Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - 2 Nights In Kathmandu

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Thanks again everyone. Any thoughts on staying near Pashupatinath Temple?

I'm thinking we'd do as follows:

Day 1: 12pm flight arrival, check in at hotel, possibly Pashupatinath temple if time, Boudhanath Stupa in late afternoon / dusk, Pashupatinath temple for Aarati at 7pm

Day 2: visit Pashupatinath temple if we didn't see it in daytime on Day 1, Patan and Bhaktapur

Day 3: Swayambhunath Stupa, walk around Old Kathmandu, return to hotel to get luggage before 4:50pm flight

My thought is that staying near Pashupatinath temple has the advantage of putting us near the airport and avoids having to waste valuable time backtracking on Days 1 and 3. Staying in Boudha seems nice, but it requires more backtracking. I'm not sure what the hotel situation is there, but I found two hotels near Pashupatinath temple that look to have good reviews. However, there are very few reviews from Western travelers which I tend to find more useful:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...al_Region.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...al_Region.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by thursdaysd (Post 16795275)

Who said it attracted tour groups? I would be very surprised.

Nobody did. I'm just saying "if". Since the earthquake I imagine some hotels will have had to reinvent themselves in order to max out on clients. So it's worth checking, constant comings and goings of tour groups can be a pain in the posterior, particularly loud Chinese/Korean tour groups.

LAX__Esq. Boudhanath is a pleasant area, particularly so inside the extensive grounds. Pashupatinath hasn't got anything in it's favour, other than the cremation site, which you might find a bit distasteful with all the rubber-necking tourists, but it's still a must-do for the experience, like it or not.

There are plenty of restaurants opposite the Boudhanath Stupa.

Your itinerary looks fine to me, other than where to base yourself. On Day 2 a nice place to have lunch is the Cafe de Patan, opposite the Entrance Kiosks to Patan Square. It takes about 45 minutes by taxi from Patan to Bhaktapur. You can also eat in Bhaktapur close to Durbar Square.

Make sure you have a torch for any walking after dark.

Thanks again to everyone in this thread for all the great advice. It was very helpful. Trip report coming soon.