Kathmandu Getting Around

If you are staying in central Kathmandu you can walk to the Durbar Square and the main tourist areas. If you are the worse for wear and need mechanical help to get to back to your hotel there are a number of options. Local buses should be avoided, they are overcrowded and are unlikely to go exactly where you want to go. Other choices are rickshaws, taxis and tempos. The latter are responsible for much of the pollution in Kathmandu as they belch out fumes from their underpowered engines, I avoided them on principle. The cycle rickshaws are great, you get a good view whilst you go and the owner often gives a running commentary.

 

The three temple complexes of Kathmandu - Bodhnath, Swayabhunath and Pashupatinath require a taxi ride.

 

Patan is also a short taxi ride or a half hour's walk from central Kathmandu. Ask to be dropped at the Patan Dhoka - the city gate. You can walk around Patan from there and return to pick up a taxi or tempo for your return journey.

 

Bhaktapur is a 10 km journey from Kathmandu, there is a local bus which departs regularly from Tripureswar ad takes about a half hour, quicker is a taxi. I used a taxi which waited fr two hours whilst I walked around Bhaktapur. The driver convinced me to let him take me to the ancient Hindu temple of Changu Narayan, another 8km distant. The whole trip cost 600rp, excellant. Incidentally Changu Narayan is a World Heritage Site, completely unspoilt, with a wonderful pagoda style temple.