region
Kathmandu Valleyकाठमाडौं उपत्यका
Sleep in Kathmandu; do Patan as a half-day, Bhaktapur as a day-trip, and Nagarkot only if you can spare a night for a clear-morning view.
Not field-verified
Rules in force · 4
- Nepal ↗Get visa information only from the Department of Immigration; visa-service lookalike sites charge extra, and the rules differ by nationality.
- Nepal ↗At stupas walk clockwise; at temples and homes remove shoes where there is a rack or a raised floor; cover shoulders and knees.
- Nepal ↗Carry Nepalese rupees in small notes: many stalls, taxis and tea shops are cash-only, and shops rarely take foreign notes.
- Nepal ↗Strikes (bandh) and protests can close roads without notice: check the news and your hotel the night before any airport or highway day.
The valley is one base and a few short trips. Moving hotels between Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur wastes the mornings: keep the Kathmandu room, take a day pack, and come back to the same bed. Each old town charges its own entry fee at its own Durbar Square.
Where to sleep
Kathmandusleep base
Thamel for first-timers, Boudha for a quieter night near the airport.
Patan (Lalitpur)day trip
Palace square and Golden Temple; 30 minutes by car.
Bhaktapurday trip
Old brick town; about 1 h each way, entry ticket at the gate.
Nagarkotovernight
Ridge for sunrise views on clear days; about 1.5 h each way.
Night sequences
- 4 nights
- Kathmandu 4, Bhaktapur day-trip
- 6 nights
- Kathmandu 5 + 1 night at Nagarkot
- Kathmandu + Patan + Bhaktapur + Nagarkot in 3 days is mostly taxi seats and ticket queues.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhaktapur | Kathmandu | 75 min | unknown | Taxi or bus; go by 08:00 to beat the groups, back by 17:00. |
| Nagarkot | Kathmandu | 100 min | unknown | Ridge road; clear mornings only, cloud hides the peaks. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding culture: leave the big bag at the Kathmandu hotel and take a day pack.