Short trekFamily friendly
Kathmandu · Lukla · Phakding · Namche · Everest View Hotel3,880 m
8D / 7N4.7(0)
Everest View Trek (Family Trek)
The short Khumbu walk that tops out at 3,880 m
- Flights in
- Teahouse
- All meals on
From, per person
$0
$0/day
Kathmandu Valley · Nepal
Kathmandu Valley tour packages
The Kathmandu Valley is a bowl at about 1,400 m holding Nepal's capital along with Patan and Bhaktapur. Its seven UNESCO monument zones — three Durbar Squares plus Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and Changu Narayan — sit within an hour of each other and form the country's densest concentration of living heritage.
Kathmandu Valley in one paragraph
The short version
The Kathmandu Valley sits at roughly 1,400 m and contains three historic cities: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, each with its own royal Durbar Square of Malla-era palaces, pagoda temples and courtyards. Together with Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and Changu Narayan, those squares make up a single UNESCO World Heritage listing of seven monument zones. Pashupatinath is the most important Shiva temple in Nepal and an open cremation ground on the Bagmati; Boudhanath is a 36 m stupa at the centre of the Tibetan exile community; Swayambhunath crowns a hill west of the city and is reached by 365 steps. Bhaktapur, 13 km east, is the best-preserved of the three cities and charges a separate entry fee. The 2015 earthquake damaged many structures and reconstruction is still visible in places. One honest caveat: from December to February a temperature inversion traps traffic and brick-kiln smoke in the bowl, and air quality regularly reaches unhealthy levels.
When to visit Kathmandu Valley
Twelve months, rated honestly. We would rather lose a booking than sell you a month that does not work.
Jan
January: MixedFeb
February: GoodMar
March: Best timeApr
April: Best timeMay
May: GoodJun
June: MixedJul
July: AvoidAug
August: AvoidSep
September: GoodOct
October: Best timeNov
November: Best timeDec
December: MixedBest timeGoodMixedAvoid
Why people go
- Boudhanath, a 36 m stupa circled clockwise each evening by the Tibetan community and its monasteries
- Pashupatinath on the Bagmati — Nepal's principal Shiva temple and a working cremation ground, with the inner shrine open to Hindus only
- Swayambhunath, reached by 365 steps up a hill west of the city, with resident rhesus macaques
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the least altered of the three, with the 30 m Nyatapola temple and the Pottery Square
- Patan Durbar Square and its Patan Museum, widely considered the best-curated museum in Nepal
- Thamel's compressed grid of trekking-gear shops, bookshops and rooftop restaurants
- Mountain flights from Kathmandu (KTM) — a one-hour dawn loop along the Himalaya with Everest off the right wing
Kathmandu Valley packages
KTM-LUKLA-NAMCHE-BASE CAMP-GOKYO-KTM0 m
18D / 17N5.0(0)
Everest Base Camp, Gokyo and Renjo La Trek
Fortune Trek
- Flights in
- Tea
- As per included
From, per person
$0
$0/day
Bestseller
Ktm-Lukla-Namche-Renjo-la-Cho-la-and-Kongma-la-Ktm.5,545 m
19D / 18N5.0(0)
Everest 03-Passes Trek
Three Passes Trek - Everest
- Flights in
- Tea
- Breakfast, Lunch and
From, per person
$0
$0/day
Buddhist circuitFlights included
Kathmandu · Lumbini · Bhairahawa
5D / 4N4.6(134)
Lumbini and the Kathmandu Buddhist Circuit
The birthplace, the Ashoka pillar and the two great stupas of the valley
- Flights in
- 3★
- Breakfast daily plus
From, per person
$540
$110/day
Save 16%Bestseller
Kathmandu · Pokhara · Chitwan
7D / 6N4.7(318)
Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan in Seven Days
Three UNESCO squares, one lake and one jungle, at a pace that leaves room to breathe
- Land only
- 3★
- Breakfast daily; full
From, per person
$620$735
$90/day
BestSeller
Kathmandu-Besisahar-Tilicho4,919 m
12D / 11N5.0(0)
Tilicho Lake Trekking
Tilicho Lake
- Land only
- Teahouse
- Breakfast, Lunch &
From, per person
$7000
$60/day
Save 12%Satvik meals
Kathmandu · Pokhara · Jomsom · Muktinath
6D / 5N4.8(246)
Muktinath Darshan with Pokhara and Pashupatinath
The 108 spouts at 3,710 metres, reached by air rather than by trail
- Flights in
- 3★
- Satvik breakfast and
From, per person
