Places to Visit in Kathmandu
Kathmandu may be the capital city of a small country Nepal that barely occupies any land on Earth, but it is certainly a country that you won’t be able to take your eyes off.
Here lie some of the most beautiful and exquisite features on Earth found nowhere else. The sheer beauty of the country is what drives people crazy and people, thus, make plans to visit the land and search for places to visit in Kathmandu as soon as they step down in the country.
Sightseeing Tour Kathmandu — Buddha Holidays
For many obvious reasons such as the peaky snowy mountains in the north and a vast different plain land in the south, the country is inclusive of wonders be it in terms of natural beauty or man-made recreational activities that are best suited according to the place. But to enjoy the beauty of the country, there is no need to go any far.
Kathmandu itself can be a great portray of wonders and magic after some strolling around and observing the beauty of Kathmandu by sightseeing. Both international and national tourists love what the city has to offer. Thus, we can clearly say that there are a lot of tourist places in Kathmandu. And Nepal with pride must not forget to mention that most of these tourists’ places in Kathmandu are enlisted under UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
Nepal is a sovereign country and though the country is home to more than 80 ethnicity and a vast group of people following religions and traditions of their own, it is a peace-loving country, and the people here live in harmony. However, most of them follow Hinduism, and the Pashupatinath temple, being one of the holiest temples of Hindus, is certainly a place you must visit in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu has three Durbar squares in which all of them are enlisted in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. They are the Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Only by strolling around, sightseeing, and visiting these places, you will get to learn so much about the country, its history, and deep roots. Because of their deep embedded values and significance, they are categorized under a major attraction site and tourist destination in Kathmandu.
These Durbar Squares were home to the ex-royal family and their majesties back in date as Durbar refers to Palace in Nepali. The Kathmandu Durbar square is also known as the Basantapur Durbar Square. Here, the Hanuman Dhoka Palace is certainly a place to visit in Kathmandu Durbar Square as it is the place where the Kings were previously crowned.
The other astonishing fact is that Nepal has the only living Goddess in the world and she stays at the Kathmandu Durbar Square. Since even a short glimpse of her is said to bring good fortune and prosperity, people queue up to visit her. This has become the other reason why Kathmandu Durbar square is a major tourist destination.
Only after going a little further, you will reach the Patan Durbar Square and the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. After a couple of minutes of exploring and sightseeing, you will discover that the former Durbar Square is a marvel of the Newar architecture and the ancient royal palace of the Malla dynasty Kings.
Whereas, the latter Durbar Square is the royal palace of Bhaktapur Kingdom and has been able to live up to its name of “City of Devotees” as every alley of the place is enriched with staggering architecture that dates back to a hundred centuries. Since ample of people show interest in sightseeing around Kathmandu and its amazing royal palaces, these places are surely places to visit in Kathmandu valley.
The other major tourist place in Kathmandu is the Swayamnbhunath Stupa and Bouddhanath stupa. The Swayambhunath stupa is a 2500 years old white-domed stupa where you will have the big beckoning eyes of Lord Buddha bestowed upon you. The stupa is also called the monkey temple and is located at the hilltop. Thus, the stupa is a great place for providing relaxation to the eyes by sightseeing, observing the city lights at night, and witnessing the snowy mountains when the skies are clear and blue.
Whereas, the Bouddhanath stupa was built back in the 5th century and is one of the largest stupas in the world. Both of these stupas are visited by thousands of Buddhists and other tourists making it a tourist site in Kathmandu. Here, the people offer prayers by lighting lamps, chanting holy mantras, and spinning the prayer wheels. Since the place is renowned as one for where harmony co-exists in perfect balance, it definitely must fall under your list of places to visit while in Kathmandu to experience peace and calmness amongst people running errands daily.
The above places are loud and clear as to why the Kathmandu valley is a dense concentration of some of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites and the staggering architecture is indeed one of a kind which has been able to make the people awestruck and wowed. But cultural heritage and religious places aren’t the only ones we are bound to visit when we reach Kathmandu.
The Kathmandu valley is hugged by green lush hills from all over and if luck offers, when the skies are clear, you can also see the mountains peaking from above. After moving only a few kilometers from the capital, we can reach various tourist destinations inside the Kathmandu valley and these places are worth the travel and wait.
There are a lot of places to visit around Kathmandu and its periphery. Some places include Nagarkot, Bandipur, Kurintar, Dhulikhel, and many more and all of these places are great places for sightseeing over Kathmandu valley. Places like Nagarkot are great places for relaxation and for observing the early sunrise from in between the hills. Places like Bandipur portray the rustic life of the Nepalese whereas Kurintar is too a place for relaxation and for recreational activities such as rafting in the white fast-flowing rivers.
On the same note, Dhulikhel is a place where we can relax and do zip lining as well. A place full of relaxation, adventure, and thrill is bound to unite people, attract them, and mesmerize them. They are, therefore, great places loved and thoroughly enjoyed by every traveler passing by and are some of the best tourist destinations around Kathmandu valley if you are not longing to go too far.
Kathmandu, in a nutshell, is the complete portrait of what you will be expecting from Nepal as a whole. From mountain sightseeing to sightseeing around Kathmandu valley, the country indeed has a lot to offer to every individual who has a different purpose of stepping down into the lands of this sovereign country.
From studying the roots of the culture and their heritage to hiking up a hill to catch the first sun rays peeking from behind the hills, Kathmandu is a place you must visit once in your lifetime.
