Kathmandu Valley UNESCO Heritage Tour
Two days across all seven UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Kathmandu Valley, with a licensed heritage guide and a private vehicle.
7 UNESCO monument zones
Buddhist stupaSwayambhunath
1 hr 30 min
An early start beats both the heat and the tour buses. Climb the 365 steps of the east stairway, or take the vehicle to the side entrance if that suits you better. The all-seeing eyes look out over Kathmandu waking up.
Durbar squareKathmandu Durbar Square
1 hr 30 min
The old royal palace complex: Hanuman Dhoka, the Kumari Ghar where the living goddess lives, the Taleju temple and the Kal Bhairav. Parts are still being restored after the 2015 earthquake, and your guide will tell you what was lost rather than walking you past it.
Buddhist stupaBoudhanath
2 hr
One of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Nepal. You walk the kora clockwise with the pilgrims, then take a rooftop table and watch the circuit from above.
TemplePashupatinath
2 hr 30 min
Nepal's most important Hindu temple, on the Bagmati. You arrive while it is still light to look around the complex and the cremation ghats from the east bank, then stay on for the evening aarti, when the butter lamps go onto the river.
Durbar squarePatan Durbar Square
2 hr
The finest concentration of Newari architecture and metalwork in the valley. The stone Krishna Mandir, the courtyards and bahals behind the square, and the Patan Museum, which is worth the time on its own. Bronze casting workshops still run in the lanes nearby.
Durbar squareBhaktapur Durbar Square
2 hr 30 min
The best preserved of the three royal cities and largely free of cars. Warm brick and carved wood, the five tiers of Nyatapola, the 55-Window Palace, Pottery Square with the day's pots drying in the sun, and juju dhau, the king curd, served in a clay bowl. This gets the most time because it rewards slow walking.
TempleChangu Narayan
1 hr 15 min
A short drive up the ridge. The oldest Hindu temple still in use in the valley, with extraordinary stone and wood carving and the oldest stone inscription in Nepal in its courtyard. There are rarely crowds and the late light is good.
Hour by hour
The times are a guide, not a timetable. Traffic, the season and your own pace all move them, and your guide adjusts the day as it goes.
Day 1Kathmandu heritage core: stupas, the old royal square and the evening aarti
About 8 hr 30 min of it, 4 monument zones
- 1 hr 30 min
SwayambhunathUNESCO
An early start beats both the heat and the tour buses. Climb the 365 steps of the east stairway, or take the vehicle to the side entrance if that suits you better. The all-seeing eyes look out over Kathmandu waking up.
Before you go: The stairway is steep and uneven. Say the word and we use the side entrance instead - there is no loss of view.
- 1 hr 30 min
Kathmandu Durbar SquareUNESCO
The old royal palace complex: Hanuman Dhoka, the Kumari Ghar where the living goddess lives, the Taleju temple and the Kal Bhairav. Parts are still being restored after the 2015 earthquake, and your guide will tell you what was lost rather than walking you past it.
Before you go: No photographs of the Kumari, even if she appears at her window. Keep your ticket - it is valid for several days.
- 1 hr
Lunch near Thamel
A break between the morning's two sites and the afternoon's two.
Before you go: Lunch is on your own account. Your guide will suggest places at several price points.
- 2 hr
BoudhanathUNESCO
One of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Nepal. You walk the kora clockwise with the pilgrims, then take a rooftop table and watch the circuit from above.
Before you go: Walk clockwise. It matters to the people walking beside you.
- 2 hr 30 min
PashupatinathUNESCO
Nepal's most important Hindu temple, on the Bagmati. You arrive while it is still light to look around the complex and the cremation ghats from the east bank, then stay on for the evening aarti, when the butter lamps go onto the river.
Before you go: The aarti usually begins around 18:00, a little earlier in winter and later in summer, and runs for about an hour. Non-Hindus may not enter the main temple. Cremations are private grief in a public place: no photographs of the ghats or of mourners.
Day 2The two old kingdoms and the valley's oldest temple
About 6 hr 45 min of it, 3 monument zones
- 2 hr
Patan Durbar SquareUNESCO
The finest concentration of Newari architecture and metalwork in the valley. The stone Krishna Mandir, the courtyards and bahals behind the square, and the Patan Museum, which is worth the time on its own. Bronze casting workshops still run in the lanes nearby.
Before you go: Shoes off before entering any temple interior. Confirm at the ticket office whether the museum is covered by your square ticket.
- 1 hr
Lunch in Patan
A break before the afternoon in Bhaktapur.
