2 days in Kathmandu

Day by day

1. Day 1: Kathmandu Durbar Square and Freak Street

   Kathmandu Durbar Square, Freak Street, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, then Pashupatinath Temple in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Kathmandu Durbar Square

      Highlights include the rebuilt Kasthamandap pavilion, the fierce Kal Bhairav relief and the Kumari Ghar, home of the Kumari, a girl worshipped as a living goddess who sometimes appears at her courtyard window.

   2. Late morning

      Freak Street

      Today it has cheap cafés, guesthouses and souvenir shops, and makes a pleasant detour from Durbar Square.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Momo

      Everywhere, from street stalls in Asan to Tibetan kitchens in Boudha and restaurants in Thamel.

   4. Afternoon

      Swayambhunath

      The eastern stairway climbs about 365 steep stone steps, and the top looks across the whole valley.

   5. Late afternoon

      Boudhanath

      At dawn and dusk hundreds of people walk the kora, the clockwise circuit around it, spinning prayer wheels and chanting.

   6. Evening

      Pashupatinath Temple

      Watch cremations quietly from the east bank and never photograph mourners up close; a licensed guide helps explain the rituals.

2. Day 2: Patan Durbar Square and Patan Museum

   Patan Durbar Square, Patan Museum, Everest mountain flight and Asan and Indra Chowk market walk, then Thamel in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Patan Durbar Square

      The surrounding lanes lead to the Golden Temple (Kwa Bahal) and workshops where artisans cast bronze statues.

   2. Late morning

      Patan Museum

      Its galleries and restored courtyard garden café are among the most rewarding in South Asia.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Dal bhat tarkari

      Local bhojanalayas and Thakali restaurants across the city; Thakali-style sets are especially good.

   4. Afternoon

      Everest mountain flight

      Flights depend on clear weather.

   5. Late afternoon

      Asan and Indra Chowk market walk

      Tiny shrines are tucked into courtyards all along the way.

   6. Evening

      Thamel

      Compare prices across several shops before buying trekking gear, and check stitching and zips carefully.

Before you go

• Everest mountain flight: Book through an airline or agent a few days ahead, and choose a date early in your stay in case of weather cancellations.

If it rains

• Swap in Narayanhiti Palace Museum (Durbar Marg): Cameras and phones usually have to be deposited at the entrance, so plan to look rather than photograph.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–19 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.4 hours in December to 13.9 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Walking. Thamel, Asan, Indra Chowk and Kathmandu Durbar Square are linked by a 15–20 minute walk through the old city; Swayambhunath is about 30 minutes on foot from Thamel.

More or fewer days

• One day in Kathmandu
• 3 days in Kathmandu
• 5 days in Kathmandu

Questions travellers ask