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Kathmandu is chaotic, dusty, ancient and completely unlike anywhere else. A valley city of Hindu and Buddhist temples layered over each other across centuries, it is where almost every Himalayan trek begins and ends, and where you will spend a few days at either end of the mountains getting permits, buying gear and drinking a great deal of tea.
Why it's worth the flight
The mountains, primarily — Nepal has eight of the world's fourteen highest peaks and a trekking infrastructure that lets ordinary people walk among them without technical climbing. But the Kathmandu Valley itself holds several UNESCO-listed durbar squares and a living religious culture that is genuinely extraordinary.
When to go
Two clear windows. October to November is the main trekking season — clear skies, stable weather, the best mountain views, and the busiest trails. March to May is the second season, warmer, with rhododendron in bloom and hazier views. Monsoon from June to September brings rain, leeches and cloud. Winter is cold at altitude but clear and quiet at lower elevations.
Where to base yourself
- Thamel — the traveler district. Gear shops, agencies, restaurants, noise. Practical rather than beautiful.
- Patan (Lalitpur) — across the river, calmer, and with the finest durbar square in the valley.
- Boudha — around the great stupa, Tibetan Buddhist in character, and the most peaceful base.
- Bhaktapur — a preserved medieval town on the valley's edge, worth at least a night.
What to eat
Dal bhat — lentils, rice and vegetable sides, refilled endlessly — is the national meal and the fuel of every trek. Momos, the dumplings, are everywhere and superb. Newari cuisine in the valley is a distinct and much older tradition worth seeking out. And Nepali tea, milky and spiced, is a constant.
Getting around
Taxis with an agreed fare, or the Pathao and inDrive apps in the city. Traffic and air quality are both poor — a mask is not an overreaction on bad days. For the valley towns, hire a car and driver for the day; it's inexpensive and saves hours. Domestic flights to trekking regions are weather-dependent and delays are routine, so build slack into your schedule.
Tickets and day trips in Kathmandu
The things worth doing here are usually cheaper and far less painful booked before you arrive than queued for on the day — Klook has unusually deep coverage across Asia, which is where most of the bookable things on this page are.
See what's bookable →The first hour in Kathmandu is a lot easier with data already working. An eSIM installs before you fly and connects the moment you switch off airplane mode — no airport wifi, no queue at a kiosk, no hunting for a code in an inbox you cannot open yet.
Get an eSIM → How it works →Trekking rewards a ruthless bag
Everything you carry, you carry uphill. Our one-bag system is the right discipline for a trekking trip.
Don't miss
- Boudhanath Stupa — join the evening circumambulation.
- Pashupatinath — the great Hindu temple complex on the river; be respectful, cremations take place here.
- Patan and Bhaktapur durbar squares — the finest Newar architecture in the valley.
- Swayambhunath — the hilltop stupa with the valley view.
- A mountain flight — an hour along the Himalaya if you're not trekking.
The honest caveat
Kathmandu is polluted, congested and hard work. Earthquake damage from 2015 is still visible in places and restoration continues. Altitude is a serious medical consideration on any trek — ascend slowly, know the symptoms of altitude sickness, and take them seriously. Travel insurance covering high-altitude trekking and helicopter evacuation is not optional here.
What things actually cost there
Compare everyday prices across twenty cities — the index that shows you where your money stretches and where it evaporates.
Open the price index →
