Asan & Indra Chowk Market Walk

Asan and Indra Chowk are the living market heart of old Kathmandu. The lanes have carried spice, grain, bead, and metal trade since the Malla era, and you can walk them any day without a ticket or a reservation. Start at Asan Tole — the busiest crossroads in the old city — then follow the crowd toward Indra Chowk's bead and bangle stalls, the Akash Bhairav temple, and the bahal courtyards tucked between shops. Go at your own pace; an hour or two is enough for a first pass, longer if you stop to watch a puja or taste something from a street stall. Mornings are best: the market is fullest and the light is kinder for photographs. Wear comfortable shoes, keep valuables close in the denser stretches, and step aside when a porter or vegetable cart comes through. This is a public streetscape looked after by Kathmandu Metropolitan City — just show up.