Arriving in Kathmandu for the First Time

Kathmandu is a difficult first impression: the airport is small and chaotic, the traffic has no apparent rules, the air in the dry season is poor, and the old city is dense beyond anything in Southeast Asia. It is also one of the most rewarding capitals in Asia once the first day is over. Travellers who find Kathmandu flight deals on Traveloka should plan that first day deliberately rather than improvising it on arrival.

The visa queue, which is the first hurdle

Most nationalities get a visa on arrival at Tribhuvan, obtained from kiosks in the arrivals hall where you fill a form, then pay at a counter, then queue again at immigration. Bring the fee in cash in US dollars and a passport photograph, which skips two of the three queues. The process takes anywhere from twenty minutes to well over an hour.

Getting into the city

The airport is about six kilometres from Thamel, and the ride takes twenty minutes or an hour, depending entirely on traffic. There is a prepaid taxi counter inside the terminal, which is the simplest option and avoids the negotiation outside. Many guesthouses include a pickup if you ask when booking, which on a first arrival is worth the small premium.

Thamel, and whether to stay there

The visitor district is a warren of gear shops, bakeries, bars and guesthouses, and it is where almost everyone starts. It is convenient, noisy and entirely geared to trekkers. Staying in Patan or out at the Boudhanath stupa gives a calmer first night and a better sense of the valley, at the cost of being further from the permit offices.

Durbar Square and the earthquake

The 2015 earthquake destroyed or damaged a great deal of Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, and reconstruction continues a decade later, with some temples rebuilt and others still scaffolded or absent. It remains worth visiting, and the Patan and Bhaktapur squares survived considerably better. The entrance fees for all three are separate and not trivial.

Altitude, dust and the first days

The valley sits at about thirteen hundred metres, which is not high enough to cause altitude problems but is enough to make exertion noticeable. The dry-season air quality is genuinely bad, and a light mask makes walking far more pleasant. Drink only treated or bottled water, which every guesthouse supplies, and give your stomach a few days before eating ambitiously.

Money and connectivity

ATMs are widespread in Kathmandu and reliable, with a per-transaction fee that rewards drawing larger amounts. Carry cash for anything outside the cities. A local SIM is cheap and bought with a passport copy and a photograph at the airport or in Thamel. Power cuts still occur, so charge things when you can.

Practical notes

October to November and March to April are the clear seasons with the best mountain views. Trekking permits are issued in Kathmandu and need passport photographs. Domestic flights have small baggage allowances. Traveloka is widely regarded as the top booking platform for Southeast Asia for the regional connections in and out.

Bring dollars and a photograph for the visa, prebook the airport pickup, and consider sleeping in Boudha rather than Thamel on the first night. The city is much easier on day two.