Must-see attractions in Kathmandu

  • Top Choice
    Hanuman Dhoka

    Kathmandu's royal palace, known as the Hanuman Dhoka, was originally founded during the Licchavi period (4th to 8th centuries AD), but the compound was…

  • Top Choice
    Itum Bahal

    The long, rectangular courtyard of the Itum Bahal is the largest bahal (Buddhist monastery courtyard) in the old town and remains a haven of tranquillity…

  • Top Choice
    Garden of Dreams

    The beautifully restored Swapna Bagaicha (Garden of Dreams) remains one of the most serene and beautiful enclaves in Kathmandu. It's two minutes' walk and…

  • Top Choice
    Asan Tole

    From dawn until dusk the six-spoked junction of Asan Tole is jammed with vegetable and spice vendors selling everything from yak tails to dried fish. It’s…

  • Top Choice
    Indra Chowk

    The busy street of Makhan Tole spills into Indra Chowk, the courtyard named after the ancient Vedic deity, Indra. Locals crowd around the square’s…

  • Durbar Square

    Kathmandu’s Durbar Sq was where the city’s kings were once crowned and legitimised, and from where they ruled (durbar means palace). As such, the square…

  • Nasal Chowk

    From the entrance gate of the Hanuman Dhoka palace you immediately enter its most famous chowk. Nasal Chowk was used for coronations, a practice that…

  • Seto Machhendranath Temple (Jan Bahal)

    Southwest of Asan Tole at the junction known as Kel Tole, this temple attracts both Buddhists and Hindus – Buddhists consider Seto (White) Machhendranath…

  • Kumari Bahal

    At the junction of Durbar and Basantapur squares, this red-brick, three-storey building is home to the Kumari, the girl who is selected to be the town’s…

  • Taleju Temple

    Durbar Sq’s most magnificent temple stands at its northeastern extremity but is not open to the public. Even for Hindus, admission is restricted; they can…

  • Tribhuvan Museum

    The section of the Hanuman Dhoka palace west of Nasal Chowk, overlooking the main Durbar Sq area, was constructed by the Ranas in the middle to late part…

  • Narayanhiti Palace Museum

    Few things speak clearer to the political changes that have transformed Nepal over the last 15 years than this walled palace at the northern end of Durbar…

  • Kathesimbhu Stupa

    The most popular Tibetan pilgrimage site in the old town is this lovely stupa, a small copy dating from around 1650 of the great Swayambhunath complex…

  • Bangemudha

    At the southern end of the Sikha Narayan Temple square, just across the crossroads on the corner, you will see a lump of wood into which thousands of…

  • Seto (White) Bhairab

    Seto (White) Bhairab’s horrible face is hidden away behind a grille in an earthquake-damaged pavilion opposite King Pratap Malla’s Column. The huge mask…

  • Kala (Black) Bhairab

    North of the Jagannath Temple is the figure of Kala (Black) Bhairab. Bhairab is Shiva in his most fearsome aspect, and this huge stone image of the…

  • Mohankali Chowk

    Mohankali (Mohan) Chowk, inside the Hanuman Dhoka complex, was once used as a residence by the Malla kings. It's currently closed for post-earthquake…

  • Sundari Chowk

    This courtyard in the Hanuman Dhoka palace is currently off-limits for post-earthquake reconstruction but should reopen eventually.

  • Lohan Chowk

    King Prithvi Narayan Shah ordered the construction of the four red-coloured towers around Lohan Chowk. The towers represent the four ancient cities of the…

  • Indrapur Temple

    Little is known about this mysterious temple. Even the god to which it is dedicated is controversial – the lingam inside indicates that it is a Shiva…