Dr Strange movie locations in Kathmandu and beyond

Benedict Cumberbatch fans unite! The new Marvel movie Dr Strange is here. With much of the film shot around Nepal's captivating capital city, Kathmandu, we thought we'd track down the best locations for you to travel to...

View of the Patan Durbar Square. Photo: Shutterstock

View of the Patan Durbar Square. Photo: Shutterstock

The new Dr Strange movie features a number of spectacular locations in the Kathmandu Valley. Some of which are already popular with tourists wishing to see and experience the rich cultural heritage of Nepal. Insight Guides' local expert for Nepal, Mark, shows you how to track them down on your holiday...

1. Swayambhunath

Often referred to as the Monkey Temple, Swayambhunath sits astride a hill on the outskirts of Kathmandu. From the top, you'll find fine views across the urban city sprawl and to the Kathmandu Valley beyond.

The English name comes from the (perhaps, unsurprisingly) raucous population of monkeys that live around the temple. The rhesus macaques and are free to roam, and roam they do. You'll find they are fairly indifferent to visiting tourists taking their photos.

The best way to approach Swayambhunath is on foot, by ascending the prayer flag-lined staircase that leads from the foot of the hill to the temple. The sight as you near the top of the “eyes” of the main Stupa coming into view makes the ten-minute climb worthwhile. If climbing a steep staircase isn’t your thing, a road runs up to the temple around the back of the hill.

Enjoy a scenic drive through the Kathmandu Valley, adding a stop at Swayambhunath on my Himalayan Family Adventure holiday with Insight Guides.

2. Thamel

Chances are, if you’re staying in Kathmandu, you'll already be in the bustling area of the city known as Thamel. It’s the main tourist hub in the city and where many of the budget and mid-range hotels are located. It’s also jam-packed with colourful shops and a whole host of cafe bars and restaurants. Home to a wealth of places to eat, you'll find all of the following: traditional Nepali, Tibetan momos, Thai, Indian, Japanese and even European style bakeries can all be found in this area.

Keen shoppers will find Kashmiri carpet shops, Nepal craft souvenirs, traditional thangka paintings, trekking gear and clothing (fakes and the real thing), as well as more T-shirt designs and colourful clothing than you thought could exist.

It’s at night time (or, at least, when the sun goes down) that Thamel comes into its own. There’s a touch of 'Glastonbury' in terms of atmosphere; with everywhere lit up bright and colourful, it does have a certain laidback, happy, hippy vibe.

Sadhu Baba in Pashupatinath, Kathmandu. Photo: Shutterstock

3. Pashupatinath Temple

Located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River, which is technically where Kathmandu ends and the sister city of Patan begins, the temple at Pashupatinath is the most sacred Hindu site in Nepal. Visitors should note, however, that this is a practising religious site. Cremations take place on a daily basis and it is disrespectful to take images or behave in an unruly manner.

All the same, Pashupatinath is a must see on your trip to Nepal. During the day, it can get absurdly busy with large groups on Kathmandu coach tours. You'll find a visit in the evening a more authentic experience. By this time, tourists have mainly left and the site is visited by locals performing their rituals and prayers. Lit up in the dark, the structures look all the more impressive. I can amend my Nepal trip itineraries with Insight Guides, like this Annapurna Adventure, to accommodate an evening trip to the temple: get in touch with your trip preferences today.

4. Patan

Separated from Kathmandu by the Bagmati River, Patan is an architectural delight of temples and bahals (courtyards).

These days it's hard to tell where Kathmandu ends and Patan begins. As the population in the Kathmandu Valley has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, Kathmandu and Patan seem to have merged. Technically the divide between the two is the Bagmati River. It's surprising just how many people overlook Patan and don't bother visiting. I'd recommend at least a half-day visit to Patan, which is included in my Exclusive Everest itinerary for Insight Guides.

Patan's Durbar Square is without doubt among the finest display of Newari architecture in Nepal. It's a concentrated area (in theory pedestrianised too) and very easy to get around on foot. There are a mass of temples both pagoda and more typically Hindu-style, pleasant cafes and several Buddhist monasteries to discover. The Jawalkhel Tibetan area is the place for Tibetan crafts, particularly carpets. Patan is the main centre for bronze casting and other metal work objects too.

Highly recommended is a visit to the Patan Museum. Personally, I think it is the best museum in Nepal and houses a wonderful collection of both Buddhist and Hindu art.

