Kathmandu Valley


World Heritage Identification Number: 121

World Heritage since: 1979

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇳🇵 Nepal

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific

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Exploring the Cultural Richness of the Kathmandu Valley

The Kathmandu Valley, nestled in the heart of the Himalayan mountains, serves as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Nepal. This bowl-shaped valley, often referred to as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley, has been a significant crossroads of ancient civilizations from the Indian subcontinent and beyond. With at least 130 important monuments, the valley boasts seven World Heritage Sites that showcase the full spectrum of historical and artistic achievements for which it is globally renowned.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The cultural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley is illustrated by seven groups of monuments and buildings which display the full range of historic and artistic achievements for which the Kathmandu Valley is world famous. The seven include the Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), Patan and Bhaktapur, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Bauddhanath and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.

Encyclopedia Record: Kathmandu Valley

The Kathmandu Valley, also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley, National Capital Area, is a bowl-shaped valley located in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. It lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of the Indian subcontinent and the broader Asian continent, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several pilgrimage sites for Hindus and Buddhists. The valley holds seven World Heritage Sites within it.

Read more on Wikipedia

Additional Site Details

Area: 167.37 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions

Coordinates: 27.70395 , 85.30858

Image

Image of Kathmandu Valley

© Krish Dulal, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Chitwan National Park
99 km — Nepal
Sagarmatha National Park
160 km — Nepal
Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha
202 km — Nepal
Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar
286 km — India
Khangchendzonga National Park
302 km — India

Country Information: Nepal

Flag of Nepal

Official Name: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal

Capital: Kathmandu

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 29,651,054

Population (2023): 29,694,614

Population (2022): 29,715,436

Land Area: 143,350 sq km

Currency: Nepalese rupee (NPR)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Kathmandu Valley are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Kathmandu Valley, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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