“Bhaktapur is the best-preserved of the Kathmandu Valley's royal cities, a medieval Newar town of brick and timber crowned by Nyatapola, the tallest temple in Nepal.”
About Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Bhaktapur was the capital of a powerful Malla kingdom that ruled the eastern valley before the region split into rival city-states, each lavishing wealth on its Durbar Square. The town's relative isolation and strong local pride helped preserve its medieval fabric far better than its neighbours'. Part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bhaktapur was badly shaken by the 2015 earthquake, which toppled or cracked several monuments. Careful reconstruction using traditional materials and crafts has been a focus of the town's recovery.
Overview Bhaktapur is the best-preserved of the three royal cities of the Kathmandu Valley, a medieval Newar town whose Durbar Square and surrounding lanes feel like a living museum of brick, timber and tiered temples. With far less traffic than Kathmandu, it offers the clearest sense of what the valley's old city-states looked and felt like at their height.
With far less traffic than Kathmandu, it offers the clearest sense of what the valley's old city-states looked and felt like at their height.
The Square and Its Temples The Durbar Square holds the old royal palace with its famous Golden Gate and the Fifty-Five Window Palace, alongside stone and brick temples and statues. A short walk away, the towering Nyatapola Temple rises in five tiers, the tallest temple in Nepal, guarded by paired stone figures climbing its stairway.
A Town of Crafts Bhaktapur is famous for its potters, and Pottery Square is lined with rows of clay vessels drying in the sun and wheels still turning. The town is also known for its woodcarving and for juju dhau, a thick, sweet 'king of yoghurts' served in clay bowls.
Earthquake Scars The 2015 earthquake damaged parts of the square and town, and restoration of brick-and-timber monuments continues alongside daily life.
The Experience
Wandering Bhaktapur is the pleasure: stepping from the Durbar Square through brick lanes to Taumadhi Square beneath the soaring Nyatapola, then to Pottery Square where clay vessels dry in the sun. The lack of heavy traffic lets you hear temple bells and the tap of woodcarvers' tools. Pausing for a clay bowl of juju dhau, watching a potter at the wheel, and climbing Nyatapola's guarded steps are the small experiences that make the town. It rewards a slow half-day or more rather than a quick stop.
Why It Matters
Bhaktapur Durbar Square is the most intact of the Kathmandu Valley's three royal squares and a centrepiece of the valley's UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserving outstanding Newar architecture, the tallest temple in Nepal, and living traditions of pottery and woodcarving.
Why Visit
It is the most immersive and least traffic-choked of the valley's old cities, ideal for slow wandering among temples and crafts. Spend at least half a day, try the local juju dhau yoghurt, watch the potters at work, and climb the steps of Nyatapola.
✦ Insider Tips
- 1
Allow at least half a day; Bhaktapur rewards slow wandering through its lanes and squares.
- 2
Try juju dhau, the rich local yoghurt served in clay bowls, found around the town.
- 3
Visit Pottery Square to watch potters at the wheel and vessels drying in the sun.
- 4
Climb the stairway of the five-tiered Nyatapola, the tallest temple in Nepal.
- 5
Keep your valley ticket; the entry fee helps fund the town's earthquake restoration.
