Patan Durbar Square

Patan Durbar Square

Patan Durbar Square
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksHistoric Walking Areas
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • selvakumar2015
    Chennai (Madras), India1,038 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Historically significant collection of monuments of Newar.
    Durbar Square of Patan also known as Lalit pur in Kathmandu valley is an historically significant collection of monuments of Newar Kingdoms of yore. The sprawling complex of temples, museum and shopping arcade needs a full day to absorb the various exhibits. The place is well maintained with refreshments available in the many shops and restaurants in the area . The traffic is chaotic and the only entry road is also the only exit for all kinds of vehicles from bullock carts to the latest SUVs. Luckily I was not pestered by the so-called tourist guides and was left alone and in peace. The entry ticket to the Patan area is reasonably priced and worth it. A must visit while you are in Kathmandu. Recommended.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written April 10, 2024
  • Dr R M Thapa Syangja
    Putalibazar, Nepal435 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Exquisite woodworks
    You have got to marvel at the work done by the craftsmen all these centuries ago. The area is an open museum and there is a must visit museum within this open museum. The best idea would be to spend whole afternoon and evening engrossed in the details of the finest woodwork you will see anywhere in the world.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 16, 2024
  • drmarkstravels
    Rochester, Minnesota101 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A smaller Square with a unique history
    This is a smaller Square than the Kathmandu square. It is still in need of much repair from the earthquake but they have spent a good amount of time of building the museum of artifacts and artwork saved from the quake. There is an entrance fee of 1000 Rupees which is a little steep for the size of the square. The one three story building is only available to enter for Hindus. That was little disappointing, but there were plenty of buildings to see.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 20, 2024
  • Schumakay G
    Jakarta, Indonesia19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Get away from the streets , shops and restaurants, come here for a half day and see another part of Kathmandu !
    With a palace and temples next to each other, this historic site offered interesting sight in about 1.5 hours. It’s best get a local guide. We got ours just when we paid for the entrance fee and he showed up, introduced himself, showed us his permit. His English is fluent and we just try our luck. Ended up a great guide !
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written September 21, 2024
  • himal A.(ram)
    Nepal14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    "A Beautiful Glimpse into Nepal's Rich History!"
    Patan Durbar Square is a must-visit if you're in Kathmandu! This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a stunning showcase of Newari architecture, history, and culture. The square is filled with beautifully carved temples, courtyards, and statues that transport you back in time. I was particularly impressed by the Krishna Temple, with its intricate stone carvings and historic significance. The Patan Museum was another highlight, offering a deep dive into the rich cultural heritage of the area. I highly recommend taking a guided tour, as the guides are knowledgeable and help bring the stories of the square to life. The square has a vibrant, bustling atmosphere with local artisans, small shops, and cafes where you can relax and enjoy the surroundings. It’s a great place to spend a few hours exploring, learning, and just soaking in the hist
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written October 16, 2024
  • BTV2002
    South Burlington, Vermont138 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Another beautiful Unesco site
    Each Unesco site in the area has their unique aspects. This site offers beautiful architecture and multiple buildings all creating like a small "town". Be aware there are many guides trying to get you to pay them for the guided tour. I don't think the guided tour is needed.
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written October 24, 2024
  • Mariya
    Kathmandu Valley, Nepal9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Stunning Display of History and Culture – Patan Durbar Square
    Patan Durbar Square is a true gem and an absolute must-see when visiting Kathmandu. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it showcases the rich cultural and historical legacy of the Kathmandu Valley. The square is a beautiful collection of ancient temples, palaces, and courtyards, each adorned with intricate carvings, statues, and stunning architecture. The centerpiece is the iconic Hiranya Varna Mahavihar (Golden Temple) and the Patan Museum, which offers fascinating insights into Nepal’s art, culture, and religious practices. Strolling through the square, you'll encounter amazing examples of Newar architecture, with its beautifully carved windows, wooden balconies, and delicate stonework that tell stories of a bygone era. What makes Patan Durbar Square truly special is the lively atmosphere. Local vendors, traditional craftsmen, and street performers give the area an energetic vibe, blending the old with the new. The peaceful courtyards and temples provide a tranquil escape, while the bustling streets around the square offer a taste of everyday life in Patan. Whether you're a history enthusiast, an architecture lover, or someone who simply enjoys exploring vibrant, cultural spaces, Patan Durbar Square will leave you in awe. It's a perfect spot to immerse yourself in the timeless charm of Nepal’s heritage.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 16, 2024
  • T-SGlobetrotters
    Preston, United Kingdom4,136 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderfully atmospheric square
    Although the buildings in the square incurred considerable damage in the 2015 earthquake, apart from one smaller temple surrounded by scaffolding they have all been beautifully restored. Entry to the square is immediately dramatic and the impact of the buildings is very harmonious. The Royal Palace which contains the Patan Museum takes up one whole side with various temples making up the remainder in various locations around the square. Entry for tourists is 1000 rupees payable at a booth as you enter the square. This also covers entry to the Patan Museum where tickets can also be purchased. We found the square quiet with comparatively few western tourists. It is worth visiting during the day but also in the evening when there are even fewer tourists around and the centre is vibrant with local families. We were fortunate to visit during Diwali with lots of people dressed up in their finery.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 24, 2024
  • Fiona S
    Boston, Massachusetts478 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So many hidden gems in Patan - needs a full day!
    We visited Patan on the last day of a 7 day visit of mostly going full tilt. So while I wanted to go to Patan, I thought 4 hours would be sufficient. I greatly regret not allocating a full day. Here's what I thought would happen: we would spend about 3 hours following The Lonely Planet's 2 walking tours (which we did and which I greatly recommend - see below). And about an hour in the square - I would have said 30 minutes but I heard there was a small museum. Here's what I didn't know: 1. The museum is amazing. Granted I am a museum person but I could have easily spent two hours there. The collection is top-notch and varied enough that I wanted to scrutinize ever piece. 2. There is more to Mul Chowk than the 1st courtyard. The first courtyard has very intricate wood carving throughout. Plus there is a very small architectural museum upstairs. Plus (and I only discovered this as we were leaving), there is a small door to the right after you enter that leads to more grounds and exhibits, including the beautifully carved inground bath. Don't make the mistake I did! If you sound like me, give yourself a day. About the Lonely Planet walking tours: we started with the one that headed south and then west of the square. And then returned via the path that starts at the large man-made pond/lake (Pimbahal Pukhu). Follow the details and trust the process. At one point, you will be in a large courtyard surrounded by apartments and it will tell you to go to the far corner and duck through a small door and tunnel. You may think it crazy and that you're lost, but but works! We visited the Golden Palace and the Kumbheshwor Temple on the ay back which were both worthwhile.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 31, 2024
  • chloe w
    126 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Patan durbar square. Get a guide for best experience
    There are actually three Durbar Squares in Kathmandu, this is the Patan square, the smallest and least busy of the three. We visited here as it was recommended for an afternoon activity. We were dropped off via taxi at a side street and told to keep walking through the streets of stalls and restaurants until we found the square. Once we arrived it has hard to miss. As we stepped into the square we realised it was bigger and more vast than we imagined but luckily, Stuart, a tour guide, approached us. We had a think and decided it was best to be guided, and it was the best thing we did. He was knowledgeable and patient, he took us to the main temples and told us about the culture and history. It was really interesting. He was energetic and charming. Once our tour finished, he even helped us to find a cool little Newari cuisine spot, literally a tint place in a back street where a lady sat with one stove and cooked us some really traditional foods. In general the Patan temples are the most breathtaking of the three, but they were still beautiful, the market close by was interesting to look around and Stuart really helped. His contact below. If you have half a day, go visit Stuart's WhatsApp ... +977 984-1701037 Insta... @himalayasvoyages
    Visited January 2025
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 1, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles114 reviews
Excellent
88
Very good
18
Average
7
Poor
0
Terrible
1

