The Art Market
The Art Market, held once a month on a Saturday at The Yellow House in Sanepa, focuses on the contemporary arts and crafts of Nepali designers. Here, you can expect to find one-off paintings, screen-printed t-shirts, contemporary photography, handcrafted jewellery and more.
There is usually live music and The Yellow House is a popular choice for brunch. The market is especially lively in the couple of months before Christmas as more vendors seem to appear on the grounds.
Asan
Asan is a ceremonial, market and residential square in central Kathmandu, near the Annapurna temple and the Ganesha shrine. It is one of the most well-known historical locations in the city and is famed for its bazaar, festival calendar and strategic location.
The bazaar at Asan attracts shoppers from all over Kathmandu because of the tremendous variety of merchandise sold here, ranging from foodstuffs, spices and textiles to electronics and bullion. Asan is also one of the popular tourist spots in the city because of its architectural sights and charming ambiance.
1905 Farmer's Market
The 1905 Restaurant and boutique hotel in Naxal (previously on Kantipath) holds an organic farmer’s market on Saturday mornings. It is a popular weekend hangout for foreign residents of Kathmandu residing on the north side of town. As well as meal ingredients that can be bought to prepare at home, there is also a range of ready-to-eat items for sale, such as pastries and cakes. Prices are high, but the quality is good.
Indra Chowk
Indra Chowk is is one of the ceremonial and market squares on the artery passing through the historic section of Kathmandu. Its temples and bazaar draw streams of pilgrims and shoppers. The square is named after Indra, lord of heaven in Hindu mythology. The intersection of Indrachok, along with Maru, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Makhan, Jana Baha, Asan and Naxal, mark the old India-Tibet trade route that is now a vibrant market street.
It is considered to be a center for the sale of textiles. Blankets, clothes, shawls, and scarfs made of pashmina are a local treasure, as this fabric is now banned in India. Pashmina is a kind of Nepali cashmere and in Indra Chowk it can be bought at very low prices. Also, sari material can be purchased in this market.
Taragaon Organic Agro Market
Another weekend farmer’s market, this one is convenient for those staying in the Boudha area, which is also known as the Tibetan enclave of Kathmandu. It is held on the grounds of the red-brick, modernist Taragaon Museum, beside the upmarket Hyatt Regency Hotel. The quality of the produce here is particularly good as it is the only market in Kathmandu certified by the District Agriculture Development Office.