Thamel
Thamel is a commercial neighborhood located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
Thamel is a commercial neighborhood located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The name comes from Tha Bahi, indicating its root origin to have come from the Newar community, the indigenous people of Kathmandu Valley. Tha Bahi has been the centre of the tourist industry in Kathmandu for over four decades, starting from the hippie days, when many artists came to Nepal and spent weeks in Thamel. It is considered the hotspot for tourism inside the Kathmandu valley.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01Swayambhunath
- 02Freak Street
Historic street where western hippies seeking enlightenment would stay in the 1970s and 80s.
- 03Thamel Chowk
A tourist area with many restaurants and shops.
- 04Garden of Dreams
- 05Lakhu Phalechā
- 06Jagannath Temple
Hanuman Dhoka Road (a bit north of Durbar Square).
From Wikivoyage: Thamel, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Singing bowl workshops, there are several free singing bowl workshops in Thamel, one can be found on the third floor in an apartment near Kathmandu burger.
- 01Baisdhara
Balaju (West from Gongabu Bus Park).
- 02National Table Tennis Training Center
Lainchaur Marg.
- 03T U Cricket Stadium
T U, Kirtipur.
From Wikivoyage: Thamel, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Local food can be found in Nepali restaurants for Rs70-100, street vendors sell steamed dumplings (momos) and fried food. Hygiene is usually very poor- even for Nepal. Ace Cafe and Bar. Good mix of Indian, Nepali and Western. Costs generally Rs50-120. On the first non-touristy street West of Thamel, across from the People's College. Alchemy. An Italian restaurant. Somewhat expensive for Thamel.
- 01Helena's Rooftop Restaurant
Chaksibari Marg (From Chhetrapati, pass the Everest Steak House on your right, and turn the next left and walk a few minutes north on JP School Road.
- 02Krua Thai
Z Marg (at the outskirts of Thamel, take first the left curve after Pilgrims, then right).
- 03New Orleans
Mandala St, (almost opposite Kathmandu Guest House.).
- 04Northfield Cafe
Thamel Marg (a few doors up from Kathmandu Guest House),.
- 05Roadhouse Cafe
Pleasant decor with good coffee & hot chocolate & more cappuccinos.
From Wikivoyage: Thamel, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Thamel
- Airports
- Tribhuvan (KTM), 5 km · Pokhara (PHH), 138 km · Gautam Buddha (BWA), 189 km
- Pokhara → Thamel145 km · quickest by road, 3h 47m · ₨750–1,000
- Siddharthanagar (Bhairahawa) → Thamel0 km · quickest by road, 2 min · ₨0
- Siliguri → Thamel328 km · quickest by road, 7h 23m · ₹3,190–3,990
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Thamel
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Thamel. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inBy pre-arranged transfers – Available from most hotels and included in most trekking/touring packages.
- Get inYour hotel or trekking company may also be able to help.
- Get inBuses and minivans run between Kathmandu and the Nepalese border town of Kodari, across the Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge from the Tibetan city of Zhangmu.
- Get inPrivate jeeps (US$60 for up to 4 people) are a quicker option, and can make this journey in 4 hours.
- Get inSunauli — rickshaw to the Nepalese border city of Bhairahawa (ten minutes from Sunauli).
From Wikivoyage: Kathmandu, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01165 km
- 02559 km
- 03646 km
- 04693 km
- 05724 km
If you know how people move in Thamel – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Thamel
Thamel is 2 km from Kathmandu, the nearest large city, whose note carries the wider picture.