Almost everything worth doing in Bodnath centres on the great stupa and the ring of monasteries and lanes that surround it. Walk the kora in the morning when monks and pilgrims are active, visit one or two of the gompas, and allow time to simply sit at a rooftop cafe watching the circumambulation. Kopan Monastery, on a hillside north of town, is worth a half-day excursion for the views and the atmosphere.