🇳🇵 Nepal
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal — a city of 1.4 million people in the Kathmandu Valley at 1,400m altitude, surrounded by the Himalayan foothills. The valley has been inhabited for at least 2,000 years and contains the highest density of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world for its area: the Kathmandu Valley has seven UNESCO heritage zones (three historic royal squares: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square; and four religious monuments: Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa, and Changu Narayan Temple). Kathmandu is the gateway to the Himalayas: Everest Base Camp treks begin in Kathmandu (the bus or flight to Lukla, the starting point, runs from Kathmandu Airport); the city is the last major urban centre before the world's highest mountain range. The religious landscape of Kathmandu is extraordinary in its coexistence: Hinduism and Buddhism have been practised side by side in the valley for 1,500 years (the Newari people, the indigenous inhabitants of the valley, practice a unique syncretic tradition in which the same person may be simultaneously Hindu and Buddhist, and the same temple complex serves both faiths). The Thamel district (the backpacker hub) is the tourist centre; the old city of Indra Chowk and Asan (the traditional Newari commercial streets) are the authentic urban core. Best months: March–May and October–November.