Kathmandu-7-day-itinerary

Seven days is genuinely the best length for Kathmandu if you want to see everything without feeling rushed at any point, including proper time for both hill towns. Here’s the full week, done right.

Day 1: arrival and Thamel

Handle your visa on arrival before baggage claim, 15 days for $30, 30 days for $50, or 90 days multi-entry for $125, crisp US cash since card readers here are unreliable. Bring a passport photo or use the airport booth, and the online arrival form ahead of time helps if you land during the October-November peak, when queues can stretch 45-90 minutes. Prepaid taxi counter into Thamel is a fixed NPR 700-800, ignore curbside touts quoting NPR 1,500 while grabbing your bags. Watch for the driver-claims-your-hotel-is-closed scam too, save your hotel’s number and refuse any detour.

Spend the afternoon getting your bearings in Thamel’s narrow lanes, then head out for dinner and drinks somewhere with a rooftop view. Try momos early, NPR 150-300 nearly anywhere, they’ll become a daily habit fast. Dal bhat is worth an early try too, NPR 300-600 with unlimited refills, the “dal bhat power 24 hour” claim that fuels most of the trekking industry here.

Day 2: Boudhanath and Pashupatinath

Morning at Boudhanath Stupa, NPR 400, walking the kora clockwise through the Tibetan Buddhist quarter. Afternoon at Pashupatinath, NPR 1,000, the Hindu cremation site on the Bagmati. Non-Hindus can’t enter the inner pagoda but the full complex and cremation ghats are viewable from across the river, so this isn’t a skip, just approach it respectfully and keep your camera down around grieving families. Dress modestly and have shoes ready to remove.

Day 3: durbar squares

Kathmandu Durbar Square in the morning, about NPR 1,000, largely rebuilt since 2015 with Kasthamandap reopened since 2023-24. Patan Durbar Square across the Bagmati in the afternoon, comparable price, and I’ll say it plainly: better preserved, less crowded, and the better square overall if you’re comparing the two. Dinner in Patan too, real Newari food at Newa Lahana or Honacha, chhoila and bara for NPR 500-1,200, a different league from Thamel’s tourist menus.

Day 4: Bhaktapur, unrushed

The drive to Bhaktapur runs 45-90 minutes depending on traffic, not the quick 30-minute hop some guides claim, so budget the whole day for it and don’t schedule anything tight afterward. Entry costs NPR 1,800-2,000 covering the whole entry-controlled medieval town, and it deserves that full day rather than a rushed add-on to something else. Wander the pottery square, watch woodcarvers at work, and the Nyatapola temple survived the quake standing, one of the tallest in the country. Wear comfortable shoes, the cobblestones are uneven.

Day 5: Nagarkot sunrise

Drive up to Nagarkot in the afternoon, 1.5-2 hours out at 2,175 meters, and stay overnight for the sunrise. Clear October-November or March-April mornings deliver genuine Himalaya views, Everest included, and that dawn payoff is exactly why an overnight beats a rushed day trip. Bring layers, water, and snacks for the early wake-up.

Day 6: Swayambhunath and beyond

Back in Kathmandu, spend the morning at Swayambhunath, NPR 200 and about 365 steps up the east side. This is the genuine Monkey Temple, not Pashupatinath, worth stating clearly since plenty of guides mix the two up. The monkeys here have zero shame about swiping unattended snacks. In the afternoon, browse Durbar Marg, the quieter upscale boulevard near the old Royal Palace, for better dining than the Thamel circuit and a calmer pace after a busy week.

Day 7: last stop and departure

Use the morning for any sight you missed, or just wander Thamel one final time for souvenirs. Keep a photocopy of your passport separate from the original, and exchange any leftover Nepalese Rupees before heading to Tribhuvan International for departure.

Getting around all week

No metro exists in Kathmandu, and any itinerary claiming otherwise is wrong. Taxi meters are required by law and ignored in practice, agree fares up front or use Pathao and InDrive for locked app pricing. If you’re extending into trekking territory afterward, verify any agency is TAAN or NTB registered and take altitude seriously regardless of fitness level. A random storefront booking on your last day in Thamel is false economy compared to a vetted operator, even if it costs a little more upfront. Pack layers for the whole week too, mornings across the valley and especially up at Nagarkot run colder than midday Kathmandu streets, and don’t be surprised by the occasional brief power cut, hotels run backup generators as standard these days.