Kathmandu Travel Guide - Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal
Travel to Kathmandu, Nepal - Why visit Kathmandu? Everywhere you look in Kathmandu, there is something of interest—perhaps a small ancient temple tucked in a row of shops, an old stone figure set in the middle of the pavement, a religious sadhu in bright saffron robes meditating on the steps of a building or a Tibetan refugee spinning his prayer wheel as he walks down the street. The highest concentration of tourist attractions in Kathmandu is within the area of Durbar Square. There are dozens of buildings, monuments and shrines of interest within less than a square mile/kilometer. Among the most impressive structures are the 16th-century pagoda-style Taleju Temple, the old Royal Palace (which has the best view of the city) and the Kumari Bahal, or “Temple of the Living Goddess.” Be sure to stop at the Jagnath Temple to see the erotic carvings and at the Shiva-Parvati Temple, where statues of the gods stand in an ornately carved window and look down on the action in the square below.
When to visit Kathmandu, Nepal? The best time of year to visit Kathmandu is from October to November (the start of the dry season) when the weather is balmy, the air is clean, visibility is perfect and the country is lush following the monsoon. The second-best period is from February to April (the tail end of the dry season). In December and January, the weather and visibility are good but it can be chilly. May and early June are generally too hot and dusty for comfort, and the monsoon from mid-June to September obscures the mountains in cloud and turns trails and roads to mud.
International Flights to Kathmandu
Most international flights to Kathmandu arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) via Delhi, Dhaka, or Bangkok, and of the remaining only a few originate from outside Asia.
Lodging in Kathmandu
Virtually all tourist lodgings in Kathmandu are located in Thamel, near the Kathmandu Guesthouse. Upscale hotels tend to be a few blocks away on Durbar Marg near the former Royal Palace.
World Travel Guides > Asia Travel > Nepal Travel > Kathmandu Travel Guide
