Kathmandu Full Day Heritage Tour
- Duration
- 1 day
- Max altitude
- 1,400 m
- Difficulty
-
Easy
Difficulty scale
- Easy Short walking days on good trails below about 3,000 m. Suitable for anyone in ordinary health, including families.
- Moderate 5 to 6 hours a day with some steep sections, reaching up to about 4,000 m. A reasonable level of fitness and a few weeks of preparation walking recommended.
- Strenuous 6 to 8 hours a day, high passes or altitudes above 5,000 m, and remote stretches. Good fitness, prior trekking experience and proper acclimatisation days are essential.
- Very strenuous Long days, multiple high passes or technical sections, sustained time above 5,000 m. For experienced, well-conditioned trekkers only.
- Best season
- Autumn (Sep–Nov) · Monsoon (Jun–Aug) · Spring (Mar–May) · Winter (Dec–Feb)
- Group
- Private
- From
- $95.00
Overview
Most visitors get one day in Kathmandu before they fly out to the mountains, and most day tours spend it in traffic. This one is built around four sites that sit close enough together to see properly: the old royal square, the hilltop stupa above the city, the riverside cremation ghats and the great dome at Boudhanath.
Your guide is licensed by the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management and works in English. The vehicle is yours for the day, so if you want forty minutes in one courtyard instead of fifteen, that is your call. Every entry fee is already in the price.
Trip highlights
- Kathmandu Durbar Square and the old Malla palace courtyards
- Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa with the valley laid out below
- Pashupatinath, Nepal's holiest Hindu temple complex
- Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world
- All four site entry fees included, no cash needed on the day
Day by day
The itinerary
-
Day 1: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath 1,400 m 8 to 9 hours hrs Noneincluded
Your guide meets you at your hotel at 9am.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
The seat of the Malla kings and then the Shah dynasty, a dense cluster of palaces, courtyards and temples built between the 12th and 18th centuries. You will see the Hanuman Dhoka gate, the Kumari Ghar where the living goddess resides, and the stone inscription set into the palace wall carrying writing in fifteen languages. Parts of the square are still under restoration after the 2015 earthquake, and your guide will explain what fell and what has been rebuilt.
Swayambhunath
A short drive west, then 365 steps up a wooded hill, or a vehicle road to a side entrance if the steps are not for you. The white dome and gilded spire carry the painted eyes of the Buddha on all four sides. Rhesus monkeys live on the hill, which is where the nickname comes from. On a clear morning the whole valley is visible from the platform.
Lunch
A break of about an hour. Your guide will suggest options at a range of prices near Swayambhu or on the way east. Lunch is not included, so you order what you want.
Pashupatinath
The most important Shiva temple in Nepal, on the bank of the Bagmati. The inner sanctum is open to Hindus only, but the complex around it is where the day turns serious: open air cremations on the ghats, sadhus on the far terrace, families performing rites. Your guide will tell you where photography is and is not appropriate.
Boudhanath
The last stop, timed for late afternoon when the kora begins. Pilgrims walk clockwise around the base of the stupa, monks come out of the surrounding gompas, and butter lamps go on as the light drops. A rooftop cafe on the circuit is a good place to finish.
Drop off at your hotel around 6pm.
What's included
Included
- Included: Government licensed English speaking heritage guide for the full day
- Included: Private air conditioned tourist vehicle with driver, hotel to hotel
- Included: Entry fees for Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath
- Included: Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Included: All government taxes and administrative charges
Not included
- Not included: Lunch, about USD 8 to USD 20 per person depending on where you eat
- Not included: Any beverages
- Not included: Tips for your guide and driver, which are expected but never compulsory
- Not included: Camera or video permit charges where a site levies them separately
- Not included: Nepal entry visa, obtainable on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport
- Not included: Travel insurance
- Not included: Anything not listed under what is included
Your team
Led by a licensed guide
Every route is led by a government-licensed guide from our team. Licences are on record with us before departure, and you'll meet your guide once your trip is confirmed.
Guide language(s): English, Nepali
Group-size pricing
Walk together, pay less
Every trip is private, so the guide, permits and transfers cost the same however many walk. Sharing them is why the per-person price falls: arithmetic, not a sale.
| Group size | per person | You save each |
|---|---|---|
| 1 trekker | $115.00 | base rate |
| 2 to 3 trekkers | $95.00 | $20.00 |
| 4 to 6 trekkers | $89.00 | $26.00 |
| 7 or more | $84.00 | $31.00 |
Per person, including permits, park fees and taxes. Nothing is added at checkout.
Weather
What to expect, month by month
- Autumn (Sep–Nov)The most reliable trekking season: clear air, stable weather and cold nights, right after the monsoon clears.
- Monsoon (Jun–Aug)Wet and cloudy on most routes, though Mustang and Dolpo sit in the rain shadow behind the main range and stay walkable.
- Spring (Mar–May)Warmer than autumn, with rhododendron forests in flower and slightly hazier mountain views as the season goes on.
- Winter (Dec–Feb)Cold and quiet, with the clearest skies of the year at lower altitude. High passes and very high routes are best avoided.
Traveller reviews
What trekkers say
Why book with us
Every trail, one licensed team
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