Overview
Kathmandu is Nepal's capital and by far its largest city, spread across a valley at 1,317 metres above sea level. It's a place of dense, layered streets where temples, monasteries, squares and modern government buildings sit within a few footsteps of one another, and where the wider Kathmandu Valley itself carries UNESCO World Heritage status.
This is a city best explored on foot, in short, absorbing bursts — a courtyard here, a shrine there, a market square that spills into the next. Its historic core around Basantapur Durbar Square is matched by pockets of quieter, leafier ground such as the Garden of Dreams, and by the pull of major religious sites like Pashupatinath that draw pilgrims and visitors alike.
Beyond the old city, Kathmandu functions as the obvious base for exploring the rest of the valley, with other historic settlements only a short journey away and Tribhuvan International Airport just a few kilometres from the centre.
Key facts
| Country | Nepal |
|---|---|
| Population | 1.44 million |
| Timezone | Asia/Kathmandu |
| Elevation | 1317 m |
| Nearest airport | Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), 4 km |
| Currency | NPR |
Things to do
The heart of old Kathmandu is Basantapur Durbar Square, part of the UNESCO-listed Kathmandu Valley, and the obvious place to start. It sits alongside Hanuman Dhoka, the historic palace complex tied to the former Kingdom of Nepal, and Gaddi Baithak, a grand historic building that forms part of the same royal precinct. Nearby stands Kasthamandap, a religious site whose name is said to have given the city itself its own — and Maru, the small square around it, is one of the old town's key gathering points. Close by, too, is the story of the Nepalese royal massacre, a piece of modern history tied inseparably to this part of the city.
For a sense of Kathmandu's sacred landmarks beyond the old palace square, Pashupatinath Temple is the standout, a UNESCO World Heritage religious site and one of the most significant Hindu temples in the country. Elsewhere in the old city, smaller shrines carry their own local weight: Bhadrakali Temple and Sankata Temple are both long-established religious sites within the urban core, while Te Bahal adds a further layer of quieter devotional space. The Pancha Kashmiri Takiya Masjid represents the city's Islamic heritage, a mosque set within the same crowded streets.
Kathmandu's monasteries offer a different rhythm again. Kopan Monastery and Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling are both established Buddhist religious sites, while the Amitabha Monastery adds to this cluster of Buddhist institutions in and around the city — together they give a sense of Kathmandu as home to significant Tibetan Buddhist practice alongside its Hindu core.
The old town's public squares are worth building time around rather than rushing through. Asan and Indra Chowk are both historic market squares still very much in daily use, dense with shops and foot traffic, and good places to watch the city's commercial life unfold. Ranipokhari, a historic pond, and Naag Pokhari, another traditional water tank, are reminders of the valley's older water management traditions folded into the modern streetscape.
For landmarks with a more civic or modern character, Ghanta Ghar is Kathmandu's clock tower and a well-known city marker, while Dharahara is a tall tower landmark in its own right. Durbar Marg, a prominent avenue, is one of the city's key thoroughfares and worth walking for its architecture and shopfronts. Tundikhel is a large open ground in the city centre, historically used for parades and public gatherings, and it sits near Shahid Gate, a monument commemorating the martyrs of Nepal, and Ratna Park, a central city park offering a patch of green amid the density.
Museums add another dimension: the Aircraft Museum Kathmandu is a specialist collection for aviation interest, while the Children's Art Museum of Nepal offers a more family-oriented, creative stop. For a break from monuments altogether, the Garden of Dreams is a landscaped historic garden in the city centre, a genuinely calm spot to sit after the crowds of the old town.
