1 day Kathmandu itinerary: What to eat, see and do if you’re short on time

The Herald's Emma Gleason had a free day in Kathmandu before flying home. From seeing the city on the back of a bike to pounding the pavement, she shares what she got up to. Photo / Emma Gleason

It’s hard to sit still in the busy, bustling capital of Nepal. Emma Gleason visited earlier this year to trek in the Himalayas, and with a free day in Kathmandu before her flight home, here’s how she spent her time.

A hub for Himalayan trekking and the capital of Nepal, many travellers only get a brief sliver of time in this historic city. That was the case for me on my most recent trip, visiting in April.

I’d spent a week there before, back in 2017, so had some frame of reference, which helped hugely knowing what to do in a short time frame. Cities change of course – you never really visit the same one twice – and I strongly believe moments of discovery should be built into any trip, so I relished the chance to pound the pavement and wander.

An intersection on Jyatha Marg in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo / Emma Gleason

Even though I was recovering from an eight-day trek and due to fly out that night, I couldn’t stay still. Kathmandu is a heaving, bustling city and it’s hard to resist taking on that energy yourself.

I was staying at a hotel by Casino Rd, and with the Radisson located so centrally, the perfect way to see the city is on foot – once you get used to the traffic and crossing the road (do what the locals do).

You’ll see a lot. Everywhere you look there are businesses catering to the visitors who flock to Nepal: guest houses, hotels, tour companies, vehicle hire, souvenir shops, tourist restaurants.

Everywhere you look in Kathmandu there's something to see. Photo / Emma Gleason

With the city bursting with life and commerce, history and culture, there’s no way to do it all in one day (so don’t even try). Here’s how I spent my time.

7.30am: Read the newspaper

I always pick up the local paper when I’m travelling, partly because I still love print, and more so because it gives you an insight into what’s going on.

Reading The Kathmandu Post on the roof of the Radisson. Photo / Emma Gleason

8am: Start with some chai

Worth trying while you’re in Kathmandu, and a great way to warm up if there’s a chill in the air (though it’s delicious year-round). Seek out a local spot for the best experience – I visited an establishment on Narayan Gopal Rd, around the corner from the Radisson, where I’m staying. It has hand-painted signage, melamine-topped tables and benches – orange and red – and a floor that’s seen a lot of traffic. The chai is good (the food is too) and I returned several times during my visit.

The coffee, chai and snack shop on Narayan Gopal Rd that I visited several times. Photo / Emma Gleason

8.45am: Get on the back of a bike

My hotel arranged for me to use the local rideshare app Pathao, which lets you travel by car and (even better) by bike. It’s how I’m getting to my first stop of the day, and a brilliant wind-in-your-face way to see – and feel – the city.

9am: Visit Pashupatinath Temple

One of the most moving things you can experience in Kathmandu is a visit to this famous Hindu temple on the holy Baghmati River. There you’ll be able to observe traditional cremation ceremonies. Led by a Brahman, cremation takes four hours, a temple guide told me, and they handle 60-70 bodies a day. Family members prepare the bodies before they’re placed on the ornate pyre. The atmosphere is reflective and respectful. And being able to witness such a profound moment of grief and ritual is something not to be understated. It will stick with you for a long time. It’s important to be aware of what you’ll be seeing when you go there – corpses and the rituals of the cremation are all visible to the public – so prepare yourself if this isn’t something you’re used to.

Pashupatinath Temple complex in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo / Emma Gleason

11.30am: Check out

Back at the hotel – with a woven stool I bought from a shop by the temple – I grabbed my bags and checked out. The Radisson kept my luggage secure until 8pm when I had to leave for the airport for my flight.

12.00pm: Try some momos

Nepal is famous for these pillowy delights. A kind of dumpling, they come in a variety of fillings – including buffalo. The best are the ones served with chilli chutney (this dish is often listed as “C momo” on menus) and it’s a real kicker – spicy, tomato-y and intensely moreish. These are quick to come out of the kitchen and even quicker to eat.

Chilli momos in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo / Emma Gleason

12.30pm: Indra Chowk and Asan Bazar

Keen to see as much of the city on foot as I could (and walk off those momos) I set out for some of the city’s bazaars and the bustling retail and market districts, where I wanted to pick up souvenirs I’d promised people back home. Indra Chowk is a market square, while Asan Bazaar is a historic part of the city full of shops, stalls and peddlers. The energy alone is worth the visit.

1.30pm: Durbar Square

A Unesco World Heritage Site with palaces and temples, Ye Lāyekū (Kathmandu Durbar Square) suffered considerable damage during the 2015 earthquake. Despite, or rather, because of this, it’s worth visiting to take in the history of the square and the toll of the natural disaster. Full of locals, tourists and birds, the milieu is as striking as the architecture.

