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Thamel
Neighborhood in Kathmandu in Bagmati, Nepal

Thamel

Thamel is a commercial neighborhood located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

Plan a trip to Thamel→From Pokhara

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.

Get in

Getting to Thamel

A taxi from Tribhuvan International Airport to Thamel is around Rs800 (more if pre-paid, you can also pay by US dollars), and the journey takes around 20 minutes (July 2024). From Boudha and Patan, take a local bus or microbus to the Ratna Park/Kanthipath area. From there either walk north (20 minutes) or take a second bus up the ring road to north Thamel. From Boudha, buses depart from opposite Boudha Gate.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Swayambhunath
  2. 02
    Freak Street

    Historic street where western hippies seeking enlightenment would stay in the 1970s and 80s.

  3. 03
    Thamel Chowk

    A tourist area with many restaurants and shops.

  4. 04
    Garden of Dreams
  5. 05
    Lakhu Phalechā
  6. 06
    Jagannath Temple

    Hanuman Dhoka Road (a bit north of Durbar Square).

Do

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.

  1. 01
    Baisdhara

    Balaju (West from Gongabu Bus Park).

  2. 02
    National Table Tennis Training Center

    Lainchaur Marg.

  3. 03
    T U Cricket Stadium

    T U, Kirtipur.

Eat

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.

  1. 01
    Helena'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.

  2. 02
    Krua Thai

    Z Marg (at the outskirts of Thamel, take first the left curve after Pilgrims, then right).

  3. 03
    New Orleans

    Mandala St, (almost opposite Kathmandu Guest House.).

  4. 04
    Northfield Cafe

    Thamel Marg (a few doors up from Kathmandu Guest House),.

  5. 05
    Roadhouse Cafe

    Pleasant decor with good coffee & hot chocolate & more cappuccinos.

How locals move

Getting around Thamel the local way

  • 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).
  • Get aroundMicrobuses are typically minivans with a surprising number of seats crammed in - they have a "conductor" who leans out of the door and shouts the destinations, which are also often written on the front in Nepali.

From Wikivoyage: Kathmandu, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.