A one-day tour of downtown Kathmandu

Durbar Square in Kathmandu

While Nepal is probably best known for it's majestic natural beauty, and rightly so, it does have at least one urban area: Kathmandu. Once thought to be the mythical Shangri-la, Kathmandu has plenty to hold your interest for a few days before or after a nice trek through to the Himalayas or one of many other outdoor activities in Nepal.

First off, Kathmandu is more than just an overcrowded city—it's a valley with plenty of history spread across three major cities: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan (Lalitpur). Kathmandu Valley is the heart of Nepal culture with plenty of colorful temples and stupas, bustling streets with charming cityscapes and yes, beautiful terraced landscapes and mountain views.

As with the rest of Nepal, the general road conditions can make moving between the sites slow going... but if you've been following along, you already knew that.

The roads are in various stages of disrepair, resulting in a haze of smoke and dust which one source told us cuts the life expectancy of traffic police down to their 40's. I haven't confirmed the veracity of this claim, but you will notice quite a few people about town wearing masks. If you're squeamish, you might also want to cover your eyes as Nepali drivers don't exactly leave much room for margin.

Not to fret though—for those short on time, you can cover a lot of ground in Kathmandu in a day without contributing to the pollution. There are several sites worth a look which are within walking distance of the main traveler's haunt, Thamel. Here's what we saw our first day.

Walking the streets of Kathmandu

The streets of Kathmandu

One of the more pleasant surprises awaiting us in Kathmandu was right on our doorsteps—the town itself.

Thamel and its inhabitants are all aimed squarely at your pocket. I've heard it described as "Khaosan-esque." I won't disagree. It does have some reasonable shopping though, whether you're looking to stock up on supplies before a trek or pick up some trinket for back home. The prices we saw here for local clothing were cheaper than in Pokhara, but I'm sure there's still plenty of margin for bargaining.

The stretch of roads between Thamel and Durbar Square has loads of character. Take a turn or two off the main route between the two points or get lost a bit, you won't regret it.

Many of the houses downtown sport classically-designed facades with an architectural heritage which has evolved over centuries of craftsmanship, influenced by Buddhist and Hindu practices. Keep your eyes peeled for one of numerous courtyards hidden down the side streets or through tiny doorways with the ever-present Buddhist stupa—some glaring, some with lazy stares reminiscent of something out of Garfield, but all with the iconic Buddha eyes. Gems like these are everywhere.

Stupa-fied

I could walk the streets with my camera for hours and not get bored.

Durbar Square and Freak Street

Wood carvings in Durbar Square

When you finally arrive at Durbar Square, a bunch of wooden temples with detailed carvings await. It's a good 15-minute walk due south if you don't stop along the way (not happening, I know).

Next to Durbar Square is Freak Street, an older area which once served as the traveler's district when hippies roamed the earth. Today, it acts as a smaller, quieter and often cheaper alternative to Thamel which still appears to be a bed of counterculture. Whether shopping or looking for a bite, you can certainly find anything in Thamel, but in our experience the lodging and food was cheaper on Freak Street.


For our personal favorite, look for Surya Moon Bistro. It's located in an alleyway hidden just off Freak Street. The food and atmosphere are great, all without the Thamel prices.

It is important to note here that while Durbar Square is definitely a tourist attraction, it is also a central town gathering point that locals can and do traverse daily. As such, while it does have an entrance fee, they aren't exactly that strict about enforcement on all the entrances. This is true for all three Durbar Squares. We walked through several times in our jaunts about town without paying the 750 rupee fee.

Also note that there are actually three Durbar Squares: one each in Kathmandu (Basantapur), Bhaktapur and Patan (Lalitpur). If you're a temple nut then by all means see them all, but I'd say one is probably enough.

Of the three, Bhaktapur is the nicest (and most expensive at 1,100 rupees, if you pay); the town itself certainly has its own charm as well. For those in a rush though, Basantapur in Kathmandu is no slouch itself. Unfortunately, this leaves Patan as the odd one out. If it's any consolation, it looked like a nice place to live!

Swayambhunath Temple

Stupa prayer flags

Swayambhunath is within walking distance of the Thamel and Durbar Square areas. Allow at least 20-30 minutes for the slightly uphill hike.

When you arrive at the base of the steep hill, no dabbling—your hike isn't done yet! You still have to scale a staircase heading straight up. It's pretty tiring—it could probably serve as a good penance for delinquent monks or something.

Before climbing the stairs, it might be good to catch a breather here while watching the loitering monkeys which have earned Swayambhunath its other title: Monkey Temple. They'd probably like you to feed them with treats sold by one of many vendors here, but we were fine with just watching them frolic about the way only monkeys can.

Once you make it to the summit, the stupa itself is rivaled by a panoramic overlook of the city. Especially on a clear day, this place has one of, if not the, best views in Kathmandu.

View of Kathmandu from atop Swayambhunath

As for the stupa itself, while not as big as Boudhanath, we actually enjoyed Swayambhunath better. Both courts are picturesque and come with a free serenade of a famous Buddhist mantra set to surprisingly pleasant music, which is a much better song than this to have stuck in your head.

If you're out of shape or have knee problems, I'd suggest going around the back side to look for the shorter climb through the parking lot. This entrance is on the west side, which will be a left if coming up the street from Durbar Square.


And that's it! If you're anything like us, these stops should be more than enough to keep you busy for a day or more. If it's Saturday and you're feeling ambitious, you might consider adding in Amitabha Monastery, the White Gumba.

Next time, we'll move outside Kathmandu but keep in the valley with Bhaktapur and more.