Kathmandu Monkey Temple is an iconic UNESCO-listed world heritage site, made up of a collection of temples and stupas spread across a couple of hilltops. On a clear day, you can get incredible views of Kathmandu and wander around the temple complex for hours.
Getting There
Our journey began in Thamel, where we talked to a couple of taxi drivers trying to get a reasonable price for the 15-minute journey to the bottom of the temple. I think we paid somewhere between 500 and 1000 NPR or 5 to 10 AUD. There are meters in Kathmandu taxis, but tourists don’t get to use them; instead, drivers cover them up and give you a price that’s triple what it should be. Just be sure to agree on a price beforehand and don’t get caught out with the currency conversion. At the end of the day, even the super-inflated prices are like $10, but some drivers will shout out crazy prices when they spot a good target.
After a 15-ish minute drive, you get dropped off at the bottom of the temple complex, where there are a few little shops and vendors selling souvenirs on the side.
The Long Climb
As you start walking up the 365 stone steps to the top, the noise and pollution of the Kathmandu valley fades away. On a good day, you can see the whole of the valley and the Himalayas in the background.
There are plenty of monkeys all the way up. We spotted a few families and some super cute babies. After experiences in Thailand, I am wary of shiny things around monkeys, but these guys looked pretty benign, and I didn’t see any mad dashes to grab someone’s handbag.
The big trees shade a good portion of the walk, and there are toilets about halfway up–just remember to bring some small change. Like many places in Kathmandu, there are beggars resting on the steps
Swoyambhu Mahachaitya Tickets and Times
After what feels like an eternity climbing stairs in the muggy heat, we got to what is referred to as Swoyambhu Mahachaitya or Swayambhunath. There is a small ticket booth on the left, just before the very last step, where foreign nationals pay 200 NPR for entry. That’s about $2.20; That’s got to be one of the cheapest UNESCO sites in the world.
We couldn’t find set hours for the temple, so we checked with the hotel guys, who told us it’s basically open all day. I’m sure it closes during certain religious festivals, as it is a working temple, so best to check with someone local.
Swoyambhu Temple
The temple area starts with the big stupa and a big viewing platform, pictured below. After taking in the view, you can start to wander around the smaller temples set around the stupa. There are some great examples of classic Kathmandu architecture, with low brick buildings supported by wooden columns. A lot of old buildings like this were destroyed in the 2015 earthquake, but the temple seems either untouched or rebuilt very well.
Inside the buildings that aren’t used for ceremonies or prayer, there are little shops selling statues, Tibetan singing bowls, paintings and other traditional items.
Side Temples
A lot of people seemed to stick to the main temple area by the big stupa before heading down, but you can actually walk for about 15 minutes through the working monastery and small shrines to a second, much quieter part of the complex. Eventually, you get to the Swayambhu Buddha Park with some big golden Buddhas before the complex ends on the ring road, where you can either take a taxi back to your hotel or walk back to the steps at the other end.
There is a small natural history museum somewhere on the complex that we somehow missed, apparently it houses lots of stuffed animals, rhinoceros heads and animal pelts.
For food and water, there are a bunch of little stalls dotted along the edge of the complex that will sell you bottled water and snacks. I only spotted one cafe up there, but we got a great lunch at the Mitho Daal Bhat House near the bottom of the steps.
Nearby Attractions
The bottom of Swoyambhu Temple is about a 5-minute taxi ride from the National Museum, which we visited. They have a great collection of paintings, tapestries and displays on the different casts of people that have, and continue to, inhabit the Kathmandu valley.
The first time we visited the museum, it was closed for a holiday–we couldn’t work out what holiday, but there are tonnes in Nepal. So it’s always best to check with someone at your hotel before heading out.
Just across the road from the National Museum is the Military Museum, another great place to spend a few hours. There are thousands of different guns, swords, cannons and even helicopters on display. The National Museum cost NPR 150, and the military museum was NPR 100.
