One day 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

      Arrive early to see morning worship before tour groups; keep your ticket, which is checked at several entry points around the square. Allow 2–3 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Freak Street

      Have a cheap lunch here after visiting Durbar Square, away from the square's tourist restaurants. Allow 30 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Momo

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

   4. Afternoon

      Swayambhunath

      Climb the eastern stairs early in the morning when pilgrims circle the stupa, and keep food and loose items away from the monkeys. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Boudhanath

      Come in the late afternoon, walk the kora clockwise with the pilgrims, then watch the stupa from a rooftop café as butter lamps are lit. Allow 2 hours.

   6. Evening

      Pashupatinath Temple

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

If it rains

• Swap in Patan Museum (Patan (Lalitpur)): Visit before exploring Patan Durbar Square; the displays will help you read the temples outside.
• 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 8–10 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Kathmandu
• 3 days in Kathmandu
• 5 days in Kathmandu

Questions travellers ask