Patan

Patan, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, is one of the largest cities in Nepal and is located just across the Bagmati river from Kathmandu. Confusingly, it is also known as Lalitpur, both names deriving from the Sanskrit "Lalitapattan". Like its larger neighbour, Patan also boasts a Durbar Square full of temples, statues, and palaces and, in addition, has the must-see attraction of Patan Museum. As a traditional centre of handicrafts, Patan is a great place to purchase jewellery, Buddha statues and masks.

A view of Patan's Durbar Square.

Get in

• Micro Bus from Ratnapark in Kathmandu (15 rps, 10 rps for students/volunteers with a Nepalese ID card).
• Taxis are a more expensive option 200-350 rps (~3-5 USD).
• Buses. Catch a blue or green bus on Kathmandu's Ring Road (loops around Kathmandu Valley) for 15 to 20 rps. Tell the cashier/attendant that you want to go to Patan. He'll let you know when you get there. It's only a 15 min walk to Patan Dubar Square from Ring Road.
• Walk. It is quite straightforward to walk from Thamel to Patan in about 90 minutes with many things to see along the way. There are a couple of bridges providing access from Kathmandu to Patan so a good city map would be an asset.

Note: Nepal Buses & Micro buses are not very good for handicapped people or the faint of heart. The people are very friendly, but the vehicles are very old & rough.

Get around

• The city and its sites are best seen on foot.
• Taxis, minibuses, and tuk tuks are widely available.
• 1 Bagmati Bridge (Northeast part of Patan). A two lanes bridge over River Bagmati connecting Patan with Kathmandu 

See

Durbar Square

Map of Patan Durbar Square

Durbar Square is the Palace Square of Patan. Approaching the square from the south side you have the palace on your right and a series of temples on your left. Admission to the area for tourists is Rs 1000 (March 2023).You should pay this at a booth at the south end of Durbar Square or at another entrance to the area further to the north. It is also your entry ticket to the museum (no extra cost). You will likely be approached by various square workers if your entrance ticket isn't visible. If you plan repeated visits and will be in Nepal for some time, get the ticket booth attendant to endorse your entrance ticket for a longer period. You will likely have to show your passport and entry visa.

• 1 Palace (eastside of the Square). was built on the site of a fort that stood until 1734 and served as the residence of the Malla rulers of the then Patan state. It is divided up into a succession of courtyards (or “chowks”). Unfortunately only the last of these on the right, which houses the museum, is open on a regular basis due to problems with theft of artifacts. Try peering through cracks in the doors to see what you are missing. The first palace building is Sundari Chowk which was constructed in 1647. The three-storey temple on the palace side is the Degutale temple, constructed in 1661 after an earlier one burned down. Mul Chowk was the central part of the old palace and in recent times has suffered much theft of ornamental woodwork. 
• 2 Patan Museum, Keshab Narayan Chowk. 10.30 to 17.30. An excellent and well-presented little museum with descriptions of various artistic techniques. 1000 Rs. (included in entry for Durbar Square). (updated Mar 2023)

There is a confusing array of temples and other interesting items on the left-hand side of the square. Again, walking from the south end of the square, you pass:

• 3 Taleju Temple. 
• 4 Octagonal stone Krishna temple (Chyasaldewal). constructed in 1647 
• 5 Taleju Bell. A huge bell that dates back to 1737 which is rung once a year. 
• Shankar Narayan temple. with kneeling stone elephants in front 
• 6 Bhai Dega Temple (Biseshvar Temple) (before Cafe de Patan). A shiva temple 
• 7 Hari Shankar Temple. Half Vishnu half Shiva deity. Built in 1704-5 
• 8 Jagan Narayan Temple (Charnarayan Temple) (north of Hari Shankar Temple). Two storey. Brick. The oldest temple in the complex, dating back to 1565. The temple with a statue of Yognarendra on a pillar in front. (Southward) 

• Two smaller temples dedicated to Vishnu, dating back to 1590 and 1652.
• A stone temple to Krishna, considered to be a masterpiece, with some amazing stonework. Note the Garuda on the pillar in front, which has eyes of crystal.

• 9 Krishna Mandir (South of Vishwanath Temple). 
• 10 Vishwanath temple. with two stone elephants and riders in front 

A view of the stone Krishna Temple with Garuda to the right.

