Which Kathmandu itinerary should you choose?
Pick the shortest plan that covers what you care about, and use spare time to slow down instead of adding more stops. The table shows what each length gets you, and each row links to the detailed plan.
| Days | Main stops | Pace | Full plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swayambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath | Steady | One day in Kathmandu |
| 2 | All seven UNESCO sites | Steady | 2 days in Kathmandu |
| 3 | All seven, plus Bungamati, Khokana and Nagarkot | Easy, one early start | 3 days in Kathmandu |
| 4 | The three-day plan, plus a choice below | Easy | This page |
| 5 | The four-day plan, plus a hill town day | Easy | This page |
If you aren’t sure how long to stay, decide that first, because it shapes everything else on this page.
What rules make any plan work?
Three simple rules make the biggest difference, and they apply to every length of stay.
- Start by 8 am: In Your Pocket puts rush hour at about 8 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 7 pm, with travel times roughly doubling. An earlier start puts you ahead of it.
- Group sites by direction: Swayambhunath and Kathmandu Durbar Square are in the west and centre. Pashupatinath and Boudhanath are close together in the east of the city. Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan are further east, and Patan is to the south.
- Have one long drive a day: a plan with Bhaktapur in the afternoon and a dinner in Thamel is really two rush hours. In Your Pocket warns against leaving for Bhaktapur after 3 pm.
How do you plan a 4-day trip?
Follow the three-day plan, then give day four to something different from temples. Pick one of these, based on what you’ve enjoyed so far.
| Option | Getting there | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Shivapuri hike | Budhanilkantha is 11 km from the city centre, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. Wonder Nepal gives 30 to 45 minutes to the Muhan Pokhari gate | Forest walking, the Nagi Gompa nunnery, a break from traffic |
| Chandragiri cable car | About 45 minutes to 1 hour by car, then 9 to 13 minutes on the cable car | An easy view with little walking |
| Kirtipur and museums | Wonder Nepal gives 8 km and 20 to 30 minutes for Kirtipur | A hilltop Newar town, sunset and a late Newari meal |
Sample timing for the Shivapuri option:
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8:00 am | Drive to the park gate near Budhanilkantha |
| 9:00 am to 2:00 pm | Hike to Nagi Gompa and back, with a packed lunch |
| 2:00 to 3:30 pm | Return, and rest before dinner |
Bring your passport for the park gate, as Wonder Nepal advises. The fee reports conflict. The Nepal Tourism Board lists NPR 250 for foreign visitors, while newer blogs we saw in search results list NPR 1,000. Carry enough for the higher figure.
For the Chandragiri option, Chandragiri Hills lists a foreign return fare of US$23 and daily breaks at lunchtime, except on Saturdays and public holidays. Our Nagarkot or Chandragiri page has the details.
How do you plan a 5-day trip?
Add a day outside the valley rim to the east, where the towns are smaller. One 2018 winter study measured fine particles at Dhulikhel at well under half the level in Kathmandu. Dhulikhel, Namobuddha and Panauti are all in the same direction, so they fit into one day.
| Time | What to do | Source for timing |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 am | Leave Kathmandu for Dhulikhel | About 1 hour (In Your Pocket) or 1 to 1.5 hours (Wonder Nepal) |
| 9:00 to 10:30 am | Dhulikhel old town and ridge views | Our suggestion |
| 10:30 to 11:30 am | Drive to Namobuddha | Our allowance |
| 11:30 am to 1:00 pm | Namobuddha, a Buddhist hilltop with the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse monastery | Our suggestion |
| 1:00 to 2:00 pm | Drive to Panauti, with lunch on arrival | Our allowance |
| 2:00 to 3:30 pm | Panauti, a Newar town where two rivers meet | Our suggestion |
| 3:30 to 5:30 pm | Return to Kathmandu | In Your Pocket says about 1 hour by taxi, while Wonder Nepal says 1.5 hours. Rush hour adds more |
Fit walkers can make a real hike of it. In Your Pocket gives about 2.5 hours on foot from Dhulikhel to Namobuddha, and 14 to 16 km for the full route on to Panauti.
What if it rains during your stay?
Keep the plan’s order, but swap in museums on the worst day. From June to September rain is likely, and hiking days are the first to go.
Nepal Traveller lists several indoor options, including the National Museum at Chhauni, the Patan Museum, Narayanhiti Palace Museum and the Taragaon Museum near Boudhanath. Published hours conflict for several of them, so phone first. The hour-by-hour pages list a rainy version for each length of stay.
What should you drop if you run short?
Cut Changu Narayan and the villages first, and keep Bhaktapur. A shorter stay in each place almost always beats a rushed extra stop. Then drop Swayambhunath if you’ve already been to Boudhanath and your knees are tired. We’d keep Patan or Bhaktapur on any plan of two days or more. If you’re still deciding on length, read how many days in Kathmandu, which answers the question by trip type.
Where should you go after five days?
If you have more than five days, consider leaving the valley. Pokhara is one option. Nepal Cheap Flights gives 25 to 30 minutes by air, and about 8 to 11 hours by road in practice, though on paper the road is 5 to 6 hours.
In Your Pocket says Chitwan National Park is 5 to 7 hours away each way, and recommends two nights there. We don’t run tours to either place. We focus on day tours inside the valley and its rim.
How much should you budget for entry?
Entry to all seven UNESCO sites costs NPR 5,700 for foreign visitors, as listed by the Nepal Tourism Board in November 2026. The table on this page gives every site and nationality. The Kathmandu trip cost page adds hotels, food and transport.
How do tours fit into these plans?
You can do every plan on this page on your own, and many people do. Tours are useful for the days with several stops. On those days, a car and guide save you the most planning time.
Our 7 UNESCO Sites in 2 Days package fits the first two days of a longer stay. The Chandragiri Cable Car and Swayambhunath tour and the Patan Day Tour with Bungamati and Khokana fit a third or fourth day, and both are listed on this page. For the hill towns on day five, compare your options on our best day trip from Kathmandu page. We don’t list a tour for that route at present.
