The buzzing tourist heart — a warren of narrow lanes packed with guesthouses, trekking-gear shops, restaurants, bars, bookshops and travel agents, humming day and night. Loud, cheap and superbly convenient for everything a traveller needs (and where every Himalayan trip is organised); the obvious base for a first visit, if you don't mind the crowds and the touts.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€40–95
typical per night in Nepal
The sensible middle
Typical prices for Kathmandu — neither steal nor splurge.
Where it sits
The circle is Thamel 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.
- Asan & the old bazaars11 min walk882 m
- Kathmandu Durbar Square16 min walk1.3 km
- Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple)26 min walk2.2 km
- Pashupatinath Temple11 min taxi3.6 km
- Patan Durbar Square15 min taxi4.9 km
- Boudhanath Stupa15 min taxi4.9 km
- The Boudhanath kora & Tibetan quarter15 min taxi4.9 km
- An Everest mountain flight15 min taxi5.1 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 6.Thamel — The traveller heart of Kathmandu — a buzzing tangle of lanes crammed with trekking-gear shops, pashmina and singing-bowl stalls, bookshops, cafés and bars, rickshaws weaving through the crowds. Chaotic and touristy, but great fun and endlessly useful: kit out for a trek, hunt for souvenirs, and eat everything from momos to wood-fired pizza. Every Nepal adventure begins here.
- 7.Newari food & momos — Nepal's food is a delicious surprise — above all the momo, the beloved steamed or fried dumpling, plus the everyday dal bhat feast, spicy Newari specialities like choila and bara, and Tibetan thukpa noodle soup and butter tea. Eat momos everywhere, seek out a traditional Newari restaurant for a proper spread, and wash it down with local Gorkha beer or millet raksi. Hearty, warming and cheap.
- 9.Garden of Dreams — A beautifully restored neo-classical garden right beside Thamel — a serene walled oasis of fountains, pavilions, lawns and a lovely café, a world away from the dust and horns just outside the gate. The perfect refuge to rest, read or have a coffee between the temples and the bustle; small but blissful, and a favourite escape for travellers and locals alike.
- 15.A night out in Thamel — After dark Thamel comes alive — live-music bars playing everything from rock covers to Nepali folk, rooftop lounges, cheap cocktails and cosy pubs full of trekkers swapping tales of the trail. Relaxed and friendly rather than wild; toast a summit or a safe return with a Gorkha beer, catch a band, and enjoy the buzz of travellers from every corner of the globe. The perfect end to a Kathmandu day.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Thamel; flights via Google Flights.