Nepal
A 7-day trip to Kathmandu
Kathmandu is a valley of temples — Durbar Squares, stupas, and the gateway to the Himalayas and Everest.
Kathmandu is Nepal's crowded, spiritual capital — a valley of three Durbar Squares, the Boudhanath stupa, and the Pashupatinath river ghats. It's the gateway to trekking (Everest, Annapurna) and a city of endless shrines. Go in October–November or March–April for the clearest mountain views.
Trip length
7 days
Best time to go
October to November for pristine Himalayan views and crisp air, followed closely by March to April.
What your 7-day plan includes
- A day-by-day itinerary with neighborhoods clustered so you spend less time in transit.
- Real budget awareness — a target, an estimate, and a status you can dial up or down.
- Recommendations shaped by your pace, food priorities, group, and must-dos.
- Swap anything, improve any day, refine in any direction without starting over.
See what a trip to Nepal actually costs. Travel Budget Co.
How to plan 7 days in Kathmandu
- Base yourself in Patan or Boudha if you prefer spiritual mornings and quiet courtyards over Thamel's nightlife and hawkers.
- Dedicate Bhaktapur to an afternoon and overnight stay rather than a hurried two-hour tour bus stop—it empties out magically once day-trippers leave.
- Do not group Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath on the same morning; cross-valley traffic will burn two hours in transit. Pair Boudhanath with Pashupatinath on the east side instead.
- Visit Pashupatinath during the 6:30 PM evening Aarti ritual on the Bagmati River ghats for the most intense, moving atmosphere.
- Always schedule your Kathmandu layover at the end of a mountain trek, giving you an organic buffer day in case Lukla or Pokhara flights get weathered out.
Build your 7-day Kathmandu trip
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