minutes’ walk, you can find different kinds of dishes such as Chinese, Italian, Tibetan, Indian, Korean, “Continental” food and Nepali set meals on the restaurant menus. Still there are café and bakery where you can have a bite. No matter which country you are from, you will find something here that can please your stomach. If you are travelling to other remote cities in Nepal, you will miss the food in Kathmandu.
How to Plan a Nepal Tour
Best time to visit Nepal: March to mid-June and mid-September to November
How to get to Nepal: overland driving from China (Tibet) and India, flights from China (Tibet, Chengdu…), India (Delhi/Mumbai/Kolkata/Bengaluru...), Bangladesh (Dhaka), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Thailand (Bangkok), Singapore, etc.
Nepal Visa: you can get Nepal Visa on arrival at Kathmandu Airport and border entry ports, or apply for it from Nepal Embassy abroad before departure, which takes about 1 to 3 working days.
Tourists always start a Nepal tour from Kathmandu - the capital city and tourist distribution center. 4 days is enough to enjoy the world heritage sites and Himalayan views in Kathmandu Valley (Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur and Nagarkot). For those travelers who won’t want to miss the most astonishing nature of Nepal, spend 1 or 2 more days visiting lakeside Pokhara. For more experience, Chitwan is a good choice to offer Nepal’s oldest wildlife (various mammal and birds species) as well as a variety of excursions in 2 days usually. If you are a Buddhist follower or fan, travel Lumbini and other Buddhist sites in 3~4 more days. If you are a trekking enthusiast, there is a bucket of trekking routes, like Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Circuit, Poon Hill, etc.
☞ 4 Days Classic Kathmandu Valley Tour
☞ 5 Days Kathmandu Pokhara Leisure Tour (by Flight)
☞ 8 Days Nepal Holiday Tour (Kathmandu - Pokhara - Chitwan)
Travel with Us
Traveling with Himalayas Discovery, you are assured to use our high-quality travel services, including vehicles, professional tour guide and experienced driver, well-organized itinerary, assistance of visa and permits application and other travel related services. We will settle all arrangements in advance to make sure you always enjoy a worry-free journey.
Adam's Family from USA visited Kathmandu with Himalayas Discovery
Kathmandu Travel Guide
Nepal Travel Guide
Recommended Kathmandu Tour Packages
Following are some other recommended Kathmandu tour packages that you may be interested in. All of our Nepal can be customized 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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10 Days Nepal Natural and Cultural Savory Tour
Kathmandu / Pokhara / Lumbini / Chitwan / Nagarkot / Kathmandu
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