• Home
    • About
      • About Brianna
      • Contact Me
      • Work With Me
    • Destinations
    • Travel
      • Budget Travel
      • Short Term Travel
      • Travel Gear & Tech
    • Stories From Abroad
      • Travel Fails
      • Stories
    • Travel Resources
  • Archives

    • November 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
  • Home
  • About
    • About Brianna
    • Contact Me
    • Work With Me
  • Destinations
  • Travel
    • Budget Travel
    • Short Term Travel
    • Travel Gear & Tech
  • Stories From Abroad
    • Travel Fails
    • Stories
  • Travel Resources

How to do Kathmandu in One Day

May 21, 2016

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

KATHMANDU

 

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:

Beyond Bread Bakery

Pumpernickel Bakery

IMG_0267

 

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

Monkey Temple

 

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

IMG_0270

 

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

1

 

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

Untitled design (1)

 

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!

Thamel


How to Do


Looking for more on Kathmandu? Check out my Nepal Archives! 


Follow me on Facebook and Twitter to get updates on my adventures! Or check out my Instagram for pretty pictures!

Share
Tweet
Pin9
Share1
10 Shares
in one dayKathmanduNepal
Share

Asia  / Guides  / Nepal  / Short Term Travel

You might also like

Don’t Want to Quit Your Job to Travel? Then Don’t! Here Are The Benefits of Short Term Travel
October 12, 2018
How to Visit Cinque Terre in One Day (+Insider Tips!)
September 27, 2018
One Day in Charleston, South Carolina: What You Can’t Miss In The City
August 31, 2018

21 Comments


Colby
May 21, 2016 at 10:41 am
Reply

I do hope to visit Napal someday and this is a great guide should I be short on time.



Laura Lynch
May 21, 2016 at 7:17 pm
Reply

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.



    Brianna
    May 22, 2016 at 9:03 am
    Reply

    Yeah, I wasn’t there for Everest either, so I got to spend several days in Kathmandu. Such an incredible and culturally rich city!

Nancy
May 21, 2016 at 8:58 pm
Reply

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.



    Brianna
    May 22, 2016 at 9:02 am
    Reply

    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!

Milosz Zak
May 22, 2016 at 2:44 pm
Reply

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.



    Brianna
    May 22, 2016 at 3:55 pm
    Reply

    They’re also having trouble with India not exporting goods to them :/

Paul
May 22, 2016 at 3:31 pm
Reply

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!



    Brianna
    May 22, 2016 at 3:56 pm
    Reply

    Oh for sure! I would recommend more than one day, but I wanted to cover the important highlights 🙂

There and back with snacks
May 22, 2016 at 6:22 pm
Reply

Thanks for sharing! I hope to go there one day.



Claire
May 23, 2016 at 8:18 am
Reply

Nepal is definitely on my list, and after reading ‘Video Night in Kathmandu’ I’ve always wanted to go! Looks gorgeous



Amanda Williams
May 23, 2016 at 9:38 am
Reply

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.



    Brianna
    May 23, 2016 at 9:46 am
    Reply

    I recommend more than one day for sure! I just wanted to cover the highlights in this post

Ashley Hubbard
May 24, 2016 at 12:31 am
Reply

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!



Danielle Des
May 24, 2016 at 7:51 pm
Reply

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.



Nowthatsahoneymoon
May 25, 2016 at 4:32 am
Reply

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.



Edwina
May 25, 2016 at 5:31 am
Reply

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.



How to Spend a Perfect Day in Kathmandu - 52 Perfect Days
June 18, 2016 at 6:14 pm
Reply

[…] A version of this article originally appeared on http://www.archivesofadventure.com […]



Rishi Nepal
November 16, 2016 at 6:45 am
Reply

Beautiful article and photo…



City Motorbike
November 16, 2016 at 10:30 am
Reply

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 🙂



    Brianna
    November 16, 2016 at 10:33 am
    Reply

    Mmmm momos are the best 🙂

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • I’m Brianna and I’m possibly the funniest person I know. I’m a total goofball who loves to travel. I fell in love with the world in 2007, when my family and I moved to Sydney, Australia. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to see the world. I'm an ordinary adventurer here to show you how the average person can travel the world.

    Get To Know Me More

     
  • Aching For More Adventure?

    Sign up today for instant notifications of new posts and EXCLUSIVE travel tips!
    * = required field
  • Find Me On Instagram

    instagram
  • Sleep on the Cheap

  • Top 1000 Travel Blog

  • As Seen On…

  • Where I’ve Been




© Copyright 2017 Archives of Adventure // LetsBlog Theme - Theme by ThemeGoods // View this site's Privacy Policy / Disclosure Policy // We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

 

Loading Comments...
 

    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side.

    Click here for our full Privacy Policy

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.