4 nights Kathmandu
 

5 short days and 4 nights. Traveler not a tourist. What would you do, where would you stay. Budget is wide open as this is part of a bigger trip aroung the world.

Hotels, treks etc.

you posted this a while back but I'm answering anyhow as it might help someone else with similar query...

If you have 4-5 days in Nepal, I'd suggest sticking to Ktm for 3 days- that is enough to cover the basics of the city, and then spend one day in Nagarkot (a small hilltop village 90 mins outside of Ktm), which is gorgeous and if you don't have the time to travel to other parts of Nepal, it will still give you a sense of the gorgeous topography. If you are there the right time of year, then you will even see the himalayas. Spend the night at one of Nagarkot's lovely inns/hotels at the top of the hill. On the way to Nagarkot you can also stop by Bhaktapur, which is a historic town- one of the old capitals with stunning architecture (more so than Patan or Durbar Square)

In Ktm, stay in Thamel. This is the "khao San" type area- no luxury hotels but many guest houses and alot of travelers sharing great stories. There are a lot of bars/restaurants in Thamel, and no matter what is going on in the rest of Ktm, Thamel has a lot going on.

I agree. Dwarikas would my top choice of place to stay in Ktm.

we stayed at this apartment quite close to Thamel...worked out to 50 USD per day....check them out at www.freewebs.com/accomnepal/.....for the trip i would reccomend going to Thamel...great pubs and music scene....take the mountain flight for great everest views...check out the temples in Patan, Durbar Square and Bhakatapur and also the hill resort of Nagarkot...have fun in Nepal

But the poster is a "Traveler" NOT a tourist and everything mentioned is touristic. Real genuine travelers seldom do anything but go to their trade show or business appt and then go home. So do that.