Plan a trip to Kathmandu

Nepal's capital city is home to ancient temples, rich culture, and a hip backpacking scene.

Kathmandu is the capital city of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the largest Himalayan state in Asia. The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 feet) above sea level in the bowl-shaped Kathmandu Valley of central Nepal. The valley is historically termed as "Nepal Proper" and has been the home of Newar culture, a cosmopolitan urban civilization in the Himalayan foothills. The city was the royal capital of the Kingdom of Nepal and hosts palaces, mansions and gardens of the Nepalese aristocracy. Kathmandu has been the center of Nepal's history, art, culture and economy. It has a multiethnic population within a Hindu and Buddhist majority.