What's happening in Kathmandu this week?

Nepal's weekend is Saturday, not Sunday, and this trips up most first-time visitors. Banks, government offices, and the National Museum in Chhauni all close on Saturdays. Sunday is a regular workday. The Kathmandu Valley's three Durbar Squares, Basantapur, Patan, and Bhaktapur, stay open daily, but Saturday mornings draw more local families out for walks through the courtyards. Narayanhiti Palace Museum, the former royal residence completed in 1963, closes Tuesdays rather than Mondays. Pashupatinath Temple draws its largest crowds on Mondays and Saturdays, when Hindu devotees arrive before dawn for Shiva puja. The smell of sandalwood incense sits thick in the morning air along the Bagmati River. Worth noting if you're planning around closures. Tuesday is the trickiest day. The Garden of Dreams in Thamel and the National Museum both shut their doors.

Late June in Kathmandu means monsoon. Mornings often start clear, with temperatures around 25°C and humidity near 72%. By 2pm, clouds pile up over the Shivapuri hills to the north. By 3pm you'll likely hear thunder rolling across the valley floor. Rain falls hard for 45 minutes to an hour, then often clears by 5pm. Plan sightseeing for the morning window. The air after a downpour smells like wet brick dust and marigolds. Streets in the old city around Asan and Indra Chowk flood briefly at the low points, sometimes ankle-deep. Bring shoes that can handle water, or buy NPR 200 rubber sandals from any shop along Thamel's main drag. To be fair, the monsoon trade-off tends to be worth it. The surrounding hills turn an almost absurd green, and the Himalayas occasionally appear between cloud breaks at dawn, visible from Swayambhunath's platform for maybe 20 minutes before the haze returns.

Asan Tole is Kathmandu's oldest trading intersection, and its spice market runs every day from around 7am. The smell of turmeric, dried chilies, and black cardamom hits you from 50 meters away. Friday mornings are when wholesale buyers show up, so expect tighter crowds and better prices on saffron threads at around NPR 800 per gram, roughly $5.30 USD. Boudhanath Stupa, the largest in Nepal at 36 meters, draws Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims for kora every evening around 5-6pm. The prayer wheels click in a steady metallic rhythm as you walk the circuit. Saturday evenings are the fullest, with butter lamp ceremonies casting an orange glow across the white dome. Swayambhunath, sometimes called the Monkey Temple, is best visited early, around 6:30am, when the resident macaques are calm and the 365 stone steps are still cool underfoot.

Thamel's restaurant scene runs nightly, but the neighborhood has a clear weekly shape. Sunday through Wednesday evenings are quieter, and you can walk into places like OR2K on Mandala Street or Yangling Tibetan Restaurant near Chhetrapati without a wait. Thursday through Saturday the rooftop bars fill by 8pm. For Nepali food, skip Thamel entirely. Bhojan Griha in Dillibazar occupies a converted Rana-era mansion and serves a set menu for around NPR 2,500 ($16.50 USD). Newa Lahana in Kirtipur does Newari cuisine, choyla, bara, and aila rice wine. A full meal runs under NPR 600 ($4). The best dal bhat in the tourist zone is still at Thakali Kitchen near Paknajol, where the brass thali comes with 7 sides and unlimited refills for NPR 450 ($3). Street momos appear at pushcarts by 4pm in Basantapur and Asan. Buff (water buffalo) is the standard filling. Ten pieces cost NPR 80-120, under $1. They're steamed in thin wrappers with a ginger-heavy filling that tastes nothing like the frozen versions you might have tried elsewhere.