Getting There
The main entrance is at the eastern foot of the hill and getting there is a simple matter on foot or cycle. From Thamel the easiest way is via Chhetrapati, where a small road heads straight towards Swayambhu, passing the Hotel Vajra en route. From Freak Street or Durbar Square, take the lane running northwestwards from the Maru Ganesh shrine. Either way, it should take about twenty minutes to walk it. If you're cycling, the local kids will expect you to cough up a few rupees' protection money for your bike. Buses run at irregular intervals between the City Bus Park and the eastern entrance, but they're unlikely to be of much help except for the journey back. A taxi can drive you all the way up to a small car park near the top, just west of the stupa. Admission is Rs50. A paved road circles the base of the hill. Although there are several other ways up the hill, the steep main path from the eastern entrance , with its 365 centuries-smoothed steps, is the most dramatic. The Buddha statues near the bottom are from the seventeenth century, while a second group further up was donated in the early part of this century. The slates heaped up along the path are mani stones, inscribed, in Tibetan script, Om mani padme hum ("Hail to the jewel in the lotus"), the ubiquitous Buddhist mantra. You can get food at a few lunch/snack places near the eastern entrance ( Pilgrim's Terrace is good) and at the far (northwestern) side of the stupa precinct. There are also several Nepali-Tibetan eateries at the southern base of the hill, among them the Rainbow and Iko cafes, sedate descendants of the hippy hangouts that once thrived here.
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