How to Find Cheap Hotels in Kathmandu, Nepal

With its spectacular views of the Himalayan Mountains, Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and its largest city, has been a popular destination for Westerners since the 1960s. This ancient city, home of almost 1.5 million people, has been inhabited for almost 3,000 years.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A passport
• A computer with Internet access

Find Your Accommodations

1. To book accommodations, contact Nepal Tourism Guide at [phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources below).

2. Consider one of Kathmandu's many guesthouses, which will give you a taste of life in Nepal for a very cheap price of $20 to $40 per night.

3. Stay in one of the many hostels in Kathmandu, most of which are very cheap. A room with a common kitchen can cost as little as $5 per night.

4. Choose a luxury hotel room from a major chain. While not cheap, you can usually find such accommodations from around $100 to $200 per night.

Get to Kathmandu, Nepal

5. Fly into Kathmandu Airport.

6. Consider renting a Jeep for your stay, if you're brave enough to handle the traffic.

7. Use one of the city's taxicabs for getting around town.

8. Hire a rickshaw driver for an authentic experience.

Enjoy Kathmandu

9. Visit the many Buddhist and Hindu temples in the city, most of which were built in the seventeenth century.

10. Go to Durbar Square in the center of the city and take a tour through the Royal Palace.

11. Take a trip to the Swayambhunath Stupa, also known as the Monkey Temple, which is almost 2,500 years old.

Tips & Warnings

• There are lots of security checks at the airport. Give yourself plenty of time to pass through customs.
• Consider flying to Delhi, India, and taking a train to Kathmandu to save money.
• It's best to avoid the buses in Kathmandu, which are often overcrowded, dirty and slow.
• Drink only bottled water and eat only well-cooked food while in Nepal.
• Kathmandu suffers from high levels of air pollution because the surrounding mountains tend to hold it all in. It's worse in the winter.