What are the best places to visit in Kathmandu to find natural beauty?

Kathmandu (काठमाण्डु) is the largest city and capital of Nepal and the namesake of the Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu is an incredibly diverse historic city with breathtaking Newari architecture, centuries old Hindu and Buddhist religious sites along with dedicated tourist-friendly accommodations and restaurants. Stepping into Kathmandu is like stepping into another world that everybody should experience at least once in their lifetime Once thought to be the fabled and inaccessible Shangri-La, Kathmandu is growing spot catering to a wide range of holiday types and budgets. As a result of considerable urban growth in recent decades, it is now part of one continuous urban area together with Patan to the south.

Ancient traditions, Kathmandu is blessed by Living Goddess Kumari and is enriched by endless ceremonial processions and events that take to the streets every now and then with throngs of devotees seeking joy in spiritual celebrations. These religious festivals are steeped in legends and are quite a spectacle with chariot processions and masked dancers often possessed by the spirits of deities.

UNDERSTAND
Kathmandu is a city where ancient traditions rub shoulders with the latest technology. The grandeur of the past enchants the visitor whose gaze may linger on an exquisitely carved wooden window frame, an 18th century bronze sculpture or a spiritually uplifting stupa. Kathmandu, the largest city of Nepal, is the political as well as cultural capital of the country.

According to a census conducted in 2011, Kathmandu metropolis alone has 2.5 million inhabitants, and the agglomerate has a population of more than 3 million inhabitants. The metropolitan city area is 50.67 square kilometres (19.56 sq mi) and has a population density of 3000 per km² and 17000 per km square in city.

The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) in the bowl-shaped Kathmandu Valley of central Nepal. It is surrounded by four major mountains: Shivapuri, Phulchoki, Nagarjun, and Chandragiri. Kathmandu Valley is part of three districts (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur), has the highest population density in the country, and is home to about a twelfth of Nepal's population.

Historically, the Kathmandu Valley and adjoining areas were known as Nepal Mandala. Until the 15th century, Bhaktapur was its capital when two other capitals, Kathmandu and Lalitpur, were established. During the Rana and Shah eras, British historians called the valley itself "Nepal Proper". Today, Kathmandu is not only the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, but also the headquarters of the Central Development Region of Nepal. The Central Region comprises three zones: Bagmati, Narayani, and Janakpur. Kathmandu is located in the Bagmati Zone.

Kathmandu is the gateway to tourism in Nepal. It is also the nerve center of the country's economy. It has the most advanced infrastructure of any urban area in Nepal, and its economy is focused on tourism, which accounted for 3.8% of Nepal's GDP in 1995–96. Tourism in Kathmandu declined thereafter during a period of political unrest, but since then has improved. In 2013, Kathmandu was ranked third among the top 10 travel destinations on the rise in the world by TripAdvisor,and ranked first in Asia.

The city has a rich history, spanning nearly 2000 years, as inferred from inscriptions found in the valley. Religious and cultural festivities form a major part of the lives of people residing in Kathmandu. Most of Kathmandu's people follow Hinduism and many others follow Buddhism. There are people of other religious beliefs as well, giving Kathmandu a cosmopolitan culture. Nepali is the most commonly spoken language in the city. English is understood by Kathmandu's educated residents.

Kathmandu's sister cities (Lalitpur Patan) and Bhaktapur are integral to Kathmandu's cultural heritage, tourism industry, and economy; therefore UNESCO's World Heritage Site lists all three cities' monuments and attractions together under one heading, "Kathmandu Valley-UNESCO World Heritage Site".

Climate

Climate	Daily highs (°C)	Nightly lows (°C)	Precipitation (mm)
Jan	19	2	14
Feb	21	5	19
Mar	25	8	34
apr	28	12	61
may	29	16	124
jun	29	19	236
july	28	20	363
Aug	29	20	331
sept	28	19	200
Oct	27	13	51
Nov	24	8	8
Dec	20	4	13

Kathmandu Valley is in the Warm Temperate Zone of Nepal (elevation ranging from 1,200–2,300 metres (3,900–7,500 ft)), where the climate is fairly temperate, atypical for the region. This zone is followed by the Cool Temperate Zone with elevation varying between 2,100–3,300 metres (6,900–10,800 ft). Portions of the city with lower elevations have a humid subtropical climate, while portions of the city with higher elevations generally have a subtropical highland climate. In the Kathmandu Valley the average summer temperature varies from 28–30 °C (82–86 °F). The average winter temperature is 10.1 °C (50.2 °F).

