Bhaktapur Durbar Square
A curated heritage walk through Bhaktapur's UNESCO World Heritage Site — the grandest of Nepal's three royal palace squares, filled with Newari temples, medieval courtyards, and centuries of Malla dynasty artistry.
Trip Stops
- 1
Start your journey at the main entry plaza of this UNESCO World Heritage Site — the largest and grandest of Nepal's three Durbar Squares. Originally home to 99 courtyards, only 6 survive today after the devastating 1934 and 2015 earthquakes. Fun fact: the square was used as a filming location for the 1993 Hollywood film 'Little Buddha' starring Keanu Reeves.
📍 Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, Nepal
- 2
One of the most iconic structures of Bhaktapur, this three-storey royal palace features 55 exquisitely carved wooden windows stretching along its upper level. Originally built in the 15th century and remodelled by King Bhupatindra Malla, it took over a century to complete. Fun fact: a popular legend says the king built one window for each of his 55 wives — though historians have debunked this charming myth.
📍 Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, Nepal
- 3
Considered the finest piece of metalwork in all of Nepal, this gilded copper gateway was built between 1751 and 1754 during King Ranjit Malla's reign. English art critic Percy Brown called it 'the most lovely piece of art in the whole kingdom.' Fun fact: King Ranjit Malla lamented that no future king would ever surpass its beauty — a sad prophecy that came true when Bhaktapur fell to Gorkha conquest just 15 years after its completion.
📍 Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, Nepal
- 4
A stunning stone temple in Shikhara style dedicated to Goddess Vatsala Devi, standing in front of the 55-Window Palace. Beside it hangs the Taleju Bell — also called the 'Bell of Barking Dogs' — erected by King Ranjit Malla in 1737. Fun fact: when the bell was rung historically, it announced the beginning and end of a daily city curfew, and its deep toll was said to cause dogs across the city to howl in response.
📍 Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, Nepal
- 5
A short walk east of Durbar Square leads to Taumadhi — Bhaktapur's festive heart. The towering Nyatapola Temple (built 1702 AD) is Nepal's tallest pagoda at 33 metres, rising five storeys with pairs of guardian statues on each plinth, each said to be 10 times stronger than the one below. Fun fact: the entire temple was built in just 214 days using over 1.1 million bricks — and its earthquake-resistant design helped it survive both the 1934 and 2015 earthquakes with only minor damage.
📍 Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, Nepal
- 6
Standing adjacent to Nyatapola in Taumadhi Square, this three-storey pagoda is dedicated to Bhairav — the fearsome, terror-inspiring form of Shiva. The inner sanctum contains only the head of the deity. Fun fact: according to local legend, a Tantric master severed Bhairav's head specifically to keep the powerful god anchored in Bhaktapur forever, preventing him from wandering elsewhere.
📍 Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, Nepal
- 7
Just a two-minute walk south of Durbar Square, this open brick courtyard is where local Newar potters have shaped clay using foot-powered wheels for centuries. Rows of freshly made pots are set out in the sun to dry. Fun fact: Bhaktapur's pottery tradition dates back to the Lichhavi era (4th–8th century AD), making these craftspeople inheritors of one of the oldest continuously practiced crafts in the Kathmandu Valley.
📍 Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, Nepal
- 8
A quieter, less-crowded square at the eastern edge of the city, centred on the ancient Dattatreya Temple (built 1427 AD) — the only temple in Nepal dedicated to Dattatreya, a deity embodying the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Nearby is the Peacock Window, nicknamed the 'Mona Lisa of Nepal' — a 15th-century carved wooden masterpiece set high in a wall. Fun fact: the Dattatreya Temple is said to have been built from the timber of a single tree, and the erotic carvings on its base are thought to ward off lightning by distracting the goddess of lightning.
📍 Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, Nepal
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