Kathmandu is the capital of the NEPAL kingdom, situated in a valley which is an open air museum of famous sites, ancient temples and shrines, golden pagodas and are inspiring deities, is a city of inexhaustible historic artistic and cultural interest. Several beautiful and interesting villages and towns surrounding the valley offer ideal destinations for mini treks. The dazzling Himalayan peaks are visible from several points on the mountains around the valley.

The capital is quite upto date in terms of comfort and convenience boasting luxury hotels, bars, restaurants, shops and casinos. Transportation is convenient and inexpensive. Medical service is quite good. Shoppers may purchase unusual gifts and souvenirs from an interesting assortment of items such as handicrafts, carpets, wooden art works, bronze casting and metal work, thankas, Nepali paper prints and readymade garments.

Population: Approx. 701 962

Language(s): Nepali, English

Climate: Nepal's climate varies with its topography. It ranges from sub-tropical to artic depending upon the altitude. The Terai region has a hot and humid climate. The mid-land region are pleasant almost all the year round, although winter nights are cool. The northern mountain region, around an altitude above 3,353 m. has an alpine climate with a considerably lower temperature in winter as expected.

Best times to visit:Though the climate is suitable for visit anytime of the year, the best season is between March-September. Just avoid the winter times, when it is too cold to sightsee.

Places of Interest

Machchhendranath Temple
The temple of Sweta Machchhendranath is situated at Machchhendra Bahal between Indra Chowk and Asan. It is a pagoda of considerable artistic beauty. Also called as Janmadyo or Machchhendra the deity.

Akash Bhairav Temple
A three storey temple in the main market avenue, called Indra Chowk, the image of Akash Bhairav is displayed outside for a week during Indra Jatra, the festival of Indra - the God of Rain.

Temple of Kumari (Kumari Ghar)
The temple or the residence of Living goddess, Kumari, is situated in the vicinity of Hanuman Dhoka Palace. The building has profusely carved wooden balconies and window screens. The Kumari- the living Goddess, acknowledges the greetings from her balcony window. Photography is prohibited.

Kasthamandap
Located near the temple of Kumari, it is said to have been built by King Laxmi Narsingha Malla in the beginning of the sixteenth century. It is said to be constructed from the wood of a single tree. The city of Kathmandu derives its name from this temple.

Jaishi Dewal
Five minutes from Kasthmandap the Shiva Temple of Jaishi Dewal is famous for its erotic carvings. It is still one of the main routes of the chariot festival of Indra Jatra, Gai Jatra and other festivals.

Tundikhel
A huge green field, flanks one entire side of the old city Tundikhei. Some of the important landmarks of Kathmandu valley are located in the periphery of this area. At the south western end of Tundikhel is a 59.29m. tower built by Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa in 1832 A.D. known as Dharahara (or Bhimsen Stambha). Sundhara-fountains with golden water spouts is situated at the foot of this great tower also belonging to the same period.

Martyr's Memorial (Sahid) Gate
It is located between Bhimsen Stambha and Bhadrakali temple. The memorial arch contains the statue of the late King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah and the busts of four martyrs.

Bhadrakali Temple
As the eastern edge of the Tundikhel, near Shahid Gate stands the temple of Goddess Bhadrakali. This temple is also known as Lumarhi Temple and is one of the main "Shakta" temples of Kathmandu city.

Singha Durbar
A grand imposing palace built on the neo-classical style. Singha Durbar was the private residence of Rana Prime Ministers. Now it is the Secretariat of His Majesty's Government of Nepal.

Narayanhity Durbar
It is the present Royal Palace. A famous historic water spout called Narayanhity, is situated at the southern corner of the Palace.

Kaisar Library
Located inside the premises of Ministry of Education, Kaisar library is a great centre of rare and valuable books and manuscripts. It is open for the public except Saturdays and other government holidays.

Balaju Water Garden
Situated about five kilometers North-west of Kathmandu, Balaju Garden features fountains with 22 crocodile headed water spout dating from the mid eighteenth century. There is also a swimming pool inside the park.

National Museum
Two and half kilometers west of Kathmandu, the National Museum has a splendid collection of weapons, artifacts from ancient, medieval and modern Nepal. Its archaeological and historical displays are worth seeing. The museum is open everyday except Tuesday and government holidays.

