Destinations · 7 min

The Kathmandu Valley in a Day

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By Tom Eriksen5 September 2025Updated 11 May 2026

Light matters more than anything else in the valley. Patan Durbar Square is at its best before eight, when the square belongs to people going to work. Bhaktapur's Pottery Square works at midday, when the drying racks are full. Boudhanath is an evening place, when the kora fills and the butter lamps go on.

This film follows that order rather than a geographical one.

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About the author

Tom Eriksen

Gear editor & photographer

Tom tests trekking equipment the only way that produces honest answers: by carrying it for weeks at a time above 4,000 metres. He shoots most of the photography on this site and writes the gear reviews, comparison tables and packing lists.

Writes about: Trekking gear · Photography · Packing and weight

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