Location · Kathmandu Valley
Nepal's capital and the arrival point for almost every visitor — chaotic, layered, and the place every trek is organised from.
Kathmandu is where Nepali trips begin and end: the international airport, the permit offices, the trekking agencies and Thamel's gear shops are all here, along with three UNESCO monument zones inside the ring road.
Give it two days at the start for permits and kit, and two days at the end as a buffer against Lukla weather — a buffer you will need more often than not.
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Travel Guide
Where to stay, what to see, what things cost and how to use Kathmandu as the logistical base for everything else in Nepal.
Kathmandu Valley · NepalCity guide
Itinerary
The best two-week first trip to Nepal: three days in the Kathmandu Valley, a five-day trek in the Annapurnas, and enough slack that a delayed bus does not ruin the plan.
Nepal14 daysMid-range
Itinerary
One week, no rushing: the Kathmandu Valley's three cities, a flight to Pokhara, and two days walking in the foothills with the Annapurnas in view.
Nepal7 daysComfort
Video
Patan at dawn, Bhaktapur's pottery square at midday, Boudhanath at dusk — the valley's three great sites in the order they are best seen.
Kathmandu Valley · NepalDestinations7 min