Kathmandu 7 UNESCO Sites Day Tour with Lunch Option

Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa

The day usually begins at Swayambhunath, the ancient Buddhist stupa on a forested hill west of the centre, known to many visitors as the Monkey Temple because of the troops of monkeys living on its slopes. Its white dome is crowned by a gilded tower painted with the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha, and around it stand prayer wheels, shrines and fluttering prayer flags. The site is more than 1,500 years old and sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus.

From the terrace you get one of the best views over the whole Kathmandu Valley, with the Himalaya visible on clear mornings. A Swayambhunath visit is short on this tour, about 40 minutes, enough for the guide to explain the symbols of the stupa and for you to walk clockwise around it as pilgrims do. Keep snacks out of sight, as the monkeys are quick.

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu Durbar Square, in the heart of the old city, was for centuries the royal palace square of the kings of the valley. It is a maze of multi-roofed pagodas, carved wooden windows and courtyards around the Hanuman Dhoka palace. Here you see the Kumari Ghar, residence of the Kumari, the young girl worshipped as a living goddess, and the site of the Kasthamandap pavilion, the wooden rest house said to have given Kathmandu its name.

Many monuments were damaged in the 2015 earthquake, and part of the visit shows the careful restoration work by Nepali craftsmen. Kathmandu Durbar Square tickets are included in the default option. Your guide leads you through the main temples in about 45 minutes, pointing out the mythological carvings on the roof struts and the stories behind each shrine.

Patan Durbar Square

Across the Bagmati river lies Patan, also called Lalitpur, the city of fine arts. Its Durbar Square is often considered the most beautiful of the three, with a dense row of temples facing the old royal palace. The highlight is the Krishna Mandir, a stone temple of the seventeenth century in the shikhara style, its pillars carved with scenes from the Hindu epics. The palace now houses the Patan Museum, famous for its bronze sculptures.

Patan is still a city of metalworkers and woodcarvers, and the lanes around the square are full of workshops making statues by the lost-wax method. On this tour you spend about 45 minutes here, walking the square with the guide and taking photos of the temple skyline, one of the classic images of a Kathmandu day tour.

Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath is the most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal, dedicated to Shiva as Lord of the Animals, and stands on the banks of the holy Bagmati river. The main pagoda with its gilded roof and silver doors can be entered only by Hindus, but visitors watch from the terraces on the opposite bank, from where you see the whole complex, the many small Shiva shrines and the sadhus, wandering holy men with painted faces.

Along the river are the cremation ghats, where families perform the last rites for their loved ones; your guide explains the ceremonies with respect, and photography should be discreet. Pashupatinath opening hours for visitors run from early morning to evening every day. Plan about 45 minutes here; dress modestly and avoid leather items near the temple.

Boudhanath Stupa

Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Nepal. Its huge white dome, topped by a golden tower with the Buddha's eyes and strings of prayer flags, is surrounded by a circular square of monasteries, prayer wheels and shops selling incense, singing bowls and thangka paintings. Pilgrims walk around it clockwise from dawn to dusk, spinning the prayer wheels as they go.

On this tour you have about 45 minutes at Boudhanath, enough to complete a circuit of the stupa with the guide, visit a monastery prayer hall when open and enjoy your packed lunch in the square. The atmosphere is calm and devotional, and the stupa is one of the most photogenic places in the valley, especially when the sun lights up the gilded spire.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Changu Narayan

Bhaktapur, about 13 kilometres east of Kathmandu, is the best-preserved medieval town of the valley, with brick lanes, pottery squares and carved temples. In Bhaktapur Durbar Square you see the 55-Window Palace and the gilded Golden Gate, and nearby Taumadhi Square is dominated by the five-storey Nyatapola, the tallest pagoda in Nepal. Try the local juju dhau, a creamy sweet yogurt the town is famous for.

Changu Narayan, on a ridge a short drive north of Bhaktapur, is considered the oldest temple in the valley. Dedicated to Vishnu, it holds a stone inscription from the fifth century and some of the finest stone and wood carvings in Nepal. Is the Kathmandu 7 UNESCO sites tour worth it? Ending here, in a quiet village with views over the terraced hills, shows why the valley is one of the richest heritage landscapes in Asia.