The city generally has a climate with warm days followed by cool nights and mornings. Unpredictable weather is expected given temperatures can drop to 3 °C (37 °F) during the winter. During a 2013 cold front, the winter temperatures of Kathmandu dropped to −4 °C (25 °F), and the coldest temperature was recorded in January 10, 2013 at −9.2 °C (15.4 °F). Rainfall is mostly monsoon-based (about 65% of the total concentrated during the monsoon months of June to August), and decreases substantially (100 to 200 cm (39 to 79 in)) from eastern Nepal to western Nepal. Rainfall has been recorded at about 1,400 millimetres (55.1 in) for the Kathmandu valley, and averages 1,407 millimetres (55.4 in) for the city of Kathmandu. On average humidity is 75%.

For information on visa requirements and immigration procedure, see Nepal#Get_in

By plane
1 Tribhuvan International Airport (IATA: KTM), Ring Road (located 5.5 km east of the popular tourist area of Thamel), ☎ +977 1 4113163. is the largest and only international airport in Nepal. For Domestic Flight Information phone=+977 1 4113299. - Facilities: Foreign Exchange (one bank counter at the departure lounge and three bank counters at the arrival lounge), TIA Office Information Services, pre-paid taxi. Nepal Tourism Board Information counter. HAN (Hotel Association of Nepal) Counter: You can book any hotel of your choice from here. Get your hotel voucher and proceed to the assigned hotel. You can collect pamphlets and tourism information. You may be offered free copies of "Nepal Traveler" an informative magazine which has information about Nepal distributed by smart beautiful ladies just as you step out of the Custom area. CIP Lounge (for business travellers, paying Rs 200 per person), two press rooms, cargo facilities, post office, souvenir shop, medical services, internet services (updated Oct 2016)
International flights
Most international flights to Kathmandu arrive from Delhi, UAE, Qatar, or Bangkok.

International airlines serving Kathmandu include:

1. Biman Bangladesh Airlines - Dhaka
   
2. Air Arabia - Sharjah.
   
3. Air China - Chengdu.
   
4. Air Asia - Kuala Lumpur.
   
5. TUIFly - Amsterdam.
   
6. Fly Dubai - Dubai.
   
7. Druk Air - Paro and Delhi
   
8. Etihad Airways - Abu Dhabi.
   
9. Gulf Air - Bahrain.
   
10. Dragon Air - Hong Kong
    
11. Air India - Delhi and Kolkata.
    
12. Jet Airways - Delhi, Mumbai.
    
13. JetLite - Delhi.
    
14. Korean Air - Seoul.
    
15. Pakistan International Airlines - Karachi.
    
16. Nepal Airlines - Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai,

17. Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka,

18. Singapore and Shanghai.

19. Silk Air - Singapore.

20. Thai Airways - Bangkok.
    
21. Qatar Airways - Doha.

22. RAK Airways - Ras Al Khaimah complimentary bus shuttle service between Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and neighbouring emirates (Dubai,

Sharjah...).

23. Oman Air - Muscat.
    
24. GMG Airlines - Dhaka.
    
25. China Southern Airlines - Guangzhou.
    
26. China Eastern Airlines - Kunming.
    
27. Turkish Airlines - Istanbul.
    
28. Malaysian Airlines- Kuala Lumpur.
    
29. Himalaya Airlines - Doha, Colombo

Domestic flights

Commercial domestic flights are available to/from Bhadrapur, Bhairawa, Bharatpur, Biratnagar, Dhangarhi, Janakpur, Nepalganj, Pokhara, Simara, and Tumling Tar. Domestic flights take about an hour and cost USD100-175. The primary domestic airlines are air viva, Yeti, Nepal Airlines, and Buddha Air. Domestic flights are almost always delayed and afternoon flights run the risk of cancellation as delays from the morning compound.