Before you go: Lunch is on your own account.
- 2 hr 30 min
Bhaktapur Durbar SquareUNESCO
The best preserved of the three royal cities and largely free of cars. Warm brick and carved wood, the five tiers of Nyatapola, the 55-Window Palace, Pottery Square with the day's pots drying in the sun, and juju dhau, the king curd, served in a clay bowl. This gets the most time because it rewards slow walking.
Before you go: The brick lanes are uneven. Flat shoes with grip, not sandals.
- 1 hr 15 min
Changu NarayanUNESCO
A short drive up the ridge. The oldest Hindu temple still in use in the valley, with extraordinary stone and wood carving and the oldest stone inscription in Nepal in its courtyard. There are rarely crowds and the late light is good.
Before you go: The quietest of the seven. Worth lingering rather than ticking off.
What it costs
The Journey
The seven sites in two days, entries included
$280per person for 2-3 travellers
A licensed heritage guide, a private vehicle for both days, and every monument entry paid for before you arrive. Two days rather than one so Bhaktapur and Patan get the time they need.
See what the price coversPrice per person by group size
- 1 traveller$420per person
- 2-3 travellers$280per person
- 4-5 travellers$235per person
- 6-8 travellers$205per person
Prices in US dollars. The larger the group, the less each person pays.
What the price covers
Price Includes
- All seven UNESCO monument entry fees
- Licensed heritage guide
- Private vehicle for two days
Price Excludes
- Lunch on both days
- Nepal entry visa
- The Patan Museum ticket
- Tips for guide and driver
Frequently Asked Questions
Because one day means twenty minutes at each site and a lot of driving. The seven monument zones are spread from Swayambhunath in the west to Changu Narayan on the eastern rim, and Bhaktapur and Patan each deserve a couple of hours rather than a walk-through. Two days is what it takes to see them rather than tick them. If your schedule only allows one day we will build you a one-day version and tell you honestly what it leaves out.
Yes. All seven monument entry fees are paid before you arrive, which comes to about USD 40 per person at the foreign rate. You will not be asked for cash at any gate. Lunch on both days is not included, and neither is the separate Patan Museum ticket if you decide you want it.
Not the main temple. Non-Hindus view the complex and the cremation ghats from the east bank of the Bagmati, which is where the evening aarti is watched from anyway and is the better vantage point for it. Everything else on the itinerary is open to everyone.
Three places. No photographs of the Kumari, the living goddess, even if she appears at her window in Kathmandu Durbar Square. No photographs of the cremation ghats or of mourners at Pashupatinath, which is private grief in a public place. And some temple interiors ask you not to photograph the deity - your guide will say so before you go in.
Shoulders and knees covered at the religious sites, and shoes that come off easily since you will remove them before entering temple interiors. Bhaktapur and Patan are uneven brick and stone, so flat shoes with grip rather than sandals. Swayambhunath has 365 steps if you take the east stairway, though we can drive to the side entrance instead.
Yes, and we would rather say so. Kathmandu Durbar Square lost several structures and restoration is still visible and ongoing. Bhaktapur and Patan came through better. Your guide will tell you what was lost and what is being rebuilt rather than steering you past the scaffolding, because the rebuilding is part of the story of the place.
Ask us about this trip
Tell us your dates and group size and we will come back with a plan and a price, or tell you honestly if it is the wrong trip for you.
Plan this tripPair it with a trek
Manaslu Circuit TrekA 14, 16 or 18-day circuit of the world's eighth highest mountain, over Larkya La at 5,106 m, through the restricted Nubri valley. Groups of eight at most.
Mardi Himal TrekFive or six days from Pokhara up a quiet forest ridge to Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500 m, beneath Machhapuchhre. Short, honest, paced for the altitude.
Manang ValleyReach Manang at 3,540 m with us by road, not a week of trekking. Monasteries, lakes and stone villages in 5 to 7 days, with a licensed guide.
Worth reading before you go
Tengboche Monastery: What It Is, Mani Rimdu, and the Everest Trail
Tengboche is a living Sherpa Buddhist monastery on the Everest trail. Learn its history, Mani Rimdu timing and how to visit respectfully.
Visit Nepal, Support Nepal: Why Tourism Matters After a Disaster
Why Nepal needs relief and responsible tourism after disaster, and how Manaslu recovery and route checks support careful travel.
Nepal Festivals and Trekking: Which Ones Actually Reach the Trail
Which Nepali festivals you can actually walk into, why their dates move every year, and who to ask before you book a flight around one.