Kathmandu itinerary: 1 to 4 days
Plans for one to four days in Kathmandu, day by day: the Chandragiri Hills cable car, Swayambhunath, Thamel and Pashupatinath first, then Boudhanath, Kopan Monastery, Dharahara and Freak Street, and trips out to Dakshinkali, Kakani and the Langtang region as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Kathmandu in 1 day
Day 1
Swayambhunath
Ancient Buddhist stupa on a hilltop west of the centre, known as the Monkey Temple, with wide views over the city.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Former royal palace square in central Kathmandu with temples, the Hanuman Dhoka palace and the house of the living goddess Kumari.
Thamel
Busy traveller quarter of narrow lanes packed with guesthouses, trekking shops, restaurants and bars.
Garden of Dreams
Restored 1920s neoclassical garden near Thamel with pavilions, pools, lawns and a quiet cafe.
Pashupathinath Temple
Nepal's most important Shiva temple on the Bagmati River, with cremation ghats; only Hindus may enter the main temple.
Boudhanath
One of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Kathmandu, ringed by monasteries and cafes.
Kathmandu in 2 days
Day 1
Swayambhunath
Ancient Buddhist stupa on a hilltop west of the centre, known as the Monkey Temple, with wide views over the city.
Garden of Dreams
Restored 1920s neoclassical garden near Thamel with pavilions, pools, lawns and a quiet cafe.
Pashupathinath Temple
Nepal's most important Shiva temple on the Bagmati River, with cremation ghats; only Hindus may enter the main temple.
Boudhanath
One of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Kathmandu, ringed by monasteries and cafes.
Kopan Monastery
Tibetan Buddhist monastery on a hill north of Boudhanath, known for its meditation courses and valley views.
Day 2
Chandragiri Hills
Hill on the valley's southwest rim reached by cable car, with a hilltop temple and Himalayan views on clear days.
Dharahara
Watchtower rebuilt next to the site of the 1832 tower destroyed in the 2015 earthquake, with a viewing deck over the city.
Old Freak Street
Jhochhen Tole, the lane off Durbar Square made famous by hippie travellers in the 1960s and 1970s.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Former royal palace square in central Kathmandu with temples, the Hanuman Dhoka palace and the house of the living goddess Kumari.
Tribhuvan Museum
Museum in the Hanuman Dhoka palace on Kathmandu Durbar Square about King Tribhuvan and the Shah dynasty.
Thamel
Busy traveller quarter of narrow lanes packed with guesthouses, trekking shops, restaurants and bars.
Kathmandu in 3 days
Day 1
Swayambhunath
Ancient Buddhist stupa on a hilltop west of the centre, known as the Monkey Temple, with wide views over the city.
Garden of Dreams
Restored 1920s neoclassical garden near Thamel with pavilions, pools, lawns and a quiet cafe.
Pashupathinath Temple
Nepal's most important Shiva temple on the Bagmati River, with cremation ghats; only Hindus may enter the main temple.
Boudhanath
One of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Kathmandu, ringed by monasteries and cafes.
Kopan Monastery
Tibetan Buddhist monastery on a hill north of Boudhanath, known for its meditation courses and valley views.
Day 2
Chandragiri Hills
Hill on the valley's southwest rim reached by cable car, with a hilltop temple and Himalayan views on clear days.
Dharahara
Watchtower rebuilt next to the site of the 1832 tower destroyed in the 2015 earthquake, with a viewing deck over the city.
Old Freak Street
Jhochhen Tole, the lane off Durbar Square made famous by hippie travellers in the 1960s and 1970s.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Former royal palace square in central Kathmandu with temples, the Hanuman Dhoka palace and the house of the living goddess Kumari.
Tribhuvan Museum
Museum in the Hanuman Dhoka palace on Kathmandu Durbar Square about King Tribhuvan and the Shah dynasty.
Thamel
Busy traveller quarter of narrow lanes packed with guesthouses, trekking shops, restaurants and bars.
Day 3
Patan Durbar Square
Royal square of Patan with Newar temples, the old Malla palace and the Patan Museum, one of the three Durbar Squares of the valley.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Former royal palace square of Bhaktapur with Newar temples, carved wooden windows and the 55-Window Palace, in a well-kept old town.
