Evening kora at Boudhanath
Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world, a white dome topped by a gilded tower painted with the eyes of the Buddha. After 1959 many Tibetan refugees settled around it, and dozens of monasteries now stand in the surrounding lanes. The circuit, or kora, is walked clockwise at any hour, but in the late afternoon it becomes the community's daily gathering. Monks in maroon robes, elderly pilgrims with prayer beads and young families move together round the base, and we join them at their pace, about 15 minutes for each circuit.
Our guide explains what you see as you walk: the prayer wheels set into the wall at the base, the five colours of the prayer flags and what each stands for, the butter lamps lit by visitors making a wish. We step off the circuit into a monastery courtyard where, if the timing is right, monks are chanting the evening prayers, and visitors may sit quietly at the back. We also stop at a thangka studio, where painters spend weeks on a single scroll using mineral pigments and fine brushes.
The visit ends on a rooftop café overlooking the dome, with butter tea or masala tea as the light fades and lamps are lit around the base. Shoes come off in monasteries, and shoulders and knees should be covered. The square is crowded on full-moon days and during Losar, the Tibetan New Year in February or March, which some guests enjoy and others prefer to avoid. Hyatt Regency Kathmandu is within walking distance, and from Dwarika's Hotel the drive takes about 20 minutes.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
Is there an entry fee for Boudhanath?
Yes. Foreign visitors pay an entry fee at the gates leading into the stupa square, with lower rates for SAARC nationals; check current status before you travel. The ticket is valid for the day, so you can leave for lunch and come back for the evening kora. Our guide buys tickets in advance, and the fee is included in our arrangements.
Which direction should I walk around the stupa?
Always clockwise, keeping the stupa on your right. The same applies to every Buddhist stupa, chorten and prayer wheel in Nepal, and prayer wheels are turned with the right hand as you pass. Walking against the flow is considered disrespectful and is awkward at busy hours, when hundreds of people move the same way. Our guide leads and sets the pace.
When is the best time of day to visit Boudhanath?
The last two hours before sunset. That is when Tibetan families and monks walk the evening kora, butter lamps are lit and the light is soft on the white dome. Early morning, from about 6 am, is a quieter alternative with fewer visitors. Midday is hot in spring and the square then feels more like a sight than a place of worship.
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