On Foot in Old Kathmandu: The 15 Best Walking Tours

1.Kathmandu Food and Drink Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 266 reviews · from $36Our pick

Join local guide Deepak Kushwaha for a three-hour food walk through Thamel, Asan, Jyatha and Chhetrapati. Expect a mix of street snacks and restaurant stops, with Nepali food, drinks and cultural context along the way. Tastings have included momo, Newari dishes, lassi, sugarcane juice and masala tea. Come hungry, and be ready to walk narrow lanes and stairs.

“The food choices were all good and for the most part tasty. Def tried some things I normally would not try. I took one star away because we had three dishes at one place and I felt like part of the fun should be to try each dish at a new place. I also was not a fan of the Momo we had (I have had better in town). Our guide was really good and very knowledgeable.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Food and Drink Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 119 reviews · 3 hours · from $28

Walk around Kathmandu’s Thamel area with a local guide, often Deepak, and sample at least nine Nepali foods and drinks at carefully chosen eateries. Expect momos, noodles, snacks, sweets, and cultural stories along the way. It’s a generous meal as well as a useful introduction to local flavors, so arrive hungry.

“Very informative and relaxed. Loved that I tried things I would not do if I were on my own. A lovely night out.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Walking Street Food Tour in Kathmandu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 111 reviews · from $48

Walk Kathmandu with a local guide, sampling at least five Nepali dishes and drinks in local eateries around Asan and Kathmandu Durbar Square. The private, adult-only tour lasts about three to four hours, with vegan and vegetarian options available if you tell your guide. Guides include Kabita, Deepak, Raj and Anoj, though your assigned guide may vary.

“This was an awesome experience! We had so much great food and saw a wonderful part of Kathmandu! Our guide so great!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Walking Food Tour in Hidden Local Eateries of Kathmandu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · from $36

Join a guide such as Shazia, Fahid, or Dhuksang for a two-hour walk from Indrachowk toward Kathmandu Durbar Square. Tastings at small local eateries are included, with Nepali and Indian snacks and food culture along the way. The group is capped at 12, and some bites are eaten standing up.

“Should definitely try this tour if you’re a foodie to get a local knowledge of what and where the locals eat! The places are ofc not the most cleanest of environments but the food is great and it’s been 2 days since and none of us have had an upset stomach or anything. Dakhsung (if I’m spelling his name correctly) was a wonderful guide and took us to places that weren’t even on gmaps. Some places are literally like walking into a narnia closet, you wouldn’t know there’s a world inside a door in a small alley! We were vegetarians and there was 0 issue in getting vegetarian food!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Kathmandu Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · from $26

Start at 8:15 am for a private walk through Kathmandu, including a 15-minute stop at Ason Bazaar, one of the city’s oldest markets. An English-speaking guide shares local history and daily life. Pickup is offered from hotels in Thamel, and the tour includes bottled water and a city map. Durbar Square is not confirmed as a stop.

“I was accommodated last minute and Bipan was punctual and patient enough to wait for me finishing breakfast (hotel was a little slow), and walked slowly due to a sprained ankle. Luckily I was the only one on the tour! Bipan was pleasant aRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Old Kathmandu Walking Tour, Historic World Heritage Durbar Square

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · from $28

Walk Old Kathmandu with a local guide, from Thamel’s namesake Buddhist monastery and the stalls of Asan to Kathmandu Durbar Square and the Kumari shrine. The private tour lasts about four to five hours, starts at 9:00 am, and ends with tea or coffee in Thamel. Guides named Mahesh Shreshtha and Modo have led the walk.

“This was an excellent tour. I was able to learn and experience so much, including meeting a Hindu priest at a small beautiful temple and interacting with him and getting to see the living child goddess. Modo was a great guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Smells of Kathmandu Walking Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $28

Spend about 2.5 hours walking through Asan, Indrachowk, the bead bazaar, Bangemudha and Nardevi with a local guide. Expect market goods from spices and produce to fish, meat, grains and pulses, plus stories about daily life. Sunil is one guide named by past participants; Rajendra has led a German-language tour. Hotel pickup can be arranged.

“Thanks, to the company that they give me a german guide, Rajendra. He spoke perfect German and explained everything, absolutely everything, to me during our walk. Thank you so much for the magnificent impressions of Kathmandu.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Guided Walking Tour with Monkey Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $15

Start at the Garden of Dreams with an English-speaking guide from Himkala Adventure, then walk through Kathmandu’s markets, Durbar Square and Newari residential lanes to the Monkey Temple. Guide Shiva has been praised for his patient answers and knowledge of local culture. Expect a substantial walk and 365 steps back down the hill.

