The Best Things to Do in Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur is best explored slowly on foot, square by square. The car-free old town packs its highlights into a compact, walkable core — temple-lined plazas, a working pottery quarter and the valley's most photographed temple all within a few minutes of each other.

The short answer

Start at Bhaktapur Durbar Square for the palace and temples, walk to the towering Nyatapola Temple on Taumadhi Square, then watch potters shape clay at Pottery Square. Finish with a bowl of juju dhau, the local 'king curd'.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

The main square is the old royal heart of the city and one of the monument zones in the Kathmandu Valley's UNESCO World Heritage listing. Give yourself time here rather than rushing through: the 55-Window Palace, the gilded Golden Gate and a scatter of stone and pagoda temples all sit around the one plaza. Woodcarving and stone sculpture are everywhere, so look up at the struts and lintels, not just the big set-pieces. Foreign visitors pay an entrance fee to enter the heritage zone — keep your ticket, as you may be asked to show it at the gates.

Taumadhi Square and the Nyatapola Temple

A couple of minutes' walk south brings you to Taumadhi Square and the Nyatapola Temple, the five-storey pagoda that dominates the skyline. Climb the stepped plinth — flanked by pairs of stone guardians — for a raised view over the tiled rooftops. The broad Bhairavnath Temple faces it across the same square, and the cafés around the edge make this a natural spot to pause.

Pottery Square

Head to Pottery Square to watch the city's potters at work, spinning clay on their wheels and setting out rows of finished pots to dry in the sun. This is a working quarter rather than a museum, so you see the whole process up close, and small pieces are usually sold on the spot if you want a souvenir you can trace back to where it was made.

Dattatreya Square and the Peacock Window

The quieter eastern end of town centres on Dattatreya Square, home to the Dattatreya Temple and the finely carved Peacock Window, one of Nepal's most celebrated pieces of woodwork. The lanes here are less crowded than the main squares and reward slow wandering.

Try juju dhau

No visit is really complete without juju dhau, the thick, sweet 'king curd' set in shallow clay bowls and sold across the old town. Local shops and simple eateries serve it as a snack or a dessert, and the porous clay pot helps keep it cool.

Planning your visit

Tap any experience below for full details and tips. Most people arrive by taxi or local bus from Kathmandu, a short drive east — see how to get to Bhaktapur for the options. Half a day covers the three main squares, but staying overnight lets you enjoy the old town once the day-trippers have gone: browse the best hotels in Bhaktapur, or base yourself in the capital with the best hotels in Kathmandu. If your trip lines up with mid-April, the Bisket Jatra chariot festival is one of the valley's liveliest celebrations.