New Year's Eve Parties in Kathmandu

There are three ways to see in the new year in Kathmandu. The club-and-lounge route means Durbarmarg and Thamel — ticketed countdown parties with DJs, live bands, an open floor and a midnight drop. It's the loudest, latest option and where most of the younger crowd ends up.

The hotel-gala route is the sit-down version: a set dinner menu, live music, and a countdown with a champagne toast at midnight, usually at the bigger Durbarmarg and Lazimpat hotels. It's calmer, pricier, and books out well in advance. And then there's the low-key route — a rooftop bar or restaurant with a good view of the fireworks that go up around the city at midnight.

Whichever you pick: book ahead, confirm the door time, and sort your ride home before the night starts — getting a taxi right after midnight on the 31st is the one genuinely hard part of the evening.