This tole (street) leads you away from Durbar Sq down to the Vishnumati River, where a footbridge continues the pathway to Swayambhunath. This was a busy street in the hippie era, but the famous pastry shops that gave it the nickname ‘Pie Alley’ have long gone. It's worth strolling down to see Maru Hiti, one of the city's many sunken water conduits.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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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…
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This unique Buddhist monastery is just north of Durbar Sq. It was allegedly founded in the 12th century, and it has existed in its current form since 1409…
7.87 MILES
The magnificent Golden Gate is a visual highlight of Durbar Sq. Set into a bright red gatehouse surrounded by white palace walls, the fabulous golden…
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The first stupa at Boudhanath was built sometime after AD 600, when the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, converted to Buddhism. In terms of grace and purity…
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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…
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You should be able to see the sky-high rooftop of the Nyatapola Temple long before you reach Taumadhi Tole. With five storeys towering 30m above the…
0.88 MILES
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…
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The Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the crowning glories of Kathmandu Valley architecture. This perfectly proportioned monument rises through a whitewashed…
Nearby Kathmandu attractions
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Kathmandu owes its name to this ancient building, which was sadly destroyed in the 2015 earthquake.
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At the top of Maru Tole, surrounded by the rubble of the temples that used to surround it, this tiny golden shrine is one of the four most important…
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This 17th-century temple was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake. All that remains is the temple's nine-stage ochre platform.
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Originally built with wood left over from the Kasthamandap Temple, this squat building was called the Silengu Sattal (silengu means ‘left over wood’ and a…
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This wooden temple, also known as the Dhansa Dega, is an ornate 17th-century performance pavilion that houses the god of music.
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This three-tiered Narayan (Vishnu) temple to the west of the Shiva-Parvati Temple was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake. A pile of bricks sits unattended…
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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…
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Looking north from the plinth of the wrecked Maju Deval, a pair of much-photographed white images of Shiva and his consort look out from the upstairs…