Durbar Square
First-timersGuesthouses in traditional houses around the royal square.
Bhaktapur town guide
Things To Do In Bhaktapur
The best-preserved of the Kathmandu Valley's medieval royal cities: brick temples, potters' squares and car-free lanes, best in the evening after the day-trippers leave.
5
Hostels in the city
9.2
Average, from 136 reviews
5
Tiers on Nyatapola
1979
Joins UNESCO
30 min
To Kathmandu
The city of devotees
Bhaktapur was one of the three royal cities of the Kathmandu Valley, and it has kept its medieval character better than the others: brick and carved-wood temples, squares where potters dry their pots, and mostly car-free lanes. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake, and much has been rebuilt.
Most visitors come on a day trip from Kathmandu, but staying the night lets you see it quiet. One or two days is right.
Where to stay
Stay inside the old town, around Durbar Square and Taumadhi Square, where guesthouses fill traditional brick houses and you can see the squares early and late, without the day-trippers.
Taumadhi Square
AtmosphereBeside the Nyatapola temple, with rooftop views.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 5 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur is the best-preserved medieval town in the Kathmandu Valley, a city of red-brick houses, carved wooden windows and temple squares, and much of it is car-free. One ticket, NPR 1,800 for foreigners, covers the whole old town and is valid for several days.
Durbar Square holds the Palace of Fifty-Five Windows, with the Golden Gate, one of the finest pieces of metalwork in Nepal, and the National Art Gallery. Taumadhi Square, next door, has the Nyatapola temple, five tiers tall, built in 1702 and the tallest pagoda temple in Nepal; it survived the 1934 and 2015 earthquakes. Dattatreya Square, in the older east of town, has the famous Peacock Window and woodcarving and metalwork museums.
In Pottery Square, potters throw clay on wheels and dry pots in the sun. Stay overnight to see the squares at dawn and dusk, when local life takes over from the day-trippers.
Changu Narayan, the oldest temple in the valley, is a two-hour hike or short ride north, and Nagarkot, on the valley rim, has sunrise views over the Himalayas.
Free things
Free things to do in Bhaktapur
Once you have the ticket, the whole old town is yours to explore for several days, including the squares, Pottery Square and the lanes between them.
The ponds on the edge of town, such as Siddha Pokhari, are free, and the hike out to Changu Narayan through the fields is free, though the temple charges a small fee.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur is famous for juju dhau, the 'king of curds', a rich, sweet yogurt set in clay pots, sold around the squares.
Newari dishes are the local food: bara, lentil pancakes, chatamari, rice flour crepes, and samay baji, a platter of beaten rice, meat and pickles. Restaurants with rooftop terraces overlook the squares.
A meal is €2 to €6.
Nightlife
Going out in Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur is quiet at night: the day-trippers leave, and the squares fill with locals. Rooftop restaurants are the place for an evening drink with the temples lit up.
A beer is €2 to €4.
Getting around
Getting around Bhaktapur
Taxis from Kathmandu take thirty minutes to an hour depending on traffic, and local buses leave from Kathmandu's Ratna Park and Bagbazar.
The old town is walkable and largely car-free. Buses and taxis reach Nagarkot in about an hour.
Costs
What Bhaktapur costs
Bhaktapur is cheap, apart from the entry fee: NPR 1,800 (about €11.50) for foreigners, covering the whole old town for several days; ask for the multi-day stamp if you are staying. A careful day is €15 to €25.
A clay pot of juju dhau is under €1.
The currency is the Nepalese rupee (NPR); prices here are euro equivalents, at roughly 155 rupees to the euro. Cash is essential outside the cities and on treks; ATMs have low withdrawal limits and fees.
Safety
Staying safe in Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur is very safe.
The squares are busy with day-trippers from mid-morning to mid-afternoon; come early or stay overnight. At temples, walk clockwise around stupas and shrines, remove shoes where asked, and ask before photographing people or ceremonies.
Emergency: 100 police, 102 ambulance. Tourist Police: 1144.
Day trips from Bhaktapur
The valley's oldest temple and a Himalayan sunrise.
Nagarkot
Sunrise over the Himalayas.
Kathmandu
The capital.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Bisket Jatra, the New Year chariot festival, is one of the valley's wildest.
April
Bisket Jatra
Bhaktapur
The New Year chariot tug-of-war.
September or October
Dashain
Bhaktapur
The biggest festival.
Hostels
Where to stay in Bhaktapur
The top-rated places to stay in Bhaktapur right now, live from Hostelworld.
When to go
October to April.
Jan
Cool, clear
Feb
Good
Mar
Spring, Holi
Apr
Rhododendrons
May
Hot, hazy
Jun
Monsoon
Jul
Monsoon
Aug
Monsoon
Sep
Clearing, Indra Jatra
Oct
Peak, Dashain
Nov
Peak, Tihar
Dec
Cold, clear
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in rupees locally; these are euro equivalents. Excludes the city entry fee.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Bhaktapur travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
How much is the entry fee?
NPR 1,800 for foreigners, covering the whole old town and valid for several days.
Is it worth staying overnight?
Yes. The squares are at their best at dawn and dusk, without the day-trippers.
What is juju dhau?
The "king of curds", a rich, sweet yogurt set in clay pots, Bhaktapur's speciality.
What is Bisket Jatra?
The New Year festival in April, when huge chariots are pulled through town in a tug-of-war between neighbourhoods.
How many days do you need?
One full day, or a night to see the squares early and late.
When is the best time to visit?
October to April.
How do I get there?
By taxi or bus from Kathmandu, thirty minutes to an hour.
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