singhasam
Weymouth, UK4,075 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
THIS was another stunning place in Nepal that is still showing the harsh aftermath of the terrible earthquakes here in 2015.
Buildings held up by wood and steel props, piles of rubble and carved woodwork heaped in backstreets while there are many areas of scaffolding where widespread restoration work is going on.
I paid R1000 (about ÂŁ6) entry to this World Heritage site and it was worth every penny.
The atmosphere alone was incredible as restored building rubbed shoulders with others being restored or a few which escaped damage altogether.
I particularly enjoyed the palace and the upper museum while the woodworking alone should not be missed.
Tourism is starting to come back and parts of the square were very busy, but take just a few steps into a side street and you can see damage waiting to be repaired and get glimpses of what the place must have been like before the earthquakes destroyed more than half a million buildings in Nepal.
There are courtyards and quadrangles, the Golden Doorway, a museum, screened galleries, gardens and water tanks.
Don't miss this place. It is one of the highlights of any visit to Kathmandu.
Written November 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mwhamburger
Seattle, WA850 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
toured this square extensively. Totally worth seeing this UNESCO world heritage sight. You can spend hours here looking at the awesome woodwork, the royal palace, vendors along the way, etc. History goes back to 1637 AD.
You have to pay a minimal entrance fee; about $7, I think. Depends on if you're local, a foreigner, etc.
Written November 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amalia
Kathmandu, Nepal24 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
Patan is a great example of Traditional Newar Culture in the Kathmandu Valley. The Newar (or Newa) people are the indigenous people of the Kathmandu Valley and Patan represents one of three small kingdoms that used to exist in the area.

Here you can see stunning examples of traditional architecture, 4 stupas built by the Buddhist King Ashoka, and numerous Hindu and Buddhist temples and shrines. The Patan Museum is a great, if a bit small, museum of local art, primarily concentrating on the Buddhist history of the region.