Kathmandu in 4 days
Day 1
Swayambhunath
Ancient Buddhist stupa on a hilltop west of the centre, known as the Monkey Temple, with wide views over the city.
Garden of Dreams
Restored 1920s neoclassical garden near Thamel with pavilions, pools, lawns and a quiet cafe.
Pashupathinath Temple
Nepal's most important Shiva temple on the Bagmati River, with cremation ghats; only Hindus may enter the main temple.
Boudhanath
One of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Kathmandu, ringed by monasteries and cafes.
Kopan Monastery
Tibetan Buddhist monastery on a hill north of Boudhanath, known for its meditation courses and valley views.
Day 2
Chandragiri Hills
Hill on the valley's southwest rim reached by cable car, with a hilltop temple and Himalayan views on clear days.
Dharahara
Watchtower rebuilt next to the site of the 1832 tower destroyed in the 2015 earthquake, with a viewing deck over the city.
Old Freak Street
Jhochhen Tole, the lane off Durbar Square made famous by hippie travellers in the 1960s and 1970s.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Former royal palace square in central Kathmandu with temples, the Hanuman Dhoka palace and the house of the living goddess Kumari.
Tribhuvan Museum
Museum in the Hanuman Dhoka palace on Kathmandu Durbar Square about King Tribhuvan and the Shah dynasty.
Thamel
Busy traveller quarter of narrow lanes packed with guesthouses, trekking shops, restaurants and bars.
Day 3
Dakshinkali Temple
Hindu temple to the goddess Kali about 20 km south of the city, busiest on Tuesdays and Saturdays with animal sacrifices.
Patan Durbar Square
Royal square of Patan with Newar temples, the old Malla palace and the Patan Museum, one of the three Durbar Squares of the valley.
Day 4
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Former royal palace square of Bhaktapur with Newar temples, carved wooden windows and the 55-Window Palace, in a well-kept old town.
Changu Narayan Temple
Hilltop Hindu temple to Vishnu, among the oldest in Nepal, decorated with fine stone and wood carvings, near Bhaktapur.
Nagarkot
Hill village on the eastern rim of the valley, visited for sunrise views of the Himalayas, including Everest on clear days.
Watch: Kathmandu in 3 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Kathmandu
October to November is the best time, with clear skies and mountain views after the monsoon, and March to April is the second-best season, with warm weather and rhododendrons in bloom. The monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain. Dashain and Tihar, the main festivals, usually fall in October and November.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Kathmandu on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Kathmandu on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Kathmandu on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Nepal from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Kathmandu with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Kathmandu
- Only Hindus may enter the main Pashupatinath temple; others can watch from the terraces across the Bagmati, and the evening aarti ceremony starts around dusk.
- Walk around Boudhanath and Swayambhunath clockwise, as the pilgrims do; Boudhanath is liveliest in the early morning and evening.
- The Chandragiri cable car runs only in good weather; go on a clear morning for the best chance of Himalayan views.
- Kathmandu traffic is slow and dusty; start early, use taxis or ride apps between distant sights, and group stops by area.
- Treks in Langtang National Park and Helambu take several days and need a national park entry permit; arrange them separately from city sightseeing.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square: Bikram Pratap Singh, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Boudhanath: Sumitbhatt222, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chandragiri Hills: Nabin K. Sapkota, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Changu Narayan Temple: Dhilung Kirat from Santa Barbara, CA, CC BY 2.0
- Dakshinkali Temple: Ashim nep, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dharahara: SUMIR SHRESTHA, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Garden of Dreams: Krish Dulal, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kathmandu Durbar Square: Artha at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kopan Monastery: Irina Gelbukh, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nagarkot: 松岡明芳, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Freak Street: Roger McLassus., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pashupathinath Temple: Bijay Chaurasia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Patan Durbar Square: Zulufive, CC0
- Swayambhunath: Nabin K. Sapkota, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Thamel: Saddam Hussain Ansari, CC BY 4.0
- Tribhuvan Museum: Bijay Chaurasia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