$780$890
$130/day
Save 14%No flight needed
Kathmandu · Syabrubesi · Lama Hotel · Langtang Village · Kyanjin Gompa4,773 m
10D / 9N4.7(189)
Langtang Valley Trek to Kyanjin Gompa
The closest big Himalayan valley to Kathmandu, and the one that rebuilt itself
- Land only
- Teahouse
- All meals on
From, per person
$850$990
$85/day
Save 14%Private departure
Kathmandu · Pokhara · Nagarkot
6D / 5N4.8(157)
Nepal Honeymoon: Pokhara Lakeside and the Nagarkot Rim
A lake suite, a paragliding flight and two Himalayan sunrises
- Flights in
- 5★
- Breakfast daily plus
From, per person
$890$1,040
$150/day
Day tourNo trekking required
Kathmandu · Lukla · Kala Patthar · Everest View Hotel
1D / 0N4.8(271)
Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour
A morning charter to Kala Patthar and back before lunch
- Flights in
- 4★
- Breakfast at Hotel
From, per person
$1,150
$1,150/day
Save 14%Bestseller
Kathmandu · Lukla · Namche · Tengboche · Dingboche · Gorak Shep · EBC · Kala Patthar5,545 m
14D / 13N4.8(386)
Everest Base Camp Trek
Lukla to the Khumbu Glacier with two full acclimatisation days
- Flights in
- Teahouse
- All meals on
From, per person
$1,450$1,690
$105/day
Restricted areaMinimum 2 trekkers
Soti Khola · Machha Khola · Namrung · Samagaon · Larke La · Dharapani5,106 m
15D / 14N4.9(97)
Manaslu Circuit Trek
A restricted-area crossing of the Larke La at 5,106 m, round the eighth-highest mountain
- Land only
- Teahouse
- All meals on
From, per person
$1,980
$130/day
Places you will hear about
- Pashupatinath
- A riverside Shiva temple complex on the Bagmati with active cremation ghats; the main shrine admits Hindus only.
- Boudhanath Stupa
- One of the largest stupas in South Asia at 36 m, rebuilt after 2015 and ringed by Tibetan monasteries.
- Swayambhunath
- A hilltop stupa west of the city with painted eyes on all four sides, reached by a 365-step eastern stairway.
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square
- A fourteenth-century royal square 13 km east of Kathmandu, with the five-tiered Nyatapola temple and a separate entry fee.
- Patan Durbar Square
- The Malla palace complex of Lalitpur, home to the Krishna Mandir and the Patan Museum.
- Changu Narayan
- The oldest temple in the valley, dated by a fifth-century stone inscription, on a ridge above Bhaktapur.
Kathmandu Valley questions, answered
How many days do I need in Kathmandu?
Three full days covers it comfortably: one for Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swayambhunath, one for Pashupatinath and Boudhanath, and one for Bhaktapur and Patan. Two days is workable if you drop Changu Narayan. Most trekking itineraries build in one arrival night and one buffer night against Lukla or Pokhara flight delays anyway.
Is Kathmandu's air pollution really that bad?
In winter, yes. From December to February a temperature inversion traps vehicle exhaust and brick-kiln smoke in the valley, and PM2.5 readings frequently exceed WHO guidance by a wide margin. It clears markedly after the first monsoon rains and again in October. Bring an N95 mask if you are asthmatic and travelling in winter.
What do the entry fees to the Durbar Squares cost?
Kathmandu Durbar Square is NPR 1,000, about USD 8, for foreign nationals; Patan is NPR 1,000; Bhaktapur is NPR 1,800, about USD 14, and is valid for one day but extendable free on request. SAARC nationals pay less. Boudhanath charges NPR 400 and Pashupatinath NPR 1,000. Carry your passport for the extensions.
Has Kathmandu recovered from the 2015 earthquake?
Largely. Boudhanath was rebuilt and reconsecrated within a year, and most of the Durbar Square structures have been restored, some using the original timber. A handful of buildings in Kathmandu Durbar Square remain under scaffolding or as cleared plinths. Hotels, roads and the airport were unaffected in any lasting way.
Can you see Everest from Kathmandu?
Not from the city itself — the valley rim blocks the high Himalaya. You can see the range from Nagarkot or Dhulikhel on the rim, though Everest appears only as a small dark triangle 160 km away. The reliable option is the one-hour mountain flight from Kathmandu airport, which runs at dawn from October to April.
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