Overview
This Kathmandu, Namobuddha and Panauti tour pairs a full day of the capital's best-known heritage with two quieter places in the hills to the south-east. Day one covers Swayambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. Day two starts in Bhaktapur's royal square and continues to Namobuddha, a Buddhist pilgrimage hilltop at about 1,750 m, where you spend the night near the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse monastery. Day three drops down to Panauti, a medieval Newar town with riverside ghats and a temple dating from 1294, before the drive back to Kathmandu. It suits travellers who want the classic sights and a slower, more local finish.
The itinerary
- Morning at Swayambhunath, the hilltop stupa west of the city known as the Monkey Temple
- Kathmandu Durbar Square: the Hanuman Dhoka palace, the Kumari's house and the rebuilt Kasthamandap
- Pashupatinath on the Bagmati, seen from the east-bank terraces with your guide
- Late afternoon kora around Boudhanath with the pilgrims, then back to your hotel
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square: the 55-Window Palace, the Golden Gate and the five-storey Nyatapola
- Time for juju dhau, Bhaktapur's sweet curd, and a slow walk through the old lanes
- Drive east through Banepa and Dhulikhel into the Kavre hills and up to Namobuddha
- Evening prayers at the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse monastery and a quiet night on the hilltop
- Optional early puja with the monks and breakfast looking over the terraced hills
- Drive down to Panauti, a Newar town on the old salt-trade route between Tibet and India
- Walk the old core to the Indreshwar Mahadev temple and the Tribeni riverside ghats
- Drive back to Kathmandu and drop-off at your hotel
Things to carry
- Warm layer for the evening and early morning at Namobuddha
- Slip-on shoes for temples and monastery halls
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees
- Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Refillable water bottle and a small daypack
Good to know
Complete guide
This Kathmandu, Namobuddha and Panauti tour gives you the capital's essential heritage in one full day, then leaves the city behind for a night at a Buddhist monastery and a morning in Panauti, a quiet old Newar town. It is an easy trip by private car, with a clear change of pace halfway through.
What the Kathmandu, Namobuddha and Panauti tour covers
Day one stays in Kathmandu: Swayambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. These four are among the seven monument zones UNESCO listed for the Kathmandu Valley in 1979. Day two opens in Bhaktapur, a fifth, then heads east into the Kavre hills to Namobuddha for the night. Day three is Panauti and the drive home. Patan and Changu Narayan are not part of this plan; if you want them, ask us and we will show you a version that fits them in.
Kathmandu and Bhaktapur
Swayambhunath, on its hill west of the city, is known as the Monkey Temple for good reason. Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the old royal palace of Hanuman Dhoka and the house of the Kumari, a girl worshipped as a living goddess. At Pashupatinath the main temple is open only to Hindus, so you watch the riverside ghats from the east bank, and Boudhanath, the largest spherical stupa in Nepal, is at its best in the late afternoon as pilgrims walk the kora.
Bhaktapur is the best preserved of the valley's three royal cities, with the 55-Window Palace, the Golden Gate and the five-storey Nyatapola temple from 1702. If you want to add Patan and see all three royal squares in one go, our Three Durbar Squares tour makes a good extra day before this trip.
A night at Namobuddha
Namobuddha sits at about 1,750 m (5,740 ft) on a hilltop in Kavrepalanchok district, about 40 km south-east of Kathmandu. The story here is that a prince, in an earlier life of the Buddha, gave his body to a starving tigress and her cubs; a stupa marks the spot. Above it stands the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse monastery, founded by Thrangu Rinpoche in 1978, with a sizeable community of monks. Staying the night, in the monastery guest house or a small resort nearby, means evening prayers, a quiet hilltop after dark and the chance to join the early morning puja.
Be honest with yourself about comfort. Rooms are simple and nights are cool outside the warmer months. If you want a shorter taste of these hills, our two-day Dhulikhel and Namobuddha tour covers Namobuddha with a night in Dhulikhel instead.
Panauti, the quiet finish
Panauti is a Newar town at about 1,442 m (4,731 ft), 32 km south-east of Kathmandu, with its riverside ghats at Tribeni. Its Indreshwar Mahadev temple was first built in 1294, and the historic core has been on UNESCO's tentative list since 1996. The town grew on the old salt-trade route between Tibet and India and declined when that trade ended, which is partly why its lanes, courtyards and temples have changed so little. After a walk with your guide, you drive back to Kathmandu. If you would rather arrive on foot, the trail from Namobuddha to Panauti takes most hikers three and a half to five hours; ask us and we will plan it.
Who it suits and when to go
This tour suits first-time visitors who want the classic sights plus something quieter, families, older travellers and anyone curious about Buddhist practice. Late September to November is the most comfortable time, with clear skies; winter nights are cold on the hilltop, the monsoon from roughly June to September brings rain, and spring can be hazy. The heritage sites each sell their own entry ticket. We arrange your guide, private car and rooms; your visa and flights to Kathmandu are your own arrangements.
