Kathmandu sits at the heart of the Kathmandu Valley, listed since 1979 as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The entire city is an open-air museum, with hundreds of medieval temples, palaces, shrines and statues dotted around the narrow streets.

Most travellers base themselves in Thamel, a district of hotels, restaurants, bars, Internet cafes and souvenir shops to the west of the Royal Palace. From here, the winding alleyways of Old Kathmandu sprawl south to Durbar Square, with its stunning Newari temples and palaces.

Walking through the streets is an intoxicating experience: pedestrians jostle for space with bicycles, rickshaws, cows and motorcycles, and the bazaars are piled high with silks, incense and spices. Running south from Durbar Square, Freak Street (or Jochne) was famous as the hippy hangout of the 1960s and 70s, though most of the action has since moved on to Thamel.

Divided from Kathmandu by the Bagmati River, Patan (Lalitpur) has its own Durbar Square with more remarkable temples and palaces. Further from the centre are the famous Buddhist stupas at Swayambhunath and Bodhnath and the city of Bhaktapur, with another collection of fascinating palaces and shrines.

Tourist Service Centre
Bhrikuti Mandap
Tel: (01) 425 6909.
Website: www.welcomenepal.com  
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 0900-1700.

Trekking Permits
Before you go trekking in Nepal, you must obtain a Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card from the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (tel: (01) 442 7473; website: www.taan.org.np) or from a trekking agency in Kathmandu. Additional fees apply if your route passes through a national park - the office for national park fees is inside the Sanchaya Kosh Bhawan Shopping Centre on Tridevi Marg in Thamel.