Shoes come off before entering any temple, home, or monastery in Nepal — a rule so fundamental that the pile of footwear outside serves as the only signpost you need. The practice extends beyond religious sites to guesthouses and even some shops, particularly in traditional neighborhoods. Hindu temples devoted to Vishnu enforce an additional restriction: no leather of any kind crosses the threshold, which means belts, wallets, and camera straps left outside or replaced before entry. Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu maintains this prohibition strictly, and attendants will turn away visitors carrying leather items regardless of whether shoes have already been removed. Clothing standards at major religious sites require covered shoulders and knees for everyone — lightweight long pants and a loose shirt solve this in Nepal's heat more comfortably than struggling with sarongs at temple gates. These are not suggestions calibrated to tourist comfort but requirements enforced by temple priests and security staff.
Circumambulation follows an inviolable clockwise direction in both Hindu temples and Buddhist stupas. You walk so the shrine remains on your right side, which means moving counterclockwise breaks not just etiquette but the entire ritual logic of the practice. Prayer wheels mounted along monastery walls spin clockwise for the same reason — turning them backward is not a minor error but an active reversal of sacred intention. Photography inside temple sanctums faces near-universal prohibition, and attempting it after being told no generates genuine anger rather than mere annoyance. The outer courtyards and stupas generally permit cameras, but the inner shrine rooms do not. Cremation ghats along the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath function as active sites of grief, not cultural exhibitions. Photographing pyres and mourning families from across the river may be technically possible but operates on an entirely different moral standard than photographing architecture or landscapes.
Asking permission before photographing people in Nepal typically results in a smile and a yes, particularly outside Kathmandu's tourist zones. The request itself serves as a social bridge rather than an imposition — locals generally appreciate the acknowledgment that their image requires consent. Tipping guides and porters on treks operates as expected industry practice rather than optional generosity, with appropriate amounts available on request from any reputable trekking operator. Restaurant tipping has become standard in Kathmandu and Pokhara at roughly ten percent, though smaller eateries outside tourist areas do not expect it. Bargaining applies in Thamel's gear shops and street markets but attempting to negotiate printed menu prices at restaurants or fixed government counter fees reads as cultural incompetence rather than savvy shopping.
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