With kids · Kathmandu · Nepal
Kathmandu with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sudan Shrestha, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Children usually enjoy Swayambhunath's monkeys, the cable car at Chandragiri, spinning prayer wheels at Boudhanath and a mountain flight. Traffic, dust and uneven pavements make strollers impractical, so a baby carrier is more useful. Top picks: Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Chandragiri Hills cable car. Families usually base themselves in Lazimpat.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Lazimpat
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- October–November
Best things to do with kids
Religious site · Swayambhu
1.Swayambhunath
On a wooded hill west of the city, this ancient stupa painted with the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha is surrounded by shrines, prayer wheels and resident monkeys, which give it its nickname, the Monkey Temple. The eastern stairway climbs about 365 steep stone steps, and the top looks across the whole valley.
Climb the eastern stairs early in the morning when pilgrims circle the stupa, and keep food and loose items away from the monkeys.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
- Kids
Religious site · Boudha
2.Boudhanath
One of the largest stupas in the world, Boudhanath's white dome and gilded tower are strung with prayer flags and ringed by Tibetan monasteries, shops and cafés. At dawn and dusk hundreds of people walk the kora, the clockwise circuit around it, spinning prayer wheels and chanting.
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.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Photo spot
- Couples
- After dark
Viewpoint · Thankot
3.Chandragiri Hills cable car
A cable car from Thankot, on the south-western rim of the valley, rises about 2.4 km to Chandragiri hill at around 2,500 metres. On clear days the summit looks across a long stretch of the Himalaya, and there is a small Shiva temple, a playground and restaurants at the top.
Go on a clear morning between October and March for the best mountain views; afternoons often cloud over.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
Experience · Tribhuvan International Airport
4.Everest mountain flight
Early-morning sightseeing flights from Kathmandu's domestic terminal fly east along the Himalaya for about an hour, giving every passenger a window view of peaks including Everest without trekking. Flights depend on clear weather.
Book for one of your first mornings so there is time to rebook if the flight is cancelled for cloud.
- Time needed
- About 1 hour in the air
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Book through an airline or agent a few days ahead, and choose a date early in your stay in case of weather cancellations.
- Views
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Garden · Thamel
5.Garden of Dreams
A neoclassical garden of pavilions, fountains and lawns created in the 1920s for Field Marshal Kaiser Shumsher Rana and restored with Austrian support. It sits at the edge of Thamel and is the quietest spot in central Kathmandu for reading or coffee.
Bring a book for an hour's escape from Thamel's traffic.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Architecture
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, couples and luxury
Lazimpat
Lazimpat, home to several embassies, is a calmer alternative to Thamel a 10–15 minute walk away. Larger hotels set in gardens, a few good cafés and restaurants, and less traffic noise make it a good base for longer stays or for a rest after a trek.
- Good
- Quieter nights; Walk to Thamel's restaurants; Hotels with gardens
- Watch out
- Fewer budget options; Main road can be busy by day
- Nearby
- Thamel, Narayanhiti Palace Museum, Durbar Marg
Family travel tips
- Bring a child carrier rather than a stroller; pavements are narrow, broken or absent.
- Carry masks for dusty days and check air quality, which can be poor in winter and spring.
- Keep snacks hidden at Swayambhunath, where monkeys snatch food.
- Choose a hotel with a garden, such as those in Lazimpat, for downtime away from traffic.
- Allow spare days around flights to Lukla or Pokhara, which can be delayed by weather.
Day trips for families
- Bhaktapur (About 45 minutes to 1 hour by road) — The best-preserved of the valley's royal cities, with three main squares, the five-tiered Nyatapola temple, Pottery Square where potters work in the open and streets largely closed to traffic.
- Nagarkot (About 1.5 hours by road) — A hill village at around 2,000 metres on the valley's eastern rim, famous for sunrise views over a wide sweep of the Himalaya on clear days, mainly from October to March.
When to go with children
The best months overall are March–April and October–December. October–November are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Kathmandu good for kids?
Children usually enjoy Swayambhunath's monkeys, the cable car at Chandragiri, spinning prayer wheels at Boudhanath and a mountain flight. Traffic, dust and uneven pavements make strollers impractical, so a baby carrier is more useful.
+What can kids do in Kathmandu?
Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Chandragiri Hills cable car, Everest mountain flight and Garden of Dreams.
+Where should families stay in Kathmandu?
Lazimpat: Embassy quarter with leafy grounds and quieter hotels north of Thamel.