Patan
This unique Buddhist monastery is just north of Durbar Sq. It was allegedly founded in the 12th century, and it has existed in its current form since 1409…
Must-see attractions in Around the Kathmandu Valley
Bhaktapur
The magnificent Golden Gate is a visual highlight of Durbar Sq. Set into a bright red gatehouse surrounded by white palace walls, the fabulous golden…
Bhaktapur
You should be able to see the sky-high rooftop of the Nyatapola Temple long before you reach Taumadhi Tole. With five storeys towering 30m above the…
Patan
South of the Patan Museum, a gateway opens onto the stately Mul Chowk, the largest and oldest of the Royal Palace’s three main chowk (squares). The…
Patan
Formerly the residence of the Malla kings, the section of the Royal Palace surrounding Keshav Narayan Chowk now houses one of the finest collections of…
Patan
Heading into Durbar Sq, you can’t miss the splendid Krishna Mandir built by King Siddhinarsingh Malla in 1637. Constructed from carved stone – in…
Patan
South of Mul Chowk is the smaller Sundari Chowk, arranged around a superbly carved sunken water tank known as the Tusha Hiti. The chowk was restored in…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
This temple is said to be the oldest Hindu temple still in use in the Kathmandu Valley. Built in the two-tiered pagoda style, the main shrine here is…
Patan
Forming the entire eastern side of Durbar Sq, the Royal Palace of Patan was originally built in the 14th century, and expanded during the 17th and 18th…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
Budhanilkantha's focal point for devotions is a large reclining statue of Vishnu as Narayan, the creator of all life. From his navel grew a lotus and from…
Patan
Almost directly across the road from the Minnath Temple, down an alley, a white-columned gateway leads to the wide, open square containing the revered…
Bhaktapur
Hidden down shop-lined alleyways leading south from the curving road to Taumadhi Tole, Potters’ Sq is exactly what you would expect – a public square full…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
Dedicated to Shiva as Mahadeva (Great God), this handsome three-tiered temple is a fine example of Newari pagoda style. The main reason to come is to see…
Bhaktapur
The broad-fronted, triple-roofed Bhairabnath Temple is dedicated to Bhairab, the fearsome incarnation of Shiva, whose consort occupies the Nyatapola…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
The blood-soaked temple of Dakshinkali, a favourite Hindu pilgrimage destination, is set at the confluence of two sacred streams in a rocky cleft in the…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
The main reason for visiting the Vajrayogini Temple is not for the temple itself but rather the off-the-beaten-track hike up through Sankhu. The stately…
Patan
The ancient royal palace of Patan faces on to magnificent Durbar Sq. This concentrated mass of temples is perhaps the most visually stunning display of…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
The centrepiece of the village is the Saat Tale Durbar, a seven-storey fortress built in 1762 by Prithvi Narayan Shah as his family palace after taking…
Patan
The entry to Patan Museum is through the Royal Palace's superb Golden Gate. Installed in 1734, this finely engraved and gilded gateway is topped by a…
Patan
As you step through the entryway of this hard-to-find courtyard in the southeast of Patan, the temple suddenly looms above you, crammed in like a plant…
Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery
Around the Kathmandu Valley
At the top of Namobuddha hill, the magnificent Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery is a sprawling Tibetan Buddhist monastic complex with gleaming golden…
Nagarkot
A popular spot to soak in the Himalayan splendour is this tower, perched at 2164m on a ridge, although the rising vegetation can obscure the vista. It’s…
Patan
Due north of Durbar Sq is the eye-catching Kumbeshwar Temple, one of the valley’s three five-storey temples. This tall, thin mandir (temple) features some…
Bhaktapur
The western end of Bhaktapur's Royal Palace contains the best of the three museums in Bhaktapur. Inside, you can view an extensive collection of Tantric…
Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park
Now formally part of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nagarjun Hill, also known as the Rani Ban (Queen’s Forest), is west of the main park, beside the…
King Yoganarendra Malla’s Statue
Patan
South of the Jagannarayan Temple is a tall column topped by a striking brass statue of King Yoganarendra Malla (r 1684–1705) and his queens. Installed in…
Bhaktapur
Standing at the western end of Durbar Sq, the four Char Dham temples were constructed to provide spiritual merit for pilgrims who were unable to make the…
Patan
Nepal's decade-long civil war has been marked by a photo exhibition that brings the conflict poignantly to life. Based on the book A People War by Nepali…
Bhaktapur
At the east end of Tachupal Tole, the eye-catching Dattatreya Temple was originally built in 1427, supposedly using the timber from a single tree. The…
Bhaktapur
In front of what once was the Vatsala Durga Temple is a large bell, which was erected by King Jaya Ranjit Malla in 1737 to mark morning and evening…
Bhaktapur
As you enter Durbar Sq through the western gate, look left to a gateway flanked by two stocky stone lions, erected by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1701. On…
Bhaktapur
This interesting temple at Taumadhi Tole is hidden away behind the buildings at the south end of the square. The Til Mahadev Narayan Temple is set in an…
Bhaktapur
Southeast of Potters' Sq and above the river is the wide open square of Khalna Tole, the setting for the spectacular Bisket Jatra festival. Many flanking…
Patan
At the northern end of Durbar Sq, the Bhimsen Temple is dedicated to the god of trade and business, which may explain its prosperous appearance. One of…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
Bungamati is the birthplace of Rato Machhendranath, the patron god of Patan, and for six months of the year the deity resides in the main village square …
Around the Kathmandu Valley
Built in 1602, Jal Binayak Temple is one of the valley’s most important Ganesh shrines. There was quite some damage from the 2015 earthquake and…
Bhaktapur
Tachupal Tole is flanked by a series of ornate brick-and-timber buildings that were originally used as math (Hindu priests’ houses). The best known is the…
Patan
South of the Mahabouddha Temple, this ancient Buddhist monastery is one of the best known in Patan. The main courtyard is jam-packed with statuary and…
Patan
Just 200m south of I Baha Bahi, a large water tank marks the entrance to a courtyard strewn with wooden beams. In the centre is the brightly painted, two…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
In the village of Chobar is (or was) the curious Adinath Lokeshwar Temple, originally built in the 15th century. The three-tiered Newari temple and its…
