2 Days: Kathmandu and Nepal
Two days in Kathmandu almost never means two days of sightseeing for the reason you’d think. It’s a layover with a pulse, the gap between landing and a flight to Lukla, or a quick mountain fix for someone who isn’t trekking at all this trip. Either way, don’t burn it wandering Durbar Squares you’ll rush through anyway. This plan gets you logistics-sorted and one genuine Himalaya moment in 48 hours flat. For the deep monument-hopping version of this city, see the in-city guide , it deserves its own dedicated days separately from this.
Book these before you go
- The Everest scenic mountain flight on GetYourGuide : clear-weather morning slots go first, especially September-November and March-April.
- A backup Chandragiri Hills cable car ticket on Viator, worth having either way in case the flight gets weathered out.
| Day | Focus | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visa, Thamel logistics, tourist SIM | $30-125 visa, $4-8 SIM |
| 2 | Everest scenic flight or Chandragiri cable car | $165-300 flight, ~NPR 1,360 cable car |
Day 1: land, sort your gear, and get oriented
Visa on arrival happens before baggage claim, 15 days for $30, 30 days for $50, crisp US cash because the card readers are unreliable. The prepaid taxi counter into Thamel is a fixed NPR 700-800, skip curbside touts quoting double while gripping your bags.
If you’re heading onward to a trek, this is your window to actually handle it, not the night before you fly to Lukla. Confirm your trekking agency is TAAN-registered with a real Kathmandu office, ideally one you booked before landing rather than picked off a Thamel signboard, ID cards and a company office address are worth checking in person if you haven’t. This isn’t boilerplate caution, either, a documented fake-helicopter-rescue insurance fraud scheme is currently working through Nepal’s courts, so a vetted operator matters more than it used to. Grab a tourist SIM while you’re at it, both Ncell and NTC sell them at authorized outlets across Thamel, bring your passport. Round out the day with dal bhat somewhere in Thamel, rice, lentils, and a curry with refills built in, and get an early night, tomorrow starts before sunrise if the weather cooperates.
Day 2: your one guaranteed mountain moment
Book the Everest scenic mountain flight for your first morning here, not your last, weather delays and cancellations are common enough on this route that you want a backup day in reserve if you can manage it. It’s a 50-60 minute flight departing around 6:30-8am, roughly $165-300 depending on the airline and season, with a guaranteed window seat and a rotation partway through so both sides of the plane get the view. Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines both run the route regularly.
If the flight gets weathered out or you’d rather spend less, the Chandragiri Hills cable car is the backup plan and, frankly, a genuinely good one on its own terms, about an hour’s drive to the base station in Thankot then a ten-minute gondola ride up to 2,551 meters, with panoramic valley views and, on an exceptionally clear day, a distant Himalayan skyline. Either way, spend the afternoon wrapping up any last gear purchases in Thamel before your onward flight, whether that’s home or the start of the real trip up to Lukla.
Before you land
There’s no metro here, plan on taxis and ride-hailing apps like Pathao or InDrive instead, both let you lock a fare before the ride rather than negotiating curbside. Dress modestly if you duck into any temple grounds along the way, and stick to bottled or filtered water the whole trip. If two days feels too tight and you can stretch it, the 3-day itinerary adds a proper Nagarkot sunrise, arguably a better payoff than the flight for a fraction of the price, it just costs you a night instead of cash.