Is Kathmandu Worth Visiting? [2024]

Kathmandu, the busy capital of Nepal, is usually the first stop for any traveller flying into the country. However, is it worth spending your time here before you explore the rest of Nepal? Let’s dive deeper.

Is Kathmandu Worth Visiting? Let’s Find Out!

About Kathmandu

Kathmandu will likely be the first place you visit in Nepal. Of course, most travellers then go on to explore destinations such as Pokhara, Everest, Annapurna – but Kathmandu is always a logical starting point for your trip to Nepal.

Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu

View of the Nepalese mountain range.

Having been found in the 2nd century CE, Kathmandu is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, so history is everywhere here. Nestled in between gorgeous mountains, Nepal’s capital is located in the Kathmandu Valley, at an altitude of 1,400 metres.

View from Chandragiri Hills, Kathmandu

Complete view of Kathmandu Valley

Steeped in culture, Kathmandu frequently appears in ancient myths and legends. In fact, according to one, the Kathmandu we know today was apparently once a deep lake called Nagdaha, and it was full of snakes (don’t worry – it’s highly unlikely you’ll encounter any snakes on your visit to Kathmandu).

Kathmandu’s Hindu and Buddhist Influences are evident around the city

Eventually, the city prospered - financially, spiritually and architecturally. In the 1800s, much of Kathmandu’s best-known attractions, such as Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square (which is just outside of the city’s limits) were built. Although much of Kathmandu’s population is now Hindu, Nepal is widely known as the birthplace of Buddha, so it’s also abundant in Buddhist religious sites.

Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu

Today, Kathmandu is known for its unique Nepalese architecture, the friendliness of its locals, and for being the gateway to the rest of Nepal’s gorgeous treasures.

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Why You Should Visit Kathmandu

Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu

Many travellers rush through Kathmandu, as they are eager to spend extra time in more ‘naturally beautiful’ destinations around the country. On our flight from Singapore to Kathmandu, we actually met a handful of tourists who were only planning on spending one day in Kathmandu, before moving on to areas where they could go trekking.

Colourful Nepalese flags at Swayambhunath Temple

While we had originally planned to spend about 3 full days in Nepal’s capital, a series of flight delays and cancellations meant that we ended up spending just as much time as them – one full day.

View of Kathmandu from up above

Asher at Boudhanath Stupa

However, our time in Kathmandu was short and sweet. What we found was an underrated capital city – rich in culture, history and sights/

Lots to See and Do

View from Chandragiri Hills

There are so many things to see and do in Kathmandu. If you wanted to witness Kathmandu’s traditional Durbar squares, you have the choice of visiting Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

Kathmandu Durbar Square, the central Dubar Square in Kathmandu

Asher at Swayambhunath Temple

If you wanted to get a taste of Nepal’s mountain region, then you could treat yourself to a fine view high up in the Chandragiri Hills, or at Kopan Monastery.

View of hills from Chandragiri Hills in Kathmandu

To check out Nepal’s Buddhist sites, look no further than Swayambhunath Temple and Boudhanath Stupa. For a taste of Hinduist architecture, check out the Pashupatinath Temple and Changu Narayan.

Safety

All smiles from Ralph at Patan Durbar Square

We had never travelled this region of the world before, as it doesn’t always have the best reputation in terms of safety. However, what we found was a perfectly safe city – despite the chaos that ensues on the roads sometimes.

A friendly monkey at Swayambhunath Temple. Even the monkeys here aren’t aggressive!

Walking around the Thamel area at night.

People were nothing but friendly, courteous and helpful. We even walked around late at night in the Thamel area, and felt absolutely safe. Although it can get a little hectic in Kathmandu, it manages to retain a certain level of calmness underneath.

Asher at Kathmandu Durbar Square - the locals in Kathmandu are very friendly.

Affordability

Beautiful Swayambhunath Temple

Keeping our budget to a minimum is always something we keep in mind, and we loved that it was so easy to do in Kathmandu! Our meals never exceeded more than 10AUD (6.5USD) at any time, but usually they cost even cheaper, at around 5AUD (3USD) for a full meal. Plus, the food was great!

