Kathmandu 3 Day Itinerary
Three days buys you the two-day version plus an entire other medieval city, which is a better deal than it sounds. Here’s how to use the extra day without wasting it on transit.
Day 1: Temples and the old royal quarter
Morning
Start with coffee somewhere in Thamel, then head straight to Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most sacred Hindu site, for around NPR 1,000 entry. Dress modestly and expect an active cremation site along the Bagmati River rather than a quiet museum piece. Non-Hindus stay outside the main pagoda but the view of the ghats from across the water is open to all and worth the walk.
Afternoon
Lunch in Thamel, then spend the afternoon exploring the district itself: narrow lanes stuffed with trekking gear shops, souvenir stalls, and enough haggling opportunities to keep you busy for hours. Wrap the afternoon at Kathmandu Durbar Square, roughly NPR 1,000, where most of the 2015 earthquake damage has been rebuilt, Kasthamandap included, though a scaffold or two still lingers here and there.
Evening
Dinner anywhere central will do tonight since you haven’t left the neighborhood yet, and after eating, take a slow walk through Thamel after dark when the rooftop bars and gear shops are all lit up and the whole area shifts into a livelier gear.
Day 2: Bhaktapur gets the whole day it deserves
Morning
This is the day that makes the extra 24 hours worth it. Head out to Bhaktapur, about 45 to 90 minutes by road, and don’t rush it: this separate medieval town, with its own entry fee around NPR 1,800-2,000, deserves a full day rather than the rushed afternoon add-on most itineraries give it. The ticket covers the whole town and is valid across multiple days if you want to stretch the visit. Wander the pottery square first while the light is good and the potters are working.
Afternoon
Have lunch in Bhaktapur itself rather than rushing back to Kathmandu; the preserved Newari streetscape here is worth lingering in, and the food options, while limited compared to the capital, are perfectly solid. Spend the afternoon exploring the temple complexes, including the Nyatapola temple, which survived the 2015 quake standing tall while structures elsewhere needed years of rebuilding.
Evening
Head back toward Kathmandu for the evening. If you have energy left, a cultural dinner with traditional music and dance makes a good close to a day spent almost entirely outside the tourist bubble of central Thamel.
Day 3: Slower pace, better food, real shopping
Morning
Sleep in a little, then spend the late morning at the Garden of Dreams, a genuinely peaceful walled garden in the middle of the city that most visitors walk right past. It’s a good antidote to two days of temple-hopping.
Afternoon
For lunch, make the trip to Patan rather than eating in Thamel again. My honest take: Thamel food is built for tourists who don’t want surprises, and it shows. Patan’s Newari food, at places serving thali with chhoila and bara for NPR 500-1,200, is a completely different experience and worth the short ride across the Bagmati. Spend the rest of the afternoon browsing Patan’s metalwork shops, which sell far more interesting pieces than anything in the Thamel tourist mall.
Practical notes
Taxis run on negotiated fares rather than working meters, so settle the price before getting in, or use Pathao or InDrive for a locked-in app price. There’s no metro in Kathmandu, so factor real travel time into the Bhaktapur day especially. Keep cash secure and avoid flashing large amounts in crowded markets; card and mobile payments cover most restaurants and shops in Thamel and Patan, though smaller Bhaktapur vendors may want cash only. If a trek or expedition catches your interest while you’re here, book through an operator registered with TAAN or NTB rather than the first storefront that waves you in, since unlicensed operators are a real and recurring problem in this part of town.