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Top Places to Stay in Kathmandu - Kathmandu

Top Places to Stay in Kathmandu

Where to stay in Kathmandu, Nepal - the best hotels, lodges, and guesthouses for every budget, with price ranges and highlights.

Dwarika's Hotel - place to stay in Kathmandu
1

Dwarika's Hotel

Luxury; verify current rates

An award-winning heritage hotel near Pashupatinath built around salvaged Newari woodcarvings, widely regarded as Kathmandu's finest cultural property. Expect courtyards, a celebrated restaurant, and museum-quality craftsmanship throughout.

Best for: a splurge night built around Newar craft rather than an international brand

Worth knowing

  • Rooms start well above USD 300 in season
  • Nothing walkable except Pashupatinath

Highlights

  • •Newari heritage architecture
  • •Acclaimed Krishnarpan restaurant
  • •Courtyard pool and spa
  • •Close to Pashupatinath
Hyatt Regency Kathmandu - place to stay in Kathmandu
2

Hyatt Regency Kathmandu

Upscale; verify current rates

A large, comfortable international resort set in spacious grounds beside Boudhanath, with the great stupa visible from parts of the property. A reliable choice for full-service comfort, pool, and spa just outside the busy center.

Best for: families who want grounds, a pool and the stupa at dawn

Worth knowing

  • Thamel and Durbar Square are 40 minutes away in traffic
  • Every outing needs a taxi

Highlights

  • •Steps from Boudhanath Stupa
  • •Large outdoor pool
  • •Extensive gardens
  • •Full-service spa
Kathmandu Guest House (Thamel) - place to stay in Kathmandu
3

Kathmandu Guest House (Thamel)

Mid-range; verify current rates

A legendary Thamel institution that has hosted travelers and mountaineers for decades, set around a leafy garden courtyard. Rooms span budget to mid-range, and the location puts all of Thamel's shops and cafes at your doorstep.

Best for: first-timers who want to walk to everything and book a trek at the desk

Worth knowing

  • Cheapest rooms are plain; ask for the newer wing
  • Thamel nights are noisy once you leave the courtyard

Highlights

  • •Historic garden courtyard
  • •Heart of Thamel location
  • •Range of room categories
  • •Historic traveler atmosphere
Hotel Shanker - place to stay in Kathmandu
4

Hotel Shanker

Mid-range to upscale; verify current rates

A converted Rana-era palace near the Garden of Dreams, offering old-world grandeur with a large lawn and pool. Its central-but-quiet setting is handy for both Thamel and the city's main sights.

Best for: palace character, a lawn and a pool without Dwarika's prices

Worth knowing

  • Standard rooms are plainer than the facade
  • Busy with conferences and weddings

Highlights

  • •Former Rana palace
  • •Spacious garden and pool
  • •Near Garden of Dreams
  • •Classic period interiors
Traditional Comfort / boutique Boudha stays - place to stay in Kathmandu
5

Traditional Comfort / boutique Boudha stays

Mid-range; verify current rates

A cluster of comfortable boutique hotels and guesthouses ring the Boudhanath area, many with rooftop views of the stupa. Ideal if you want a calmer, more spiritual base away from Thamel's bustle.

Best for: pilgrims, early flights and anyone whose trip is about the stupa

Worth knowing

  • Forty minutes from Thamel in traffic
  • Quiet after dark; nightlife means a taxi

Highlights

  • •Rooftop stupa views
  • •Quieter than Thamel
  • •Close to monasteries
  • •Good local cafe scene
Patan boutique heritage guesthouses - place to stay in Kathmandu
6

Patan boutique heritage guesthouses

Mid-range; verify current rates

Lalitpur offers several charming heritage guesthouses tucked into restored Newari courtyards near Patan Durbar Square. They suit travelers who prefer atmosphere, craftsmanship, and a slower pace.

Best for: slow, art-and-food trips of four nights or more

Worth knowing

  • Trekking agencies and pre-dawn pickups are across the river
  • Small rooms in old houses, steep stairs

Highlights

  • •Restored Newari courtyards
  • •Walkable to Patan square
  • •Artisan neighborhood
  • •Calm, residential setting
Aloft Kathmandu Thamel - place to stay in Kathmandu
7

Aloft Kathmandu Thamel

Upscale; verify current rates

A modern international brand hotel right on the edge of Thamel, popular for its rooftop bar and contemporary rooms. A good pick for travelers wanting predictable comforts in a prime location.

Best for: a brand standard and a rooftop pool on the edge of Thamel

Worth knowing

  • Faces a mall and a busy junction
  • Rooms are international-generic

Highlights

  • •Rooftop bar with city views
  • •Edge of Thamel
  • •Modern, reliable rooms
  • •Good for first-time visitors
Thamel mid-range hotels - place to stay in Kathmandu
8

Thamel mid-range hotels

Mid-range; verify current rates

Dozens of well-run mid-range hotels cluster in and around Thamel, offering clean rooms, breakfast, and trek-booking help at fair value. They are the practical default for most independent travelers.

Best for: value, location and trek help in one place

Worth knowing

  • Quality varies street by street; read recent reviews
  • Front rooms hear the lanes

Highlights

  • •Central and walkable
  • •Trek-booking assistance
  • •Good value for money
  • •Rooftop breakfasts common
Thamel backpacker hostels - place to stay in Kathmandu
9

Thamel backpacker hostels

Budget; verify current rates

Budget travelers will find plenty of social hostels and guesthouses in Thamel with dorms, common rooms, and trek-buddy noticeboards. They are the cheapest way to stay in the thick of the action.

Best for: solo travelers looking for trek partners

Worth knowing

  • Dorms are social, which means noise
  • Hot water and wifi come and go

Highlights

  • •Cheap dorm beds
  • •Social common areas
  • •Easy to meet other trekkers
  • •Central Thamel location
Nagarkot view resorts - place to stay in Kathmandu
10

Nagarkot view resorts

Budget to upscale; verify current rates

For a mountain-view escape, the ridge resorts above Nagarkot offer cool air and Himalayan sunrise panoramas a short drive from the city. They range from simple lodges to comfortable boutique retreats.

Best for: one night for the sunrise, not a city base

Worth knowing

  • An hour from Kathmandu each way
  • Cloud hides the mountains outside October to March

Highlights

  • •Himalayan sunrise views
  • •Cool, quiet hill setting
  • •Range of price points
  • •Easy day trip from Kathmandu