Walking tour in Kathmandu | world heritage site visit [2020]

Durbar Square is right in the heart of the old town and it’s an amazing example of traditional Kathmandu architecture (despite the fact some of the buildings were damaged during the 2015 earthquake). Durbar means palace and it makes complete sense within the context; it is a place where the city’s rulers were once crowned and legitimized and where they ruled from. The square in fact consists of three loosely connected squares dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, even though many of the buildings there are much older.

Visit Hanuman Dhoka, a complex of structures and the royal palace for the Malla kings and the Shah dynasty. Hanuman is one of the most worshipped and celebrated figures in the whole region and he’s often referred to as the Hindu monkey god. His statue guards the entrance (dhoka means entrance) to the palace - cloaked, shielded by an umbrella, and his face covered in orange veneer applied by his devotees.

Further on, you’ll pass through Indra Chowk (unless you get lost in a muddle of people, traffic, and stunningly decorated temples and shrines), a vibrant local market selling all possible things, including traditional beads worn by married Hindu women. The Ason market is the biggest in town, having six busy streets spill into it. If you can make it there in the morning, you’ll enjoy a more peaceful atmosphere and observe the locals setting up their stalls for the day. Fittingly, the Annapurna temple of abundance is located right in the middle of all the market sellers.

Luckily, Kathmandu isn’t all just crowds of people, explore the local cafes and discover the modern face of the city in a valley at the foot of the Himalayas.

You can explore amazing views of culture and heritage through walking.