Experiences you can book in Kathmandu
Landing Everest Base Camp Kalapathar by Helicopter with BreakfastFree cancellationInstant confirmationAbout this experience
Helicopter tour to Everest base camp:- Landing at Mt. Everest base camp, Kalapather with the best view of Mt Everest & other Himalayas, It is a landing program. Join a shared Helicopter flight from Kathmandu, the lowest cost guaranteed, a one-day trip with nice views, and…
from £1166.15Book on Viator →
UNESCO Seven World Heritage Tour in KathmanduFree cancellationInstant confirmationAbout this experience
There are seven awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley. Dating back over 2000 years, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites rank as some of the finest in architecture and spirituality in all of Nepal. We know you want to see them, but what can you do when you…
from £33.86Book on Viator →
1 Hour Mount Everest flight from Kathmandu With Hotel Pick UpFree cancellationInstant confirmationAbout this experience
Mount Everest commercial flight from Kathmandu is a popular touristic thing to do in Nepal. It is best for the people who can’t do a long Everest Base Camp Trek. You will get to see the alluring view of the world’s highest mountain. Nothing compares to th
from £75.24Book on Viator →
Kathmandu Food and Drink Walking TourFree cancellationInstant confirmationAbout this experience
Namaste! Come hungry to explore Kathmandu's culinary wonders on an immersive walking tour led by a professional licensed Tour and Trekking Guide and certified Barista. Having personally explored the diverse cuisines of India, Sri Lanka, China and Thailand, I bring a global…
from £38.45Book on Viator →
Mountain Everest Scenic Flight with Hotel Pickup and DropoffFree cancellationInstant confirmationAbout this experience
One of the world's most exclusive tours(Everest Express or Mountain Flights). Can the magic of flight ever be carried by words? “Why do you want to climb the Everest?” was the question which prompted the now world famous quip,“because it’s there!” We have for decades tried to…
from £75.24Book on Viator →
Annapurna Base Camp TrekFree cancellationInstant confirmationAbout this experience
The Annapurna Base Camp Trek is a remarkable journey that takes you deep into the heart of the Annapurna sanctuary. The trek starts from Nayapul, where you'll follow the trail along terraced fields, rhododendron forests, and charming Gurung villages. As you ascend, the…
from £526.4Book on Viator →
Experiences are sold and operated by Viator and its local suppliers. Head Your Way is an affiliate: we may earn a commission, but your booking, payment, cancellations, refunds and any insurance are handled entirely by Viator under their terms. Head Your Way is not the seller and is not a party to your booking. Prices and availability shown are from Viator and can change — confirm full details on Viator before booking.
Neighbourhoods to explore
Thamel is the neighbourhood most visitors get to know first, a dense tangle of streets long associated with travellers passing through the city, and it makes a practical base for reaching the old Durbar Square area and the Garden of Dreams on foot.
Baneshwor and Koteshwor sit further out and function more as everyday residential and commercial districts, useful for understanding how the modern city works beyond its historic core. Samakhushi and Gyaneshwar occupy similar ground, quieter residential areas that give a sense of ordinary Kathmandu life away from the main sightseeing routes.
Chabahil, in the east of the city, is closer to some of Kathmandu's Buddhist institutions and makes a sensible point from which to head toward the monasteries on the city's northern fringe. Gairidhara, meanwhile, is a smaller neighbourhood that adds to the patchwork of districts filling out the valley floor between the old city and its newer suburbs.
History and context
Kathmandu's old core grew up as the seat of the former Kingdom of Nepal, and the palace complex at Hanuman Dhoka, together with Gaddi Baithak and Basantapur Durbar Square, still stands as the physical record of that royal era. Kasthamandap, the ancient timber structure from which the city is thought to take its name, anchors this history in the same small stretch of streets.
Religious life has run alongside political power throughout the city's history, with Pashupatinath Temple standing as one of the valley's great centres of Hindu worship, and Buddhist institutions such as Kopan Monastery and Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling reflecting the city's long-standing role as a centre of Tibetan Buddhist practice.
The modern era brought its own turning points, most starkly the Nepalese royal massacre, an event whose weight still hangs over the old palace precinct. Today Kathmandu combines this layered past with the practical business of being a modern capital: government functions, regional diplomacy through bodies such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Secretariat, and higher education at institutions including Amrit Science College, Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus, Padma Kanya Multiple Campus and Kathmandu Model College.
