Timeline
11:00
Visit the Nepal Children's Art Museum. It opens at 11:00 on weekdays, making it the perfect quiet start to your morning. The space is designed to bring literacy through art, offering a calm and inspiring atmosphere to begin your day.
11:45
Walk 12 minutes to Mandala Book Point. This shop is probably the best place in Kathmandu for reference books, tourist maps, and texts on Nepali culture and history. It is open until 19:00, so you have plenty of time to browse.
12:30
Head to the Garden of Dreams. This is a beautiful and peaceful walled garden close to Thamel. It was beautifully renovated in partnership with the Austrian government and features two pavilions. It is a great spot to relax and read.
12:50
Walk 8 minutes to Northfield Cafe for lunch. It is popular with English teachers and expats, serving basic pub grub and Nepali attempts at Mexican food. It is open from 07:30 to 22:00 daily.
Local tip
The Garden of Dreams is a quiet escape from the noise of Thamel. If you want to combine your book browsing with your garden visit, Pilgrims Book House (7 min walk from the garden) is the largest English-language bookshop in Kathmandu and is open until 21:00.
Check before you go
- Nepal Children's Art Museum is open Tu-Fr 11:00-17:00 and Sa,Su 12:00-16:00.
- Mandala Book Point is open Mo-Fr 09:00-19:00.
- Northfield Cafe is open Mo-Su 07:30-22:00.
Worth knowing
- Mandala Book Point is open at 11:45 only on Mo, Tu, We, Th, Fr
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to Kathmandu (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).