First time · Kathmandu

First time in Kathmanduकाठमाडौँ

Kathmandu is a dawn-and-dusk city: do the temple squares and the stupa before 10:00, leave the afternoon for cafés and rest, and never plan a transfer on a strike day.

Everything here is a short version of the Kathmandu guide. Prices and hours are estimates: check before you rely on them.

The honest verdict

Kathmandu's sights are old, close together and crowded, and the streets between them are dusty, narrow and shared with motorbikes. The trips that go wrong drag suitcases through Thamel at night, walk at noon in the smoke haze, or book a flight out on the morning of a festival or strike. Four clusters cover a first visit: Thamel to sleep and eat, Durbar Square, Boudhanath and Patan. Bhaktapur and the valley rim are trips from one kept bed.

From the airport

Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM)

Fastest and cheapest: Pre-booked pickup or prepaid taxi to the hotel door · about 30 min · about NPR 900

Typical ride times and fares, 2026 desk estimates (check). Last services and night options are on the gateway page.

Airport-to-bed timings →

How long to stay

2 days: Durbar Square morning + Thamel evening
3 days: Durbar Square, Boudhanath, Patan; mornings and late afternoons only
5 days: Four clusters + Bhaktapur day-trip + one slow day

Itineraries by length →

Three mistakes to avoid

Inside Hindu and Buddhist shrines: remove shoes where marked and walk clockwise around stupas.(Survive · red lines)
Traffic and uneven pavements: look down and left-right at every crossing; footpaths end without warning.(Survive · safety)
Leather items and shoes are refused at some temple entrances; ask at the gate.(Survive · red lines)

Scams and safety →

Money and SIM

Budget day: NPR 2,000–4,000 excl. bed
Cash: Keep NPR 3,000 in small notes; use ATMs inside banks, hotels or malls in daylight, not on dark lanes.

Money, SIMs and apps →