A Walk to Kathmandu Durbar Square. A Sunny Day After Monsoon Gloom Period
The monsoon season, peaking in July-August in Nepal, turned out to be not that picturesque - just endless overcast days, with plain rains and darkish damp vibes. No fog and no haze, and even downpours were rare.
But on August 24, something surprising happened - when I was walking to a shop in the evening, I noticed the clear sky above me with all those shimmering stars and starlets.
I was amazed - it was the first starry night since I arrived in Kathmandu in the beginning of July. I hoped that was a sign of sunny weather the next day, and I, it turned out, was right.
I woke up at 3 pm feeling shattered after a troubled sleep. Having glanced at gaps in the curtains hiding the window, I squinted against the bright light. And my first thought was "but too late for a walk"... But I eventually made an effort and went to shower.
I finished my breakfast at my usual restaurant only around 4:50 pm... A short ride on a motorbike taxi, and I was in the old town of Kathmandu.
I was in a residential yard near the Durbar Square, with the wall of townhouses surrounding this amazing stupa.
How healing it was to see the golden light of the late afternoon after a long period of monsoon gloom.
I felt just the same as this dog - silent joy in the gentle sun rays.
The shopkeeper noticed me, and I gestured to him over the road that I really, really wanted to photograph him in the shop. I had no chance to avoid traffic entering the frame, so I tried to include it nicely.
A lady with a mobile. I was walking towards Durbar, the palace square, and there were many stores working for travelers there - like, souvenirs or fabric shops:
"Fixed price"! Trust me. 🙂
Another typical scene:
This is how they transport heavy things in Kathmandu.
Heading to Durbar:
That's where the biggest concentration of city attractions: palaces, temples, and artifacts.
Officially, you have to pay 7$ to enter this zone if you are a traveler. Local people cross it for free. As I am not a traveler but rather identify as a temporary dweller of Kathmandu, I considered that paying once was enough. So, to avoid the attention of ticket offices, I sneaked into the area through a secret path.
A passage between residential houses, between houses and temples, between temples and palaces... And finally, I’m inside:
You can't imagine what a pleasure it is to be in the midst of such beauty - just sitting on ancient stones and watching people, pigeons, and crows.
Given the unofficial nature of my stay in this square, I limited my movements so as not to be seen by the ticket booth guys. During the monsoon season, there are few foreigners, mostly Chinese individual travelers, so blending into a crowd was rather difficult for me.
The golden hour!
Masterpieces are everywhere!
Hinduism and Buddhism, carved wood and stone - the art style, unique for Kathmandu Valley.
By the time the sunrays illuminated only the tops of the Durbar temples, I was getting ready to leave.
I actually planned to take pictures after dark. But probably a night of bad sleep affected me - I felt exhausted, and decided to head towards the hotel - a short 50-minute walk. On the way, I took only one photo:
The photos were taken with a Nikkor 50mm on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 on August 25, 2025, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
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glad you got a nice day and thanks for the tour brings back memories of when i visited there maybe 30 years ago
Thanks for joining the Wednesday walk
Have a great day
I can only imagine how cool this experience must have been in Kathmandu 30 years ago. Today everything is easier - video calls, booking, translate apps, maps apps, etc - which is great but traveling has also become a little less traveling with all this comfort.
Thank you!
indeed travelling was more challenging back then, but for me that made it more fun
Thank you! 🙂
The sunlight on the temples looks really stunning and I like how you brought in both the architecture and everyday life around Durbar Square. You've wet my appetite to add this to travel list of my future
Sure, you should. Kathmandu is a must-visit. Hope you'll visit it one day.
I hope so too 🥰🥰
Cool photos! I have had traveling to Nepal high on my list for some time, as I really enjoy hiking. I don't think I have seen many photos from Kathmandu before, but it seems like deeply interesting city, with many little gems to discover. I find the small details incorporated into the different buildings to be particularly fascinating. It is cool that you know the city well enough to find the sneaky way in. I wouldn't want to pay the $7 more than once either haha
"many little gems to discover" - that's right about this city - so many details. Apart from the old town (including the Durbar square), it has many cool ancient places away from the center + fantastic historic towns around Kathmandu, within the Kathmandu Valley.
Thank you!
I haven’t heard the word “monsoon” for a while, and your post reminded me of the beautiful shop here in England called Monsoon, which sells all sorts of colorful accessories and quality clothes, I still have them, lol.
Yes, normally when the stars are clear at night, sunshine follows the next day, you are right.
I love the colors in those photos. Sneaking into the temple sounds fun, and I would do the same! What an amazing details of artistry, beautiful carvings, and you photographed them well. That lady with a mobile is possibly waiting for someone? That’s an impressive, strong man? smaller than those boxes, and you can tell from the expression how heavy they are. They really know how to work hard. Beautiful post! I love it, a mixture of everything, created a story in my mind :)
Glad you liked my mixture of everything! 😄 Yes, much inspiration in these streets - people, temples, food - Kathmandu is amazing except: I am craving for some emotional "vitamin C" 🌤🌞 Thank you!
Yes I liked the mix.
You mean Vitamin D, Lol. You can get vitamin D3 in the pharmacy to replenish and, take it with Vitamin K2 as they work hand in hand. :)
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It seems like a lot of souvenir shops
What amazes me is how they transport heavy things, the dude is even old!
Well buildings are just great, a pleasure to photograph
The Durbar, when it's properly lit, for example, by the morning or evening sun, it's just a heaven for photography - everything is so beautiful.
They can transport even furniture this way. Some of these guys (if not most) are certainly paid people who have this specialization - carrying things.
I can imagine how special it must have felt to finally see the stars after so many weeks of grey skies. The way you describe the golden light in Durbar Square really brings the scene to life. I also like how you noticed small everyday moments, like the dog resting in the sun or the shopkeeper at his store. Those little details make Kathmandu feel very alive in your photos and words.
Yes, it was very special - I am hungry for clear skies. I like tropical storms and downpours but nothing like that this summer in Kathmandu... Most days are just boringly overcast and gray. But this thing is going to an end - September is the last month of the monsoon season and it is said it's much better than July and August.
https://x.com/lee19389/status/1960865048433430536
#hive #posh
The photos show a mix of history, spirituality, and daily life. It really seems like a magical place where every corner has something special to reveal.
Those simple details become unique memories during a trip. Thank you for sharing such a sensitive perspective of Kathmandu.
Such a beautiful walk after all those gloomy rainy days! The golden light really made everything look magical. Your photos show the charm of Kathmandu so well, especially Durbar Square—it feels like I’m walking there too.”
wowow you just reminded me of this beautiful city of Nepal , I was there 30 years ago and things still looks the same besides that mobile phones, still carrying the load on their heads wowow it used to rain whole year I remember but at that time it was Kingdom and tha palace of King and the road infront of it was the coolest place, must visit Bagh Bazaar, I dont know if it still exist, its beside the mosque and its really crowded place , enjoy and thanks for bringing me the old golden days of Kathmandu
https://www.reddit.com/r/NepalPics/comments/1n285jg/a_walk_in_kathmandu_on_august_25_a_rare_sunny_day/
This post has been shared on Reddit by @x-rain through the HivePosh initiative.