About Kathmandu

The essentials about Nepal's capital: where it is, who lives there, its faiths and festivals, what to see and how to get around.

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and the largest city in the Kathmandu Valley, a bowl of land about 1,400 m above sea level, ringed by green hills. The valley holds three historic cities, Kathmandu, Patan (Lalitpur) and Bhaktapur, which were separate kingdoms right up until 1769.

People and languages

The Newar people are the valley's original inhabitants, and the temples, palaces, festivals and food that visitors come to see are largely their culture. Today, though, Kathmandu is home to people from every corner of Nepal. Nepali is the national language, Newari (Nepal Bhasa) is spoken in the old cities, and you'll find English widely understood in hotels, shops and restaurants.

Faiths

Hinduism and Buddhism have lived side by side in the valley for more than 1,500 years, and many shrines are shared by both. You'll see this for yourself at Swayambhunath, where a Hindu goddess's temple stands right next to the stupa.

Festivals

The valley has a festival almost every month, so there's a good chance you'll catch one! The best known are Dashain and Tihar in autumn; Indra Jatra in September, when the Kumari is carried through the streets; Holi in spring; and the chariot festivals of Machhindranath in Patan and Bisket Jatra in Bhaktapur.

What to see

Start with the seven World Heritage sites, then head out to the valley rim for the mountain views at Nagarkot and the walks around it.

Getting around

Taxis and ride-hailing apps are easy to find, although the traffic is, well, let's just say slow. For sightseeing, a private car with a guide saves a lot of time and lets you see more in a day, which is why all our tours include one.