Nepal’s only zoo is in southwestern Patan by the Jawalakhel roundabout. The animals live in better conditions than you might expect and there are always crowds of local kids being wowed by such exotic creatures as elephants, tigers, leopards, hyenas, gaur, blue bulls, gharial, langur monkeys and some very noisy hippos.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.55 MILES
The first stupa at Boudhanath was built sometime after AD 600, when the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, converted to Buddhism. In terms of grace and purity…
3.22 MILES
The Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the crowning glories of Kathmandu Valley architecture. This perfectly proportioned monument rises through a whitewashed…
2.19 MILES
Kathmandu's royal palace, known as the Hanuman Dhoka, was originally founded during the Licchavi period (4th to 8th centuries AD), but the compound was…
0.79 MILES
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…
7.14 MILES
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…
2.38 MILES
The long, rectangular courtyard of the Itum Bahal is the largest bahal (Buddhist monastery courtyard) in the old town and remains a haven of tranquillity…
7.19 MILES
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…
2.86 MILES
The beautifully restored Swapna Bagaicha (Garden of Dreams) remains one of the most serene and beautiful enclaves in Kathmandu. It's two minutes' walk and…
Nearby Patan attractions
0.38 MILES
This small Tibetan Buddhist monastery is across the road from the Tibetan-refugee Jawalakhel Handicraft Centre.
0.39 MILES
This courtyard-style Buddhist monastery is located behind the grass-covered Western Ashoka Stupa in Pulchowk.
0.4 MILES
One of four Ashoka stupas marking the old city limits of Patan. Covered in grass beside the main road at Pulchowk.
0.6 MILES
This large pond is a hidden gem centred around a charming lakeshore pavilion. On the north side is three-tiered Chandeswari Temple built in 1663. Walk…
0.64 MILES
Northeast of the Pim Bahal Pokhari is Sulima Sq, a crumbling brick-lined space with a 17th-century Mahadev (Shiva) shrine. On the east side of the square…
0.64 MILES
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…
0.69 MILES
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…
0.75 MILES
Just a one-minute walk south of Durbar Sq, a large doorway flanked by black lions with Cheshire-cat grins leads to a quiet bahal containing the I Baha…