Must-see attractions in Swayambhunath

  • Swayambhunath stupa in Kathmandu

    Swayambhunath Stupa

    Swayambhunath

    The Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the crowning glories of Kathmandu Valley architecture. This perfectly proportioned monument rises through a whitewashed…

  • Landscape around the Swayambhunath temple.

    Stupa Platform

    Swayambhunath

    The great stupa is surrounded on all sides by a veritable sculpture garden of religious monuments. Several buildings were destroyed by the earthquake and…

  • The Art Gallery building of the National Museum in Nepal.

    National Museum

    Swayambhunath

    Around 800m south of Swayambhunath at Chhauni, this sprawling museum set in a walled compound looks a little moth-eaten and overgrown, but there are some…

  • Eastern Stairway

    Swayambhunath

    There are two ways to approach Swayambhunath Temple, but by far the most atmospheric is the stone pilgrim stairway that climbs the eastern end of the hill…

  • Great Thunderbolt

    Swayambhunath

    At the top of the eastern stairway is an enormous, brass-plated dorje (thunderbolt), one of the core symbols of Tibetan Buddhism. Known as a vajra in…

  • Western Stupa

    Swayambhunath

    If you follow either path leading west from the main stupa, you will reach a smaller stupa near the tourist parking. Just behind is a gompa surrounded by…

  • Buddha Amideva Park

    Swayambhunath

    This compound frequented by Tibetan pilgrims contains three enormous shining golden statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, a four-armed Chenresig and Guru Rinpoche,…

  • Military Museum

    Swayambhunath

    Opposite the National Museum in an army compound, this will likely appeal only to fans of military history. Lined up on parade outside the museum are a…

  • Natural History Museum

    Swayambhunath

    Below Swayambhunath, on the road to the tourist parking, this neglected museum offers a faded but quirky collection of exhibits, including varnished…