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We chose this trip specifically as we are regular hill walkers and had always wanted to hike in the Everest region of Nepal, but had been put off by tales of smelly, dirty accommodations whilst on trek, which at our age is no longer of appeal. Thus, it was the luxury trekking lodges themselves that prompted us to book and fulfil a life long desire to see Everest. The lodges did not disappoint us, in fact we were amazed that even the most remote and isolated ones were very good indeed. How they built and service these lodges is a story in itself. Some of them are many days of solid trekking from Lukla Airstrip, where we presumed many of the supplies come in from. Without exception we enjoyed very good food at each and every one and with surprisingly polite and courteous service too. Be able to dine in a dining room, invariably with incredible mountains towering above us was an experience in itself. But, even more so was the ability to retire each evening to the comforts of bed room with very nice beds and enjoy a peaceful nights sleep. No wriggling around in sleeping bags for us. We made sure we woke early each morning though as opening the curtains and gazing out of our bedroom window to see the Himalayas was pure joy. No ‘roughing it’ on this holiday and we can say without any doubt that a hot shower with the best mountain views in the world is simply sublime. We just wonder how they got the proper western style toilets up here, but they have and whilst these luxury lodges aren’t hotels in the proper sense they are all very comfortable and welcoming, especially after a day of trekking uphill and down in the Himalayas. As for the trekking, we found it rather straightforward although the hike up to Namche was long enough and we were glad of a rest after that. Getting our first tantalising glimpse of Everest as we huffed and puffed our way up to Namche spurred us on though. We also chose to book a private trek in order that we could walk at our own pace, stop when we wanted to rest, take photo’s, take refreshments at one of the local cafes along the way and enjoy a leisurely lunch etc. We’d been on group trips before and didn’t like the ‘having to keep up’ peer pressure. Naturally we had our own guide and porters too. Mind you, we only saw the porters in the mornings as once they are loaded they are off like rockets. But, they always had a smile on their faces and were at pains to make it clear that in their opinion they weren’t carrying much, even if we thought they were, especially compared to us with our teeny back packs. We were told by our guide (and we believe it) that the porters carrying our main bags would arrive at our next lodge some 2-3 hours ahead of us. Unbelievable. As for our guide, Prakash, he was simply wonderful. That he loves Nepal and being a guide was evident. Such boundless enthusiasm and a font of knowledge. Needless to say we all became very good friends and still keep in touch, but Prakash brought the mountains to life with his stories of various expeditions, as well as helping us learn a great deal about life in the Everest region too. Nothing was too much trouble for Prakash and when he learned that we were curious to see inside local homes, he’d get us invited in for tea and be translator too. It seemed that everyone knew Prakash! As for the mountains, what can we say? We’d seen lots of photo’s of the peaks in the Everest region, but nothing could prepare us for seeing them in real life. Naturally Everest is the one we wanted to see the most and it was wonderful too see it it as it rises high above Nuptse. We’d thought about trekking all the way to base camp, but as there are no luxury lodges that far up we’d already pre-booked an Everest flight so that we could see it even closer later on and we’re rather glad we did. However, Ama Dablam is the peak that we both fell in love with. We both felt the altitude a little further up from Namche, but Prakash made sure that we slowed down and drank more. His mantra of “if you aren’t getting up in the night for a pee, then you’re not drinking enough” still rings in my ears and of course he is right too. So, other than feeling a little breathless and a little more sluggish than usual, drinking a lot and walking at a slower pace seems to pay dividends. Whilst my husband found the flights to and from Lukla exciting, the landing and take off was rather scary for me. Thank goodness they are very short. But, we did take to the air again and the mountain flight up to Everest was breathtaking. Flying above where we had trekked was fascinating in itself, but seeing Everest from the air and so much closer really does give you a sense of the sheer scale of the Himalayas. We were happy to see our friend Ama Dablam for one last time too. As for Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu, you were absolutely right. It is more an experience than a hotel. Luxurious yes, but so characterful that it feels like it has it’s own soul. To be perfectly honest, once we arrived back at Dwarika’s we never left the hotel until it was time to go to the airport. Quite simply, this was by far the best walking holiday we’ve ever been on. That may well be something to do with walking amongst the highest mountains in the world, but we both agreed when we got home that we had unashamedly fell in love with Nepal. The landscape is everything you hoped it would be and even more, but it’s the people within the landscape that makes Nepal what it is. Happy, cheerful, friendly, welcoming, hard working, determined are words that all apply, but they don’t do justice to the people of Nepal. We’ve certainly found that even at our age, our visit to Nepal has changed us and for the better to. Thank you Nepal.

Jeanie Nov 2019