Patan (Lalitpur), Nepal: travel guide
The valley's city of fine arts and Newari craftsmanship, twin city to Kathmandu across the Bagmati — its Durbar Square and Golden Temple showcase the finest Malla-era Buddhist and Hindu architecture in Nepal.
- Country
- Nepal
- Currency
- NPR
- Time zone
- Asia/Kathmandu
- Nearest airport
- KTM
Top places to visit in Patan (Lalitpur)
Patan Durbar Square
Heritage · about 2 h · entry NPR 1,000
The finest concentration of Newari palace architecture in Nepal, facing the royal palace of the Malla kings of Patan with the Krishna Mandir, Bhimsen and Vishwanath temples. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Patan Museum
Museum · about 1.5 h
Housed in a restored wing of the royal palace, one of South Asia's finest museums of traditional sacred art — Hindu and Buddhist bronzes beautifully displayed with a courtyard café.
Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar)
Monastery · about 0.8 h · entry NPR 100
A dazzling 12th-century Buddhist monastery of gilded metalwork tucked in the lanes north of Durbar Square, still an active vihara tended by young monks.
Krishna Mandir
Temple · about 0.5 h
An exquisite 17th-century shikhara temple carved entirely from stone, its 21 gilded finials and friezes of the Mahabharata and Ramayana making it Patan Durbar Square's signature monument.
Mahabouddha Temple
Temple · about 0.5 h
The "Temple of a Thousand Buddhas", a terracotta shikhara hidden in a courtyard, its surface covered in tiny clay Buddha images — inspired by Bodh Gaya in India.
Kumbheshwar Temple
Temple · about 0.5 h
One of only two five-storey pagodas in the valley, a Shiva temple whose sacred pond is said to draw its water from the holy Gosaikunda lake; centre of the Janai Purnima festival.
Central Zoo (Jawalakhel)
Wildlife · about 2 h · entry NPR 750
Nepal's only zoo, in Jawalakhel, home to native species including one-horned rhino, Bengal tiger, red panda and Himalayan wildlife around a central pond — a family favourite.
Rudra Varna Mahavihar
Monastery · about 0.3 h
An ancient, richly ornamented Buddhist monastery near Durbar Square whose courtyard brims with donated statues, bells and coronation regalia of the Malla kings.
Jawalakhel Handicraft Center
Market · about 0.8 h
A Tibetan refugee cooperative in Jawalakhel where you can watch carpets being hand-knotted and dyed, and buy directly from the weavers.
Things to do
- Patan Heritage & Craft Walk Cultural · 3 h · from NPR 2,000 per person
- Patan Metalwork Craft Workshop Cultural · 2.5 h · from NPR 2,500 per person
- Patan Newari Food Tasting Tour Food · 2.5 h · from NPR 2,200 per person
- Patan Museum Guided Tour Cultural · 2 h · from NPR 1,500 per person
Where to stay in Patan (Lalitpur)
- Patan Durbar Square about NPR 6,000 per night
The historic core of Patan around its exquisite Durbar Square, ideal for art lovers with boutique heritage stays in restored Newari homes.
- Jhamsikhel & Jawalakhel about NPR 7,000 per night
A leafy, cosmopolitan neighbourhood famed for its restaurants and cafés, with mid-range hotels and the Central Zoo nearby.
Hotels
- Café de Patan Guest House 2-star · NPR 2,000 to NPR 4,500 per night
- Traditional Homes Swotha 4-star · NPR 8,000 to NPR 15,000 per night
- The Inn Patan 3-star · NPR 5,000 to NPR 10,000 per night
- Hotel Himalaya 4-star · NPR 7,000 to NPR 13,000 per night
Where to eat
- The Village Café Newari, Nepali · about NPR 650 per person
- Café Swotha Cafe, Continental, Nepali · about NPR 900 per person
- Dhokaima Café Continental, Nepali, Cafe · about NPR 950 per person
- Honacha Newari · about NPR 400 per person
- Bricks Café Continental, Asian, Cafe · about NPR 900 per person
Getting around
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.