All this for less than 10AUD (6.5USD)!

You’ll find that prices for tours, transport, accommodation and experiences are also very reasonable. We stayed at a 3-star hotel called Hotel Jampa in the Thamel area, and it fulfilled all our needs.

Our tasty and affordable traditional Nepalese dinner at Hotel Jampa. Yum!

Clean, centrally located, helpful staff and great dining options – we couldn’t recommend this place enough, and best of all – it only cost us less than 45AUD (30USD) a night. They also included a complimentary airport transfer and a refreshing welcome drink!

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Why You Shouldn’t Visit Kathmandu

Hectic Kathmandu Streets

We loved Kathmandu a lot, so it was a bit of a struggle to come up with a list of reasons not to visit Kathmandu. But here we go!

If You’re Time Rushed

View of Nepalese mountains from our flight.

You should only skip out on Kathmandu if you’re in an extreme time rush and you want to prioritise the mountains, or getting to some other part of Nepal. In my opinion, Kathmandu is more of an ‘architecture’ or ‘culture’ destination, and it’s likely that Nepal’s other destinations are more visually appealing in terms of nature.

Busy Nature of the City

Busy Kathmandu Streets

If you don’t deal well with hectic environments where you might have to ‘rough’ it a bit on the streets (for example, crossing traffic), then perhaps Kathmandu won’t be your favourite place either. While it’s nothing compared to other cities like Delhi, Ho Chi Minh City or Jakarta, this is South Asia after all - and it won’t be anything like Western Europe.

The Thamel area can get quite busy.

Having said that, the ‘chaotic’ nature of the city was completely manageable from my point of view. Although there were lots of people in general, they don’t really come up to pester or harass you - like they do in India, Morocco or Egypt, for example.

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Final Verdict – Is Kathmandu Worth Visiting?

Asher at Swayambhunath Temple

It’s a big yes. Kathmandu is absolutely worth visiting. It was a unique experience that we treasured, and we would love to come back and explore more of it!

Entrance to Boudhanath Stupa

We would recommend spending about 2-3 full days in Kathmandu so that you can get the best of Nepal’s capital.

Ralph at Chandragiri Hills

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Where to stay in Kathmandu

Patan Durbar Square

There are a few popular areas to stay in Kathmandu, with the backpacker precinct of Thamel being the most popular for its central location, variety of stores, tourist facilities and safety.

The Thamel area at night is not only safe, but it’s well-lit, with lots to see and do.

I stayed at the Hotel Jampa in Thamel, and it was the perfect place to stay. I would recommend not overthinking it – unless you have some other specific need, I would base myself out of Thamel for pure convenience.

We had momo (Nepalese dumplings) at Hotel Jampa, and they were to die for!

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How to get around Kathmandu

How do you get around Kathmandu?

Taxis are very cheap in Kathmandu, but hailing one off the street could be a challenge given how hectic the roads are at all times.

Cycle-rickshaws and auto-rickraws are also a cheap option, but you’ll most likely have to negotiate a price with the driver before starting your journey.

Hiring a private driver means you can get to sights like Swayambhunath Temple (pictured) with ease.

The most convenient option is to use a private driver for the day. You can book an extremely affordable dirver by clicking here, using Viator.

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Things to see and do in Kathmandu

Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Kathmandu is home to 7 (yes, SEVEN) UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as many hills and mountains – so there’s a lot to do here!

We managed to see everything by going on these two half-day tours:

• Private Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour - UNESCO World Heritage Sites – this tour takes you through to four of the UNESCO sights (Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath and Patan Durbar).

• Private Half-Day Chandragiri Cable Car Tour in Kathmandu – this tour takes you to the famed Chandragiri Hills, which most tourists actually mistakenly skip – where you’ll go on a beautiful cable car ride up into the mountains.

After doing these tours, we walked from our accommodation to Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Colourful flags at Swayambhunath Temple

However, if you want to see all 7 of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, then this tour is perfect for you:

• Seven World Heritage Day Tour - Private Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour

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We hope you enjoyed reading this blog post! Visiting Kathmandu and have any questions? Let us know in the comments below!

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