Luxury Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour

Four UNESCO sites without the rush, with your own guide and a long lunch included.

The white dome and gold spire of Boudhanath stupa with long strings of prayer flags, and people walking on the platform — Boudhanath

Duration: 8 to 9 hours
Price: $110 per person from 2 guests
Entry fees: Included
Format: Private only
Pace: Unhurried
Effort: Moderate: about 4 km on foot across four sites, with uneven paving and some steps, and time to rest between them
Private pick-up: From your hotel
Booking: Reserve free, then pay online or in cash on the day. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Guests	Private
1	$150
2	$110
3	$99
4 to 5	$88
6 to 8	$77
9 or more	$66

Reserve free

Photos from the Luxury Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour

Boudhanath
Swayambhunath
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Pashupatinath
Kal Bhairav, Kathmandu Durbar Square

The route

1. Swayambhunath
A hilltop stupa on the western edge of the city. A road reaches the top, so the long stairway is optional.
Entry for foreign visitors: NPR 200.
Swayambhunath guide See location on Google Maps
2. Kathmandu Durbar Square
The old royal palace square in the middle of the city, with the Kumari Ghar at its edge.
Entry for foreign visitors: NPR 1,000.
Kathmandu Durbar Square guide See location on Google Maps
3. Pashupatinath
The temple complex of Shiva on the Bagmati River. The main temple is for Hindus; everyone can visit the grounds.
Entry for foreign visitors: NPR 1,000.
Pashupatinath guide See location on Google Maps
4. Boudhanath
The great white stupa of the valley, ringed by monasteries. Visitors walk around it clockwise.
Entry for foreign visitors: NPR 400.
Boudhanath guide See location on Google Maps

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Open this route in Google Maps

Dotted lines join the stops in order. They aren't the road route, and your driver chooses the road on the day.

A sample day

Times are a guide only. We confirm yours when you book, because they depend on your hotel and the traffic.

9:00 amHotel pick-up, or a later start if you prefer
9:30 amSwayambhunath, about 1 hour 15 minutes
11:05 amKathmandu Durbar Square, about 1 hour 15 minutes
12:50 pmSit-down lunch, about 1 hour 30 minutes
2:30 pmPashupatinath, about 1 hour
3:45 pmBoudhanath, about 1 hour 15 minutes
5:00 pmDrive back
5:30 pmBack at your hotel

This luxury Kathmandu sightseeing tour is a private, unhurried day at four of the valley’s UNESCO sites: Swayambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. Lunch and entry fees are included, and you have your own guide and vehicle from your hotel and back.

What does luxury mean on this tour?

Luxury here means more time and less to arrange. You get longer at each site than on our standard day, a long sit-down lunch, and a day that moves at your speed. It doesn’t mean a chauffeured limousine, and we’d rather say so now.

What you get	Standard sightseeing tour	This tour
Length	6 to 7 hours	8 to 9 hours
Format	Group or private	Private only
Time at each site	About 50 to 70 minutes	About 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes
Lunch	You pay, about 45 minutes	Included, about 1 hour 30 minutes
Entry fees	You pay at each site	Included
Sites	The same four	The same four

If the sites matter more to you than the lunch and the extra time, the Kathmandu sightseeing tour is the better value.

How does lunch work?

Lunch is a sit-down meal at a fine-dining restaurant, and it’s part of your price. We confirm the restaurant when we reply to you, so please tell us about any food limits or allergies when you ask.

The middle of the route suits it well. The drive from the old city to Pashupatinath breaks the day in two, and you start the afternoon rested. As an example of what’s nearby, The Dwarika’s Hotel says its Krishnarpan restaurant serves Nepali tasting menus of 6 to 22 courses at lunch and dinner, with at least 24 hours’ notice.

What will you see at each stop?

You’ll see two Buddhist stupas, one royal palace square and one Hindu temple complex.

Swayambhunath: a hilltop stupa with painted eyes looking out in four directions. A road reaches the top, so the long stairway is optional.
Kathmandu Durbar Square: the old royal square, around the former palace of Hanuman Dhoka. Expect some repair work, as the palace was severely damaged in 2015.
Pashupatinath: a complex of Hindu temples on the Bagmati River, dedicated to Shiva. The main temple is for Hindus only, and everyone can walk the grounds and ghats (stone river steps). Read the Pashupatinath rules for non-Hindu visitors first.
Boudhanath: a white stupa with monasteries around it, and the last stop of the day. Walk around it clockwise with everyone else. Rome2Rio gives about 2.8 km by road from Pashupatinath, so the hop between them is short.

