Must see attractions in Swayambhunath

  • Top Choice

    Swayambhunath Stupa

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

  • Stupa Platform

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

  • N

    National Museum

    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…

  • E

    Eastern Stairway

    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…

  • G

    Great Thunderbolt

    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…

  • W

    Western Stupa

    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…

  • B

    Buddha Amideva Park

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

  • M

    Military Museum

    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…

  • N

    Natural History Museum

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