Natural History Museum
Situated three kilometers west of Kathmandu city behind the famous Swoyambhunath hillock this museum has a unique collection of butterflies, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, plants and a variety of fossils collected within the country. Photography inside the museum is prohibited.

Rani Pokhari
Situated in between Ratna Park and Jamal. This historical pond has been built by Pratap Malla to sympathize his beloved wife who was deeply shocked by the death of his son. The pond is opened for public only at the last day of Tihar - "Bhai Tika". Those who doesn't have any brothers or sisters visit Rani Pokhari to pay homage to Lord Shiva on that day.

Licensed Guides
All the travel agencies of Kathmandu have licensed English speaking guides, however, many agencies have also guides who can speak other international languages for the convenience of tourist. As unlicensed guides are not allowed to serve clients, it is advisable to confirm that your guide has valid license. To have a quality service it is recommended to arrange the sightseeing programmes only through the government registered travel agencies.

Excursion

Bungamati Village
Bungamati is a sleepy, 16th-century village, which is considered the winter home of Lord Machchendranath. Though it is a village, the cobbled streets and tightly packed houses around the streets gives it a distinct feel of a town.

Chapagaon
Situated on the southern tip of the Kathmandu Valley, Chapagaon is a rural village famous for its temple of Vajra Varahi, one of the many incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

Dakshinkali
Dedicated to Goddess Kali, the temple of Dakshinkali is one of the most popular places of tantrik worship in Kathmandu. The shrine is specially crowned on Tuesday while Saturday is the day for animal sacrifice. Dakshinkali is located 22 km from the city centre on the southern rim of the valley.

Daman
Daman is located along Tribhuvan Rajpath at a distance of 80 km southeast of Kathmandu on an elevation of 2,650 metres. There are excellent views of Mt. Everest and other mountain peaks from Daman. There is a special tower built for this purpose.

Dhulikhel
Dhulikhel is a historic town situated 32 km east of Kathmandu. You can watch the views of the snowy ranges of Makalu in the east to Manaslu in the west from Dhulikhel.

Gorkha
The birthplace of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of modern Nepal, Gorkha is situated on a hill overlooking the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. The main attractions here are Gorkha Durbar and the temples of Gorakhnath and Kali. The town is situated at a distance of around 144 km from Kathmandu.

Helambu
Famous for its scenic grandeur and pleasant climate, Helambu is situated about 72 kilometres north-east of Kathmandu. There are many Buddhist monasteries here. You can trek to this place from Sundarijal situated 11 km away from Kathmandu.

Janakpur
Janakpur is one of the holiest places for Hindus as it is believed to be the place where Sita, the wife of Lord Ram was born. The town is full of temples and artificial ponds like Janaki Temple, Ram Temple, Ram-Janaki Vivah Mandap, Ganga Sagar, Dhanush Sagar, and Janakpur Women's Development Centre. Janakpur is situated at a distance of around 140 km south of Kathmandu in the Terai Region.

Kakani
Situated at an altitude of 2,000 metres above sea level, Kakani is an excellent spot for mountain viewing. It is located at a distance of around 28 km northwest of Kathmandu. A good place for picnicking and walking with accommodation facilities.

Kodari Road
Situated on the international border with China, Kodari Road is situated some 144 km from Kathmandu. It has an exotic history as the starting point of Trans-Himalayan trade in the ancient times. The national highway from Kathmandu to Kodari road is full of magnificent views all along such as magnificent river gorges, mountains, and the famous hot water spring known as Tatopani

How to get there

The capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu is easily accessible from the other important cities of India. Excellent road network, railway system and the air linking make Kathmandu a popular travel destination neighboring India. Indian visit can arrange for you all types of land transport for your comfortable journey in Kathmandu and throughout the neighboring country of Nepal.

By Road

Kathmandu has a good road network. There are several land routes that you may take from India to reach Kathmandu. From Gorakhpur, there are several modes of land transport that take you across to Nepal and Kathmandu in turn. From Kolkata you may travel to Raxaul and via Virganj reach Kathmandu.

By Air

There are regular flights from New Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Kolkata, and all the other major airports across the world to Kathmandu.

By Rail

N/A