We decided to walk to this temple from Thamel and it's not a bad walk. Unless you want to pay the fee to pass thru Durbar Square, you will need to walk a few extra blocks to bypass the square. Once you arrive, there are a lot of steep steps to climb before reaching the temple. The ticket booth is a the top of the stairs. The temple itself is made up of several different areas. It wasn't overly crowded when we were there so it was pretty easy to explore the various buildings. There are lots of overpriced souvenir stands here. The views of the city are probably amazing on a clear day, but I think more often than not it's extremely hazy. You do get a feel for how truly big the city is. One thing we found slightly amusing was in the area by the toilets. There was a girl sitting on the bench by the toilets with a box and telling anyone who used the toilet that they needed to pay. I'm not exactly sure if this is legit or if she was simply trying to make a few rupees. My guess is the latter. Obviously, one of the draws here is the monkeys. They seemed to be more prevalent at the bottom of the steps to about halfway up. They are not afraid of people, but don't be fooled into thinking they are friendly creatures. They are entertaining to watch.

Don't misunderstand me here . It's a holy place but I enjoyed the sushi served at one of the restaurants and the view offered by the roof top restaurants is truly beautiful. You can see a lot of people praying on the lower levels. A windy place and the eyes of the Buddha reach out to all the four directions . This is a good place for shopping and the market is on the outer periphery of the stupa. Entry fees for Indians is 50NPR

A.K.A. the Monkey Temple, u can literally see monkeys and humans living in harmony at this place. People going there should have strong legs to climb more than 413++ steps from the bottom to top, and I tell u guys, it's a rewarding view on the top. We went on a weekday early morning to avoid the crowd and the photo bombers. Indians and Nepalis were to pay 50 rupees and other foreigners pay 200 rupees for the entrance to the temple. It's well maintained and clean, touts and sellers were all around selling different sorts of souvenir items, but just respectfully refuse them. Worth every step u climbed going there. If u like more photos, then u need a good 3 hours for this stop, selfie stick and a powerbank for backup. Cheers!

It’s a pity, it would be a nice place to look at, but there is nothing super special about the temple that makes it worth the pushy sales tactics and rabid dogs and monkeys. People who were taking photos near the monkeys are clearly unaware that sometimes they scratch and bite - which if you do some quick research online you’ll find is common enough in Nepal that tourists have lots of stories of going to the hospital to get their rabies shots. Inside there is a Thangka school which is nice but they sort of pressure you to buy their lovely expensive paintings at inflated prices. You could probably do better with a street vendor if you haggle. I liked these schools initially but it got old after spending a few days in Kathmandu (they constantly try to take you to one of these schools or art houses).

Entrance fee is 200 Nepalese rupees each for foreigners here. This is one of the best places to have a panoramic view of the Kathmandu city. It’s an easy climb up to the top and there’s lots of photos opportunities here. There’s a big stupa at the top and is best to take photos during sunrise or sunset. We took a cab here from Thamel for 300 rupees and after visiting the place we took a leisure 30mins walk back.

Had an hour or so here. Lovely, spiritual temple with lots of monkeys and many steps to climb! Just watch out for the guides. I had one and he was lovely and very informative; a bit too much information actually! But of course they get commission on sales so I was taken into a souvenir shop and felt obligated to buy something. And then he asked for a ‘donation’ but requested $20. Seeing as I was planning on visiting 4 temples that day it was going to get expensive. My tip: if a guide approaches you tell them you’ll have them for $10 or whatever you’re willing to pay and you do not want to be taken in a souvenir shop (Thangka paintings particularly). Unless you do of course...

When I visited Kathmandu, one of the highlights was the Swayambunath Stupa Buddhist pilgrimage site tour. It is a vast complex that consists of a central stupa, several temples, shrines, and the enormous, mysterious Buddha eyes on top of the dome that stares over the entire valley. There were numerous guides at the site, and I did not hesitate to sign up for one to guide me around. I was informed that Swayambunath is more than an ancient religious site, but an active living one with pilgrims performing clockwise circumambulations around the stupas. The stupas are hemispherical structures, focal points for worship and meditation. I did climb the long flight of stairs, despite the monkey's erratic behaviour at every corner along the way, which most visitors found to be a pest. Still, one is rewarded once you reach the top and view the thirteen golden pinnacles that symbolise the thirteen enlightenment stages of Buddhahood. The four million residents in this city rub shoulders amongst the different religions and seem to abide in good spirits. A vast majority of the population is Hindu, followed by Buddhist and small followers of other faiths. Once out of the main drag the outlying districts are choked with motor vehicles, motorcycles, plenty of garbage and heavy pollution, plus cattle and stray dogs that seem to roam around at free will. Apart from the general chaos all day, the people are kind, generous and extremely hospitable. We walked around soaking the views, inhaling the incense, watching pilgrims making donations, and praying to the enlightened one. Apart from being the hopping off point for many trekkers to the Himalayas, Kathmandu is an essential cultural experience not to be missed.

Words fall short if I try to describe about this amazing world heritage site of Nepal. When you personally visit this pilgrimage site, you realise the importance of the place. I am just in love with its alluring beauty, peaceful surrounding & scenic view of the crowded city from its height. The stupa is located atop of the hill having two entry way; a long tiring staircase & the car road entrance. We decided to step up all 365 steep stairs to reach at the top of stupa, however it was exhausting experience. We had enjoyed very much hovering around the stupa, & seen a number of small other temples, shrines & souvenir shops around it. We saw the countless monkeys inside & around its periphery, that's why it is also popular as monkey temple. Here, I got myself calm & serene even for a moment from the chaos of city life. I mean there is a positive vibration that brings your mind & soul together in a peaceful rhythm. I felt completely different for a time being inside the stupa.  Highly recommend to everyone...

You climb up a long staircase past guardian statues and live monkeys to the stupa and its surrounding structures. Tantric Buddhism is very different from far East, and fascinating. Don't buy from the overpriced vendors up here, buy down in Kathmandu.

After you climb hundreds of stairs, you’ll get an amazing view of the city of Kathmandu...you can buy some souvenirs, have a coffee...also, you can meet a lot of monks to who you can donate some money to rebuild their temples after the earthquake. And beware the monkeys! :)