Kathmandu Valley, Temple by Temple
Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur were three separate Newar kingdoms until 1768, and the valley still reads that way: three walled palace squares, each with its own ticket booth, its own fee, and its own version of a Malla-era skyline. Treat them as three destinations, not one city with suburbs.
Kathmandu Durbar Square, the old royal core
Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square sits at Basantapur, a 15 to 20 minute walk south of Thamel through the spice bazaar of Ason and Indra Chowk. The rebuilt Kasthamandap pavilion (the timber structure that gave Kathmandu its name, destroyed in the 2015 earthquake and reopened in 2022), Kumari Ghar where the living goddess occasionally appears at a carved window, and the Kal Bhairav stone relief are all inside the ticket perimeter. Foreigner admission is NPR 1,000, SAARC visitors pay NPR 150, and the ticket is valid for one day.
Patan Durbar Square and its museum
Five kilometers south across the Bagmati River, Patan’s square is the valley’s center for stone and bronze work, anchored by the multi-tiered Krishna Mandir carved entirely from grey stone in 1637. Foreigner entry is NPR 1,000, SAARC NPR 500, and the fee includes the Patan Museum , widely rated one of the best collections of Newar Hindu and Buddhist art in Asia. Staying in Patan longer than a day? Bring your ticket and passport to the visitors’ center inside the square for a free multi-day stamp. Book a private guided walk of Patan on GetYourGuide if you want the iconography explained rather than guessed at.
Bhaktapur, the best-preserved of the three
Thirteen kilometers east, Bhaktapur charges NPR 1,800 for foreigners (SAARC NPR 500), the highest of the seven UNESCO zones, and it buys an entire pedestrian medieval city: the 30-meter Nyatapola Temple, the Palace of 55 Windows, the Golden Gate, and Pottery Square where potters still throw clay on wooden wheels. Bring a passport photo to the tourism center at the main gate for a free 7-day extension stamp, and taste Juju Dhau, a custard-thick yogurt set in clay pots, while you’re there.
The stupas: Swayambhunath and Boudhanath
Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple, sits on a hilltop 3km west of the center; 365 stone steps climb past carved animal guardians to the whitewashed dome and its painted Buddha eyes. Foreigner entry is NPR 200, SAARC NPR 50. Keep food and plastic bags out of sight; the resident rhesus macaques are wild animals, not photo props. Boudhanath, 7km northeast in the Tibetan quarter of Boudha, is one of the largest stupas in the world and the center of Tibetan Buddhist life in Nepal; foreigner entry is NPR 400, SAARC NPR 100. Go at dusk for the kora, when butter lamps light the plinth and monks circle with the crowd.
Pashupatinath, and how to visit its ghats
Nepal’s holiest Shiva temple sits on the Bagmati River 5km east of Thamel. Foreigner admission is NPR 1,000; entry is free for Indian and Nepali passport holders specifically, not for Hindus of other nationalities, so a Hindu visitor traveling on a US or UK passport still pays the foreigner rate. The Nepal Tourism Board publishes the current fee schedule for all seven zones. The inner sanctum is restricted to practicing Hindus, but the surrounding precinct, hundreds of small shrines, and the cross-river viewing terraces are open to everyone. The Arya Ghat cremations are visible from across the river; watch quietly and never point a camera at mourners or a pyre in progress.
The verdict
Budget three separate mornings for Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur rather than trying to fold all three squares into one rushed day; each one rewards slow walking more than a checklist. For the surrounding valley rim, see the day trips guide , and for hotel options near the old city on Booking.com .
Before you go
Carry small NPR notes for ticket booths; none of the seven monument zones accept cards, and change is often short at the gate.