Nepal · Kathmandu Valley
Bhaktapur
The Kathmandu Valley's best-preserved medieval city, with Nyatapola rising over a square that still runs on Newar time.
Bhaktapur is the third of the Kathmandu Valley's old royal cities and the best preserved of them: a brick-and-timber Newar town of temple squares, carved windows and potters at work, about 13 km east of Kathmandu. Its Durbar Square and the five-tiered Nyatapola Temple are the headline sights, but the real pleasure is the lanes between them, where daily life still turns on shrines, water tanks and courtyards. Much of the old town is closed to through traffic, and it rewards staying the night once the day visitors leave.
Suggested stay
1–2 days
Language
Nepali
Currency
NPR
Timezone
UTC+5:45
Why you'll love Bhaktapur
Nyatapola the tallest temple in the valley, five tiers stacked above a stairway lined with stone guardians, rising over Taumadhi Tole
Living old town brick lanes, sunken water spouts and courtyards where grain dries, looms clack and neighbours gather at the shrine
Newar craft carved wooden windows, potters shaping clay in the open square and woodcarvers still working in the east of town
Juju dhau the town's famous 'king curd', rich set yoghurt served in a clay bowl, is reason enough to linger
Best time to visit
Oct-Apr
19-29° days
27.671° N, 85.426° E
UTC+5:45 · Asia/Kathmandu
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Weather & when to go to Bhaktapur
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Oct-Apr
Watch for Mar-Apr haze risk · Jul-Aug monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Bhaktapur
July and August are the heart of the monsoon, with heavy rain, muddy lanes and the Himalaya hidden behind cloud. October to April is the settled season. The big festivals are a separate draw: Bisket Jatra around Nepali New Year in April, and Dashain and Tihar in autumn.
Top things to do in Bhaktapur
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Nyatapola Temple - the valley's tallest pagoda
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedBuilt in 1702 under King Bhupatindra Malla, this five-roofed temple to the goddess Siddhi Lakshmi dominates Taumadhi Tole. Its stairway is flanked by pairs of guardians, wrestlers, elephants, lions, griffins and goddesses, each said to be ten times stronger than the pair below. Climb the steps for the view over the square.
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Bhaktapur Durbar Square - palace, Golden Gate and temples
history culture arts 👍 PopularThe old royal square holds the palace of fifty-five windows, the gilded Golden Gate leading to the Taleju temple courtyard, and a scatter of stone and brick temples. The 2015 earthquake hit it hard and some monuments are gone or rebuilt, but it remains the town's grand set piece. Foreigners pay a city entry fee at the gates; keep the ticket.
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Pottery Square - wheels and drying pots
culture arts 👍 PopularIn Talako, just below Taumadhi, potters throw pots on hand-spun wheels in the open, and rows of drying jars, water pots and small figures cover the square and nearby lanes. Come in the morning to watch the work and the firing.
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Dattatreya Square - the old east-end heart
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedTachupal Tole, the oldest part of town, centres on the Dattatreya Temple, fronted by two wrestler statues and traditionally said to be built from the timber of a single tree. The Pujari Math behind it has the famous carved Peacock Window, and woodcarving workshops and a small woodcarving museum sit around the square.
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Bhairavnath Temple - Taumadhi's other temple
culture artsThe broad three-roofed temple to Bhairab stands beside Nyatapola on Taumadhi Tole. It is the focus of the Bisket Jatra festival, when its great chariot is hauled through the lanes in a tug-of-war between the upper and lower halves of town.
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Juju dhau and Newar food - eating in Bhaktapur
foodTry the town's creamy king curd, set in clay bowls, then a Newar plate of beaten rice with spiced buffalo choila, black soybeans and pickles. Street stalls fry bara lentil patties and chatamari rice-flour crepes, and rooftop cafes on the squares serve them with a view.
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Siddha Pokhari - the big tank by the town gate
historyThis large rectangular water tank near the bus park on the western edge of town is where most visitors arrive. Locals walk its banks at dusk, and it makes a gentle start before heading uphill into the old lanes.
Best areas to stay in Bhaktapur
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Durbar Square and Taumadhi Tole
First-time visitors $$Temple squares and rooftop guesthouses
Explore hotels in Durbar Square and Taumadhi Tole →
Tachupal Tole
Slow travellers $Quieter old quarter of woodcarvers
Explore hotels in Tachupal Tole →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Bhaktapur
Getting to & around Bhaktapur
Getting there
Fly into Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International, then 30-45 min east by taxi
Flight
Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM)
Tribhuvan sits on Kathmandu's eastern edge, so Bhaktapur is closer than central Kathmandu. A taxi along the Araniko Highway takes about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic and drops you at the edge of the old town, which is largely closed to cars.
