3-Hour Monkey Temple Walking Tour – Swayambhunath | US$17.50

Explore the magic of Swayambhunath on our 3-hour Monkey Temple Walking Tour in Kathmandu. Departing daily at 9 AM or 3 PM from Thamel, this small-group tour (max 5 participants) is USD 17.50 per person and only USD 5 for students and volunteers. Safe for solo female travelers, guided by expert 5-star guides.

This UNESCO-listed stupa offers breathtaking valley views, ancient architecture, and lively monkeys, making it one of Kathmandu’s must-visit cultural landmarks. Check out our amazing Tripadvisor reviews from travelers worldwide.

Why Book Our Monkey Temple Tour?

✅ 100% Guide-Owned Experience. Unlike typical tour companies where office staff handle bookings, our entire team are working professional guides: every Amazing Kathmandu Team Member is a Licensed Tour Guide.
✅ Small Group (max 5 people) or Private Experience – Enjoy a personalized tour with time for questions and photos.
✅ Breathtaking Panoramas – Take in sweeping views of Kathmandu from the hilltop stupa.
✅ Cultural Immersion – Discover Buddhist rituals, prayer wheels, and hidden shrines.

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Transportation is optional: after choosing a date you can select the option for a Private Tour including pick up by the guide and a separate dedicated driver with a private vehicle. Walking distance from Thamel to Swayambunath Monkey Temple is about 2 kilometer.

Tour Highlights

✔ Walk from Thamel to Swayambhunath – Stroll through lively markets, past Newari architecture, and into serene spirituality.
✔ Playful Monkeys & Sacred Stupa – Meet the temple’s mischievous residents and admire the gleaming golden spire.
✔ Panoramic Kathmandu Views – Capture breathtaking scenes of the city and Himalayan foothills.
✔ Cultural Deep-Dive – Spin prayer wheels, observe monks in meditation, and learn 5th-century legends.

Tour Details and Price

📍 Meeting Point: Pumpernickel Bakery, Thamel (hotel pickup available with private tour with transportation)
🕒 Duration: 3 Hours, start at 9.00am and 3.00pm
💰 Entrance Fee: 200 NPR (~$1.50) paid in cash at the temple
💰 Price: US$17.50 pp (students $5), $60 private, $95 private with transportation and pick up at your hotel.

Distance Thamel to Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

The distance between Thamel and Swayambhunath is 2 km.
The pleasant and culturally rich journey through the heart of Kathmandu takes about 30 minutes, with interesting stops like the Bijeshwari Temple.

Book Your Monkey Temple Walking Tour Today!

Ready to explore the Monkey Temple with an expert guide? Check availability and secure your spot for an enriching journey through one of Nepal’s most iconic landmarks.

What others say about us on Tripadvisor:

AMAZING Guide (great for solo travelers!) Truly the best guided tour I’ve ever experienced! I learned a ton and felt super safe as a female solo traveler with Santosh. He is a wonderful human and passionate storyteller with so much knowledge. I could not recommend him more 🙏

Ashley

04/09/25

Awesome, kind guide, great for solo female travellers Santosh was an awesome guide recommended to me by a friend! Me and a few solo females travellers went to Boudhastupa and Pashupatinah with him - he was so accomodating, took lovely photos, was very kind! I am so glad we went with a guide to these places, especially Pashupatinah which is impossible to fully appreciate without deep understanding of Nepali and Hindu cultural traditions. He made sure we felt comfortable and relaxed on the tour, never pressured us to buy anything and was very flexible to our needs (like stopping for a coffee etc). More than this, Santosh shared his life stories and experiences with us, which was so meaningful. He is a great guide and a lovely person, from start to finish!!

Sarah S

04/09/25

Great tour It was a great tour, the guide was extremely knowledgeable about all of the history and temple. The cremation ceremony was very beautiful.

Amelie C

02/09/25

The best Guide Santosh is an extraordinary guide. If I could give him 6 stars I would. Super friendly, very knowledgeable and knows the secrets that Kathmandu hides. Perfect also if you go alone like me and meet other travelers. I’ve done the ceremony Tour. Thanks !

Mireia C

01/09/25

A nice way to see a different and less hectic side of the city This was a great way to see the temple and a few other sights along the way. Santosh is a friendly, professional and knowledgeable guide and was great company for the afternoon. Just note there's a lot of walking involved, and a fair few steps! But it's worth it for the views!

KatyF

31/08/25

Very knowledgeable and professional guide and a great introduction to the city Santosh was a friendly, helpful, knowledgeable guide who was very generous with his time and energy, especially as I was the only person on the tour that day. It was a great introduction to Kathmandu on my first day.

KatyF

31/08/25

Great experience in Kathmandu Very informative tour, it was interesting to learn more about Hinduism and Buddhism. Santosh was a very friendly guide and who seemed to have extensive knowledge on the subject. I would recommend this experience to anyone!

Lucas V.

29/08/25

Review of tour It was really fun, Santosh was really knowledgeable and interesting. If you have a few days in Kathmandu, I would recommend doing this tour.

Oliver F

25/08/25

A lovely Kathmandu Tour We visited the Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square. This was a very detailed tour of culture, history, and architecture which I really enjoyed learning about. Thank you Shreya for showing us around, we had a lot of fun. Would highly recommend Shreya as she knows her way around Kathmandu and is very accommodating of schedules.

breakfast_fan

23/08/25

Great Tour in Kathmandu We had a great day with Shreya. We got to see many amazing temples and other historic buildings and she provided really interesting information about them all. Along the way we stopped for some delicious, authentic Newari food and other local snacks/drinks. Definitely the best tour of our trip to Nepal!