• 11 Bhimsen temple (northest temple on the west side of the Durbar Square). constructed in 1680 but with more recent marble additions. 
• 12 Degutalle Temple (east side of the Durbar Square). Five storey on the Palace ground 
• 13 Mani Mandap (next to Manga Hiti). A pavilion dating from the 1700s. 
• 14 Manga Hiti (behind Mani Mandap). A lotus shaped pool and three carved stone crocodile head. 
• 15 Ganesh Temple (Mani Ganesh, Kopeswar Temple?) (northern end of the Durbar Square). 

South of Durbar Square

Suraschandra Mahavihar, Patan

Kontihiti Kumbheswar, Patan

• 16 Mahaboudha Temple, Okubhal to Chakra bhil street and Sundhara Street corner (5-10 minutes walking distance SE from Durbar Square). This is a stone temple covered with terracotta tiles, which include 1008 Budha images. It was modelled on a larger temple in Bodhgaya, India and took one family four generations to complete 
• 17 Machchhendranath temple (Rato Temple, Red Temple, Machhindra Bahal temple), Near to Prayag Pokhari Marg (500 m south from Durbar Square). This is a good illustration of the problems now faced with theft of artifacts. The temple is now surrounded by a strong fence and each statue has its own individual fence. Statues are missing from two stands, suggesting that the temple has already fallen victim. Machchhendranath also gives his name to an annual festival when a 25 m tall "chariot" is paraded through Patan. If you note all the wires and cables across the streets at levels much lower than 25 m you can appreciate what a complicated exercise this is. The parade takes place between April and June, with the chariot staying the night at different locations. The end of the parade is supposed to coincide with the onset of the monsoon rains. The wheels of the chariot are over 2 m in diameter. For the rest of the year these can be seen in the building next to the Ashok Stupa (see below). 
• 18 Minanath Temple (100 m East from Machchhendranath temple, Prayag Pokhari Bus Stop). There is a secondary School. 
• 19 Rudravarna Mahavihar (Uku Bahal) (100 m south of Mahaboudha Temple). A gem of a temple close to Mahaboudha, but much less visited. One of the oldest temples in the Kathmandu Valley with some strange and interesting statues. 
• 20 Southern Stupa, Lagankhel Rd (Lagankhel Bus Station 300 m away). (updated Oct 2016)

North of Durbar Square

A view of the Golden Temple in Patan.

• 21 Golden Temple (Hiranayavarna Makavikar, Kwa Bahal), Kwalakhu Rd (Near to Nag Bahal). An enormous number of gold- and silver-covered decorations and some excellent bronze statues make this well worth being the only temple in Patan you have to pay to enter. Construction dates back to the early 1400s, although some pieces pre-date construction. Admission NPR50. 

Bangalamukhi temple complex

• 22 Baglamukhi Mandir (Banglamukhi Temple, Kumbeswar Temple, Kumbheshwore Temple), Kwalakhu Rd. Shiva Temple. One of the two five-story pagoda temples of the Valley. The sunken basin is usually empty but around August is filled for the Kumbheshwar Mela full moon day festival. At this time the temple becomes packed. Sheep roaming the temple are those that have been spared sacrifice. 

Uma-maheswar Temple

• 23 Rade Krishna Temple (100 m north of Durbar Square on west side). 
• 24 Uma-maheswar Temple (cca. 300 m north of Durbar Square). 
• 25 Northern Stupa, Bangalamukhi-Sankhamul Rd. 

Elsewhere

• 26 Ashok Stupa (Western Stupa), Pulchowk, Lalitpur (Old Patan can be reached by turning left off the main road from Kathmandu after the Himalaya hotel or by continuing on the main road to Pulchowk and then turning left. Immediately after the pedestrian bridge at Pulchowk is the old Buddhist stupa of Ashok. Next to that is the building where the structure of the Machchhendranath chariot is kept when not being used,). 
• 27 Nagabahal (Nag Bahal), Dhalayacha - Nagabahal Rd. 
• 28 Pim Bahal. 
• 29 Central Zoo, Zoo Rd (Jawalakhel Bus Stop in nearby). (updated Oct 2016)
• 30 Tribhuvan University Institute of Enginnering, Patandhoka Rd (Engineering Campus Bus Stop). 

Do

Just wander around keeping your eyes open for all the amazing sights.

• 1 Love Park, Pulchowk Rd. A small green area with a pond 

Learn

• Satyananda Yoga Centre, Ganesh Marga, Shankhamul, New Baneswar (a 15 minutes walk from Patan Durbar Square). Group and individual courses. Yoga Camps.

Buy

A fruit vendor, Lalitpur

Local vegetables

Banks

• 1 Nepal Bank, Kupondole Rd. This is the local branch of Nepal Bank Ltd 
• 2 Siddhartha Bank, Patandhoka Rd (Lalitpur Yatayaat Bus Stand 200m away). 

