Kathmandu is a great place in Nepal for a one-day sightseeing tour which includes fascinating and lovely historical and monuments enlisted in the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. In your Kathmandu sightseeing tour you can explore history, culture, religion, Nepalese food, and lifestyles of Nepal with your own eyes, and I’m sure you are going to fall in love with all this. Here you’ll learn about the best of Kathmandu Sightseeing places which will help you to see some the most beautiful tourist attractions of Kathmandu valley when you are visiting Nepal and Kathmandu Valley.
Table of Contents
A day Kathmandu sightseeing Tour
- Activities: City Tour
- Route: Within Kathmandu Valley
- Trip Length: 1 day
- Meal: Provided (Nepali Food)
- Accommodation: None
- Transportation: Private Vehicle
- Group Size: 2-5 persons
- Best Month: All year around
- Trip Cost: $200 USD (Approximate)
Popular Kathmandu sightseeing places
- Pashupatinath Temple
- Boudhanath Stupa
- Swayambhunath Stupa
- Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Thamel Bazar
- Starts: Pashupatinath
- Ends: Kathmandu Durbar Square
Pashupatinath Temple
The Pashupatinath Temple is a popular and sacred Hindu temple located on the banks of the Bagmati river, approx 5 km northeast of Kathmandu. The temple was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the year 1979.
This temple is not only a combination of religion, arts and culture but also significant destinations for art historians. It shows you a variety of styles of temples: Dome style, Pagoda Style, Shikhara style. There is a statue made out of stone, metal, and wood.
There are huge numbers of famous temples and monuments inside the Pashupatinath including the Dakshinamurti, Kaal Bhairav, Tamreshwar, Panchdewal, Biswarupa, and others. Each temple has its own specific value rituals and importance.
Pashupatinath is worth full to keep in your list of Kathmandu sightseeing places. It is also rich in cultural, forest, and water resources. In order to maintain these important resources, Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) was founded during the initiative and reign of Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev in 1996.
Boudhanath Temple
Boudhanath considered one among the oldest and the largest stupa in Nepal and the Asian continent and it is one another great place for sightseeing in Kathmandu. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most impeccable sites in Nepal. It is situated about 11 km from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu. As of 1979, Boudha Stupa was enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Also at Swayambhu, it is one of the more popular tourist sites located in the Kathmandu Valley.
The temple was built in the shape of a mandala designed to replicate the Gyangtse of Tibet, the stupa was renovated during the Licchavi period in the 8th century.
When you’ll go inside the temple during your Kathmandu sightseeing tour, make sure you’re clockwise or sun-wise as it is as it was originally referred to – around the Stupa. Spin the prayer wheels, as it is somewhat offensive to do the opposite.
Swayambhunath Temple
Swayambhunath which is also called as Swayambhu or Swoyambhu is the second most popular place of Kathmandu after the Pashupatinath temple. Swayambhu literally means ” self-existent one”. It is situated in the west of Kathmandu City.
As it is also commonly referred as Monkey Temple by foreigners. This place certainly makes you feel like you’re in another world.
People believed it exists about 2000 years ago but the current stupa is built after the 14th century. The Panoramic view of the whole KTM valley from Stupa is really outstanding, I’m sure you’ll love it and really why Kathmandu is one the greatest places to visit in South Asia and Nepal… On the east of the stupa, there is a long staircase that climbs up you to the hill. It also has an awesome pagoda-style devoted to the Mother Goddess Harati.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Kathmandu Durbar Square or Basantapur Durbar area is one of the 3 Durbar Squares (old royal palace) in the Kathmandu valley. Like Pashupatinath, Swayambhu, and Boudhanath it was also enlisted by UNESCO.
Basantapur Durbar Square is located in the heart of the city. The people of Kathmandu & Nepal call it Hanuman Dhoka, named after the Monkey God, Hanuman. It’s a great sight and you can easily spend hours wandering around Kathmandu durbar square. Keep it in your note to ensure that you don’t miss to visit this wonderful Kathmandu sightseeing places which also appreciated my most of tourist visiting Nepal. It includes the historic building of Kings, the ferocious Kal Bhairav, and the red monkey god. The majority of the monuments, buildings were built by the Malla rulers. Kasthamandap is the major attraction of this site which is built by a single tree.
Thamel
Around 7 km drive from Tribhuvan International Airport, Thamel is the center of attraction of Nepal’s tourism industry. It is heaven for the tourists consists of several hotels, shops, intl. restaurants, souvenir shops, and hiking & trekking stores that cater especially to western tourists.
Thamel is ultimately the best destination to chill out in the city. It is the place where tourist gets everything that they want. So when you will reach Kathmandu, I recommend to enroll yourself in the amazing Thamel.
Thamel is in 20 minutes walking distance from Kathmandu Durbar Square and Ason Bazar. Wondering in the Thamel area keeps you out of frustrations and tensions. More than that, young generations seek freedom, music, food, entertainment, and relaxation. So arguably no doubt Thamel will be the perfect destination for you.