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Bagmati Provinceकाठमाडौँ

Kathmandu District

Nepal's capital district, dense with UNESCO-listed temples and stupas, old Newar quarters and the busy traveller hub of Thamel.

The great white dome of Boudhanath stupa with its gilded tower and prayer flags, Kathmandu.
Photo: Nabin K. Sapkota (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Province
Bagmati
Headquarters
Kathmandu
Area
about 415 km²
Places on Firfirey
15

About Kathmandu

Kathmandu district covers the northern and western part of the Kathmandu Valley, a bowl in the middle hills drained by the Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers. The valley floor is ringed by forested ridges, including Shivapuri to the north and Chandragiri to the south-west. Lalitpur lies across the Bagmati to the south, Bhaktapur to the east, and Nuwakot, Dhading and Sindhupalchok beyond the surrounding hills.

The district holds the national capital and is Nepal's political, commercial and cultural centre. The Newar heritage of the old city sits alongside Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage sites and newer neighbourhoods. Travellers come for Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath Temple, for monasteries such as Kopan, for walks in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, and for Thamel as a base before treks.

Places in Kathmandu

The great white dome of Boudhanath stupa with its gilded tower and prayer flags, Kathmandu.

Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,340 m

Boudhanath

The great white stupa of north-east Kathmandu, centre of the valley's Tibetan Buddhist community and its many monasteries.

Snow peaks of the Himalaya seen from the top of Chandragiri hill.

Viewpoint · 2,551 m

Chandragiri Hill

A hill on the Kathmandu Valley's south-western rim, reached by cable car, with a Shiva temple and wide Himalayan views.

The Dakshinkali temple compound in a wooded gorge near Pharping.

Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,480 m

Dakshinkali Temple

A Hindu temple to the goddess Kali in a forested gorge south of Pharping, known for its Tuesday and Saturday animal sacrifices.

The small amphitheatre and lawns of the restored Garden of Dreams in Kathmandu.

Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,320 m

Garden of Dreams

A restored 1920s Rana-era garden of pavilions, ponds and lawns at the edge of Thamel.

Kathesimbhu Stupa with smaller stone chaityas around it in a courtyard near Thamel, Kathmandu.

Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,310 m

Kathesimbhu Stupa

A centuries-old miniature of Swayambhunath in a quiet courtyard a few minutes' walk south of Thamel.

Rooftops of Kathmandu spreading across the valley floor, seen from above.

Town or village · 1,400 m

Kathmandu

Nepal's capital, a sprawling valley city wrapped around a medieval Newar core, with major Hindu and Buddhist sites and the country's main airport.

The Shiva Parvati temple with stone lions in Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,310 m

Kathmandu Durbar Square

The old royal heart of Kathmandu, a cluster of Malla and Shah-era palaces and temples, and home of the Kumari, the living goddess.

The tiered Bagh Bhairab temple on the hilltop of old Kirtipur.

Town or village · 1,400 m

Kirtipur

An old Newar hill town on Kathmandu's south-western edge, with temples, valley views and a dramatic history of resistance.

The main prayer hall of Kopan Monastery on its hilltop north of Boudha, Kathmandu.

Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,440 m

Kopan Monastery

A hilltop Tibetan Buddhist monastery north of Boudha, known for its meditation courses for international students.

Evening aarti on the banks of the Bagmati river at Pashupatinath Temple, lit by lamps.

Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,310 m

Pashupatinath Temple

Nepal's most important Hindu temple, dedicated to Shiva as Pashupati, on the banks of the Bagmati river in eastern Kathmandu.

Terraced hillsides and buildings around Pharping on the southern rim of the Kathmandu Valley.

Town or village · 1,570 m

Pharping

A small Newar town on the southern rim of the Kathmandu Valley, sacred to Vajrayana Buddhists for Guru Rinpoche's meditation caves.

Pullahari Monastery buildings on a forested ridge north of Boudha, Kathmandu.

Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,490 m

Pullahari Monastery

A Karma Kagyu monastery and retreat centre on a forested ridge north-east of Boudha, with views across the Kathmandu Valley.

Sunset over forested ridges seen from Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park.

National park or conservation area · 2,732 m

Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park

Forested hills on Kathmandu's northern rim, protecting the valley's water sources, with day hikes to Shivapuri Peak, Nagi Gumba and Jamacho.

The white dome and gilded tower of Swayambhunath stupa with painted eyes, on its hilltop in Kathmandu.

Temple, monastery or heritage site · 1,400 m

Swayambhunath

An ancient stupa on a wooded hill west of central Kathmandu, sacred to Buddhists and Hindus and home to a large troop of monkeys.

A narrow Thamel street lined with shop signs and hanging goods in Kathmandu.

Town or village · 1,320 m

Thamel

Kathmandu's traveller quarter of narrow lanes, guesthouses, trekking shops and cafes, a short walk north of the old city.

Kathmandu districtBoudhanathChandragiri HillDakshinkali TempleGarden of DreamsKathesimbhu StupaKathmanduKathmandu Durbar SquareKirtipurKopan MonasteryPashupatinath TemplePharpingPullahari MonasteryShivapuri Nagarjun National ParkSwayambhunathThamel
Boundary: Government of Nepal, Survey Department (2020). Peak data: Wikidata.

Getting there

Tribhuvan International Airport, on the eastern side of the city, is Nepal's main international gateway with domestic flights across the country. By road, the Prithvi Highway connects Kathmandu with Pokhara and the Terai, and long-distance buses link it with border crossings to India and most district headquarters.

Best time to visit

October to November and March to April are the most pleasant, with clear skies and mild days; winter mornings are cold and often hazy, and the monsoon from June to September brings warm, heavy afternoon rain.

Other districts in Bagmati Province

Editorial draft: the district overview is being checked. Headquarters and Nepali names: nepal-places dataset (MIT). Area and map position computed from the district boundaries of the Government of Nepal, Survey Department, via OCHA.