Tyrel W

23/08/25

FANTASTIC experience with Shreya Shreya was an AMAZING tour guide. Full of a lot of local knowledge regarding history, culture, religion, architecture. She answered any and all questions that came up. What’s more is she is patient and fun to be around - we greatly enjoyed her company, her jokes, her energy. Thank you, Shreya, for welcoming us into your country and for giving us such an incredible experience!

William G

23/08/25

Exceptional Guide in Takmando, Nepal Amazing guide in Takmando, Nepal – friendly, knowledgeable, and made the trip unforgettable! Always attentive, patient, and eager to share local culture and hidden gems, turning every moment into a memorable experience.

Anas A

18/08/25

Highly Recommended Walking Tour in Kathmandu We had a wonderful walking tour of Kathmandu’s city center with our guide, Santosh. He was extremely knowledgeable and answered all our questions about the rich culture and fascinating history of Nepal. Santosh took us to some truly eye-catching and beautiful spots that we might have missed on our own. He also has a great eye for photography — he helped us capture some amazing pictures to remember the day. Overall, it was a very pleasant and insightful experience. Highly recommended!

JL C

08/08/25

The Perfect Guide for Exploring Kathmandu We had a wonderful experience in Kathmandu thanks to our amazing guide! Over three days, they shared deep local knowledge, took us to both famous and hidden spots, and made sure we felt safe and comfortable throughout. Their kindness, professionalism, and passion for Nepali culture truly made our trip unforgettable. Highly recommended!

Vighez

26/07/25

Captivating Cultural Experience This tour was a highlight of our time in Kathmandu thanks to our amazing guide Sontash! Although we could have visited these places on our own, we would not have seen as many things nor understood so well what we were seeing with this tour. Sontash took us to a variety of locations including areas that were less busy with tourists. He told us several stories about the history of the monuments, the city, the religions and the people of Kathmandu. He also answered all of our many questions. Additionally we felt very comfortable throughout the tour and the journey moved at the perfect pace to keep even our 10 year old interested and engaged. We would highly recommend this experience and our guide Sontash to everyone!

megan s

19/07/25

Let you guide in the past… Nice opportunity to see not only the city but the valley of Kathmandu too. Panauti is not too far but let us discovering the countryside and of the old city out of the traffic. The feeling is complete, like entering in a time’s capsule ! Details, old buildings, temples… all have the smell of centuries. Our guide enjoyed as much as us and we were imagining how it was some centuries ago.

Denis-Michel A

16/07/25

Very interesting from a very competent guide for the ideal cultural shock. A must to do arriving at Kathmandu. What a wonderful tour in the old Kathmandu discovering its secret places, history and the incredible religious life. Our guide was excellent giving not only a touch of the country but as well an interesting presentation of the local religions and history of the city

Denis-Michel A

16/07/25

A pleasant cultural immersion I had a great time during this 3 hour walking tour with Santosh! He is a very knowledgeable about Swayambhu and the cultural stories about different religions.

Seaside01249840973

11/07/25

Amazing experience! I had the pleasure of joining a guided trip to Nepal with a travel agency, and Shreya was our local guide throughout the journey. She was absolutely fantastic — warm, welcoming, and full of humour. From the very first day, she made us feel safe, informed, and fully immersed in the local culture.She was always patient with our questions and adapted the pace of the tour to match the group’s needs. Her sense of humour brought a light and joyful atmosphere to the trip, making every day enjoyable and memorable.Thanks to her, we experienced Nepal in a truly authentic and meaningful way. I can’t recommend Shreya highly enough — she truly made our trip unforgettable!

Trail04966468776

08/07/25

Great day with Bajey! Knowledgeable and funny Bajey is the best guide ever! We had a great day exploring the city and sights, got to learn so much about the local’s life and history. Feeling transformed and soul cleansed! 超推荐Bajey，他真的知识很渊博聊的很开心！

Intel C

04/07/25

Nice city walk A truly fantastic tour. Santosh has a wealth of knowledge and can tell it through great stories. The three hours flew by. Thanks, Santosh, and we'd love to do it again. 120% recommendation

Holger E

01/07/25

Great experience! Amazing walking tour! We covered so much of Kathmandu and saw a ton. I’m a solo female traveler and felt totally safe. The guide was super knowledgeable and really took the time to explain what we were seeing. Highly recommend, especially if you are short on time.

Regina S

02/06/25

An experience worth... A memory unforgettable. Very beautiful places. Breathtaking views and the guide from Kathmandu @ Mr. Santosh, very nice and amazing talent. (Highly recommended) The food and culture was purely loss of words to us. Thank you.

Ernest B

29/05/25

Unforgettable walking tour A fantastic walking tour to Swayambhunath with Santosh. Santosh took a lot of time for me and explained everything. I had lots of questions about religion, Nepalese culture and everyday life. Santosh is great at explaining things and has very extensive knowledge of customs, culture and history. Thank you for the great tour. Absolutely recommendable.

Rumpuk

22/05/25

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Other private tours in Kathmandu Valley:
3 to 9 hour UNESCO World Heritage Sites Private Tour in Kathmandu
3 hour Patan Private Walking Tour Small Group
3 hour Pashupatinath and Boudhanath Private Walking TourSmall Group
3 hour Kathmandu Durbar Square Walking Tour
3 hour Thamel Walking Tour
3 hour Ason & Freak Street Walking Tour
3 hour Walking Tour in Kirtipur

Check for entry fees to Heritage Sites
Official site of the Nepal Tourism Board

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