Others

• 3 Bhat Bhateni Supermarket, Krishna Galli, Lalitpur, ☏ +977 1-5523555, kalyan@bbsm.com.np. Supermarket chain. More units: Bhat-Bhateni Tangal, Located: Cha-1-580 Bhat-Bhateni, Tel: 977-1-4419181, 4413825, Fax: 977-1-4420240; Bhat-Bhateni Maharajgunj, Located: Maharajgunj, Narayan Gopal Chowk, Chakrapath, Email: dipak@bbsm.com.np, Tel: 977-1-4016130, 4016131, 4016132, Fax: 977-1-4016133; Bhat-Bhateni Koteshwor, Located: Koteshwor, Koteshwor-35, Tel: 977-1-4601300, 4601301, Email: bisharjan@bbsm.com.np; Bhat-Bhateni Chuchepati, Located: Chuchepati, Bouddha, Tel: 977-1-4485395,4485396, Email: pushkal@bbsm.com.np. (updated Oct 2016)
• Wooden and metal handicrafts. There are many metalworking shops near Durbar Square.
• Thanka, or traditional paintings.
• Pilgrims Books on the right-hand side of Sahid Sukra Marg as it climbs the hill after crossing the Bagmati river (opposite the Himalaya Hotel) has an amazing selection of books on Nepal and Kathmandu, on Buddhism, Hinduism and many other religions, as well as a good selection of novels in English. Several small rooms of souvenirs. Search out the oddities, such as a Kama Sutra colouring book, strangely sold next to children's colouring books.
• Saraswati further up the road from Pilgrims, has more academic books. Ekta, turn left in Jawalakhel chowk, has academic text books, and a good selection of novels.
• Quixote's Cove: the bookshop, Jawalakhel (Next to New Orleans Cafe), ☏ +977 1 553-6974. this bookshop is housed in an old 1930s building and combines a collection of fiction with a marvelously cosy environment. 

Eat

Lagankhel Market, Patan

Layeku Kitchen, Mangal Bazar, Patan

• Cafe de Patan. A pleasant, centrally located restaurant and cafe (see 'sleep' section)
• Patan Museum Cafe
• 1 Hermann Helmer's German Bakery, Jhamsikhel Road, Lalitpur, (Pulchok bus stop 400m East), ☏ +977 1-5524900. 
• Downtown. One of the best value restaurants in Patan. Excellent food.
• LaSoon. A small restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating set in a nice garden and serving a mixed menu with daily specials. Try the La Soon Plate or the La Soon Platter, one of which is vegetarian. They also do nice chocolate brownies. It's good value and well worth a visit.
• Summit Hotel. Good on a Friday night as they have a barbecue by the pool.
• Roadhouse (Near St Mary's school). Good pizza, pasta, dessert, ice-cream and coffee. (updated Oct 2016)
• New Orleans (The road towards St Marys). Good coffee and nice garden. Live jazz on some nights, which is discordant & over amplified, is a negative. (updated Oct 2016)
• Jalan (Near Summit). Good Thai, and other Asian food 
• The Bakery Cafe (opposite the United Nations building and also in Jawalakhel chowk). Use sign language and point to menu items as the waiters have speaking and hearing impairments. Noodles, MoMo, sandwiches and, on most days, a lunchtime buffet. WiFi. 
• Cafe Bliss, Jhamsikhel. Trendy, peaceful restaurant 
• Cafe Vespers, Pulchowk (next to New Orleans Cafe). Lovely outdoor seating. Good Pad Thai. Very good pizzas and quite good Italian food. 
• Higher Ground (1 floor across the street from Standard Chartered bank). Peaceful Cafe. A second branch in Ekantakuna (near DFID) sells excellent brown bread and carrot cakes. 
• Manny's Eatery & Tapas Bar - good food and ambience. Located inside the "Shaligram Village" in Jawalakhel.
• There's a popular street in Jhamsikhel past the fire brigade which is host to numerous restaurants, popular with expatriates and locals. It's informally known as "Jhamel", a take on the more touristy Thamel, but much more chilled out.
• The Lazy Gringo, Jawalakel Chowk, Patan (near the zoo, across from the German bakery), ☏ +977 1 2210527. Tu-Su 11:00-21:00. Serves burritos, chimichangas, nachos, fried ice cream, thick shakes and sopapillas. A party of 10 or more gets free chips and salsa. Thursday nights children eat free with the purchase of one adult size entree. NPR200-300. (updated Oct 2016)

Drink

There are plenty of choices like Manny's to have a good drink in Patan. The popular Jhamsikhel and Jawalakhel areas have various good bars with good music.

