How to Spend 48 Hours in Kathmandu ?
Visiting to Kathmandu, Nepal?
Well, Kathmandu is the centered - heart of Nepal’s culture, economy, art & history. Kathmandu is a beautiful place in Nepal which is worth visiting for tourists. It has numerous ancient Temples and shrines which are listed in the World heritage spots. Kathmandu has always a lot of hustle and bustle from the influx of tourists. Any visitors who are going to Nepal have to first visit Kathmandu in Nepal because there is only one International Airport in Nepal called “Tribhuvan International Airport” and it is about 6 KM from the Kathmandu valley so it would be better to hire a taxi from Airport to your Hotel.
Now if you are planning to go to Kathmandu, Nepal but you don’t know what to do & where to visit in 02 days, then here’s a complete guide for you through which you can make your visit of Kathmandu, Nepal worth it.
DAY 1
Your 1st Day in Kathmandu, Nepal is about Local Culture & History. You must visit Swayambhunath Temple which is also known as Monkey Temple. It’s an ancient temple in the west of Kathmandu Valley. Swayambhunath Temple comprises of several Shrines, Stupas, and Temples of Licchavi Period. The destination has 02 points through which you can go to the Temple, the first is an extensive staircase with above 300 steps which leads straight to the main area of the temple and second one is a route by car in the region of the hills which leads you from the south to the doorway of the southwest. The Swayambhunath temple opens at 6 am and the closing time of this temple is 7 pm.
Moving on to the next visit, Kathmandu has 3 Durbar squares which are the historical palaces in Kathmandu and also listed in the UNESCO Heritage World. The 3 Durbar Squares are Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
Kathmandu Durbar Square:
It is an old royal palace of Mala & Shah Kings who ruled over the Kathmandu City here and was built in 1560 to 1574 by Mahendra Mala King. It contains quadrangles that are showing courtyards & temples. It is also known as “Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square”. It is still one of the active places in Kathmandu and here Tourists have to pay for visiting inside the Temple but people who are residing there for over years can enter inside or pass outside anytime. Kathmandu Durbar Square is still used for religious weddings and religious practices.
Patan Durbar Square:
It is located at the center of the Kathmandu City in Lalitpur is the ancient palace where Lalitpur’s Mala King lived. It is the marble of the architecture of Newa and also it holds ancient Newari residential homes. There are numerous other temples & structures which are built by the Newari people.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
It is situated in the city of Bhaktapur & it is also identified by the name of ‘Bhadgaon’. It lies in 13 kilometers in the Kathmandu’s east. It is the most visited palace in the Kathmandu Valley and it is consists of 04 diverse squares which are Taumadhi Square, Durbar Square, Pottery Square, and Dattatreya Square. The combinations of these squares are known as Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
All the above Durbar Squares are open from 7 am in the morning and closes at 7 pm in the evening.
Now if you are feeling hungry then for lunch you can eat street foods in the lanes around the Squares otherwise you can also enjoy eating Nepali Thali at the restaurant which is on Lazimpat Road in Kathmandu.
After having a nice meal, you can go for shopping around Bhaktapur Durbar Square as well. You can buy things like Handicrafts, Thangka Paintings, etc.
At the end of the Day, you must go to the Hippie Town Thamel of Kathmandu where you explore new things for shopping and unique dishes to eat and much more. Here you can shop for things like singing bowls, Beads & stone jewelery, Pashima Woolens, Cultural handicrafts, trekking gear and so on.
DAY 2
Your second day in Kathmandu is about only Peace. You must visit Boudhanath Stupa Temple which is situated on the northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal. It is the greatest spherical shaped stupas in Nepal and also it is one of the most visited destinations in the Kathmandu Valley. It is also called “Chorten Chenpo” by Nepalese people which means “A great Tower”. It was built in the 14th century in the memory of Buddha.
After that, you can visit Pashupatinath temple which is located 5KM northern east of Kathmandu Valley and is a sacred Hindu Temple devoted to Pashupatinath. This temple is also listed in the UNESCO World’s Heritage list. It is consists of several assortments of temples, holy places, ashrams & cultural as well as traditional inscriptions. This place is still used for religious ceremonies and other cultural activities.
Both the above-mentioned temples are open from 7 am in the morning and close at 7 pm in the evening.
Now that you have visited most of the Temples, it’s the time to visit at Monarch Narayanhiti Palace located in the capital city of Kathmandu towards the east of Thamel and which was built in 1961 and it was served as residential & workplace of the governing Monarch of the Empire of Nepal for the longest time span. In summers, it opens from 11 am to 4 pm excluding Tuesday & Wednesday and in winters; it opens from 11 am to 3 pm.
Lastly, you must visit to Nagarkot which is positioned 32 KM in the east of Kathmandu. It is one of the most beautiful places in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and is known for its beautiful sunrise view of the Himalaya in the morning when the weather conditions are visible clearly. Tourists specially visit and stay one night in Nagarkot just for the spectacular vision of the incredible sunrise in the morning.
What to eat in Kathmandu
None of your visits will worth it if you don’t try new & delicious flavors of the place you are visiting in! In Nepal, street food contains a lot of varieties of diverse flavors. Therefore, after visiting beautiful and amazing palaces and Temples you should try some delicious Nepalese foods to eat like:-
- Newari Cuisine,
- Juju Dhau,
- Yomari,
- Dal Bhat,
- Chatamari,
- Choila,
- Sekuwa,
- Lakhamari,
- Sel Roti,
- Thukpa, etc.
Some Etiquette in Nepal to follow while eating there:-
As you are in NEPAL so you should aware of some etiquette that you should follow when you are eating either lunch or dinner:
- Do not touch somebody’s food in Nepal as it is considered as Bad Manners.
- Only use your right hand for eating food as Nepalese considered their left hand for only toilet use.
- Don’t pass food to someone by using your left hand.
- Never waste food as it is considered to be bad luck.
- Never touch food with your lips if you don’t want to eat it as it is considered polluted (“JUTHO”) for them.
Hence, you should follow the above-mentioned Etiquettes while eating in Nepal.
Know more about Nepali Cuisine
