Arriving into the trekking mecca of Nepal, many adventurers do not have time to spend exploring the capital city of Kathmandu. Before heading over to the Annapurna Circuit, or up to Lukla to begin your Everest trek, you may have merely one day to see and experience the chaotic beauty contained within the city limits. With so much going on, it can be difficult to know how to make the best of your time in the city. Here’s the best way to see and experience Kathmandu in One Day
Start Your Morning Off Right
When you wake up in your Kathmandu hotel, you’ll probably be hungry. Luckily, Kathmandu has a surprising amount of bakeries that offer delicious pastries throughout the day. Grab a tasty roll and follow it up with a hot coffee or a bottle of mango juice! Eat outside and watch the shop owners begin their day. Be observant in your bakery of choice- some of them will offer discounted items at the end of the day. Make a mental note to return if you wish. Here are some suggestions if you just can’t make up your mind:
Swayambhunath Temple: Monkey Temple
There are some incredible temples in Kathmandu, which are great to visit in the cooler temperatures of morning. Swayambhunath Temple is more commonly known as the Monkey Temple, due to its large monkey population. Many tourists try to lure the monkeys onto their shoulders. However, these monkeys are considered holy, so it’s best to be respectful and not taunt them. This temple also has amazing views over the city of Kathmandu, due to the 365 steps it takes to get to the top. Entrance fee: 200 rupees
Boudhanath Temple
This is the temple you see pictured in all the guidebooks. Boudhanath Stupa is another well-known Buddhist site. As you wander around the giant white mound, the colorful eyes of Buddha watch over, and the prayer flags flap overhead. People will walk around the whole stupa three or more times, reciting their mantras. The smell of incense is thick in the air. It’s truly an incredible experience. Entrance fee: 150 rupees
Durbar Square
This place was once a very important site for the Nepalese Royal Family, as kings were crowned and took their place in leadership. Now, visitors can admire the intricate architecture, dating back to the 17th century, and learn about Nepalese history. This is also where the Kumari (living goddess) resides. If you’re extremely lucky, you might even get to see her. Entrance fee: 750 rupees
Garden of Dreams
By late in the afternoon, you may be exhausted by the hustle and bustle of the city. Between the sounds of cars and motorbikes honking, and the smells of cigarettes and exhaust fumes, you may be looking for a bit of a break. That’s why you’ll head to the Garden of Dreams. This small botanical area in the city is sounded by high white walls, which seem to block out the craziness of the city outside. Wander around the museums or just take a nap on the grassy lawns. Entrance fee: 200 rupees
Thamel
End your day in the tourist district. Pick up those Nepalese souvenirs for friends and family. A singing bowl for dad. A beautiful yak wool scarf for mom. Maybe even a small statue of your favorite Hindu god! This is also a popular place for people backpacking Nepal to load up on supplies. Enjoy the chaos of the market vendors as they call out to you and show you their wares. Challenge yourself as you barter for your purchases and feel the rush of getting a real bargain!
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21 Comments
I do hope to visit Napal someday and this is a great guide should I be short on time.
I’d love to check out Kathmandu someday, though I’m pretty sure it won’t be on the way to Everest, as I’m not really a hiker. It looks like a cool city to explore.
Yeah, I wasn’t there for Everest either, so I got to spend several days in Kathmandu. Such an incredible and culturally rich city!
I didn’t realize how much there is to do in Kathmandu. Your first photo from the bakery got my attention but to see the beauty of the temples and parks is giving me a feeling that we need to visit there.
And there’s much more too! You could easily fill several days in Kathmandu. There are many other temples to visit as well as delicious restaurants and things to do!
We should all pray for the people of the region. Once the hype over the earthquake was over, the authorities were quick to steal aid, and global attention was diverted elsewhere – so sad.
They’re also having trouble with India not exporting goods to them :/
Looks like a great itinerary for the day! Can’t wait to visit Kathmandu one day but would definitely have much longer to see everything!
Oh for sure! I would recommend more than one day, but I wanted to cover the important highlights 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I hope to go there one day.
Nepal is definitely on my list, and after reading ‘Video Night in Kathmandu’ I’ve always wanted to go! Looks gorgeous
The temples look really cool and I love the look of the Garden of Dreams! But I think I would want to have more than one day to explore the city.
I recommend more than one day for sure! I just wanted to cover the highlights in this post
I’ve never really done much research on Kathmandu so this is awesome! I’m always interested in seeing what you can fit into a short amount of time. Slow traveling is my preferred method but life doesn’t always allow for that so I like to fit as much as possible in shorter trips!
I would love to visit the Monkey Temple — the architecture looks really unique and beautiful. While traveling lots of people miss the subtle things of lesser known cities, this post was really informational.
That’s a good list to cover in one day! I don’t know so much about Kathmandu, so this is a great post to start with. The Garden of Dreams looks very beautiful too.
That looks like a very active day, lots to do!
I haven’t really considered Kathmandu as a potential destination, as I’m nowhere near fit enough to tackle the big hikes… but it looks like there would be plenty to explore in the city itself.
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Beautiful article and photo…
Don’t miss to try out Daal baat & everyone’s favorite mo:mo’s on your first day in Kathmandu. You will love it.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Mmmm momos are the best 🙂