Forecast
Kathmandu — travel, stays & events guide
Local time--:--
Kathmandu timeWeather Forecast
Kathmandu, NepalOpen-Meteo forecast.
Kathmandu city overview
Kathmandu is a city in Nepal shaped by its region, population, local economy, landmarks, climate and civic history. This overview summarizes the city itself: where it sits, what defines it, which places anchor its identity and why it matters within the wider country.
City facts
Airport baseKathmandu Tribhuvan (KTM)
Known forKathmandu, Capital city in Nepal, Kathmandu planning base 3, Kathmandu planning base 4
RegionNepalNepal
Time zoneAsia/Kathmandulocal time
Founded1596historical origin
City history
This public pavilion, also known as Maru Satta in Newari, was rebuilt in 1596 by Biseth in the period of King Laxmi Narsingh Malla.
The earliest Western reference to Kathmandu appears in an account of Portuguese Jesuit Father Joao Cabral who passed through the Kathmandu Valley in the spring of 1628 and was received graciously by the king.
The nine-storey tower Dharahara was originally built during this era. Rana rule Rana rule over Nepal started with the Kot massacre of 1846, which occurred near Hanuman Dhoka Durbar.
In June 2001, the Nepalese royal massacre at Narayanhiti Palace claimed the lives of King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, Crown Prince Dipendra, and several others, and following Dipendra’s brief, comatose reign, Gyanendra was appointed king.
After the 2006 Revolution, it was turned into a museum.
The Nepali name Kathmandu comes from Kasthamandap, a building that stood in Kathmandu Durbar Square and was completely destroyed by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake (it has since been reconstructed).
On 28 February 2025, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck north of Kathmandu, Nepal, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre.
Father Cabral reported that they reached "Cadmendu", the capital of Nepal kingdom.
During the Kirata era, a settlement called Yambu existed in the northern half of old Kathmandu.
Another smaller settlement called Yengal was present in the southern half of old Kathmandu, near Manjupattan.
During the reign of the seventh Kirata ruler, Jitedasti, Buddhist monks entered Kathmandu valley and established a forest monastery at Sankhu. Licchavi era The Licchavis from Vaisali in modern-day Bihar migrated north and defeated.
This created the basis of Newar Buddhism, which is the only surviving Sanskrit-based Buddhist tradition in the world.
The city served as an important transit point in the trade between India and Tibet, leading to tremendous growth in architecture.
For example, the famous 7th-century Chinese traveller Xuanzang described Kailaskut Bhawan, the palace of the Licchavi king Amshuverma.
Worth seeing
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is a practical Kathmandu planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Capital city in Nepal
Capital city in Nepal is a practical Kathmandu planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Kathmandu planning base 3
Kathmandu planning base 3 is a practical Kathmandu planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Kathmandu planning base 4
Kathmandu planning base 4 is a practical Kathmandu planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Kathmandu planning base 5
Kathmandu planning base 5 is a practical Kathmandu planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Kathmandu planning base 6
Kathmandu planning base 6 is a practical Kathmandu planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Stay overview
Compare Kathmandu before booking Kathmandu hotels. Start with the places you will repeat most, then check airport timing, parking, nightly price and event demand before choosing the final base.
Hotels & areas
Compare accommodation options in and around Kathmandu by area, not only by nightly price. A cheaper room can become expensive when airport transfers, parking, attraction routes, late arrivals or event-week demand add time and cost.
Compare stays in Kathmandu, NepalFlights & airports
Kathmandu Tribhuvan (KTM) arrival plan
- Kathmandu Tribhuvan (KTM)Kathmandu Tribhuvan (KTM), Kathmandu
Compare airport access against hotel location, arrival time, rental car pickup, late flights and onward driving before choosing the first night base.
Rental cars
Kathmandu day-trip car use
Compare rental cars when airport arrival, day trips, parking, luggage, theme parks, coastal routes or nearby regions matter more than staying fully on transit.
Compare rental carsTravel tips
Best time to visit
Check weather, school holidays, daylight, local festivals and major event calendars before locking in hotel rates or non-refundable tickets.
Transport notes
Choose a base around the trips you will repeat most: airport, station, old town, waterfront, venue district or day-trip route.
Crowds
Prices can jump around festivals, conventions, school holidays, cruise days, ski weeks, race weekends and large sports events.
Booking detail
Compare total cost with taxes, breakfast, parking, resort fees, transfer timing and cancellation terms before choosing the cheapest room.
Upcoming events
No upcoming Kathmandu events in the shared event index yet.