UNESCO-listed · Kathmandu ValleyBoudhanath Stupa
The great white dome of Boudha, where the circle of prayer wheels never stops turning.
See this place →UNESCO-listed · Twin heritage cities
Patan & Bhaktapur
Two valley cities of brick courtyards, woodcarving windows and cranes over the rooftops.
CountryNepal
RegionKathmandu Valley
Height1,400 m
Best timeOct–Nov and Mar–May
Typical visitHalf or full day
What it is
Patan, across the river from Kathmandu, is the city of metalwork and its Durbar Square’s museums; Bhaktapur, a short drive east, is the best-preserved medieval city in the valley, with the Nyatapola temple rising over its square and the potter’s quarter still firing behind it.
How we visit it
Patan in the morning for the square, the museums and the workshops; Bhaktapur after lunch, entered through the Sun Dhoka, with time for a cup of Juju Dhau in the Taumadhi square.
Before you go
Good to know
- Both cities charge a modest entry fee for visitors
- Bhaktapur is busiest at festival weekends — we check dates
- The two are easily done in one long day, or split across two
Keep exploring
Other places in Nepal
UNESCO-listed · Kathmandu Valley
Hilltop stupaSwayambhunath
The self-born stupa on the hill, with the whole Kathmandu Valley laid out below it.
See this place →UNESCO-listed · Old city
Kathmandu Durbar Square & Basantapur
Basantapur’s temple square — the old royal plaza of the Malla kings, still a working city square.
See this place →Old city market
Ason Bazaar
The trading square of old Kathmandu — spice pyramids, brass, baskets and the noisiest, best hour of the day.
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Gateway valleyPokhara & Phewa Lake
The lake town under the Annapurnas — boating at dawn, paragliders in the afternoon, mountains when the clouds lift.
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UNESCO-listed · WildlifeChitwan National Park
Sal forest, oxbow lakes and grassland on the Terai — one-horned rhino, crocodiles and, if you are lucky, a leopard.
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