Experience Kathmandu: 5-Hour City Tour

Meet your guide on Tridevi Marg, Thamel, at 10am and climb aboard your vehicle for the 15-minute drive to Swaymbhunath, part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This Buddhist temple complex which sits on a hill above the city is one of the defining sights of Kathmandu and the main stupa was left largely untouched by the 2015 earthquakes. It dates back over 1,500 years, and worship follows the Vajrayana Buddhist practice, a variant of Mahayana Buddhism.

As you admire the classic Nepali vistas of prayer flags, monkeys, and circling pilgrims, your guide will explain the legends of Swayambhunath: how it rose from a lake on the site of Kathmandu atop a lotus, and how a Buddhist monk drained the lake by slashing the Kathmandu Valley wall with a sacred sword. You'll also learn about the precise meaning of its sacred architecture.

It's another short ride to Kathmandu's Durbar Square, also inscribed by UNESCO, a royal palace complex in the heart of the city that locals call Hanuman Dhoka. It takes its name from the statue of Hanuman, the monkey god, which adorns the main entrance of the palace. Despite earthquake damage, it remains an epicenter of Nepal's cultural heritage, especially for the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley.

Enjoy a local lunch before you explore the square in full. You'll visit Kumari Chowk, the home of Kathmandu's virgin living goddess: each Kumari is selected as a child but must give up their deity when they reach puberty. Many Nepalis believe that Kumari is the incarnation of the goddess Taleju, a protective deity.

You'll also see the Taleju Temple, built in 1564 by King Mahendra Malla: even Hindus can only visit this once a year, during the festival known as Dashain, so you'll need to admire this impressive edifice from the outside. See the Jagannath Temple, with its erotic carvings, which may date back to the sixteenth century, and the Kasthamandap. This ancient building is said to date back to the twelfth century, when it was crafted from the wood of a single tree, and gave its name to Kathmandu.

It's a lively 20-minute walk back to your starting point, through the vibrant Asan Tole Market, one of Kathmandu's most colorful local bazaars. You'll arrive around 3pm.