Kathmandu Guide
Eat · Stay · See the mountains

When the clouds break, you'll be ready.

A curated guide to the Kathmandu Valley — where to eat, where to sleep, and the days the Himalaya actually shows itself.

Featured viewpoints
6 around the valley rim
Mountain view · today

Swayambhunath

City viewpoint · 1,400 m

☁ View unlikely · 70% cloud

Swayambhunath is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. The Tibetan and Sanskrit name for the site means 'self-arising' or 'self-sprung'. The hill on which the stupa stands has been an ancient pilgrimage place considered the home of the primordial Buddha known as the Adi-Buddha. For the Buddhists throughout the world, the stupa is venerated as one of the most ancient and important stupas in the world, having hosted numerous Buddhas of the past: Koṇāgamana Buddha, Kakusandha Buddha and Kassapa Buddha. For its outstanding universal value, Swayambhunath was designated a UNESCO's World Heritage Site in Nepal in 1979.

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Featured viewpoints

Today's clarity forecast for the valley's best lookouts.

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