“Die Tour war sehr interessant! Ich würde sie jedem weiterempfehlen!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Kathmandu Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 15 reviews · 4 hours · from $30

Follow a local English-speaking guide through Ason’s old market, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Freak Street and hilltop Swayambhunath. The four-hour walk includes hotel pickup in Thamel and mineral water; monument fees and any taxi from Swayambhunath are extra. Guides named by past participants include Shankar Bhattarai and Madan Sakota, though assignments can vary.

“Super competent and friendly guide, I enjoyed the tour, learning a lot of new facts about Kathmandu, the religions in Nepal and the daily life. Pick up on time and he also dropped me off at the hotel. Highly recommend”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Oldest Local Market Walking Tour With Living Goddess Kumari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 2 hours · from $39

Meet near Chhaya Devi Complex in Thamel for a two-hour English-guided walk through Ason, Kathmandu’s old market, and Kathmandu Durbar Square, with a chance to see Kumari, the living goddess. A past tour was led by Santos, praised for clear explanations, though guide assignments may vary. The $39 price includes a guide and bottled water, but not the 1,000-rupee square entry fee.

“Her gaze is impressive!! I’m so happy and honored to have visited the living goddess Kumari”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Oldest Local Market Walking Tour with Living Goddess Kumari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $40

Walk from Chhaya Center through Thamel and Ason Bazaar to Kathmandu Durbar Square, then stop at Kumari Chowk for the chance to see Kathmandu’s living goddess. An English-speaking guide leads the two-hour route, which is capped at 20 people. The $40 price excludes monument entrance fees and food.

“Seeing the Kumari is a really special experience, expert guide through the market and Kathmandu Durbar Square, an ideal tour to begin to orientate yourself in the city.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Kathmandu Food & Drink Walking Tour Taste Local Delicacies

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $15

Follow a local guide through Kathmandu’s food stalls, family-run eateries, and Asan’s spice market on a three-hour walk from Thamel to Chhetrapati. Sample Newari and Nepali dishes, local drinks, tea or coffee, and snacks. Guides Umesh and Ananta have led the tour, which costs $15 per person and ends where it begins.

“Excellent street food tour ~ this was the real deal ~ the real Kathmandu experience ~ Umesh was a great guide thru some truly hair raising experiences ~ highly recommended for a real Kathmandu experience 💯 🏴‍☠️💜🇳🇵🙏🏼”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Taste Nepali Food & Drink- Walking Tour in Thamel

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 5 reviews · 2 hours · from $10Best value

Walk Thamel and nearby Kathmandu streets with a local guide, tasting Nepali favorites such as momo, chatamari, sel roti, pani puri and lassi. The route can include local markets and family-run eateries, with Suresh named as a guide associated with the tour. Expect food, cultural context and a small group of up to six.

“Suresh showed us places we would never have visited without him. He was very flexible and adapted quickly to special requests (such as vegetarian Food). He answered many, food- and not-food related questions with patience and passion and we had a great time exploring Kathmandu with him. Suresh was easy to talk to, very friendly and brought us home in time. We highly recommend and would do it again anytime!”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Kathmandu Heritage Walk | Heritage Walk of Kathmandu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $40

Start at Breakfree Adventures in Thamel and walk through Tahiti, Shanti Bihar Stupa, Indrachowk, several temples, and local markets with a private English-speaking guide. Guides Martin and Madan have led the tour. It skips UNESCO World Heritage sites, offering a closer look at everyday Kathmandu instead.

“Being a private tour for the two of us we were able to select destinations that we had not seen before. Martin was very knowledgeable about all the historical and religious sites. Martin set a pace that got covered a loyalty of ground but was not too strenuous for seniors. We really enjoyed Martin as a guide and recommend him highly!”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Walking Street Food Tour and 2 UNESCO Sightseeing in Kathmandu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $65

Spend about six hours with a private guide, visiting hilltop Swayambhunath and Kathmandu Durbar Square, then sampling momos, bara, yomari, lassi, and more around Asan Market. The tour starts at 10 a.m., includes lunch, drinks, and private transportation, and can accommodate vegan, vegetarian, and allergen needs. UNESCO entrance fees are extra.

“This tour was a great combination of local food delights and two cultural sites - though really, Durbar Square was many sites in one! Shova was a great guide and we enjoyed our time with her!”

Check availability →Read our full review