A building in Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo / Emma Gleason

2.00pm: The Sticker Shop on Yatkha Rd

Leave Durbar Square and head to Yatkha Rd where you’ll find a brilliant sticker shop. The array is dizzying, spanning motorsport and cultural iconography, flags and regional symbols and the requisite Nepal regalia. It all makes sense when you see the motorbikes, scooters and trucks of the city. I spent ages in the store, with so much to choose from, and left with an assortment of stickers for friends and family back home (and for me).

The Sticker Shop on Yatkha Rd. Photo / Emma Gleason

2.15pm: Pick up some souvenirs in Thamel

This is one of the main tourist districts, and its streets are lined with an unfathomable amount of restaurants and hawkers selling everything from kukri knives (the national weapon of Nepal) to Kashmiri shawls and mountaineering gear. Everywhere you look there are businesses catering to the visitors who flock to Nepal: guest houses, hotels, tour companies, vehicle hire, souvenir shops, tourist restaurants. Take some time to appreciate all the signage.

Mountain Handicrafts Centre on J.P School Rd in Thamel. Photo / Emma Gleason

I scoped out souvenir T-shirts. My favourites were the ones that have been hung outside on display – I bought a perfectly faded gurkha T-shirt from a knife shop – and a lot of these stores have been operating for decades. One retailer I spoke to opened his store in 1986, another shopkeeper, a T-shirt purveyor, says his business has been going since the 1980s, too. He had old embroideries of Tintin and Captain Haddock mountaineering on display, but he said these are no longer popular. He only sells one iteration now, Tintin in Nepal, which I bought.

How much time you spend in Thamel is really up to you. Pop in somewhere briefly to pick up a few bits and bobs, or carve out a couple of hours to explore and stop by any of the many charming stores that might catch your eye.

The busy thoroughfare of Thamel Marg. Photo / Emma Gleason

3.30pm: Chill out in the Garden of Dreams

Open from 9am to 9pm, this is a nice spot to get away from all the bustle. Built in 1920, it’s a tranquil neo-classical garden and an oasis on busy Tridevi Sadak Rd. Grab a cold drink at the on-site cafe.

4.30pm: One last walk

I set aside half an hour to walk around the part of town behind the old, shuttered Hotel Shangri-La (legendary before it closed in the pandemic). By then it was late afternoon. I was chasing the sun, and the trees, the latter feels like a Sisyphean task – the big ones are tucked away behind the walls of the old hotel and the myriad embassies in this part of town. I change tack and instead wander and watch the neighbourhood. School children heading home, office workers starting to wrap up for the day, and golden hour descending on the huddle of buildings and trees – there’s datura, bougainvillea and jacaranda. Everything was lush and dusty – as rush hour traffic (though it’s always rush hour in Kathmandu) picked up. It’s nice to get a feel for the patterns of daily life, and I always make time for this when travelling.

A backstreet of Kathmandu, near the British Embassy. Photo / Emma Gleason

6pm: Fuel up with dal bhat

Walked up an appetite? Dal bhat is a traditional, enduringly popular dish in Nepal; it’s a fixture of daily life and available everywhere – sometimes listed as “Nepali thali”. Comprising rice, curry, dal and pickles, ingredients vary with the seasons and regions. The general consensus seems to be that Thakali is the best variation of this dish, and you’ll find many restaurants dedicated to this one in particular. You likely won’t be disappointed wherever you go, find somewhere that’s busy with locals or looks family-run. I particularly loved the bitter pickle.

7pm: Relax if you can

After a full day of walking – not to mention eight days of trekking in the Himalayas – I decided to have a soak before the flight back to Auckland. Actually, it was an inspired suggestion from one of the staff at the Radisson, who said I should go and use the jacuzzi and steam room in the hotel’s main building. It’s a beautiful space: old school, tiled, with dark wood. One spa and one shower later, I felt like a new woman.

8pm: And it’s off to the airport

With all-day traffic and so many people departing Kathmandu – locals and tourists alike – make sure you head to Tribhuvan International Airport nice and early.

CHECKLIST

KATHMANDU, NEPAL

GETTING THERE

I flew to Kathmandu from Auckland on China Southern Airlines.

DETAILS

ntb.gov.np

Emma Gleason is the Herald’s lifestyle and entertainment deputy editor (audience). Based in Auckland, she covers culture, lifestyle, travel and entertainment.

The writer travelled to Nepal as a guest of World Expeditions.