Nepal
Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur were rival royal capitals, and they still sit within an hour of each other at about 1,400 m (4,590 ft). Here is how the valley fits together, and how it joins a Darjeeling trip.
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Kathmandu valley
UNESCO listed them in 1979: the royal squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, the stupas of Swayambhu and Boudhanath, and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan. Most are a short drive apart.
Photo: Stan Tuladhar / Unsplash
Daily life
Tibetan families walk the kora at Boudha before work. Lamps go down to the Bagmati at Pashupatinath every evening. Bhaktapur's potters still set their jars to dry in the open square. You are a guest in working neighborhoods.
Photo: Sushanta Rokka / Unsplash
When to go
Those are the kindest months. November is the driest stretch, with mornings around 8 °C (46 °F). June to September is monsoon: July brings about 380 mm (15 in) of rain, and the peaks can vanish for weeks.
Photo: Sanjeev Shakya / Unsplash
Getting there
From Bagdogra (IXB), drive 43 km over the Mechi bridge at Kakarbhitta to Bhadrapur and take a 45-minute Buddha Air flight. Coming from farther away, nonstop flights reach Kathmandu from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Photo: Sushanta Rokka / Unsplash
Papers
Indian citizens need no visa, only a passport or original Voter ID. Other nationals buy a visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport or at Kakarbhitta: US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30, US$125 for 90.
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Beyond the valley
Three to four nights cover the valley. Pokhara and the Annapurnas are 25 to 30 minutes west by air; Lumbini, the Buddha's birthplace, is a 30-minute flight and a 30-minute drive. Give each two nights.
Photo: Chhabiraj Adhikari / Pexels
Planning
Each old city has its hour: Bhaktapur early, Patan at dawn, Boudha for the morning kora, Pashupatinath at dusk. Work out how many mornings you have, and the rest of the valley falls into place around them.
Photo: loki TGM / Pexels