Kathmandu 3 Day Itinerary

Kathmandu has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within a 20-kilometre radius of the old city, which is either a remarkable concentration of ancient religious architecture or an overwhelming list depending on how you approach it. Three days is enough to see the most important ones without turning the trip into a checklist. Choose depth over coverage: the Boudhanath stupa and Pashupatinath temple each reward an hour more than most visitors give them.

Entry and Visas

Most nationalities can obtain a tourist visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport. Fees in 2025 to 2026 are $30 for 15 days, $50 for 30 days, or $125 for 90 days. Children under 10 enter free. The process involves a form, a passport photo, and payment in cash (USD accepted). Bring USD in cash; the on-arrival card machines are unreliable.

Getting from the Airport

Tribhuvan International Airport is 6 km from Thamel, the main tourist neighbourhood. The prepaid taxi counter inside arrivals charges a fixed rate of around 900 NPR (roughly $6.25) to Thamel; at night after 9pm a small surcharge applies and air conditioning adds 25%. Do not accept rides from the drivers who approach you inside the terminal before the taxi counter. Ride-hailing apps (Pathao or InDrive) start lower at 450 to 550 NPR if you want to use them.

Where to Stay

Thamel is the natural base for first-time visitors: dense with guesthouses, trekking agencies, and restaurants, with good walking access to Kathmandu Durbar Square and a short taxi ride to Boudhanath. Mid-range guesthouses with en-suite rooms run $25 to $60 per night. For something quieter with more character, the Patan Durbar Square area has boutique guesthouses in restored Newari houses, though taxis become necessary for some sights.

Day 1: Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swayambhunath

Kathmandu Durbar Square (Basantapur) is the right place to start. The complex of palaces and temples was the seat of the Malla kings who ruled the valley until the 18th century. Entry for foreigners costs around 1,000 NPR. The Kumari Ghar is the residence of the Living Goddess, a pre-pubescent girl selected through an elaborate ritual process and worshipped as a divine incarnation; she occasionally appears at the first-floor window, though timing is unpredictable. The earthquake damage from 2015 is still visible across parts of the square; ongoing reconstruction is part of what you see, not a reason to delay the visit.

After the square, walk to Swayambhunath Stupa (the Monkey Temple), about 3 km west on a hill above the city. The climb is 365 steps. The stupa is one of the oldest Buddhist sites in Nepal; the eyes painted on all four sides of the tower are the most recognisable image in Nepali iconography. Entry is around 200 NPR. The monkeys here are habituated to tourists and will take food directly from bags if you are not careful; keep snacks zipped away.

For dinner, head back to Thamel. Or2k on Thamel Marg offers a long menu of European and Nepali food in a comfortable setting popular with travellers; it is reliable without being memorable. For something more local, find a dal bhat restaurant in the streets one block off the main Thamel drag: a full thali of rice, lentil soup, vegetable curry, and pickle costs 250 to 400 NPR and is the standard Nepali daily meal eaten twice a day by most of the population.

Day 2: Pashupatinath and Bhaktapur

Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River is the most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal and the most important Shiva temple in the subcontinent. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temple but can observe from the east bank viewpoints across the river, which give a clear view of both the temple complex and the cremation ghats (the burning platforms by the river). Entry for foreigners costs 1,000 NPR. Go in the morning when cremation ceremonies are more likely to be active; this is a functioning place of religious practice, not a spectacle, but observing respectfully from the designated areas is accepted.

Bhaktapur is a medieval city 13 km east of Kathmandu, accessed by taxi (around 600 to 800 NPR one way) or bus. It was the least damaged of the three durbar squares in the 2015 earthquake and has the most coherent surviving medieval streetscape in Nepal. Entry for foreigners costs 1,800 NPR, which covers the entire walled city for the day. The 55 Window Palace, Nyatapola Temple (five storeys, the tallest pagoda in Nepal), and the Pottery Square (where potters still work in the traditional manner) are the highlights. Eat lunch at Peacock Restaurant facing the main square; the set Newari thali (traditional feast of small dishes) is around 800 NPR and gives a proper introduction to a cuisine that is distinct from the pan-Nepali food served in Thamel.

Day 3: Boudhanath Stupa and Patan

Boudhanath Stupa is one of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. After 1959, thousands of Tibetan refugees settled in the neighbourhood surrounding it, and the area around the stupa is still heavily Tibetan in character. Entry is 400 NPR for foreigners. Walk the kora (clockwise circumambulation circuit) with the pilgrims spinning prayer wheels. The best time to visit is early morning (before 8am) or early evening when the butter lamps are lit around the base.

The alley on the western side of the stupa, next to Himalayan Java, leads to a cluster of small Sherpa and Tibetan eateries. Solu Sherpa Khaja Ghar inside this lane serves excellent thukpa (noodle soup with yak broth) and steamed momo at prices far below the tourist-facing restaurants on the main square.

Patan (Lalitpur), 5 km south of Kathmandu, has a durbar square arguably finer than Kathmandu’s in terms of detail and density of surviving Newari architecture. Entry is around 1,000 NPR. The Patan Museum inside the old palace complex is the best museum in Nepal, with exceptional Buddhist and Hindu bronzes explained in clear context. Allow two hours. Walk the old streets south of the square for 30 minutes before taking a taxi back to Thamel.

Things to Know

Bargain for taxis before getting in; most drivers will negotiate, and agreeing on a fare upfront avoids disputes at the end. Ride apps (Pathao) give a fixed-price alternative.

Cash is essential throughout. Many smaller restaurants and all street vendors work cash-only. ATMs in Thamel and central Kathmandu work for most international cards; withdraw enough for each day before venturing to the heritage sites.

Drink bottled or purified water only; Kathmandu’s tap water is not safe. The better guesthouses provide filtered water or sell it at cost.

The air quality in Kathmandu is poor by international standards, particularly in the dry season (November to March). If you are sensitive to air pollution, a basic dust mask is worth having for the streets and market areas.

October to November and March to May are the best months to visit: clear skies, moderate temperatures, and the busiest seasons for trekking traffic if you want to add a trek to Nagarkot or the Langtang Valley. Monsoon (June to September) brings daily rain, lower prices, and heavy cloud; the city functions normally but the mountain views disappear for weeks at a time.