Kathmandu’s medieval streets hold a living goddess, ancient temples predating the city itself, and a hilltop stupa whose all-seeing eyes have watched over the valley for 2,500 years. This kathmandu walking tour companion is paired with “Kathmandu, NEPAL Walking Tour: Durbar Square Ancient Temples” — a walk through the UNESCO-listed historic core from the royal palace square through backpacker Thamel to Swayambhunath Stupa, covering the full scope of the valley’s extraordinary heritage.
About This Walking Tour
This walking tour covers Kathmandu Durbar Square (Hanuman Dhoka) — the medieval royal palace complex at the heart of the old city — and the surrounding temple-dense neighbourhood of Basantapur. The Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing a concentration of temples, courtyards, and historic structures from the Malla and Shah Dynasty periods (15th–18th centuries), including the Kumari Ghar where Nepal’s living goddess resides.
The broader walk extends through Thamel — Kathmandu’s tourist and trekking equipment district, where the city’s famous backpacker culture has existed since the 1970s hippie trail — and out to Swayambhunath Stupa on a hilltop 3 kilometres west of Durbar Square. The stupa, known internationally as the Monkey Temple for its large population of resident rhesus macaques, is one of the oldest and most sacred Buddhist sites in Nepal and provides panoramic views over the entire Kathmandu Valley.
The walk from Durbar Square to Swayambhunath is approximately 3 kilometres and involves a climb of around 365 steps to reach the stupa complex at the hill’s summit.
Highlights of Kathmandu
Kathmandu Durbar Square contains the former royal palace of the Malla kings of Kathmandu, the Taleju Temple (the palace’s patron goddess), and the Kumari Ghar — the palace of the Kumari, a pre-pubescent girl believed to be a living manifestation of the goddess Taleju. The Kumari occasionally appears at a carved wooden window of her palace; visitors can see her gilded chariot carried through the streets during the Indra Jatra festival in September. The 2015 earthquake caused significant damage to Durbar Square, and reconstruction of several structures is ongoing.
Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the oldest Buddhist monuments in Nepal, with a documented history of at least 1,500 years and religious traditions associated with it extending back to at least the 5th century AD. The stupa’s harmika (cubic base below the spire) is painted on all four sides with the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha — a design unique to Nepalese Buddhist art. The complex also contains numerous smaller shrines, Tibetan monasteries, and the Harati Temple dedicated to the smallpox goddess. The monkey troops that give the hill its popular name are permanent residents.
A Brief History of Kathmandu
The Kathmandu Valley was settled from at least the 7th century AD by the Newar people, who developed a sophisticated urban culture combining Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The valley was divided among three Malla kingdoms — Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan — each with its own Durbar Square, before being unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768–1769, who established the Shah Dynasty that ruled Nepal until 2008. Nepal was never colonised by a European power, preserving its cultural continuity in ways unusual in Asia.
The 2015 earthquake (magnitude 7.8) killed approximately 9,000 people and caused widespread damage to Kathmandu Valley’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, destroying or severely damaging dozens of temples and historic buildings. Reconstruction has been ongoing since, with many structures stabilised or rebuilt. The valley’s seven monument zones collectively constitute one of the densest concentrations of UNESCO-listed heritage in any relatively small area in the world.
Practical Tips
Tribhuvan International Airport is 6 kilometres from Thamel; taxis are metered. Nepal uses the Nepalese rupee. Durbar Square charges an admission fee (approximately 1,000 NPR for foreigners). Swayambhunath entry is 200 NPR and shoes must be removed at the stupa area. The walk between Durbar Square and Swayambhunath is approximately 3 kilometres; taxis are also available. Kathmandu’s streets are very narrow in the old city and mostly non-motorised in Durbar Square. High season is October–November (post-monsoon trekking season) and March–April; accommodation books up in advance.
Best Time to Visit
October and November offer clear skies with mountain views and the most comfortable trekking weather. March to April is the second best season with rhododendron blooms. September’s Indra Jatra festival offers the chance to see the Kumari carried through the streets in her chariot.
Watch & Explore More
Watch the full Kathmandu Durbar Square walking tour above. Find more South and Central Asia content at the @walkingtoursvideoscom channel. Related posts: Varanasi’s Ganges ghats walk and Delhi’s Old Delhi and Chandni Chowk walk.