Kathmandu is the gateway of Nepal tourism and offers the boundless destination for all kinds of trekkers, Himalayan trail finders and climbers. Tourist started coming to Nepal just after the roads connected in India in the early 1950s from the south.
Kathmandu valley is surrounded by 4 hills- The Highest point Shivapuri is 2,800 m, Phulchoki is 2,796 m, Nagarjun hill or Jamacho is 2,825 m and Chandragiri hill is 2,552 m. Chandragiri now has cable car which is second cable car in Nepal, first being in the Kathmandu city. These 4 major hills protect the 3 major cities- Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. These four hills are popular for day hiking tours and also popular for 3 to 5 days trekking. The biggest or major river Bagmati and a bit smaller Bishnumati river follows through Kathmandu and ends at Chovar hill. The national tourism board, rafting company, trekking and adventure agencies and government is now willing to promote these two rivers as a rafting hub of Kathmandu city. An old folk still talks about the town, which had a big lake and there was an island, which is now known as Swayambhunath Temple (Swayambhunath meaning self-created). The Kathmandu valley had a lake before 1950s. Manjushri cut a gorge at Chovar (Chobhar) and water drained out of the lake. It was then established as a human pilgrim and valley because he had a vision of lotus. Now this temple has become a tourist destination for viewing sunrise and sunset. The Kathmandu valley got the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 1979. The Kathmandu valley includes Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan in general.
There are numerous places for half day sightseeing and a full day tour in Kathmandu. They are Kathmandu Durbar Square and its unique architecture, the traditional culture of the living Goddess (Kumari), Swayambunath Temple, 22 water taps and Balaju park, Hindu temple Pashupatinath and its open-air cremation place on the Bagmati river band, Bouddhanath Stupa, Patan Durbar Square, Krishna Mandir and golden temple, Godavari botanical garden, Tibetan refugee camp, Bhaktapur Durbar, Bhaktapur seven (7-storey) Nyatpol temple, Changunarayan temple, Museum house, Sanga Shiva statue and the terrace field of the countryside are the main tourist attractions in Kathmandu valley.
Kathmandu valley is the highly populated and most developed place in Nepal. Most of the headquarters and the majority of offices including embassies and consular are located in the valley, which is also known to be the economic hub of Nepal.