The 9 Best Museums in Kathmandu, Nepal

Are you looking for the best museums in Kathmandu?

You are in the right place as I live in Nepal and here are all the best museums worth checking out in Kathmandu!

The Kathmandu Valley may be known most for the 7 World Heritage Sites, but there are many museums in Kathmandu to help you learn more about the history and culture of Nepal.

This guide includes some of the best museums in Kathmandu, including the Taragaon Museum, Narayanhiti Palace Museum, Museum of Nepali Art (MONA), Music Museum of Nepal, Patan Museum and National Art Museum.

Best Museums in Kathmandu

1. TARAGAON MUSEUM

• Taragaon Museum Ticket Price: Rs. 100, Rs 50 (Nepali students with ID card)
• Taragaon Museum Opening Times: Every day 10 am – 5:30 pm
• Taragaon Museum Location: Boudha (on google maps here)

The Taragaon Museum was designed by Carl Pruscha, an Austrian architect, in the early 1970s. It was originally built as a hostel (Taragaon Hostel) for artists and scientists visiting Nepal. It was turned into a museum in 2014.

The museum building has a unique design which is a mix of modernist and Nepali architecture. Due to its unique building, it is a popular place for people to come here and take photos. The museum also has a garden where it is nice to relax for a while.

2. MUSEUM OF NEPALI ART (MONA)

• Museum of Nepali Art Ticket Price: Rs. 700 (foreigners), Rs. 500 (Nepali), Rs. 250 (Nepali students with valid ID)
• Museum of Nepali Art Opening Times: Every day 10 am – 6 pm
• Museum of Nepali Art Location: Thamel (on google maps here)

The Museum of Nepali Art (MONA) is located within the premises of the Kathmandu Guesthouse in Thamel. The museum showcases traditional and contemporary art.

The museum itself is not very big, but the exhibition changes periodically so the museum can be revisited to see new works of art on display.

3. NARAYANHITI PALACE MUSEUM

• Narayanhiti Palace Museum Ticket Price: Rs. 1,000 (foreigners), Rs. 500 (SAARC), Rs. 200 (Nepali), Rs. 50 (Nepali students with valid ID)
• Narayanhiti Palace Museum Opening Times: Thursday to Monday: 10:30 am – 3:30 pm, Tuesdays: 10:30 am -1:30 pm, closed on Wednesdays
• Narayanhiti Palace Museum Location: near Thamel (on google maps here)

The Narayanhiti Palace was built in the 1960s and was later converted into a museum in 2008. The museum is worth a visit if you would like to see the inside of a palace in Nepal, old photos of Nepali kings and queens, antique furniture, coronation jewellery, sculptures and paintings. 

As you reach the end of the tour inside the palace, you will get into the courtyard and some smaller buildings. Here, you will find specific spots that mark the place of the royal massacre that took place in 2001.

The museum has strict policies of not taking a phone/camera inside, so it is not possible to take any photos inside.

4. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NEPAL

• National Museum of Nepal Ticket Price: Rs. 150 (foreigners), Rs. 50 (SAARC), Rs. 25 (Nepali), Rs. 10 (Nepali students with ID), +plus camera fees (Rs. 50-100) for taking photos.
• National Museum of Nepal Opening Times: closed on Tuesdays, Mondays: 10:30 am – 2:30 pm, all other days: 10:30 am – 4:30 pm
• National Museum of Nepal Location: Chhauni (on google maps here)

The National Museum of Nepal is located about 10 minutes walking distance from the Swoyambhu/Monkey Temple. The exhibition is distributed over 3 buildings: the main building, Buddhist Art Gallery and the Historical Building.

In the main building, the exhibition includes stone and wood carvings, bronze statues and paintings. The Buddhist Art Gallery displays Buddhist art specific to Kathmandu, Terai and Northern Himalaya regions. Whereas, the Historical Building displays a small section on natural history, ethnological gallery, and a dolls collection.

5. MUSIC MUSEUM OF NEPAL (Nepali Folk Musical Instrument Museum)

• Music Museum of Nepal Ticket Price: Rs. 1,000 (foreigners), Rs. 200 (Nepali), Rs. 100 (Nepali students with ID)
• Music Museum of Nepal Opening Times: Monday – Friday: 10 am – 5 pm. Saturday-Sunday: closed
• Music Museum of Nepal Location: Tripureshwor (on google maps here)

The Music Museum of Nepal (also called the Nepali Folk Musical Instrument Museum) has a collection of Nepali music instruments. The entry fee is a bit expensive for foreigners, so I think it is worth visiting if you are a big music and musical instrument fan.

The collection includes various Nepali instruments (such as sarangi and madal) and they also have old photographs on display. The collection was bigger than I expected, so it was a nice surprise.

The museum is located in the same area as the Music Department of the Kathmandu University, so you might also hear the various classes playing instruments.

