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Best Things to Do
Top 10 Best Things to Do in Kathmandu [2025]
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Kathmandu Durbar Square
4.6
/5
561 reviews
6.0
2.2 km from downtown
Phone +977-1-4268969
Address: Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-4 hours
Highlights:
Experience traditional celebrations during Indra
Kumari's residence up close
Saved by 171 users190 positive reviews
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Kathmandu is the capital and largest city of Nepal. It has rich history, culture and natural landscapes. It is the political, economic and cultural center of Nepal. Kathmandu is a city with diverse religions. The main religions are Hinduism and Buddhism. For example, Pashupatinath Temple is one of the four major temples of Hinduism. It enshrines Lord Shiva, one of the three main gods of Hinduism, and is a pilgrimage site for Hindus. Swayambhunath Temple is one of the world's famous Buddhist holy sites. There is a huge pagoda in the temple. The tower body is white and the top of the tower is shining with gold. There are countless small pagodas and Buddha statues around it. It is a place for Buddhists to practice and worship. Kathmandu has a unique architectural style, which combines the architectural art of Hinduism and Buddhism. Durbar Square is one of the iconic buildings in Kathmandu. There are many ancient palaces, temples and statues on the square, such as Hanuman Dhoka Palace, which was the royal palace of the Malla Dynasty of Nepal. There are many exquisite murals and wood carvings in the palace.
Kathmandu Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled in the heart of Nepal’s capital, is is also home to numerous temples dedicated to Hindu deities, such as the towering Taleju Temple, accessible only to royalty during its prime, and the Kasthamandap, a three-story wooden pavilion believed to have been built from a single tree, which gave Kathmandu its name. The Kumari Ghar, a lavishly carved wooden mansion, houses the Kumari, a young girl revered as the living embodiment of the Hindu goddess Durga. This blend of sacred and regal structures creates a spiritual ambiance, especially during festivals like Indra Jatra and Dashain, when the square comes alive with processions, dances, and rituals.
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Buddha Stupa
4.6
/5
291 reviews
5.1
Based on 9,069 reviews
3.8 km from downtown
Phone +977-986-8863886
Address: Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
Buddhist architecture & World Heritage
Circumambulate & pray for blessings
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20240615 AM:
1. Boudhanath Stupa is a landmark building in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is the world's largest round stupa and one of the world cultural heritage sites. It is 38 meters high and 100 meters in diameter. It is said to have been built by King Shiva Deva of the Lichavi Dynasty in the 6th century BC. It is a cultural relic of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal and an important spiritual totem of Mahayana Buddhists. It is said that there are relics of Kasyapa Buddha in the stupa, which is an important spiritual totem in Mahayana Buddhism. Because the top of the stupa is painted with wisdom eyes, it is also called the Big Eyes Stupa. It is also said that when the stupa was built, it was a drought, and the craftsmen took dewdrops and mud, so it is also called the Dewdrop Stupa. During the worship season, Buddhists from Bhutan, Sikkim, and Tibet in my country will gather here to worship, so Chinese signs are often seen. The scenic area is divided into three major parts: the stupa, the Padmasambhava Temple, and the shop area. It is a good place for sightseeing photography, humanities learning, worshiping Buddha, shopping, and parent-child strolls. When praying around the pagoda, you need to go around it three times in a clockwise direction.
①Address: Circle Kathmandu, Kathmandu, Nepal
②Transportation: Direct bus access, difficult to park by car
③Peak season: None
④Time: 2 hours
⑤Ticket price: 400 rupees (22.2 yuan)
2. The Great Pagoda consists of four-story pagoda base and five-story pagoda body, specifically:
①The first floor of the pagoda base: There are small Buddhist niches, prayer wheels, bells and other Buddhist instruments between the entrances and exits
②The second floor of the pagoda base: There is an incense burner standing at the worship area in front of the pagoda, which looks very much like the pagoda in Tibetan Buddhism (the instrument for storing the corpse of a monk). You need to take off your shoes on this floor, as the ground may be hot in summer. You can also walk around the tower on this floor, and enjoy the street view under the tower
③ The third and fourth floors of the tower base: It is forbidden to go up, and these two floors are blank and have no scenery
④ The four corners of the tower courtyard: Because the tower courtyard wall is circular and the tower base is similar to a cross (12 corners), there are four open spaces in the first floor of the tower base, which are respectively equipped with a painting pool (a pool for painting the white tower body with paint, and a small statue stands on the wellhead next to it), green plants (2 places, the edge of the green plants in one place is surrounded by dense stainless steel small bowls, each bowl contains 2 flowers, orange and yellow; the other place has a small Buddha statue under the green plants), and a small tower
⑤ The first floor of the tower body: The semi-circular tower base represents water, and it is also said to be the womb that creates life. There are golden niches on all four sides, and the five Tathagatas are enshrined inside. The ground is a circle of prayer wheels, and visitors can turn it clockwise to pray for blessings
⑥ The second floor of the tower: a square structure, representing the earth, four squares are painted with a pair of eyebrows and eyes, called "wisdom eyes", symbolizing omniscience
⑦ The third floor of the tower: a triangular structure, representing fire, divided into 13 levels, with a decreasing cross-sectional area layer by layer, in a cone shape, symbolizing the thirteen positions of the Bodhisattva from cause to effect
⑧ The fourth floor of the tower: an umbrella-shaped structure, representing the wind, with a small bell hanging below, and a gentle breeze will make bursts of sound, symbolizing nirvana
⑨ The fifth floor of the tower: a spiral structure, representing the essence of life, composed of all things composed of water, earth, fire, and wind, called "the harmony of the four elements" in Buddhism
⑩ Colorful ribbons: multiple, connecting the top of the tower to the ground, shaped like colorful prayer flags, in the order of blue, white, red, green, and yellow...