Sleep

Teej festival

While most tourists stay in hotels in Kathmandu city centre when in the Valley, mainly concentrated in the tourist catchment area of Thamel and its vicinity, Patan which is 4 km from Thamel is fast becoming an area of preference for those in the know looking for more space and less chaos. Many of the expatriate communities live in the Patan area as the INGO's like the UN, DFID, GTZ are located there. The Swiss and Norwegian Embassies are also in Patan.

Budget

• 1 Cafe de Patan, Patan Durbar Square, Mahapal Mangal Bazaar, ☏ +977 1 537599, +977 1 530208, pcafe@ntc.net.np. A centrally located guesthouse in a traditional Newari house. There are great views over the temples of Durbar square, and the dining room is a very pleasant area of foliage blended with stylish Newari decor. Standard with bathroom, single: 700Rs and double: 900Rs. Deluxe with attached bathroom, single: 900Rs and double 1200Rs. 
• Newa Chěn, Kulimha, Kobahal – 9. The "Newa Chén" is a well-preserved and restored example of a traditional Newari house in the Kathmandu Valley. Located at Kulimha tole, North of Patan’s Durbar Square, it is built of brick and timber in traditional Malla style around a central courtyard. $20-30 single. 
• Sanu's House, Gwarko (Across Ring Road from the B&B hospital, then 50 m north-NE), ☏ +984 1 485045. Large 5 story house run by friendly/caring Nepali Buddhist family. 50-metre walk to bus stop/taxis. 24hr Wi-Fi. Great views from roof & upper floors. Budget singles: 375 rupees per person, per night includes breakfast. Organic veggie lunch or dinner (100 rupees). 

Mid-range

A nice facade in Patan

• 2 Cosy Nepal (Swotha square, 100 m from Patan Durbar Square), ☏ +977 9860 111 757, contact@cosynepal.com. Cosy Nepal is a smart alternative to hotel stay in charming accommodations that blends Newari architecture and modern comfort. Cosy Nepal has more than 20 accommodations for short, medium and long stays with balconies, terrace roof and offers services such as cooking class, laundry service, Nepali teacher, yoga... $30-$160. 
• 3 Traditional Homes-SWOTHA (Swotha square, 50 m away North of Patan Durbar Square, opposite to Narayan temple), ☏ +977 985 1141950, +977 1 5551184. A beautifully restored Newari House in the heart of Patan's medieval city centre. 5 spacious, comfortable rooms with attached bathroom and a beautiful attic suite. Most of the rooms have private balconies. Upstairs, there is a sunny roof terrace that offers a panoramic view of Patan’s pagoda-strewn roofscape, and beyond it a glimpse of the Himalaya. Nice staff, free Wi-Fi and delicious breakfast. $40-$100. 
• 4 Greenwich Village Hotel, Kupondole Heights Rd (close to the Summit hotel. Taxis may not know either so check before starting your journey). A quiet, comfortable NGO-type hotel. Ten minutes walk to main road. 
• 5 Himalaya Hotel, Sahid Shukra Marg (on left-hand side of main road going up the hill to Patan), ☏ +977 1-5523900, fax: +977-1-5523909. Four-star hotel with swimming pool and several other facilities. Mainly Indian and United Nations clientele. Food disappointing. $70-100.. 
• 6 Summit Hotel (to the right of the main road after crossing the Bagmati on the hill in a residential area). Nice location, good food. Garden wing has small rooms, but the other rooms are good. $20-80 single. 
• Pandays Paradise, Shanti Chowk, Jawlakhel, Lalitpur (Past the zoo on the right hand side, on Shanti Chowk Behind Hotel Shaligram.), ☏ +977 1 5538785. Good food and view of zoo. Free Wi-fi & library. Garden or rooftop dining available. Short- or long-term stays possible. 
• Hira Guest House (to the right of the main road after crossing the Bagmati on the hill in a residential area). Nice location, good food. Garden wing has small rooms, but the other rooms are good. $20-80 single. 
• Shaligram Hotel & Apartments. Past the national zoo on the right hand side before the Embassy of Switzerland. url:http://www.shaligramhotel.com/". Lovely for short or long stays. The Manny's Eatery and Tapas Bar and Nirvana Wellness Centre are outside.

Post Office

• 2 Patan Dhoka Post Office, Patandhoka Road, Lalitpur (Lalitpur Yatayaat Bus Stand 100 m away).