Who is this tour for?

This tour suits people who’d rather see four sites well than seven quickly. That often means a short stay, a special occasion, or older travellers who want rests and a proper meal built in. For walking limits and steps, see Kathmandu tours for seniors.

Tell us what you’d like to change when you ask. On a private tour you can ask for a later start or a slower pace.

Is this tour right for you?

A good fit if

You have one day in Kathmandu and want to see the main sites without hurrying
You want your own guide and vehicle, and don't want to share the day
You'd like a long, proper lunch included and arranged for you
You're staying at a high-end hotel and want the day to match it

Think again if

You're after the lowest price, because the Kathmandu sightseeing tour covers the same four sites for less
You want to join other travellers, because this tour is private only
You expect a chauffeured limousine. We use our own air-conditioned vehicles
You want every UNESCO site, because this tour covers four of the seven

What to bring

A scarf or light layer, and clothes that cover shoulders and knees at Pashupatinath
Shoes that slip off easily for shrines
Nepali rupees for small offerings and anything you buy
A mask if air quality bothers you, especially from November to May
An umbrella or light rain jacket in the rainy season, June to September

Price, and what's included

Prices are per person from 2 guests. Pick your date and number of guests at the top of this page to see your price. Larger parties get up to 40% off, and one guest on a private tour pays a $40 single supplement.

Included on the private tour

Your own local guide, in your language where we can arrange it
Comfortable air-conditioned private vehicle and driver, for your party only
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
A start time you choose
Bottled water in the vehicle
Entry fees for the stops listed: NPR 2,600 at the foreign rate
Sit-down lunch at a fine-dining restaurant

Not included

Drinks with lunch
Tips for your guide and driver
Museums and shrines outside the listed fees

Your vehicle

We use a comfortable air-conditioned car, Scorpio or Hiace, chosen to fit the size of your party. On a private tour the vehicle is yours alone.

Listed entry fees for this route: foreign NPR 2,600, SAARC NPR 1,650, Indian NPR 650, Chinese NPR 2,600. Tell us your nationality so you pay the right rate.

Common questions

What makes this the luxury tour?

More time at each site, your own guide and vehicle, a long sit-down lunch and entry fees included. It covers the same four sites as our Kathmandu sightseeing tour.

Which restaurant is lunch at?

We confirm it when we reply to you, because it depends on your date and your diet. Tell us about any food limits when you ask.

Is this tour private?

Yes. This tour is private only, so it's just your party, your guide and your driver.

Are entry fees included?

Yes, for the stops listed. This is the one tour where they're part of the price, and your guide buys the tickets, so you don't queue for them. If you qualify for a lower rate, tell us your nationality when you ask about a date.

Can non-Hindus go inside Pashupatinath?

The main temple is for Hindus only. Everyone else can use the grounds, ghats and surrounding shrines and can see the temple from across the Bagmati.

Will I see cremations?

You may, because cremations take place on the riverbank. Please keep a respectful distance and don't photograph mourners or cremation rites.

Other tours to compare

4 hoursGroup or private
Kathmandu Half Day Tour
The hilltop stupa and the old royal square, in about four hours.
Group $20Private $30, per person from 2 guestsUp to 40% off for more guestsPlus entry fees
6 to 7 hoursGroup or private
Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour
Four of the seven UNESCO sites: two Buddhist, one Hindu and the old royal square.
Group $35Private $50, per person from 2 guestsUp to 40% off for more guestsPlus entry fees
9 to 11 hoursGroup or private
7 UNESCO Sites in One Day
Every UNESCO site in the valley in one long day. It works, but you see each one quickly.
Group $45Private $60, per person from 2 guestsUp to 40% off for more guestsPlus entry fees

Reserve this tour free

Tell us your date and party size, and we'll confirm by email. You don't pay anything to reserve. Pay online through a secure link or in cash on the day. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

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$110private, per person

Reserve free