Kathmandu on a budget

Best hostels

Kathmandu's cheap beds crowd into the tight grid of lanes around Thamel, and most of this list sits inside or right beside it: Paknajol and Kaldhara to the north and west, Chhetrapati and Dhobichaur on the slope down toward the Bishnumati River. The differences between them look small on a map and feel large at midnight, when one lane is still thumping with live cover bands and the next is shuttered and silent. Beyond that core, the choices come down to purpose: Boudha puts you beside the great stupa and its dawn circuit of pilgrims, Sinamangal sits by Tribhuvan International Airport for early flights, Lalitpur trades backpacker bustle for Patan's Newari courtyards, and Budhanilkantha climbs toward the Shivapuri foothills. Prices across the picks run from pocket change to mid-range hotel rates, so decide first how much noise, how much walking, and how much taxi time you want, then pick the bed.