Walking the Old Kathmandu Bazaars
The medieval layout of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur still functions as a working street plan, not a preserved museum piece, so walking it is closer to moving through a living neighborhood than touring a site. No sidewalks outside the pedestrianized cores, though: expect to share the road with motorbikes and the occasional cow.
Thamel to Durbar Square, through the bazaars
Starting at southern Thamel (Chhetrapati), the historic trade route runs southeast through Ason Chowk, Kathmandu’s oldest open-air spice, grain and brass market anchored by the three-story Annapurna Temple, then Indra Chowk, known for glass bead necklaces and the Akash Bhairav Temple, before entering Durbar Square at Basantapur. It’s 2.5km and 1.5 to 2.5 hours of slow walking; go 7:00 to 9:00 am, when vendors are spreading produce on the temple steps and morning puja bells are ringing. The street walk itself is free; the NPR 1,000 foreigner ticket (NPR 150 SAARC) is only charged once you cross into the Durbar Square perimeter. Guided walking tours of old Kathmandu are bookable on GetYourGuide .
Patan’s monastic courtyards
From Patan Durbar Square, quiet pedestrian lanes lead north to the Golden Temple (Kwa Bahal), a 12th-century Buddhist monastery covered in gilded brass and bronze repoussé work, foreigner entry NPR 100. From there, Kumbheshwar Temple, one of only five five-tiered pagodas in the valley, and the metal-casting workshops of the Hakha and Oku Bahal quarters round out a 2 to 3 hour walk through Nepal’s center for fine metalwork .
Bhaktapur’s pottery and craft walk
Enter through the Lion Gate, cross Durbar Square, and walk east along the brick alleys to Taumadhi Square, dominated by the 30-meter Nyatapola Temple and Bhairavnath Temple. Turn south into Pottery Square (Bolachhen) to watch clay thrown on wooden wheels, then continue east to Dattatreya Square for the 15th-century Peacock Window carved into dark sal wood. Budget a half day, 3 to 4 hours, and Bhaktapur’s NPR 1,800 foreigner ticket (SAARC NPR 500) covers the whole route.
The Boudhanath kora at dusk
Walk multiple clockwise circuits (kora ) around the great stupa’s base, spin the brass prayer wheels, and climb to the third plinth level before wandering the back lanes to Shechen and Jamchen monasteries. Best done at dusk, 5:00 to 7:00 pm, when the day’s last light catches the dome and the resident monks complete their own evening rounds; 1.5 to 2 hours. Foreigner entry is NPR 400, SAARC NPR 100.
The verdict
Do the Thamel-to-Durbar-Square walk early and the Boudhanath kora at dusk, and the two bookend a full day of walking without repeating terrain. For hotels within walking distance of Thamel’s start point, compare options on Booking.com , and for a wider valley overview, see the sightseeing guide .
Before you go
Wear closed shoes with grip; cobblestones and uneven flagstones in all three old towns get slick after rain, and open drainage grates are common along the narrower lanes.