Art, Culture and History of Patan Durbar Square

Patan – once an independent kingdom – is the ancient town located in the southern part of Kathmandu, also known as “Lalitpur” which means “City of Beauty” and it truly is. Patan Durbar Square is one of the seven items/monuments of the World Heritage Site – Kathmandu Valley (1979).  

Filled with monuments displaying marvelous craftsmanship of stone, wood, and metals, the whole area is an open museum with several legends and stories of different kings and their devotion to art, architecture, and religious practices. 

We will visit Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries to learn more about the peaceful blend of Hinduism and Buddhism practice among the people and how it has been since ancient times.  

Some of the places we visited during this tour are:

• Patan Durbar Square (main attraction filled with numerous temples, courtyards, and museum)
• Ratnakar Mahavihar (Kumari House) 
• Hiranyavarna Mahavihar (Golden Temple)
• Kumbeshwor and Bagalamukhi Temple (5 Floor Shiva and Shakti Temple)

We plan of visiting these places of interest within 2.5 hours (average). The duration of the tour varies with every group. With enough time, we will explore many other hidden gems of Patan. Just a reminder! Patan is an open museum and has hundreds of smaller and bigger monuments and items of historical & cultural significance which cannot be explored in a mere couple of hours. We would like to stay flexible with time and request to do the same for travelers, so that you could enjoy the best of Patan.

Important information:  
All travelers need to pay a ticket fee to enter monuments and monasteries.

1. Patan Durbar Square – Rs 1000 (also includes a ticket to enter Patan Museum)
2. Golden Temple - Rs 100
3. Offerings to Goddess Kumari (as your wish)

- Meals are not provided on this tour. Travelers can bring water and snacks, or we shall take a quick tea or snack break to taste the local cuisine.
- Our meeting place would be the southern Entrance Gate of Patan Durbar Square (in front of ticket counter).