17 October – 15 November 2026 · 0 of 30 written
The diary
Every day of the trip: the plan, the customs, and what actually happened. Filter by season or theme, or search for anything.
Dashain 17 – 25 October · 9 days
Dashain is the longest and biggest festival in Nepal. It celebrates the goddess Durga's victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura, good over evil. Offices close, Kathmandu empties as people travel home to their villages, and families gather to receive tika from their elders. I arrive on day seven, just as the most important days begin.
- 17Arrival on FulpatiFulpati · Day 7 of DashainFestivalsMarketsPlan
- 18Ashtami and the Black NightMaha Ashtami · Day 8FestivalsTemplesFoodPlan
- 19Kites over the rooftopsDashain · pause dayFestivalsViewsPlan
- 20Navami: blessing the machinesMaha Navami · Day 9FestivalsTemplesHeritagePlan
- 21Tika dayVijaya Dashami · Tika dayFestivalsPlan
- 22Boudhanath and a round of cardsTika visits continueTemplesFoodPlan
- 23The Living GoddessTika visits continueHeritageTemplesPlan
- 24Patan, and Dashain the Newar wayTika visits continueHeritageFoodPlan
- 25Who is awake?Kojagrat Purnima · last dayFestivalsTemplesViewsPlan
Between the festivals 26 October – 5 November · 11 days
Eleven open days in Kartik, the month between the two festivals. The skies after the monsoon are the clearest of the year. These days aren't fixed yet, and I may leave Kathmandu for part of them. The plans here are Kathmandu Valley options in case I stay.
- 26The city comes backKartik monthMarketsTemplesFoodPlan
- 27BhaktapurKartik monthHeritageCraftsFoodPlan
- 28Dal bhat and the right handKartik monthFoodPlan
- 29The mountains come outKartik monthViewsNaturePlan
- 30Kirtipur and the lake legendKartik monthHeritageNaturePlan
- 31Saturday in KathmanduSaturday · day offTemplesFoodPlan
- 1PashupatinathKartik monthTemplesPlan
- 2The sleeping VishnuKartik monthTemplesNaturePlan
- 3Paper, cloth and hatsKartik monthCraftsMarketsPlan
- 4Marigolds in the marketKartik monthMarketsFestivalsPlan
- 5Pharping and the cavesKartik monthTemplesNaturePlan
Tihar 6 – 11 November · 6 days
Tihar, the festival of lights, is five days long and honours Yama, the god of death, and the animals linked to him: crows, dogs and cows. It also honours Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, and the bond between brothers and sisters. Every house is lit with oil lamps and strung with marigolds. For Newars it is also New Year.
- 6The first lampDhanteras · Tihar eveFestivalsMarketsPlan
- 7Crows firstKaag Tihar · Day 1FestivalsPlan
- 8Dogs in garlands, a city of lampsKukur Tihar & Laxmi PujaFestivalsPlan
- 9The cow's dayGai Tihar · Day 3FestivalsFoodPlan
- 10Newar New YearGovardhan Puja · Mha Puja · Nepal Sambat 1147FestivalsHeritagePlan
- 11Brothers and sistersBhai Tika · Day 5FestivalsTemplesPlan
Chhath & farewell 12 – 15 November · 4 days
The last four days, which overlap with the start of Chhath. Chhath is a festival to the sun god, mostly of the Mithila and Madhesi communities of southern Nepal, and it is now celebrated at Kathmandu's ponds and rivers too.