Bhaktapur — Nepal’s Ancient City the Tourist Buses Skip

I have been to Bhaktapur three times now. Each time I come back, I understand better why this is the city that Nepali people themselves say is the most beautiful in the Kathmandu Valley.

My first visit was in 2018. I went back in January 2023 during a longer Nepal stay. Both times, Bhaktapur did something that very few places in Asia manage to do: it made me slow down without asking me to.

What Bhaktapur Is

Bhaktapur is a medieval city in the Kathmandu Valley, about 13 kilometres east of Kathmandu. It is one of three royal cities in the valley — along with Patan and Kathmandu — that were once independent kingdoms before unification in 1768. Unlike Kathmandu, which has grown into a chaotic modern capital, and Patan, which sits directly across the Bagmati River from the capital, Bhaktapur has kept something that the others have largely lost: its character as a living medieval city.

There are no cars in the historic core. The streets are narrow brick lanes between buildings that are six hundred years old. Potters still work in Pottery Square, where you can watch someone make a terracotta pot and buy it for a few hundred rupees. The woodcarving on the temple doors and window frames — the famous peacock windows, the erotic carvings meant to ward off lightning strikes — represents the peak of Newari craftsmanship from the 15th and 17th centuries.

The Squares

Bhaktapur has three main squares, each with its own atmosphere. Most tourists spend an hour in Durbar Square and leave. That is a mistake.

Durbar Square is where you enter and where you pay the entrance fee. The 55-Window Palace and the Golden Gate (Sun Dhoka) are here — extraordinary metalwork and woodcarving that took decades to complete. After the 2015 earthquake, several buildings were damaged and reconstruction is still ongoing in parts of the square.

Taumadhi Square is a fifteen-minute walk through the old city lanes. This is where the Nyatapola Temple stands — the tallest pagoda in Nepal at five stories, built in 1702 by King Bhupatindra Malla. The construction took seven months, which is remarkable when you look at the scale of it. The five terraces of the plinth are guarded by pairs of legendary figures: wrestlers, elephants, lions, griffins, and the goddesses Baghini and Singhini. The temple has survived every earthquake since its construction. Locals say it has never been damaged.

Dattatreya Square is the quietest of the three and the most authentic. Fewer tour groups make it here. The Dattatreya Temple at its centre is one of the oldest structures in the valley. The square is surrounded by former priests’ houses that are now museums of Newari art and metalwork. Sit on the temple steps in the afternoon and watch the city — old women carrying things on their backs, schoolchildren running through alleys, a dog sleeping against a carved doorway.

Why Bhaktapur Works

Most ancient cities in Asia have a tension between preservation and development that they resolve badly — usually in favour of letting the ancient parts decay while modern concrete grows around them. Bhaktapur has done something different. The municipality has been collecting a heritage conservation fee from foreign visitors since the 1990s and has used the revenue to maintain the historic fabric of the city.

The result is a city where people still live inside the monuments. The buildings in Durbar Square and Taumadhi are not empty museums — they are homes and shops and workshops. You hear babies crying through windows that have latticed wood screens carved five centuries ago. You smell incense from a small temple on a corner that the guidebooks do not mention. The city is alive in a way that Angkor Wat, however magnificent, is not.

The Earthquake

On April 25, 2015, the Gorkha earthquake killed more than 9,000 people across Nepal. In Bhaktapur, several temple towers collapsed and significant sections of the squares were damaged. I was not here in 2015, but I spoke with a local guide who described watching the Vatsala Durga Temple — one of the finest stone temples in the square — collapse in less than a minute.

The reconstruction has been slow but it has been careful. The Nyatapola survived intact. The 55-Window Palace survived. Many smaller structures have been rebuilt using original materials and techniques wherever possible. When I visited in January 2023, there was still scaffolding on some buildings but the squares were fully functional and the city had recovered its atmosphere.

Practical Information

Getting there: From Kathmandu, take a local bus or microbus from Ratna Park bus station or from Kalanki. The journey takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis are faster and cost around 600 to 800 rupees ($4.50 to $6 USD). From Patan it is a similar distance but you need to go back through central Kathmandu.

Entrance fee: Foreign visitors pay 1,500 Nepali rupees (approximately $11 USD) as a conservation fee. Your ticket is valid for the day. The fee is collected at the main entrance of the Durbar Square area.

When to visit: Early morning before 8 AM is the best time — before tour groups arrive. The light on the brick buildings in the early morning is remarkable. Late afternoon before sunset is the second best option. Midday in peak season (October to December) can be crowded.

How long to spend: A minimum of half a day. A full day is better if you want to explore all three squares, walk the back lanes, and spend time in Pottery Square. The city changes mood completely by mid-afternoon when local life resumes after the lunch hour.

Food: The local dish is juju dhau — “king yoghurt” — made from buffalo milk in traditional clay pots. It is thick, slightly sweet, and unlike any yoghurt I have had anywhere else. Try it at one of the small shops near Taumadhi Square. Cost: 80 to 120 rupees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bhaktapur worth a day trip from Kathmandu?
Yes, absolutely. It is one of the most rewarding day trips from the capital. I would argue it is more atmospheric than central Kathmandu for most visitors.

Is Bhaktapur safe?
Very safe. The historic area is pedestrian-only and the city is used to foreign visitors. Keep basic awareness of your belongings in the main squares.

Can I stay overnight in Bhaktapur?
Yes, and I recommend it if you have time. Staying overnight means you see the squares in the early morning before day trippers from Kathmandu arrive. There are good guesthouses inside the historic area.

Is Bhaktapur still being rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake?
Partially, as of 2023. The main visitor areas are fully functional. Some temple reconstruction is still ongoing. The city feels complete rather than a construction site.