Kathmandu is also known as the city of temples for the sheer number of temples you encounter in the city. There are 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kathmandu. This means there are plenty of places where you can hangout in Kathmandu. Here is a list which might be in your interest if you plan on hanging out in this capital city.
1. Kathmandu Durbar Square
To the south from Thamel lies Kathmandu Durbar Square. Here you can find numerous temples and stupas. However, the monuments here were damaged during 2015 earthquake. Do not forget to visit these places when you are inside it – Taleju Temple, Seto Bhairab, Jagannath temple and Indrapur temple.
2. Boudhanath
Boudhanath is a stupa, which is said to have been constructed in 600 AD. It is one of the largest stupas in Asia. As you visit this place, you are bound to feel a sense of spirituality. The best time to hang out here is the evening when the devotees burn the butter lamp and incense.
3. Swayambhunath
Swayambhunath is one of the designated UNESCO World Heritage site. The view of Kathmandu from here is spectacular. The best time to hang out here is in the morning as the crowd is thinner and the sky is calm.
4. Thamel
Thamel is the tourist hub of Kathmandu and this is a place where you can get to tourists all over the world. This is the best place to hang out in Kathmandu but the visit might be hectic as local traders try to sell their souvenirs.
5. Freak Street
The name itself is English. This was the central place for tourists in the 1960s and 1970s, it has lost its crown as the tourist hub in Kathmandu to Thamel but still it retains the vibe of the place that it once was.
6. Asan Tole
Asan Tole is really a crowded marketplace which resembles a supermarkets in large cities but the difference is the whole shops are outside. You can buy exotic spices, vegetable and flowers here. There are nice temples that are scattered here and there.
7. Pashupatinath
Finally, you arrive at one of the most holy places for Hindus – the Pashupatinath. A visit to Kathmandu without seeing Pashupatinath is frankly incomplete. I do not want to disclose much but when you are at Kathmandu head for Gaushala.
