Kathmandu Tour covers sites within the three districts of Kathmandu valley. These include Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur districts. The valley despite being small is rich in cultural heritage sites. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu all of which are major tourist attractions. Most of these sites you can visit on one day due to their proximity. Places lying in the outskirts are also must-visit sites. These include Nagarkot, Namobuddha, Dhulikhel, Panauti, and Chandragiri.
Kathmandu Valley has a population of about 3.1 million. Because of the vast cultural and religious diversity, there’s always something big going on in the city – mostly festivals, jatras, and processions. You can meet people of all kinds of ethnicities and getting to know their lifestyle will definitely be a highlight of your visit. They are some of the nicest people and almost everyone speaks English so communicating is not going to be a problem. Kathmandu is also a great place for hiking because it is surrounded by hills.
Getting around the valley is easy. Taxis are available at every corner but the better option will be using tools like Pathao or InDrive which you can easily get on your App Store. The benefit with these is that you don’t have to bargain on the price as it’s reasonable. Finding the best hotel won’t be a problem in the capital. You’ll have plenty of options depending on your budget. Thamel is known for its night life and diverse restaurants where you can find anything from world-class cooking to local Nepali Daal bhat.
Kathmandu is beautiful throughout the year with exciting things happening every now and then. But the city gets the most tourists from September to December. Dashain and Tihar are celebrated during this season and the weather is peaceful, happy and romantic. It is also a time most favorable for trekking. Visiting between February to May is also a great idea because the temperature is moderate (highest around 34˚C). Nepali New Year is celebrated in mid-April making it another great time to be in the city. The monsoon season is between June and August when you can find rain clouds blocking mountain views.
Day 01: Arrival, Kathmandu Durbar Square, and Thamel
Day 02: Visit heritage sites
Day 03: Flight to the mountains, drive to the outskirts
Day 04: Departure
One of our representatives will pick you up at the airport and help with your ride to the hotel. Since you’ll already be tired from the flight, you can wander around the hotel that you’re staying in. There are always parks, temples, and tourist attractions nearby. Visiting Kathmandu Durbar Square is a good option since it’s nearby. You’ll find handcrafts, varieties of food, pigeons, temples and monuments. You can buy all sorts of things in Asan bazaar at a walkable distance from the palace. Thamel is also nearby if you want to try varieties of dishes native to different countries. The night life here is amazing.
Patan Durbar Square
The palace is a center for both Hindus and Buddhists. The buildings built by the Malla Kings depict Newar Architecture. There are 55 major temples in the area including Krishna Mandir, Bhimsen Temple, Vishwanath Temple, and Taleju Bhawani Temple. To understand more about the history and monuments used by the royals living here you can visit the Patan Museum.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
This palace also housed by the Malla Kings was considered biggest of the three Durbar Squares among Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. Many of the buildings and courtyards were destroyed in the earthquakes while some have been restored afterwards. Statues of Ugrachandi and Ugrabhairava are famous monuments.
Swayambhunath Stupa
Swayambhu means “self-sprung” or “self-existent”. The stupa has a white dome which represents the entire world. On top of the dome is a cube structure painted with Buddha’s eyes on all four sides pointing to four directions. This temple is also known as Monkey temple and is visited by both Buddhists and Hindus. For Buddhists, this stupa is a symbol of enlightenment. The stupa is located on top of a hill from where you can get a panoramic view of the city.
Pashupatinath Temple
The temple is dedicated to Pashupati, a form of Lord Shiva and is mostly visited during Maha Shivaratri. Built with pagoda style architecture, the temple also includes smaller shrines, courtyards, and ashrams. It is in this temple where the Hindus perform cremation ceremonies in the banks of the Bagmati River. The site is visited annually by Hindus all over the world.
Boudhanath Stupa
This stupa is considered to entomb the remains of the Kassapa Buddha. It is a pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists. The stupa is similar to Swayambhunath with a massive spherical dome and a cube on top with Buddha’s eyes on all four sides. There are intricate carvings, prayer wheels, prayer flags, and small stupas in the area. Tibetan handicraft shops and restaurants are major attractions. Some rooftop restaurants offer you a panoramic view of the stupa and mountains in the backdrop.
For the third day, there are some options to choose from.
You can go on an Everest Mountain Flight to watch some of the highest peaks like Mt. Everest (8849m), Nuptse (7855m), Cho-Oyu (8201m), and Lhotse (8516m). The flight starts at 6 AM and lasts for an hour. You’ll be able to catch a glimpse of 20 peaks belonging to the Himalayas.
During the afternoon you can visit some attractions located outside of the valley. You can visit Nagarkot, Kakani, Dhulikhel. Nagarkot is one of the most scenic spots in the valley that is known for its sunrise view of the Himalayas. Kakani is a famous picnic spot and is popular for hiking, cycling, and camping. The resorts and hills in Dhulikhel also offer you amazing views of the snow-capped mountains. You can choose to stay the night at these places and get back to the city in the morning.
The places that we’ve mentioned are only a few of the major tourist places. As we said, Kathmandu is rich in culture so there is still a lot to visit and learn from. According to your hobbies and interests you can choose to explore areas that are related to your field. For example the botanical garden in Godawari, aviation museum, bookstores, music stores, clubs, coffee shops, Korean restaurants and many more. You can also get some souvenirs at Thamel or any of the heritage sites mentioned.
If you want you can choose to extend your stay if not, bon voyage! The hotel will manage a drop off for you to the airport. Remember to get to the airport at least 2 hours before your flight.
"*" indicates required fields