Baggage handlers & concerns
Your luggage is vulnerable entering and leaving this airport. Do not keep anything of value in checked bags, and if you lock the bag, the zip may be forced open and broken. There is little to no security for your bags. You should also be aware that most luggage is treated quite poorly in Nepalese airports. It is recommended that all fragile and valuable items are kept in your carry on luggage.

Be aware that when you collect your luggage, an "airport baggage cart collector" may appear and assist you with a baggage trolley. Unless you insist on handling your own baggage, your items will be loaded on the trolley and will be conveyed with you to the entrance of the terminal. You will then be expected to pay a tip to this person. Arriving just beforehand in Nepal, you will often only have larger denomination foreign currency in your pocket, but foreign currencies are accepted: even a couple of US dollars are significant to many Nepalis.

Money exchange at the airport
Try not to exchange money at the airport as there are service charges and lower rates offered than what you can get in Thamel or elsewhere in the city.

Getting to and from the airport
There are no trains in Kathmandu and renting a car without a driver is not possible.

Pre-arranged hotel transfers are available from most hotels and are included in most trekking/touring packages. Representatives will be standing outside the arrivals doors behind a barricade and will hold a sign identifying themselves. This form of transport is particularly helpful if you are a novice to Nepal, arriving late at night and unfamiliar with how things work in the country.

Prepaid taxis cost NPR800 to Thamel. Don't give the receipt to the driver until you are at your destination and you are satisfied, as this serves as the driver's payment. If the driver asks for more money, don't give it. Tipping taxi drivers is not expected.

Regular taxis are an easy way to get to the city but be prepared to negotiate the price beforehand, heavily. The cheapest rate that you can get to Thamel is NPR400-500, or if you go to the end of the parking lot and catch a taxi there, where the taxis do not have to pay the airport entrance fee, you may be able to get a rate of NPR200-300, which is close to the standard meter rate. Taxi drivers may try to extract some commission by showing you one or more hotels on the way.

Local buses pickup and drop-off at the airport gate, 0.5 km from the terminal. The buses generally do not have fixed schedules and are often crowded and painful but cost only NPR10. Ask the cashier about where the bus stops.

By bus
For more information, see Nepal 'Get in' section.

There is frequent and cheap bus service between Kathmandu and nearly all parts of Nepal. However, due to poor roads and frequent delays the buses are some of the slowest and least comfortable in South Asia.

Balaju Bus Station (North Bus Station, Gongabu Bus Station?), Dupchewsor Marga? (There are 'mini buses' which criss cross the main roads of the city for about NPR20.). Buses: India (Patna, Gorakhpur, Varanasi (₹1,350, India-Nepal friendship Bus Service, leaves Varanasi at 13:00 and arrives to Kathmandu at 05:00), and Lucknow), Pokhara, and Chitwan

Kalanki Station (south) (There are mini buses which crisscross the main roads of the city for about NPR20.). Buses: India (Patna, Gorakhpur, Varanasi (₹1,200), and Lucknow), Pokhara, and Chitwan
From Pokhara

Tourist buses (NPR800, 6-7h) and crowded local buses/microbuses (NPR400-600, 6-7h) travel the 200 km journey between Kathmandu and Pokhara almost every 15 minutes starting at 07:30 until late afternoon. Night buses are available, but the ride is painful. Greenline operates a convenient bus every morning between the popular tourist areas of Thamel in Kathmandu and Lakeside in Pokhara (USD20, lunch included). The road is winding and includes many hairpin bends and offers wonderful views of hills and rural Nepalese lifestyle. The drivers will generally not drive too fast, but some will calmly weave in and out of the stream of opposing traffic and break heavily, making for a scary ride if you look out the front window. During the rainy season, there may be problems with the roads and flying may make more sense.

From Tibet
Buses and minivans run between Kathmandu and the Nepalese border town of Kodari, across the Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge from the Tibetan city of Zhangmu. The 123 km journey takes 6+ hours and costs NPR500. Buses depart until the early afternoon. Private jeeps (USD60 for up to 4 people) are a quicker option, and can make this journey in 4 hours.

Kathmandu is a result of diverse culture and lifestyle, a long history of faith and beliefs, and of arts and architecture. Therefore, more than just a city, Kathmandu is a living museum, it is an opportunity to travel back in time and to relive in the history.