the best places to shop in nepal would be kathmandu. kathmandu is shopper’s paradise and a great place for bargain hunter. even sellers of the goods are use to bargaining and would often quote you double to amount. as an ideal start you should always start with 50% reduction and the gradually come up. there are numerous shops in kathmandu from where you can buy varieties of pieces of jewelry, statues, handicrafts, clothing and much more. some of the most sought after items include

• handicrafts, arts and antiques – most of these handicrafts are religious in nature and are fine example of brilliant workmanship. the most common form of handicrafts sold include prayer flags, masks and so on. please note that real antiques are not allowed to leave nepal until and unless it is certified by government.
• metal works – the most common metal works are the high quality statues and decorated knives known as khukuri which are believed to have world’s best blades. singing bowls are another fine example of metal works. these bowl when rubbed in a circular motion by small wooden stick creates low and high pitch sound.
• gems & jewelry – nepal has one of the best goldsmiths and is known for finest jewelry. quiet a lot of the traditional newari utensils are made in silver and can make beautiful souvenir.
• thangkas – these are scroll paintings of religious significance originated in nepal and come in various sizes. most expensive thangkas have gold and silver mixed in silk. it is a piece of the picture which is painted over which a fabric is attached and then over which silk is used as cover. it usually depicts a buddhist deity, scene or madala.
• textiles – traditional clothes made in nepal are its largest exports because of its high durability and warmth. these are generally made from yak and sheep wool. some of the most popular items are sweaters, hats, gloves, blouse and so on.
• paper items – rice paper made by hands from rice husks are often used as base of paintings and manuscripts. pretty journals, diaries and photo albums made from rice paper are popular purchase.
• pashmina & cashmere – pashmina is the name given to cashmere in asia. pashmina is made from inner furs of himalayan lambs are commonly used for making shawls and mufflers. be careful when looking for pashmina products as lot of cheap and fake pashminas are available today which are sold at original’ price.

the best places to shop in kathmandu include,

• thamel, it is possibly the mecca for tourists with small shops, hotels, restaurants neatly aligned in rows spread in various small lanes. the popular items to purchase here include pashmina shawls, thangkas, decorated knifes, traditional clothes, trekking equipment. however prepare to bargain to get the best deal. quality here is generally good.
• king’s way or durbar marg, situated few minutes away from thamel selling branded and expensive clothes. it is perhaps the most clean and prestigious street in kathmandu. international brands like benetton, puma, giordano have stores here. sherpa mall and times square mall are few of the malls located here.
• kupondole, famous for boutiques where designer clothes are sold. there are also lot of stores selling handicrafts like dhukuti, mahaguthi and sana hastakala which sell high quality goods.
• new road, an area dedicated to shops where lot of individual stores sell almost everything for your requirement at a cheap price.
• civil mall, nine stories building is one of the biggest malls of selling selling branded stuffs located in the heart of city.
• bhatbhateni super market and departmental store, nepal’s own walmart selling more than 120000 items. they have 5 branches in kathmandu. it is one stop shop for all your needs. as prices are fixed you do not need to bargain and can get authentic nepali goods without being cheated.