Kumari Ghar
Place · Kathmandu Durbar Square
The palace of the living goddess, with a carved wooden courtyard: 15–20 minutes, quiet, with strict rules about photography and behaviour.
- Living goddess
- Carved wooden courtyard
- Basantapur
- Shoes off inside
- Works with kids
- Hard in a wheelchair
- Mostly indoors
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 9Thamel's inner lanes are crowded, uneven and shared with …
- South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
- South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
- Nepal ↗Get visa information only from the Department of Immigration; visa-service lookalike sites charge extra, and the rules differ by nationality.
- Nepal ↗At stupas walk clockwise; at temples and homes remove shoes where there is a rack or a raised floor; cover shoulders and knees.
- Nepal ↗Carry Nepalese rupees in small notes: many stalls, taxis and tea shops are cash-only, and shops rarely take foreign notes.
- Nepal ↗Strikes (bandh) and protests can close roads without notice: check the news and your hotel the night before any airport or highway day.
- Kathmandu Valley ↗In the dry season (Nov–Apr) the valley fills with haze and dust: viewpoints often show nothing after 09:00, so go at dawn or skip.
- Kathmandu ↗Thamel's inner lanes are crowded, uneven and shared with motorbikes: taxis stop at the edge, so large suitcases go from the car to the door, never on a walk.
- Kathmandu ↗Dust and smoke haze is worst around Feb–Apr and can linger in winter: carry a mask rated for fine particles on walking days and move long walks to the clearest morning.
More
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, best time to go, opening hours
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Hours unknown
- Crowds
Quietest around 06:00
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Mon–Fri · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: Included with the square ticket (check) (2026 estimate)
- Time to spend
- 15–20 min · up to 30 min if you linger
Best time to go
Quiet mornings; the goddess appears at a window at set times (check).
By weekday: quietest Mon–Fri, busiest Sat, Sun.
Opening hours
- Note
- Opening days and hours not printed until verified.
- Hours note
- Desk estimate: daytime; the goddess appears at set times; confirm.
Which month is quietest
- Janbusy
- Febbusy
- Marbusy
- Aprbusy
- Maybusy
- Junlight
- Jullight
- Auglight
- Sepbusy
- Octpacked
- Novpacked
- Decheavy
Quietest Jun–Aug · busiest Oct–Nov.
Estimate: desk reasoning from season and weekend patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Beside the south end of Durbar Square (Basantapur)
- Ticket
- on site · official site
- Stairs
- Not recorded
- Shoes
- Shoes off as signed.
Accessibility
- NoStep-free entrance
- NoLifts
- NoAccessible toilet
- NoWheelchair
- NoStroller · poor
Sensory load
- Sensory load2/5 Low
- Peak crowd5/5 Very high
Exposure: low
What to bring and the rules
- Clothing that meets the dress rule · Modest; shoulders and knees covered.
- Footwear that suits the rule · Shoes off as signed.
- A small bag · Small bags only.
- Modest; shoulders and knees covered.
- Small bags only.
- Lockers or cloakroom (no) None.
- No photos of the Kumari; photos of the courtyard are usually fine.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Bailouts
- crowd: Durbar Square lanes
- heat: Café at Basantapur
Nearest rescue anchor: A — north-west of the cluster: café or restaurant with seating (field-verify)
Problem
Red lines
- Do not photograph the Kumari at the window; it is forbidden.
- Enter quietly; remove shoes if asked.
- Leave a small donation only in the box provided.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
Tickets, prices and entry
Know before you go
- Do not photograph the Kumari.
- Keep quiet and respectful.
- Check whether the goddess appears at the window at set times.
- Look up at the carved windows and struts.
Best time of day
Plan 15–20 min inside.
quietlightbusyheavypacked· desk estimate for an ordinary weekday; add one level on weekends and public holidays
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- Buy at the entrance on the day.
- Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
- Entry may be part of the square ticket (check); donations are welcome.
- Dress code
- Modest; shoulders and knees covered.
- Bags & lockers
- Small bags only.
- Lockers or cloakroom (no) None.
- Photos
- No photos of the Kumari; photos of the courtyard are usually fine.
- What's closed
- Festival dayscheckIndra Jatra brings the Kumari out in a chariot; the house is busy.
- Visitor hourscheckHours are limited; check with your hotel.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Included with the square ticket (check) (2026 estimate) | A small donation is welcome. |
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
10min
Worthwhile
15min
Typical
20min
p95
30min
How much time do you have?
Room to linger: a typical visit is 20 min, people who stay on take up to 30.
With the other 10 min, these are a walk away (their own visit time is on their page):
- Kathmandu Durbar Square2 min on foot · 8 min spare
- Tea and sweets3 min on foot · 7 min spare
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Inside, in order
Courtyard
10 minA three-storey carved wooden building around a small yard.
Window view
5 minThe goddess may appear at set times; do not photograph.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: no · no
- Lifts: no · no
- Accessible toilet: no · no
- Wheelchair: no · no
- Stroller: no · nopoor
Steep, narrow stairs into the courtyard.
Step-free route
- 1Not accessible: steep, narrow stairs.
- 2View the exterior from the square instead.
Facilities on site
| What | Status | Where / note |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | no | None inside; nearby public toilets. |
| Lockers or cloakroom | no | None. |
| Café or food | no | Cafés at Basantapur nearby. |
| Seating | no | None. |
Who it suits
| Traveler | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Culture travellers | good | A window on a living tradition. |
| Photographers | ok | Carved wood; the goddess cannot be photographed. |
Skip it if
- You have only a few minutes and want the main square.
- Steps are a barrier.
With kids
- with kids
- A short visit; keep voices low.
- child price
- check
Combine with
Combine with
- 2 minKathmandu Durbar Square
- 3 minTea and sweets · eat
Walk the Kathmandu Durbar Square area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
| Spot | When | Rule on the spot |
|---|---|---|
| Carved wooden windows | Morning | Do not photograph the Kumari. |
Deep dive
Questions, photos, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Who is the Kumari?
A young girl regarded as the incarnation of a goddess, chosen from the Newar community.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Can I take photos?
Not of the Kumari; ask staff about the courtyard.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is it free?
It may be included in the square ticket; donations welcome.
How long do I need?
About 15–20 minutes.
Photos
Photos
Kumari Ghar Photo: Ganesh Paudel, CC BY-SA 3.0
Deep dive
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage
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Source: Price
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
Prices are 2026 estimates. The official site has the current price.
Source: Opening hours
Source: Best hour
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Taken from the desk crowd estimate by hour. It is not a count of visitors.
Source: Bag rating
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Rated for the whole walking cluster, from desk research, not for this entrance.