Kathmandu Valley · Feasts, markets and the lunar calendar
Food and festivals in Kathmandu Valley
Newar samay baji and yomari, Thakali dal bhat, Sherpa shyakpa, Tharu ghonghi, Mithila sweets, Ilam's tea and tongba in the eastern hills. And the festivals that bring them out: Dashain, Tihar, Indra Jatra, Bisket, Tiji and Chhath.
Trips
Kathmandu Valleymax 2,175 mDashain festival days in the Kathmandu Valley
Six nights timed to the last and biggest days of Dashain, Nepal's fifteen-day autumn festival. See the Fulpati procession reach Hanuman Dhoka, …
Kathmandu Valleymax 1,400 mNewar food and festivals of the valley
Five nights in the kitchens, markets and festival squares of the Newars, the valley's oldest people. Eat samay baji in Kirtipur, buy …
Places
Kathmandu Valley1,401 mBhaktapur
Khwopa, the city of potters, drums and the five-roofed Nyatapola
Kathmandu Valley1,350 mBungamati
Home village of the red rain god, and of the valley's woodcarvers
Kathmandu Valley1,400 mKathmandu
Yen of the Newars: a capital built round one wooden pavilion
Kathmandu Valley1,400 mKirtipur
Kipu, the ridge town that held off the Gorkha army three times
Kathmandu Valley1,442 mPanauti
A Newar river town where three rivers meet, one of them unseen
Kathmandu Valley1,330 mPashupatinath
Shiva's temple on the Bagmati, where Nepal comes to pray and to part
Kathmandu Valley1,350 mPatan
Yala, the city of metalworkers, courtyards and Buddhist bahals
Experiences
HeritageBhaktapur's three squares with a local guide
A morning walk linking Bhaktapur's Durbar Square, Taumadhi and Tachupal through the lanes between them. We see the Golden Gate, …
CraftThrow a pot in Bhaktapur's Pottery Square
Spend a morning with a Prajapati potter in Talako, the pottery quarter just south of Taumadhi. Watch pots thrown on …
FoodJuju dhau, bara and Khwopa's snack shops
A late-afternoon food walk through Bhaktapur's squares and lanes: juju dhau from the clay bowl, bara and chatamari off the …
HeritageDawn in Khwopa's toles and water spouts
An early walk for those staying overnight: neighbours at morning puja, women at the stone spouts, farmers heading out with …
HeritageBungamati's square and the rain god's home
A guided walk through Bungamati's lanes to the Rato Machhindranath temple, with the story of the god, the chariot festival …
CraftCarve with Bungamati's woodworkers
Spend time in a family woodcarving workshop, watching carvers shape windows, masks and deities from sal and other hardwoods. Try …
FoodKhokana's mustard oil and Karya Binayak walk
Walk from Bungamati via the Ganesh temple of Karya Binayak to Khokana, a Newar village known for mustard oil. See …
AdventureCycle from Patan to Bungamati and Khokana
A half-day bike ride from Patan south through Nakhu and rice fields to Bungamati, Karya Binayak and Khokana, then back. …
Stays
heritage hotel1,400 mDwarika's Hotel
A heritage hotel at Battisputali, near Pashupatinath, built around brick courtyards and fitted with carved Newar windows, doors and struts …
city hotel1,400 mHotel Yak & Yeti
A large city hotel on Durbar Marg, built around part of a 19th-century Rana palace, with gardens, a pool and …
heritage hotel1,400 mHotel Shanker
A Rana-era palace in Lazimpat converted into a hotel, with a white neoclassical facade, high-ceilinged halls and a large garden …
city hotel1,400 mKathmandu Guest House
One of the first guesthouses in Thamel, opened in the late 1960s, and the place many say started the area's …
resort1,400 mGokarna Forest Resort
A resort inside the Gokarna forest, a former royal hunting reserve on the north-eastern edge of Kathmandu, with an 18-hole …