Exploring Kathmandu in 24 hours

After a long trip from New Delhi all the way to Kathmandu, I had 24 hours to spare before my flight back to Manchester.

Exploring Kathmandu was interesting, to say the least. With its bustling streets and random temples and wires everywhere!

To be honest, you probably don’t need much more than 24 hours to get a taste of Kathmandu.

After all, it’s a busy, dusty city and there are nicer places in Nepal to see!

Saying that, it’s super different to other Asian cities I’ve been to.

It’s colourful and friendly and like a maze!

But if you do find that you have some time in the capital, definitely make the most of taking in the Nepalese culture and visit a few places.

As Kathmandu was at the end of my trip, I didn’t fancy rushing around, I wanted to take things a bit slower.

So, I chose a handful of activities to do in Kathmandu and I still felt I had made the most of my visit.

So…what should you do if you only have 24 hours in Kathmandu?

Everest flight, Kathmandu

Wake up bright and early and go for the Everest flight!

Not so relaxing you say!

Depending on the company you book with, your flight will probably be at some point in the morning.

You should definitely shop around when you are looking to book a flight, because different companies have different prices and deals.

My flight was at around 6am, so once I returned to the hotel, I had the rest of the day to spend in Kathmandu itself.

You could say, I really made the most of my 24 hours!!

If you’re feeling extra daring and have some extra cash, you could do the base camp flight. This would take up most of the day, but it would be worth it!

If I wasn’t on a budget, I would have been tempted!

The weather is so temperamental up high that your flight is not guaranteed to actually take off!

SADLY, when I boarded the flight, we couldn’t actually take off due to bad weather around Everest.

We got belted up and everything!

So, I didn’t get to actually go up there, unfortunately.

But this is the reality of Everest.

It would have been an amazing experience though. If I ever go back to Nepal I will try again!

It was quite a strange experience though because you are taken to the domestic airport in Kathmandu and you have to go through all the normal airport procedures.

You’re then taken to your gate where you wait for the flight.

You then board the flight as you would normally.

I thought it would be more like an excursion rather than like boarding a flight.

The plane was fairly big than what I was expecting too!

My main concern from the outset was that we would be going up in a tiny helicopter type plane to Everest, but it was actually like a small plane which seated about 30 people.

Big enough for me!

So, if you’re scared of heights, there’s nothing to worry about if you’re comfortable with flying normally.

Monkey temple, Kathmandu

Otherwise known as Swayambhunath temple.

This was one of my favourite places to visit on the whole trip from New Delhi to Kathmandu.

After the Everest flight, I got back to my hotel and negotiated a taxi ride there and back to the temple.

You have to pay a little to get into the area, and then once you’re in there’s a few different temples to visit and some markets.

There are monkeys everywhere, so be careful!

I guess that’s why it’s known as the Monkey temple!

The whole time I was there, people were trying to get the monkeys to take food off them.

Probably best to steer clear as they are very mischievous!

Take in the amazing views of Kathmandu at the top once you have climbed the steps.

You can really appreciate how busy and actually, how crowded the city is from up here.

You can definitely spend a few hours in this place, as there are a few temples to visit within the grounds.

There are plenty of other temples to see in Kathmandu, and although I didn’t manage to see any others, I was recommended this monkey temple and it did not disappoint!

If you only have 24 hours or even a few hours in Kathmandu, this is the place to go for sure!

Thamel Markets, Kathmandu

I was staying right in the heart of Thamel where there are windy streets of markets and shops selling fabrics, souvenirs, books, ornaments and all sorts.

You can spend a good few hours wandering the streets- but don’t get lost!

You may want to wear a face mask or have a scarf around your mouth because, Woah, is it dusty!

The smog is overwhelming, so much that I found myself coughing quite a bit.

Bearing in mind, I’ve been to Beijing and the pollution in the air is honestly greater than I experienced in China.

It feels like you are breathing in dirt- because you probably are!

Rooftop bars and restaurants

If you get the chance, try and seek out a rooftop bar or restaurant.

If you look at the signs on ground level, you will see sneaky steps going up to bars and restaurants.

Sit and have a beer and take in the views of crazy Kathmandu.

There are wires everywhere all over the streets, enough to be a health and safety issue! Being on a rooftop, you have a unique view of the city.

It’s quite a spectacle!

After a long day exploring Kathmandu, it is such a nice feeling sitting over the streets watching Nepalese life and supping on your cold beer!

To conclude…

Kathmandu is certainly different to all other cities I’ve ever visited (and that’s a lot!).

You probably don’t need that much time in Kathmandu, you’re better off just moving on to another Nepalese town.

It’s not a particularly beautiful city, but it’s definitely interesting!

I’m really glad I had the chance to visit, although it was just for a short time.

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Yours,

Holly