Kathmandu Nepal 5 Day Itinerary

Five days built around eating well, not around Thamel

Most itineraries route every dinner through Thamel because it’s convenient. This one routes dinner through Patan instead on more nights than not, because the food there is objectively better and the extra 15-20 minute ride is worth it. Sights get scheduled around that, not the other way round.

Arrival: visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International, cash US dollars, $50 covers 30 days. The prepaid taxi counter inside the terminal is a fixed NPR 700-800 into Thamel, skip the curb touts asking NPR 1,500 or more. Watch for the driver who says your hotel is closed or gone, a redirect scam toward a commission guesthouse, refuse and call ahead if needed.

Day 1: Kathmandu Durbar Square, settle in. Morning and early afternoon at Kathmandu Durbar Square, NPR 1,000, most of the 2015 earthquake reconstruction is finished, including the Kasthamandap pavilion reopened in 2023-24, with some scaffolding still around in spots. Ease into the trip, this is also a fine day to sort a SIM card and cash. Dinner in Patan tonight, get it out of the way early: Newa Lahana or Honacha for proper thali, chhoila, and bara, NPR 500-1,200.

Day 2: Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. Morning at Pashupatinath, NPR 1,000. Non-Hindus can’t get past the outer gate of the inner pagoda but the cremation ghats are visible respectfully from across the Bagmati, keep cameras away from grieving families, and if a self-appointed holy man puts a tika on your forehead uninvited, expect a demand for money, decline before contact. Afternoon, Boudhanath Stupa, NPR 400, walk the kora loop properly rather than a fast photo stop. Dinner in Boudha itself at Yangling Tibetan.

Day 3: Bhaktapur, the full day it needs. About 45-90 minutes out by road, entry NPR 1,800-2,000, the priciest of the three squares because it covers the whole town, with a ticket valid across multiple days. Give it the whole day, the pottery square and medieval streetscape reward slow walking and it’s a mistake to rush it as an add-on to something else.

Day 4: Swayambhunath, then Patan properly. Morning climb up Swayambhunath, the real Monkey Temple, NPR 200, about 365 steps up the east side, go early before the day heats up. Spend the afternoon and evening in Patan this time as the main event, not just for dinner, Patan Durbar Square is better preserved and less crowded than Kathmandu’s, arguably the best of the three if you can only give one square real time. Wander the metalwork district before dinner.

Day 5: Chandragiri and departure. Morning cable car up Chandragiri Hills, about an hour to the base then a fixed 10-minute ride, $13 one-way or $23 round-trip, temple and valley views without committing to an overnight the way Nagarkot demands. It’s a half-day trip so you’ll have the afternoon free before heading to the airport. If you still need trekking gear, buy only from a shop that can show TAAN or NTB registration and insurance, not an impulse purchase from an unlicensed Thamel storefront.

Getting around all five days: taxis are legally metered but drivers won’t run it, agree the fare before getting in. Pathao and InDrive apps lock in the price up front and are the more dependable option, watch for drivers pushing extra cash at drop-off and hold to the app quote. There’s no metro system, so budget real time for Thamel’s narrow, motorbike-clogged streets.

Reconfirm your departure flight the day before, Kathmandu traffic near the airport is unpredictable enough to justify the extra buffer.