Present Kathmandu

Kathmandu is home to most of the government offices, embassies, corporate houses, and palaces. The old palace of the Newar kings at Durbar Square is listed as UNESCO world heritage site. Nearby is Freak Street, which was the popular hippie spot during the 1970s. The former Shah King's Palace stands just east of Thamel - the tourist hub of the country. It consists of two parallel streets catering to tourists with shops, restaurants and little hotels. The palace is at the northern end of Durbar Marg, a major street lined with various shops and larger hotels.

The "old" city is noted for its many Buddhist and Hindu temples and palaces, most dating to the 17th century. Many of these landmarks have been damaged by earthquakes and pollution. Kathmandu has two important Buddhist stupas, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath and a famous Hindu shrine, Pashupatinath temple. Since 2003 the sites have been added to the World Heritage List as being "in danger" out of concern for the ongoing loss of authenticity and the outstanding universal value of the cultural property.

Kathmandu has been popular with western tourists since the 1960s when it became a key stop along the hippie trail. For the hippies during the 60's, once in India they went to many different destinations, but gathered in large numbers in Kathmandu to spend months in search of tranquility and Nirvana. Most of the hippies hung out in the tranquil surroundings of Freak Street. Cultural change, as well as a government crackdown on some of the activities, eliminated hippy movement activities in Kathmandu. Today there is a more conventional type of tourism, although it is also a jumping off location for trekking and mountaineering activities in the Himalayan region. Kathmandu has also been the subject of a popular Bob Seger song for the same reason.