Coach
Bhaktapur bus park by Siddha Pokhari
Local buses and minibuses run often from central Kathmandu, crowded and slow but frequent; tourist buses from Pokhara and Chitwan terminate in Kathmandu
Drive
About 13 km east of central Kathmandu along the Araniko Highway, often an hour in traffic
Getting around
Walking
The only sensible way to see the old town: the squares are close together and many lanes are closed to vehicles
Free
Taxi
For Changu Narayan, Nagarkot or Kathmandu; agree the fare before you get in
TBC
Day trips from Bhaktapur
Changu Narayan
Half dayHilltop Vishnu temple
On a ridge north of town, the valley's oldest temple site has stone sculpture and an inscription going back to the 5th century. It is part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage listing, and the quiet village lane leading up to it is lined with small shops.
Getting there
car | bus | walk
About 30 min by taxi or bus, or a 2 hr uphill walk
Nagarkot
1-2 daysHimalayan viewpoint
The hill resort on the valley rim is known for sunrise views along the Himalaya on clear mornings, best in the dry months. Stay overnight for the dawn, then walk down through villages and pine forest to Changu Narayan.
Getting there
car | bus | walk
About 1 hr by car or bus up the valley rim
Kathmandu
Full dayCapital and old city
Kathmandu's own Durbar Square, the great stupa at Boudhanath and the riverside Hindu temple complex of Pashupatinath fill a long day, with Boudhanath and Pashupatinath on the Bhaktapur side of the city.
Getting there
car | bus
About 45 min-1 hr by taxi or bus
Patan
Full dayNewar royal city
The valley's third old royal city, just south of Kathmandu, has a dense Durbar Square, the Golden Temple and the excellent Patan Museum on Newar art. A good pairing for anyone who loved Bhaktapur.
Getting there
car
About 1 hr by taxi across the valley
A little history of Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur, known in Newari as Khwopa, grew up on a trade route between India and Tibet and by the Malla period was the chief city of the Kathmandu Valley. After King Yaksha Malla's death in the late 15th century the valley split into three rival kingdoms, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Patan, and the competition between them produced much of the temple architecture that survives today, including Nyatapola in 1702.
Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha took Bhaktapur in 1769, the last of the three to fall, and it slipped into a quieter life as a farming and craft town. Earthquakes in 1934 and 2015 caused heavy damage, but restoration work since the 1970s has kept the old town intact, and its Durbar Square is part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.
Death of Yaksha Malla; the valley later divides into the kingdoms of Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Patan
Nyatapola Temple built under King Bhupatindra Malla
The Golden Gate to the Taleju temple is completed under King Ranjit Malla
Prithvi Narayan Shah conquers Bhaktapur, completing the unification of the valley
The Nepal-Bihar earthquake destroys many buildings; Nyatapola survives
Bhaktapur Durbar Square is inscribed as part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site
The Gorkha earthquake damages many of the town's temples and houses
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type C / D / M
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+977
Haze risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
Monsoon flooding risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
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FAQs about Bhaktapur
▸ When is the best time to visit Bhaktapur?
October to April is the settled season, with clear skies and the best chance of mountain views from nearby Nagarkot; winter nights are cold. July and August are the monsoon peak and the wettest months. Bisket Jatra around Nepali New Year in April and the autumn festivals of Dashain and Tihar are the liveliest times in town.
▸ Is Bhaktapur worth staying overnight, or is a day trip from Kathmandu enough?
A day trip covers the main squares, but staying a night is the better choice. Early mornings and evenings, when the tour groups have gone and locals come out to the shrines and water spouts, are when the town feels most itself.
▸ Do you have to pay to enter Bhaktapur?
Yes. Foreign visitors pay a city entry fee at the gates to the old town, which covers the whole heritage area. It is steeper than most sights in Nepal, so keep the ticket with you while you are in the old town.
▸ How badly was Bhaktapur damaged in the 2015 earthquake?
Many buildings were damaged and some temples in Durbar Square collapsed, while Nyatapola itself stood. Rebuilding has been under way since, so expect to see some monuments restored and others still under scaffolding.
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