Patan is also the Buddhist Art center of Kathmandu, and a great place to buy traditional Buddhist devotional statues from Newar artisans who have been honing their craft for generatsion.

And there are great places to find Newar food if you know where to look.

"If you know where to look" is the only reason I took a point away from my review. Unlike the much larger and broader Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Patan is very difficult to navigate if you don't know where you are going and aren't familiar with the culture.

Many of the Bahi and Vihar (Buddhist monasteries and communal courtyards) are down tiny alleys that the average outsider will not look for. And without the Bahi and Vihar, you are missing most of Patan. Furthermore, some of the best restaurants are hidden behind those alleys. This is because traditional Newar architecture is based around the central structure of the courtyard, so often many interesting things are not accesible from the street. If you don't know where to look: you will not find them.

So my recommendation? See about a guided walking tour. Take a friend who has been there before. But if it is your first time, don't go on your own.
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Narahari R
Rio Rancho, NM4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
After having such a nice time visiting several spiritual and historical places in Nepal, we visited the Patan Durbar Square. It was noisy, crowded and we followed the crowd. After a minute, probably 25m from the circle, an angry lady stepped in front of me and yelled at me for not responding to her call/shout. I had no idea and was surprised by this. She kept yelling and said that i needed to buy the tickets which i had no idea since this was my first visit and instead of the matter stopped there and collecting the fee, she continued to yell at me for not buying tickets and then generalized it to saying that most Indians do this. I got pretty upset and asked her to calm down and talk to me respectfully. We continued to argue loudly infront of 100s of people that were just simply entering the place and walking past us.
This experience, specially the generalization about Indians and talking disrespectfully left a bad impression in what was until then a very spiritual and historical journey.
Due to this experience, we could not enjoy rest of the time at this square and left in about 15 minutes.
Written June 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gautam05
Chennai (Madras), India59 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
Visited in December 2022. We went to this place as part of a full day sightseeing tour. There is an entry fee at this place. This place has a lot of ruins and few eateries. One can take a walk around and see different buildings. Small temples are located in this place. There is an octagonal Krishna (Hindu God) temple which was closed during the afternoon. Lot of construction work was going on and it was not easy walking around the ruins. There is a museum which charges an additional fee. We didn't go there.
Written January 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael G
Burlington, WI3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Solo
Patan Durbar Square, despite being the smallest of the three in the Kathmandu Valley, leaves one of the best impressions and is definitely one of the better-managed historical sites in the area.

Damages from the earthquake have been almost completely restored, and the square offers a great museum with access to most of the palace. While it still has its share of merchants a guides who will solicit you, they're not too intrusive and theres much less of it than a lot of other sites. Garbage and graffiti are controlled better here, its less crowded, and the site offers many things to see. You can easily spend hours here. The entry fee is 1000 rupees but what you get for it makes it feel dignified.

If that weren't enough, the surrounding neighborhood of Lalitpur is very charming and offers a lot of old architecture mixed in with newer restaurants and bars, its a lovely area. I can strongly recommend spending a day in and around the Patan Durbar Square.
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

katherine153
Lancaster, UK263 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
Another must-see sight in Kathmandu with fabulous buildings, many in the Hindu style. A world heritage site so entry fee is charged. Many of the buildings here were destroyed in the earthquake of 2015 but have been repaired or are in the process. The museum complex was fascinating, especially the gallery on the upper floor with many artefacts and lots of information on Buddhism on Hinduism.
Written May 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bhaskar_10
New Delhi, India3,091 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
Visited on 31/August/2023

The place is a melting pot of history, culture and religion and is a hot tourist attraction near Kathmandu, Nepal. The place has multiple alleyways and buildings and is extremely crowded. Taking a local guide through this area will be of help

A must visit for all tourists who would like to appreciate the local culture.

Temples, religious structures, antique buildings are all part of teh commotion this place offers.

Patan Darbar Square....is calling all those who viist Kathmandu, Nepal.

No entry fee

Enjoy
Written September 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John W
24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
Well worth the detour from KTM. The museum is well laid out, and fulsome. The Royal Palace definitely worth a visit, with stunningly beautiful carvings in wood and stone and metal. One can visit the interior galleries, with intriguing views of the main square or internal courtyards from screened balconies. Needs a while afternoon to absorb, quite apart from the several ornate temples and other structures nearby. Most have now been repaired/restored after the 2015 earthquake, although two buildings are still under wraps.
Written November 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Peter M
Melbourne, Australia1,292 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
Patan Durbar Square was built in 1637 in Lalitpur (Paton was renamed Lalitpur. Paton Durbar Square is one of three Durbar Squares i Kathmandu Valley-the others being Bhaktapur and Kathmandu. They are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Written November 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Patan Durbar Square - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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