swayambhunath monkey temple

Kathmandu Valley the fertile, mountain sheltered and historic heart of Nepal is the home to three of the largest cities including Kathmandu and hundreds of smaller towns and villages. The Kathmandu Valley is the most developed and populated place in Nepal and popular to tourists for its unique, rich, culture and architecture. Geographically the valley is made up of the Kathmandu District, Lalitpur District and Bhaktapur District covering an area of 220 sq. miles. The Valley hosts an UNESCO world heritage sites namely Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Swayambhunath (monkey temple), Boudhanath, Pashupatinath Temple, Changu Narayan. All these sites are easily visited as day trips from Kathmandu.

Boudhanath Stupa kathmandu Valley

The valley has a host of lesser-known, but still wonderful, temples, viewpoints and traditional Newari villages, and half the fun is getting to and from these sights, by foot, mountain bike or motorbike. Many people miss out on these sights in a feverish rush to get to Chitwan, Pokhara or Everest, but the irony is that you'll find far fewer tourists just 10km outside Kathmanduthan you will jostling for a view at Everest Base Camp. With a rapidly expanding population of 1.5 million the valley has certainly changed over the years, but aspects of traditional life endure. Rural life continues to move to the rhythms of the seasons and spectacular festivals, and the timeless demands of the fields, the family and the gods remain the fundamental priorities of most people's lives.

kathmandu Durbar Square

Despite rampant development, the valley’s underlying traditions have proved remarkably resilient. It was long the stage for the quarrels of three rival city-states, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, and these divisions remain ingrained in valley society. Kathmandu and Patan have now grown together within the confines of the Ring Road, but Bhaktapur, on the east side of the Bagmati River, still remains proudly separate. Like the other, smaller Newari towns of the valley – Kirtipur, Thimi, Sankhu, Bungmati – it preserves a distinctly medieval air, its wood- and brick-built houses tightly clustered together around alleyways and temple plazas, and the lives of its residents still bound up with the paddy fields outside the city walls. On the southern and eastern sides of the valley, meanwhile, and in the lush side-valleys and on the steep slopes of the rim, the countryside continues to shimmer in an undulating patchwork of paddy fields – brown, golden or brilliant green, depending on the crop and the season.

Mountain view from Kathmandu Valley

In the heart of the valley, the sheer density of sights is phenomenal. Just beyond the Ring Road beat the twin hearts of Nepali religion: the Shiva temple and sombre cremation ghats at Pashupatinath, the sacred centre of Nepali Hinduism; and the vast, white stupa at Boudha, the hub of Tibetan Buddhism’s small renaissance. Other Hindu holy places provide moving reminders of the sacred geography that lies behind the brick and concrete: the sleeping Vishnu statues at Budhanilkantha and Balaju, the sacrificial pit of Dakshinkali and the hilltop temple of Changu Narayan are the most outstanding.

Kathmandu Valley

Hiking and cycling are best in the valley fringe. Trails lead beyond the botanical gardens at Godavari to the shrine of Bishanku Narayan, and up through rich forests to Phulchoki, the highest point on the valley rim. For more woodland solitude and views, hike up Shivapuri, Nagarjun Ban’s Jamacho, or any high point on the valley rim.

Beautiful Kathmandu Valley with Mountain View

Kathmandu Valley at Night

Kathmandu Valley Painting

Kathmandu Valley Fields

The Kathmandu Valley is the most populated and developed city of Nepal. It is situated above 4400 ft above sea level, located in Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia. It is important region in Nepal because of its artistic richness reflection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the fertile lands, historic and cultural towns, monuments, pilgrimage sites for Hindus and Buddhists. The Majority of governmental and private offices and headquarters are located in the valley making it the economic hub of Nepal. Most tourists in Nepal go right ot Kathmandu valley which holds the culturally and historically rich cities Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur for sightseeing, cultural and heritage tour. Being the capital city of Nepal, it offers much services including international airlines, hotels and other facilities. One also enjoys Kathmandu for night life, shopping and of course for the mountain views.





Getting to Kathmandu: Tribhuwan International Airport is located about 4 mile (7 kilomter) from Kathmandu. It takes about 20 minutes to get to Kathmandu from the airport by foot or about 10 minutes by cab. Shuttle buses and cabs of many hotels are available from the Airport or you can choose your own transportation for about Rs 700.



Getting Around: In Kathmandu valley, sightseeing can be best done on foot or riding a bike. Bus travel in Kathmandu but they take plenty of time in reaching their destination. They are very crowded too. For travelling around in Kathmandu valley, you can reach Bagbazar, and in Lalitpur, the central bus station is at Lagankhel. From Tripureshwor (in Kathmandu city) to Bhaktapur, trolley (electric buses) operate. Taxis and cabs are priced reasonably.




Major Travel Attractions: Kathmandu Valley is a cluster of world heritage monuments. In fact, seven out of the 10 world heritage sites in Nepal can be witnessed in Kathmandu valley tour. Sites like Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Temple, Bouddhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple and Changu Narayan Temple are priceless heritage of Nepal. These are something which Nepal are proud of. Pahupatinath Temple is held in high regard by the followers of Hindu faith. Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square is also known for its architectural beauty. Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square are known for their historical importance too.





Cultural Heritage: The cultural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley is illustrated by seven groups of monuments and buildings which display complete range of historic and artistic achievements for which the valley is world renowned. The seven monuments include the Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), Patan and Bhaktapur, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Bauddhanath, and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.



Accommodation: Kathmandu City has all kinds of places to stay, from expensive international style hotels to cheap, budget and comfortable lodges. Thamel is the tourist quarter of the Nepalese capital. In general the lodges of Thamel offer a double room for with basic facilities like running hot shower facilities, flush toilets, foam mattresses and clean sheets. The money you give hugely depends on your bargaining skills.

For more information, please contact us
Nepal Travel Door (P) Ltd.
Email: info@nepaltraveldoor.com
Address: Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal