Kathmandu 3-day itinerary

Begin at Kathmandu Durbar Square in the heart of the old city. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was the royal palace complex of the Malla kings and remains a living museum of Newari architecture — intricately carved wooden windows, multi-tiered pagoda temples, and stone courtyards where daily life unfolds around ancient shrines. Visit the Hanuman Dhoka palace, the Taleju Temple, and the Kasthamandap — the wooden structure from which Kathmandu gets its name. Watch for the living goddess Kumari at the Kumari Bahal window, a centuries-old tradition unique to the Kathmandu Valley.

Head west to Swayambhunath, one of the oldest Buddhist sites in Nepal. The 365 steps to the hilltop stupa are flanked by stone Buddhas, prayer wheels, and dozens of resident macaque monkeys. At the summit, the great white dome crowned with the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha dominates the skyline. Walk clockwise around the stupa spinning the brass prayer wheels, visit the Tibetan monastery, and light a butter lamp at the shrines. On a clear afternoon, the entire Kathmandu Valley spreads below you with the Himalayan range glowing on the northern horizon.

Walk into Thamel as the neon signs flicker on and the district comes alive. This is the epicentre of backpacker culture in South Asia — a maze of narrow lanes crammed with trekking shops, tattoo parlours, Tibetan handicraft stores, and rooftop restaurants. Order steamed buffalo momos with spicy achaar, try sel roti (crispy ring-shaped rice bread), and wash it down with chiya (Nepali milk tea). The rooftop bars in Thamel offer cold Everest or Gorkha beer with views over the chaotic streets below.

Take a taxi east to Boudhanath, one of the largest spherical stupas in the world and the spiritual centre of Kathmandu's Tibetan exile community. The massive white dome rises above a mandala-shaped base, its watchful eyes surveying the four directions. Join the morning kora — the clockwise circumambulation of the stupa — alongside maroon-robed monks, elderly Tibetans spinning prayer wheels, and pilgrims prostrating on wooden boards. The surrounding ring of monasteries, incense shops, and Tibetan restaurants creates a self-contained world that feels more Lhasa than Kathmandu.

Walk 2km south to Pashupatinath, Nepal's most sacred Hindu temple and a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the banks of the Bagmati River. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main pagoda temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, but the surrounding complex is accessible: walk along the Arya Ghats where open-air cremation ceremonies take place on stone platforms beside the river — a profound and confronting window into Hindu beliefs about death and reincarnation. Sadhus (holy men) with painted faces and dreadlocks sit in meditation on the temple steps, and the deer park behind the complex offers a quiet retreat.

Cross the Bagmati River south into the ancient city of Patan (Lalitpur), Kathmandu's sister city and arguably the most architecturally refined of the three royal cities. Patan Durbar Square is a masterpiece of Newari craftsmanship — the golden gate of the Mul Chowk, the stone Krishna Mandir, and the octagonal Chyasin Dega pavilion are among the finest medieval structures in South Asia. The Patan Museum inside the old royal palace houses an extraordinary collection of Hindu and Buddhist art. Dine at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the floodlit square.

Take a local bus or taxi 13km east to Bhaktapur, the best-preserved of the three royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is dominated by the 55 Window Palace, the Golden Gate (widely considered the finest piece of metalwork in Asia), and the five-storey Nyatapola Temple — the tallest pagoda in Nepal. Unlike Kathmandu, Bhaktapur has maintained its medieval character: the brick-paved lanes are free of traffic, potters still work with clay in open courtyards, and women dry grain and chilies on woven mats in the squares.

Walk from Durbar Square through the narrow lanes to Pottery Square (Dattatreya area), where artisans still make traditional clay pots, spinning their wheels in the open air as they have for centuries. The surrounding area is filled with woodcarving workshops, small temples, and the Peacock Window — an exquisitely carved 15th-century window that is one of the most photographed architectural details in Nepal. Before leaving Bhaktapur, you must try juju dhau — the famous king of yoghurt — a thick, creamy buffalo milk yoghurt served in clay pots that has been a Bhaktapur specialty for generations.

If time allows, continue 16km uphill from Bhaktapur to Nagarkot, a hilltop viewpoint at 2,175m that offers one of the most spectacular Himalayan panoramas accessible from the Kathmandu Valley — on a clear day, the skyline stretches from Dhaulagiri in the west through Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang, and all the way to Everest in the east. The sunset turns the snow peaks gold and pink. Alternatively, return to Thamel for a final evening of rooftop dining, live music, and cold beers with fellow travellers.