Senior travel: Kathmandu
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 2 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 72 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Boudhanath StupaStep-free: yes · about 90 minA flat plaza with cobbles; some cafés and monasteries have steps.
- Pashupatinath Temple and the ghatsStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 90 minSlopes and stairs at the ghats; the main paths are paved.
- Kathmandu Durbar SquareStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 100 minCobbles, plinths and steep steps around the temples; a flat central path.
- Patan Durbar SquareStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 100 minA flat square with cobbles; steps at temple plinths; the museum has a ramp or lift in parts (check).
- Kumari GharStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 20 minSteep, narrow stairs into the courtyard.
- Golden Temple, Patan (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar)Step-free: no (check before you go) · about 30 minA narrow entrance and steps into the courtyard.
Getting around in Kathmandu
Kathmandu is hard on wheels. Pavements are narrow, broken or missing, streets share space with motorbikes, and many temples have high plinths and steps. Plan by car and pick a hotel with a lift.
- Pavements:
- Uneven and often blocked by vendors and parked motorbikes; the lanes in Thamel have no kerbs.
- Getting around:
- Taxis and apps are the step-free option; buses and micro-buses are not.
- Hotels:
- Larger hotels have lifts and step-free rooms on request; many guesthouses do not.
- Toilets:
- In hotels, malls and some cafés; rare and often not accessible at temple sites.
- Trekking start:
- Trails and lodges are not accessible; plan an easier day trip in the valley instead.
Medicines and health on the ground
The Nepal guide lists no medicine paperwork. Check the official customs page for your medicines.
- Air quality:
- Dust and smoke haze build from March to May; check an air-quality app and choose clearer mornings for long walks.
- Food and water:
- Drink bottled or filtered water; eat where the food is hot and busy; ask about ice.
- Stomach bugs:
- Traveller's diarrhoea is common; bring oral rehydration salts and ask a travel clinic about treatment.
- Altitude:
- Kathmandu is 1,400 m; higher treks need acclimatisation; never ascend with symptoms of altitude illness.
- Vaccinations:
- Ask a travel clinic several weeks before you go about typhoid, hepatitis A, tetanus and rabies.
- Medical care:
- Private clinics and hospitals treat visitors; evacuation cover in your insurance is important for trekkers.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.