The medieval heart of Kathmandu — the temple-packed Durbar Square, the living-goddess Kumari's house, and a maze of ancient courtyards, shrines and bustling bazaars like Asan. Atmospheric, chaotic and steeped in history, a short walk from Thamel; a few characterful stays exist, and it's the most rewarding area to simply wander and get lost.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€18–40
typical per night in Nepal
Easy on the wallet
Among the cheapest areas to sleep in Kathmandu.
Where it sits
The circle is Old City & Durbar Square and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Thamel16 min walk1.3 km
- Newari food & momos16 min walk1.3 km
- Garden of Dreams16 min walk1.3 km
- Patan Durbar Square12 min taxi3.9 km
- Pashupatinath Temple12 min taxi4.1 km
- An Everest mountain flight16 min taxi5.2 km
- Boudhanath Stupa17 min taxi5.7 km
- The Boudhanath kora & Tibetan quarter17 min taxi5.7 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 1.Kathmandu Durbar Square — The medieval royal square at the heart of the old city, a UNESCO site crammed with pagoda temples, palaces and shrines — the old Hanuman Dhoka palace, towering temples and the courtyard home of the Kumari, Nepal's living goddess. Damaged in the 2015 earthquake and much restored, it's still magnificent; wander its temples, watch the life around them, and soak up centuries of Newari craftsmanship.
- 2.Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) — The ancient hilltop stupa in the west, its gilded spire painted with the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha, fluttering with prayer flags and swarming with cheeky monkeys. Climb the steep stairway for a sweeping view over the whole valley, spin the prayer wheels, and feel the mingling of Buddhist and Hindu worship. One of Nepal's holiest and most iconic sights, magical at dawn or dusk.
- 8.Asan & the old bazaars — The frenetic beating heart of old Kathmandu's commerce — Asan Tole and Indra Chowk, a maze of teeming market lanes selling spices, grains, textiles, brass, beads and everyday goods, with hidden shrines at every turn. A gloriously chaotic, un-touristy plunge into daily Newari life; wander with your senses open (and your bag close), and watch the city trade as it has for centuries.
- 14.The Kumari Ghar (living goddess) — On Durbar Square stands the ornately carved wooden house of the Kumari — a young girl worshipped as a living goddess, chosen through ancient ritual, who occasionally appears at her latticed window to the courtyard below. A unique, spellbinding tradition found only in Nepal; admire the exquisite Newari woodcarving of the courtyard, and if you're lucky, glimpse the goddess herself (no photos of her).
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Old City & Durbar Square; flights via Google Flights.