Do it like a local · Across the valley

Do it for free

Gallery openings, jam sessions, community runs and the Boudha kora all cost nothing. New free events are listed every week.

Best time

Any day; mornings and evenings are when the city is most alive.

How long

As long as you have.

Getting there

Most of these are walkable from Thamel or a short ride away.

The city itself

Some of the best of Kathmandu costs nothing. Walk the old market streets of Asan and Indra Chowk in the morning, when shopkeepers open up and the temples get their first offerings. Walk the kora around Boudhanath at dusk with everyone else.

Sit on the east bank of the Bagmati at Pashupatinath and watch the evening aarati. Walk around Ranipokhari, the restored pond in the centre of the city, in the evening, when families come out.

Free events every week

There are also free events on most days: gallery openings, talks, open mics, community runs, film screenings and concerts with no ticket. The listings below show the free ones coming up, so you never have to guess whether there is a charge.

A free day, planned

Start early at Asan and walk south through Indra Chowk to Kathmandu Durbar Square, looking in from the edges. Spend the middle of the day at a free gallery or exhibition. Late in the afternoon take a taxi to Boudhanath for the kora, then on to Pashupatinath to watch the aarati from the east bank.

That is a full day of the city at its best, and the only thing it costs is the ride between.

Tips

Mornings are the best free show in the city: temples, markets, people.
Gallery openings often come with live music.
Some heritage areas charge visitors an entry fee, so check before you plan around them.
Bring water and walk; most of the old city is closer together than it looks.