6. PATAN MUSEUM

• Patan Museum Ticket Price: Rs. 1,000 for foreigners (Rs. 1,000 is the entry fee to the Patan Durbar Square and with the same ticket, you can enter the Patan Museum for free), Rs. 250 (SAARC), Rs. 30 (Nepali), Rs. 15 (Nepali students with ID)
• Patan Museum Opening Times: 9 am – 6:30 pm
• Patan Museum Nepal Location: Patan (inside Patan Durbar Square)

The Patan Museum is located within the Patan Durbar Square. ‘Durbar’ means ‘palace’ in Nepali and the buildings in the square used to serve as the royal palaces of former kings. The museum itself is within one of the former palace buildings, with beautifully carved wooden windows and red bricks.

The museum displays the cultural heritage of Nepal, wood and stone carvings, as well as sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist deities. The museum is pretty big, it has 2 entrances and a big garden in the back.

Once you reach the third, top floor of the museum, you get great views of the temples next to it. There are seats by the window on the museum so you can chill here a bit and watch over the square.

🚗 Not sure how to get around Kathmandu? Check out this guide on the public buses and taxis in Kathmandu!

7. NATIONAL ART MUSEUM

• National Art Museum Ticket Price: Rs. 150 (for foreigners + you also have to pay the Rs. 1,800 entry fee to the Bhaktapur Durbar Square), Rs. 50 (SAARC), Rs. 25 (Nepali), Rs. 10 (Nepali student with ID)
• National Art Museum Opening Times: Wednesday-Sunday: 10 am – 3 pm, Monday – Tuesday: closed
• National Art Museum Location: Bhaktapur (inside the Bhaktapur Durbar Square)

The National Art Museum is located in Bhaktapur so it is a bit far away from Kathmandu. Unfortunately, to get inside the museum, you first have to pay the entry to the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. So, the museum is worth checking out if you are already in Bhaktapur.

The museum houses an impressive exhibit of paintings, manuscripts, sculptures and wood carvings going back as far as the 11th century. If you buy the ticket to the museum, it also includes entry to two other museums in Bhaktapur: the Woodwork and Brass﹠Bronze Museums on the Dattatreya Square.

8. MILITARY MUSEUM

• Military Museum Ticket Price: Rs. 100 (plus Rs. 50 for a ticket for taking photos)
• Military Museum Opening Times: closed on Tuesdays, all other days: 10 am – 3 pm
• Military Museum Location: Chhauni (on google maps here)

The Military Museum is just opposite the National Museum of Nepal. Although some of the information in the museum is only available in Nepali, it is worth a visit if you are interested in the military history of Nepal.

The museum displays a collection of arms, costumes of the Nepali army, paintings of battles and old photographs of the Nepalese military personnel. In the garden of the museum, they also have a chopper, a military plane and tanks on display.

9. AVIATION MUSEUM

• Aviation Museum Ticket Price: Rs. 500 (foreigners), Rs. 300 (Nepali), Rs. 150 (Nepali students with ID)
• Aviation Museum Opening Times: everyday: 10 am – 6 pm
• Aviation Museum Location: Sinamangal (on google maps here)

The Aviation Museum in Kathmandu opened in 2017. The exhibition itself is inside a plane that was converted into the museum. The museum aims to serve as an educational centre to inspire young Nepalis about aviation.

When you enter the plane, first they will show a documentary about the founding of the museum. The documentary is in Nepali but there is a separate room for foreigners on the lower level of the plane where they can play the documentary in English.

After watching the documentary, you are free to walk around the plane and check out the displays on the history of aviation (both in Nepal and globally), and aerial photos of famous buildings in Nepal and abroad.

Inside the premises of the museum, there is also a playground for kids which makes it a perfect visit for families. There is also a cafe serving a selection of few dishes, such as momos and chowmein.

FAQs: Best Museums in Kathmandu

What is the ticket price for the Taragaon Museum?

The ticket price to the Taragaon Museum is Rs. 100 and Rs 50 (for Nepali students with ID card).

What are the opening times of the Taragaon Museum?

The opening times of the Taragaon Museum is every day 10 am-5:30 pm (closed on holidays).

How much is the ticket price for the Aviation Museum in Kathmandu?

The ticket price to the Aviation Museum is Rs. 500 for foreigners, Rs. 300 for Nepalese.

What are the best museums in Nepal?

Some of the best museums in Nepal are located in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

The best museums in Kathmandu include the Taragaon Museum, Narayanhiti Palace Museum, Music Museum of Nepal and the Patan Museum.

The best museums in Pokhara include the International Mountain Museum, Gurkha Memorial Museum and the Annapurna Museum.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many museums in the Kathmandu Valley that are worth visiting to learn more about the history and culture of Nepal.

Some of the best museums include the Narayanhiti Palace Museum, Museum of Nepali Art, Aviation Museum, Music Museum of Nepal and the Patan Museum.