Patan Durbar Square
पाटन दरबार क्षेत्र
The old royal palace square of Patan (Lalitpur), with the stone Krishna Temple, golden temples, and one of Nepal's finest religious art museums. It is a city known for Newari craftsmanship.
Patan (Lalitpur) lies across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu, about 20 minutes by taxi. It is the most celebrated for craftsmanship among the three Malla royal cities of the valley. One side of Durbar Square is the old royal palace, and the other is crowded with temples: the stone Krishna Temple from 1637, built in the shikhara style with stone carvings depicting the Mahabharata, the Taleju Temple, the Bhimsen Temple, and a bell tower with a large hanging bronze bell. The Patan Museum inside the royal palace is considered one of the best religious art museums in South Asia. Its displays of gilded bronze Buddha statues and architectural woodcarvings, along with its explanations, are excellent, and it has a courtyard café. Five minutes' walk north of the square is the gilded Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar), and the alleys around it are a hub for bronze and Buddha-statue workshops. Entrance to the square costs about 1,000 rupees (confirm whether it includes the museum). Passport registration allows you to extend your visa validity. Plan for half a day. The square is most atmospheric in the evening under the lights. Most buildings were restored after the 2015 earthquake.
Opening hours
Square open all day; Patan Museum about 10:30–17:30
Nearby sights
- Dharahara
- Chobhar Gorge & Adinath Lokeshwar
- Kumari Ghar
- Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Asan Tole & Indra Chowk
- Everest Mountain Flight
- Garden of Dreams
- Narayanhiti Palace Museum