Surrounded by the pristinity of mother nature, the places to visit in Kathmandu offer a whole new experience of divinity and tranquility of Nepal. Heading out on a vacation to Kathmandu, you will get to capture the alluring views of nature, seek blessings from the divine place of worships, trek through the forest covers to reach the summits to welcome serene views, and get to know more about the ancient era from the museums and exhibition halls.

While the tourist places in Kathmandu like Budha Nilkant offers you the view of the large reclining statue of Lord Vishnu, Jagannath Temple impresses you with its picture perfect architecture and intricate carvings, Dakshinkali Temple lets you be a part of the age old rituals and traditions, the Tribhuvan Museum lets you explore the antiques and relics of the kings who used to rule Nepal.

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”.