Kathmandu Events
Losar
Tibetan New Year, marked by Buddhist processions, masked dances and parades at monasteries and Buddhist stupas across Nepal. Bodhnath and Swayambhunath are focal points for celebrations in the Kathmandu Valley.
Date: 04 February 2018 - 04 February 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Processions at Bodhnath and Buddhist ceremonies at Swayambhunath and Jawlakhel near Patan
Cost:
Free
Maha Shivaratri
This popular festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva and celebrated by Hindus all over the world. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated in Nepal at the Pashupati Temple in Kathmandu. This is an incredible spectacle, with devotees paying tribute to Lord Shiva by smearing their bodies in ashes and praying until they fall into a meditative state. The festival falls on the moonless night of the month of Phalguna and prayers and ceremonies continue late into the night.
Date: 13 February 2018 - 14 February 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Pashupati temple complex
Cost:
Free.
Holi
Celebrating the defeat of the evil demon Holika, Holi is marked by riotous celebrations where devotees fill the streets, throwing water and coloured powder at any and everyone who passes by. Do as locals do and wear clothes you can wash or throw away.
Date: 01 March 2018 - 02 March 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Throughout Kathmandu.
Cost:
Free.
Ghode Jatra
According to legend, the people of Kathmandu defeated an evil demon by burying it on the site that is now the Tundikhel Showgrounds. It is said that unless the ground is trampled on by horses each year, the demon will rise again wreaking a terrible vengeance on the people. Thus, each year, horses and riders from the Nepalese army stage incredible riding performances on the showground. Other events include motorcycle displays, cultural performances and gymnastic demonstrations.
Date: 17 March 2018 - 24 March 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Tundikhel parade ground.
Cost:
Free.
Buddha Jayanti
Buddha’s birthday is celebrated with enthusiasm by Buddhists across Nepal. In Kathmandu, the most animated celebrations are at Bodhnath and Swayambhunath, where treasured thangkas (Buddhist paintings) are unveiled and monks engage in colourful costumed dances.
Date: 30 April 2018 - 30 April 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Swayambhunath, Bodhnath and Jawlakhel in Patan.
Cost:
Free
Rato Machhendranath
A month-long chariot festival to honour Machhendranath, the god of rain. Over the course of a month, a revered statue of the deity is paraded from the Rato Machhendranath Temple in Patan to Jawalakhel atop an enormous chariot hauled by hundreds of devotees.
Date: 01 May 2018 - 30 June 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Patan.
Cost:
Free
Mount Everest Scenic flight
Only awe-stricken silence can come close to matching the experience of going on a mountain flight to encounter the tallest mountains of this earth. No wonder mountain fly-bys have become a popular tourist attraction in Nepal. Four airlines offer regular forages into the snow-capped peaks of the Himalaya.
Date: 01 September 2018 - 31 May 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Kathmandu
Website: http://www.nepalairflight.com/everest_scenic_mountain_flight.php
Cost:
USD 210
Indra Jatra
The festival of Indra Jatra is intimately linked to the harvest season as devotees give thanks to Indra for rains and good crops. This is one of Nepal's most vibrant festivals, marked by processions of masked dancers in the capital, Kathmandu. The celebrations usually last for eight days and the festival is celebrated by both Hindus and Buddhists.
Date: 21 September 2018 - 30 September 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Various venues in Kathmandu.
Cost:
Free.
Dashain
Nepal’s most important festival lasts for 15-days, celebrating the victory of the Hindu Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahisasura. To honour the bloodthirsty deity, huge numbers of goats, chickens and buffalo are sacrificed at temples across the valley.
Date: 10 October 2018 - 24 October 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Throughout Kathmandu.
Cost:
Free
Tihar
The Nepali version of Diwali, the festival of lights. Animals are honoured with flower garlands and houses are decorated with butter lamps, candles and electric lights, while children fill the streets with fireworks.
Date: 07 November 2018 - 07 November 2018(Date to be confirmed)
Venue: Throughout Kathmandu
Cost:
Free
