I remember when I was first planning my trip to Nepal everyone would tell me ‘oh its such a great country once you get out of Kathmandu’ or ‘you’re going to have so much fun, just make sure you leave Kathmandu as fast as you can’. Almost every one you talk to will tell you that they prefer Pokhara to Kathmandu. I have nothing against Pokhara, but I think Kathmandu is one of the most underrated cities I have ever been to! In my six weeks in Nepal I spent over a week in total in Kathmandu and loved (almost) every minute of it. Its crazy, its dirty and its huge, but its also exciting and unlike any other city that I’ve been to. So in my campaign to encourage more people to spend time in Kathmandu I have created a list of my 10 favourite things to do in Kathmandu.

1. Visit Pashupatinath Temple

This is Nepal’s most sacred, most famous and oldest Hindu temples and one of several UNESCO World Heritage sites in the area. Unlike a lot of UNESCO site Pashupainath Temple is still very much is use and you’ll see cremations every morning here. It is located on the banks of the Bagmati River which is sacred to Hindus (like the Ganges River in India). It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the 4 most important sacred sites for his followers. The legend is that Lord Shiva took a rest in the form of a deer and lived in the area. The main temple is where Lord Shiva lived and represents the ‘head’ of Lord Shiva to his followers who often make pilgrims to all 12 of his Jyotirlinga or representations around the world.

The main temple complex is not open to foreigners, but for ~$10 you can explore the many other pagoda’s, temples and cremation sites. When you first enter the complex there will likely be tour guides willing to show you around for a small fee, unfortunately most will not identify themselves as tour guides. They will start showing you around and just expect a fee, We ended up not getting a tour guide because we felt kind of scammed, but I think we would have enjoyed having more insight into the hisotorty and culture of the temple. The will also be plenty of painted sadhus (religious ascetic who has renounced worldly life) who will allow you to take photos of them for a small fee. This was probably my favourite temple in Kathmandu, likely because it is so unique and unlike anything I’d seen before. Make sure you include a visit to Pashupatinath when you go to Kathmandu.

2. Try a cooking class

Nepalese food is great, and largely vegetarian which was a big plus for me. If your trekking daal bhat will be your staple food, but in Kathmandu momo take the top spot. I love trying to learn a new skill whenever I travel and learning how to cook one of the local dishes is a lot of fun and relatively cheap way to learn about the local culture.

When I visited Nepal there was a lot less selection when it came to picking a cooking class, but now there are several options. We did a momo cooking class where we learned how to make 3 different types of moms and of course got to eat them afterwards. A few popular option in Kathmandu are SocialTours’ Cook Like a Local Tour or Nepal Cooking School in Thamel. 

3. Go shopping in the Thamel district

Thamel is the tourist district of Kathmandu, there is a lot going on and at times it can be overwhelming. Its covered in Tibetan prayer flags, filled with cycle rickshaws and shops of all kind line it’s streets. In my opinion this is some of the best shopping in Asia. You can buy or rent equipment for your Nepal trek or buys souvenirs of all kinds. Everything is a bargain so make sure you bargain hard – aim to pay roughly 1/2 of what is initially offered. Careful not too get too caught up in arguing over pennies though. Thamel is also one of the best places in Kathmandu for food, drinks and live music.

Right beside Thamel (as you walk towards Durbar Square) you’ll find the older part of Kathmandu which is riddled with narrow alley ways, temples and shrines. Some points of interest in the area include Seto Machhendranath Temple, Nateshwar temple, As an Tole and Kathesimbhu Stupa. Even if you don’t visit any of the temples the area around Thamel is a little less touristy and worth your time to wander around.

4. Sit down and grab a coffee

I would never have thought that Kathmandu had such a vibrant and diverse coffee culture. I was thrilled with all of the options available! There are tons of great coffee shops and bakeries all over Thamel and Kathmandu in general – there is a great round up here. Plus the coffee shops tend to have the best internet in Kathmandu!

5. Boudhanath Stupa Circumambulate

Not too far from the Pashupatinath Temple is the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At sun set Tibetan Buddhist come out and circumambulate the stupa while chanting Om Mani Padme Hum and spinning prayer wheels. In the surrounding area there are a few monasteries that have a great view of the stupa. There are also several great rooftop restaurants where you can get a similar view. These restaurants tend to be more expensive tourist prices, but the view is worth it.

6. A day trip to Bhaktapur

This is a small town just 10 km from Kathmandu (you never really leave Kathmandu) that has one of the highest concentrations of temples in Nepal. It’s totally doable in a day trip from Kathmandu, but I actually spent a night there and really enjoyed it. Bhaktapur was severally damaged in the 2015 earthquake, but is constantly being restored. It is a beautiful little town with no cars in the city centre and is a nice break from the craziness that is Kathmandu. Bhaktapur even has its own Durbar Square which you can visit. Another popular day trip is Patan which is similar to Bhaktapur (has it’s own Durbar Square too).

7. Kopan Monastery

The majority of Nepalese people are hindu, but Buddhism is the second most popular religion (10%) and there are over 1,200 Buddhist temples or monasteries in Nepal. Kopan Monastery, just north of Kathmandu, is on of the biggest and well known monestary. It was founded in the 1970s and is a fully operational Tibetan Buddhist monastery with approximately 360 monks.

While it is completely possible to just come for a day (30min drive from Thamel) I think the best and most unique opportunity to experience the monastery is through a course or retreat. I did a 6 day meditation and Buddhist retreat and it was an experience. Not always good, but something that you could only do in Nepal. It was a great introduction to Tibetan Buddhism and history which was incredibly interesting and worth learning about. It was a largely silent retreat (except for lunch) and included a lot of lectures and guided meditation. If you are familiar with the term type 2 fun (fun that is mostly only fun in hindsight), the retreat was type 2 fun. It truly was an incredible life experience (and a pretty cheap one) that I grow fonder of all the time.

8. Swayambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple)

On a hilltop to the west of Kathmandu is Swayambhunath Stupa otherwise known as the Monkey Temple for the dozens of monkeys that call this place home. The monkeys are said to have grown out of lice living in bodhisattva (enlightened person) Manjusri’s long hair. However the monkeys ended up there they are fun to watch jump around the temple. The temple is located at the top of 365 steps which means the view over Kathmandu is worth the visit by itself.

10. Attend a Festival / Celebrate Holi

This is probably the most iconic and unique things that you can do while in Nepal and if you can it is a good idea to coincide your visit with a major festival, particularly Holi.

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Missing – Durbar Square

This is always on the top 10 list of things to do in Kathmandu and for good reason. It is the most popular destination in Kathmandu and the Kumari Bahal (the living goddess who spends all her days in this three story building) is an intriguing cultural icon. However for the relative expensive price required to enter I think that there are better thing in Kathmandu to do.