Kathmandu, Nepal-7-day-itinerary

Seven days, itemized: here’s what each day actually costs

Run the numbers before you commit to a week here. Entry fees alone across the trip come to roughly NPR 1,000 for Kathmandu Durbar Square, NPR 200 for Swayambhunath, NPR 400 for Boudhanath, NPR 1,000 for Pashupatinath, comparable fees again for Patan, and NPR 1,800-2,000 for Bhaktapur, plus a Nagarkot overnight and food. None of it is expensive individually, but knowing the total keeps you from getting nickel-and-dimed by taxi drivers who assume tourists don’t track it.

Arrival: visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International, cash US dollars, $50 for 30 days. Skip curb touts quoting NPR 1,500+ and use the airport’s prepaid taxi counter, fixed NPR 700-800 into Thamel. Watch for the driver who claims your hotel is closed and tries to redirect you to a commission guesthouse, keep the hotel’s number on hand and refuse.

Day 1: Thamel and orientation. Land, check in, and use the afternoon to get your bearings in Thamel, sort a SIM card, change a small amount of cash if needed. Skip a big Thamel dinner if you can, the food here is overpriced for what it is, save your appetite for Patan later in the week.

Day 2: Kathmandu Durbar Square and Pashupatinath. Morning at Kathmandu Durbar Square, NPR 1,000, most of the 2015 earthquake reconstruction is complete including the Kasthamandap pavilion, reopened 2023-24, some scaffolding remains but it’s not the ruin older posts describe. Afternoon, Pashupatinath, NPR 1,000. Non-Hindus can’t enter the inner pagoda but the cremation ghats are viewable respectfully from across the Bagmati, keep cameras away from grieving families, and if a self-appointed holy man applies a tika uninvited, decline before contact or the “donation” demand follows.

Day 3: Swayambhunath and Boudhanath. Morning climb up Swayambhunath, the real Monkey Temple, NPR 200, about 365 steps up the east side. Afternoon, Boudhanath Stupa, NPR 400, walk the full kora loop. Dinner tonight in Patan, Newa Lahana or Honacha, NPR 500-1,200 for proper Newari thali, chhoila, and bara, a noticeably better meal than anything back in Thamel.

Day 4: Bhaktapur, the full day. About 45-90 minutes out by road, entry NPR 1,800-2,000, the highest of the three squares because it covers the whole town, ticket valid across multiple days. Spend the whole day, the pottery square and medieval streets are the best-preserved in the valley and reward unhurried walking.

Day 5-6: Nagarkot overnight. Head up in the afternoon of day 5, about 1.5-2 hours from the city, to the hilltop at 2,175m, and catch sunrise the next morning, best on a clear October-November or March-April day for Everest visibility. Note this is a sunrise viewpoint primarily, sunset can be good too but the mountain views are clearest at dawn before haze builds through the day. Return to Kathmandu by midday on day 6.

Day 6 afternoon-Day 7: Patan and departure. Use the rest of day 6 for Patan Durbar Square, better preserved and less crowded than Kathmandu’s, arguably the best of the three if you’re prioritizing one. Wander the metalwork district and grab a final Newari dinner. Day 7 is your buffer, if your flight is late enough, revisit a favorite spot or finish any shopping in Thamel, but check trekking shops for TAAN or NTB registration and insurance before booking anything on impulse.

Getting around all seven days: taxis are legally metered but drivers refuse to run it, agree the fare before getting in. Pathao and InDrive apps lock in the price up front and are more dependable, watch for drivers pushing extra cash at drop-off and hold to the app quote. There’s no metro system, budget real time for Thamel’s narrow, motorbike-clogged streets.

Reconfirm your departure flight the day before and keep small NPR notes on hand, most vendors and ticket counters can’t break large bills.