Kathmandu

Kathmandu is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the Bagmati Province at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) in the Kathmandu Valley — a wide, flat bowl surrounded by green hills. It is the political, cultural, and commercial heart of the country.

The older part of the city is filled with small alleys that join each other like capillaries and semi-private courtyards with shops. The large squares housing the ancient Malla palaces (Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan) and the iconic Buddhist stupas of Swayambhunath and Boudhanath are not only popular with filmmakers and tourists but are also listed as UNESCO World Heritage Monuments.

Kathmandu's outskirts — including Nagarkot, Chandragiri, and Shivapuri — provide elevated panoramic views of the city and, on clear days, snow-capped Himalayan peaks including Ganesh Himal, Langtang, and even Everest.

Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) is Nepal's only international airport, with direct connections to major Asian hubs including New Delhi, Dubai, Doha, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong — as well as many South Asian cities. The airport is approximately 6 km from the city centre.

Within Nepal, Kathmandu is the main hub for both domestic air travel (to Lukla, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Biratnagar, etc.) and road travel via the Prithvi Highway (to Pokhara), Arniko Highway (to Tibet/China), and BP Highway (to eastern Nepal).

Kathmandu offers an unrivalled diversity of filming environments within a compact area:

• Durbar Squares — Three UNESCO-listed palace squares (Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur) with intricate Newari pagoda architecture, stone temples, and centuries-old courtyards. Perfect for period dramas, documentary, and cultural features.
• Buddhist Stupas — Swayambhunath ("Monkey Temple") and Boudhanath stupa offer iconic aerial shots and immersive spiritual environments.
• Narrow Back-alleys — The old city's labyrinthine alleys create stunning chase sequences, intimate character moments, and a sense of timeless mystery.
• Hilltop Jungle Views — Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park on the northern rim offers trails through dense forest with panoramic valley views — ideal for nature documentaries or dramatic outdoor scenes.
• Modern Contrast — Thamel (tourist hub), Jhamsikhel, and New Baneshwor provide contemporary urban textures that contrast sharply with the ancient city core.
• Festivals — Kathmandu hosts year-round Newar festivals (Indra Jatra, Bisket Jatra, Gai Jatra, Dashain) that provide extraordinary colour and crowd energy for documentary and fiction filmmakers alike.