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Kathmandu lies in a bowl-shaped valley at about 1,300 to 1,400 metres. Shivapuri, Phulchoki, Nagarjun and Chandragiri are the four mountains surrounding the city. Its history is thought to extend back about 2,000 years.
UNESCO describes seven collections of buildings and monuments in the Kathmandu Valley, reflecting varied achievements in art and history. Local tradition tells of a lake that became habitable land when Manjushri opened a gorge at Chobhar. Kathmandu takes its name from Kasthamandap, a wooden pavilion that tradition says was built from a single tree; recent research dates its foundations to as early as the 7th century.
The Kathmandu Durbar self-guided GPS walking tour app has a duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes and includes access to GPS-guided content through a mobile app, audio and visual commentary at each checkpoint, and interactive scavenger hunt features.
The 10-day Golden Triangle guided tour from Delhi to Kathmandu includes guided sightseeing in Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Kathmandu, together with a welcome briefing by a tour manager in Delhi.
Swayambhu in Kathmandu is a religious site with a Buddhist stupa. Tradition attributes the beginning of work on Boudhanath Stupa to Jyajyima Dechhog, a keeper of poultry. Bricks, limestone and surkhi mortar were among the traditional materials used to rebuild Boudhanath. A Buddhist religious leader based in India contributed 30 kg of gold to gild its spire during reconstruction. Restoration began in 2015 and the stupa reopened in November 2016.
Pashupatinath temple joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. The Skanda Purana contains references to the Pashupatinath Shivalinga. At Pashupatinath, the evening aarati beside the Bagmati starts with a conch shell being blown, followed by the lighting of large copper lamps containing ghee. Shivaratri observances include remaining awake through the night, lighting oil lamps, prayer and meditation.
Bhupatindra Malla built Bhaktapur's five-storey Nyatapola temple in 1702. In Patan, King Siddhinarsingh Malla commissioned Krishna Mandir in the Shikhara architectural style. Changu Narayan retains a traditional Newar settlement along with inscriptions from the 5th century. Bhaktapur Municipality and local committees led the rebuilding of most of the town's quake-damaged monuments.
Bisket Jatra in Bhaktapur lasts eight nights and nine days. On the eve of the festival, residents erect a tall wooden pole bearing two long flags. The celebrations include two communities pulling wooden chariots through the city from opposing sides in a shared tug. During Kathmandu's Indra Jatra, a religious procession carries the Kumari, the living goddess, through parts of the city.
Established in 2002, Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park occupies 159 square kilometres. The park averages approximately 20 km across from east to west and 9 km from north to south. Bird specialists have documented 318 bird species there. Its recorded mammals include Indian leopards, jungle cats, large Indian civets, golden jackals and Himalayan black bears. In the hills of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, the Bagmati emerges from a spout shaped like a lion's head. The river is described as a network with seven tributaries. Chandragiri Hill reaches about 2,551 metres, with views that include Makalu, Kanchenjunga and Manaslu.
Kathmandu's history is believed to go back roughly 2,000 years.
The 1 hour and 30 minute tour includes GPS-guided app content, audio and visual checkpoint commentary, and interactive scavenger hunt features.
A traditional Newar settlement and inscriptions dating to the 5th century remain at Changu Narayan.
Bhaktapur celebrates Bisket Jatra over eight nights and nine days.
Recorded mammals include Indian leopards, jungle cats, large Indian civets, golden jackals and Himalayan black bears.
