Mid-range Heritage hotel · Kathmandu
Kathmandu Guest House (KGH Thamel)
Thamel's original guesthouse, open since 1968 in a former Rana-era building, with a garden courtyard in the middle of the tourist quarter. Rooms across several price levels, and the Museum of Nepali Art on site. Convenient for trek logistics, quieter than the streets outside.
Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsThe Kathmandu Guest House opened in 1968 with seven rooms in a building originally constructed in the early 20th century for a Rana family. It is widely credited with starting Thamel as a travellers' quarter, and many mountaineers and trekkers have passed through its gate. Today it has more than a hundred rooms around a garden courtyard, and its Museum of Nepali Art and an art house are on the premises.
The garden is the reason to stay: a quiet green space in the middle of Thamel where you can have breakfast before a trek or sit with tea after a day in the old city. Rooms vary widely in age and size, so ask for a garden-facing or renovated room. The tourist bus stop for Pokhara is a short walk away.
Why we use it
- Garden courtyard in central Thamel
- Range of rooms for different budgets
- Walking distance to trek agencies and Pokhara buses
Best for
Trips that stay here
Sleep here on a trip
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Everest view trek to Namche Bazaar
Domestic flights to Lukla, private car in Kathmandu, five days on foot
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Comfort
Kathmandu, Bandipur and Pokhara by private car
Private car with driver
Around the stay
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is Nepal's capital and the start of most trips, at about 1,400 m in the Kathmandu valley. Give it two or three nights: Durbar Square and the Kumari, the stupas of Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, and Pashupatinath on the Bagmati. Stay in Thamel for budget and trek logistics, or Battisputali for Dwarika's.
Photo: Nabin K. Sapkota · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Dawn kora at Swayambhunath
Climb the eastern stairway to Swayambhunath at first light and walk the circuit with the morning pilgrims. You see Newa…
Photo: Sumitbhatt222 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Butter lamps and kora at Boudhanath
Walk the evening circuit of Boudhanath with the Tibetan community, light butter lamps and climb to a rooftop for the st…
Photo: Artha at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Durbar Square and the Kumari Ghar
A morning in Kathmandu's royal square with a licensed guide: the Hanuman Dhoka palace, Kasthamandap, the Kumari's house…
Questions
About Kathmandu Guest House (KGH Thamel)
When did the Kathmandu Guest House open?
In 1968, with seven rooms. It has expanded many times since.
Is the Kathmandu Guest House noisy?
The garden and inner rooms are quieter than Thamel's streets. Street-facing rooms can be noisy in the evening; ask for a garden-facing room.
Can I store luggage at KGH while trekking?
Hotels in Thamel commonly offer luggage storage for guests on treks. Confirm when booking.
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Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
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