Budget · 3-hour walk · Kathmandu
Durbar Square and the stupa in three hours
The old royal square and the living goddess, the bazaar lanes, then the hilltop stupa above the valley.
Kathmandu's old city is still recovering from the 2015 earthquake and parts of Durbar Square remain scaffolded, which is worth knowing before you buy the ticket. The route finishes at Swayambhunath on its hill, which is a short taxi ride and 365 steps, and is where the whole valley opens up below you.
The route, stop by stop
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Kathmandu Durbar Square
The old royal palace complex. The Kumari, a girl venerated as a living goddess, appears at a window in the courtyard.
45 min here Walk here → -
Ason Bazaar
A six-way junction that has been the city's spice and grain market for centuries. Genuinely chaotic.
25 min here Walk here → -
Thamel
The trekking district: gear shops, bakeries and bookshops. Every Everest expedition has been outfitted somewhere in here.
30 min here Walk here → -
Swayambhunath
Arrive by taxi from the previous stop
Ten minutes by taxi then 365 steps. The painted eyes face all four directions and the monkeys are not friendly.
45 min here Walk here →
More in Kathmandu
Every walking route in Kathmandu, or the full Kathmandu guide for where to stay and what a day costs.