Kathmandu is where the Himalaya begins. Nepal's chaotic, captivating capital sits in a green valley ringed by mountains, a place where ancient temples and golden pagodas rise above streets thick with the smell of incense and street food, where prayer flags flutter over medieval squares and the snow-capped giants of the world's highest range wait just beyond the city. It's intense, colourful, and deeply spiritual, a Hindu and Buddhist crossroads that has drawn travellers, pilgrims and mountaineers for generations. For most, it's the launchpad for the trek of a lifetime, but the city itself, with its UNESCO-listed squares and sacred sites, rewards every day you give it.
For the budget traveller, Kathmandu is a joy and one of the cheapest capital cities you'll ever visit. Nepal remains one of the best-value destinations on earth, and the backpacker district of Thamel delivers dorm beds for a few pounds, plates of the national dish, dal bhat, with free refills, and cheap onward transport to the mountains. The city's greatest sights, the squares, the stupas, the temples, charge only modest entry fees, and much of the wandering is free. The real budgeting decision in Nepal is whether you add a trek, which is a separate cost worth planning carefully. We'll show you how to do the city cheaply and point you towards the mountains beyond.