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Eerie but interesting place. Full of incense but worth the experience. Enjoyable walk!
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Swoyambhu Mahachaitya
4.6
/5
300 reviews
4.9
3.3 km from downtown
Phone +977-986-5713743
Address: P77R+X52, BHAGANPAU 44600, Nepal
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
No.1 of Night Attractions in Kathmandu
Highlights:
Golden pagoda & monkeys at sunset
Iconic landmark for distant views
Saved by 105 users27% positive reviews
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20240615pm:
1. Swayambhunath Stupa is a famous Buddhist temple in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is also called Monkey Temple because of the many wild monkeys in the temple. It is also called the Four-eyed God Temple. It is a world cultural heritage with a history of 2,500 years and one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Asia. It is an important spiritual totem for Mahayana Buddhists. It also has a Hindu shrine. It is the only temple in the world where Buddhism and Hinduism coexist. The shrines are lined with spires, incense is strong, solemn and sacred, and the mountain top has a wide view, overlooking the panoramic view of Kathmandu. The scenic area is divided into two major areas: the giant stupa and the mountain trail. It is a good place for viewing photography, humanities learning, worshiping Buddha, shopping, and parent-child walks. There will be celebrations every year on Buddha's Birthday (April or May) and Tibetan New Year (February or March). Due to the 8.1 magnitude earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015, the ancient buildings were severely damaged, and there are still buildings under repair.
①Address: Kathmandu, Kathmandu, Nepal
②Transportation: Direct bus access, difficult to park by car
③Peak season: None
④Duration: 2 hours
⑤Ticket price: 200 rupees (11.1 yuan)
2. The giant stupa is the core building of the temple. It is mainly white and more than 40 meters high. Its shape is very similar to the Boudhanath Stupa. It has five floors, specifically:
①The first floor of the tower: a semi-circular structure tower base, representing water, and also said to be the womb of life creation, with golden niches embedded on all four sides, and the five Tathagatas are enshrined inside. The ground is a circle of prayer wheels, and visitors can turn them three times clockwise to pray for blessings. ② The second floor of the tower: a square structure, representing the earth, with four squares painted with a pair of eyebrows and eyes, called "wisdom eyes", symbolizing omniscience. ③ The third floor of the tower: a triangular structure, representing fire, divided into 13 levels, with a decreasing cross-sectional area layer by layer, in a cone shape, symbolizing the thirteen positions of the Bodhisattva from cause to effect. ④ The fourth floor of the tower: an umbrella-shaped structure, representing the wind, with a small bell hanging below, and the breeze will make bursts of sound, symbolizing nirvana. ⑤ The fifth floor of the tower: a spiral structure, representing the essence of life, composed of all things composed of water, earth, fire, and wind, in the Buddha It is called "the harmony of the four elements" in Buddhism.
⑥ Five-color ribbons: multiple ribbons, connecting the top of the tower to the ground, shaped like five-color prayer flags, in the order of blue, white, red, green, and yellow, representing the blue sky, white clouds, flames, green water, and loess respectively.
3. The platform where the giant stupa is located is also the core area of the scenic area. There are many people and dense landscapes around the stupa. The ones that impressed me the most are:
① Stone pagoda matrix: neatly arranged small towers (cover photo), which contain relics such as relics and clothes left after the death of eminent monks of all generations
② Hindu goddess temple: two-story eaves Buddha niche, the only temple in the world where Buddhist and Hindu buildings coexist. There is a row of Hindu believers sitting on the ground eating hand-held rice in the doorless house next to the temple, which is very exotic
③ Small temples: none of them have names, and are named according to their characteristics. There is a single-story reclining Buddha temple (the main enshrines a reclining Buddha, and there are stone artifacts in the glass showcases around it)...
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Best place to visit during your stay in Kathmandu. Monkey temple also called Swayambhunath Stupa in local nepali language. It had became an important place for Buddhism. Mostly crowded by tourists. Its is one the highest point in Kathmandu valley surrounded by prayer and Monkey.
No.
4
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Thamel
4.5
/5
416 reviews
4.8
Based on 5,772 reviews
Thamel | 1.2 km from downtown
Address: Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
Kathmandu's top 3 must-sees
Himalayan adventurers' must-visit shops
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This little hub inside of Kathmandu is constantly hustling and bustling. You'll find shops and restaurants everywhere, and the people are always kind. Traffic can be a bit daunting at first, but you'll get the hand of it quickly.
A great city, the food is delicious, the people are friendly and approachable
No.
5
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Pashupatinath Temple
4.4
/5
189 reviews
4.1
2.6 km from downtown
Phone +977-1-4471828
Address: Pashupati Nath Road, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
Hindu cremation ceremony site
24/7 Hindu cremation ceremony
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After visiting my trekking in the Himalayas I headed to Bouddhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, the biggest Buddhist temple in Nepal. After that it was time for another must-visit spot: the impressive Pashupatinath temple, also in Kathmandu. Pashupatinath is the biggest and holiest Hindu temple in Nepal, situated on the banks of the Bagmati river. Similar to the Ganges in India, here at Pashupatinath, dead bodies are being burned. It's always very impressive to see and makes you think about life over and over again. It feels good to be there, though.
Ancient historical place, amazing cultural exposure. Worth spending your time!
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