Kathmandu Valley

Trekking in the Kathmandu Valley

The Kathmandu Valley holds seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites inside an area you could drive across in ninety minutes — the densest concentration of heritage monuments anywhere in Asia. Three separate medieval royal cities sit here: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, each an independent Malla kingdom until 1769, each with its own Durbar Square of palaces, pagoda temples and carved wooden windows. Bhaktapur in particular remains a functioning medieval town — no cars in the core, potters working the squares, and 55-window palaces built in the 15th century. The religious sites are equally extraordinary: Pashupatinath, the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal; Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in exile; and Swayambhunath, a pilgrimage site for two thousand years with the best single view over the valley. No trekking and no fitness required.