Getting there
Tribhuvan International Airport is Kathmandu's gateway and sits remarkably close to the centre, just 3.8 km away, making it one of the more convenient capital-city airports to arrive into. Simara Airport, some 69 km distant, serves as a further, more distant option within the wider region.
Beyond flying, Kathmandu's position at the heart of the valley means it connects naturally by road to the other historic towns and cities that make up this part of Nepal, several of which sit within easy day-trip range.
Flights from £628 to Kathmandu →from London · arrives KTM (3.8 km away) · recently-found fare — price & availability change
Getting around
The old city — Basantapur Durbar Square, Asan, Indra Chowk and the streets around Kasthamandap — is best covered on foot, since the lanes are narrow, crowded and largely unsuited to vehicles. Distances between the major historic clusters are short enough that walking is often the most practical option, particularly between Thamel, the Garden of Dreams and the old Durbar Square.
For sites further out, such as Pashupatinath Temple or the monasteries around Chabahil and the city's northern edge, road transport is the more realistic way to cover ground, given the greater distances and the spread-out nature of the wider city beyond its historic core.
Day trips
Pātan, just 2.9 km away, is the closest and most obvious day trip, a historic city within the same valley and easily combined with a day spent in Kathmandu itself. Ki̇̄rtipur, at 5.1 km, and Madhyapur Thimi, at 7.0 km, are similarly close historic towns worth building into a longer valley-wide itinerary.
Further afield, Banepā lies 21.3 km from the city, while Hetauda is a more substantial 41.6 km away. Bharatpur (87.1 km) and Birgañj (87.6 km) both sit at the edge of realistic day-trip range, and Chari̇̄koṭ, at 72.1 km, offers another option for those willing to travel further out from the valley.
Good to know
Nepali is the language of the city, and the currency is the Nepalese rupee (NPR). Kathmandu sits in the Asia/Kathmandu time zone, and at 1,317 metres above sea level the altitude is worth bearing in mind, though it's far below the trekking altitudes found elsewhere in Nepal.
The Kathmandu Valley's UNESCO World Heritage status covers several of the sites within the city, including Basantapur Durbar Square and Pashupatinath Temple, underlining the depth of historic material packed into a relatively compact urban area.
Journeys through here
Where to stay in Kathmandu
Hotels are booked on Booking.com (a third party, off this page). You book and pay them directly — Head Your Way is not the seller.
Getting around Kathmandu
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission, never at extra cost to you.
Common questions
- Is Kathmandu's old city walkable?
- Yes — the historic core around Basantapur Durbar Square, Asan and Indra Chowk is dense and narrow-laned, and is best explored on foot rather than by vehicle.
- How far is the airport from central Kathmandu?
- Tribhuvan International Airport is just 3.8 km from the city centre, making it a very short transfer compared with many capital cities.
- What is the UNESCO status covering Kathmandu?
- The Kathmandu Valley itself holds UNESCO World Heritage status, which includes sites within the city such as Basantapur Durbar Square and Pashupatinath Temple.
- What's the easiest day trip from Kathmandu?
- Pātan, only 2.9 km away, is the closest option, followed by Ki̇̄rtipur (5.1 km) and Madhyapur Thimi (7.0 km), all within the same valley.
- What kind of religious sites can be found in Kathmandu?
- The city holds both major Hindu sites, notably Pashupatinath Temple, and significant Buddhist institutions such as Kopan Monastery and Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling, alongside smaller temples like Bhadrakali and Sankata, and the Pancha Kashmiri Takiya Masjid representing its Islamic heritage.
- What language is spoken in Kathmandu?
- Nepali is the language spoken in the city.
On the map
Keep exploring
More places in Nepal
Similar destinations
Plan the wider trip
Sources & method
- GeoNames — population · retrieved 2026-08-14
- OurAirports (derived) — nearestAirports · retrieved 2026-08-14
- Imagery — commons
Data compiled 2026-08-14 · editorial checks: passed. See our methodology for how Head Your Way sources and reviews travel data.