Temples, stupas and palace squares in the valley
The Kathmandu Valley holds seven UNESCO monument zones, and the capital is the starting point for all of them. Durbar Square is lined with pagoda-roofed temples, and nearby Patan and Bhaktapur have even finer palace squares. Swayambhunath, the monkey temple, overlooks the city, and pilgrims circle the huge white dome of Boudhanath stupa. At Pashupatinath, Hindu cremations take place by the Bagmati River. Thamel's lanes are the trekkers' hub for gear, momos and dal bhat.