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Patan Travel Guide

Patan Travel Guide - Attractions, Hotels, Transfer, Maps

Patan, officially named Lalitpur (City of Beauty) or by its Newari name - Yala, is the sister city of the capital Kathmandu. In the ancient time, it used to be an independent kingdom in the Kathmandu Valley. Nowadays, it becomes the third largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu and Pokhara. Because Patan is only separated with Kathmandu by the Bagmati River, many people regard it as the suburb of Kathmandu.

Patan – the City of Art

As a historical city, Patan offers tourists an amazing cultural experience with its rich cultural heritages as well as the numerous traditional arts and crafts. There are over 1,200 Buddhist monuments of different shapes and sizes scattered in and around the city. The best highlight is the grandiose Patan Durbar Square which is full of ornate monasteries, temples, statues, places, carvings, etc. Almost every traveler who goes to Kathmandu also spends some time visiting Patan’s Durbar Square. Patan’s role of trade center and fancy handicrafts at a fair price also attract many tourists. One day is enough to explore all the highlights of Patan. Apart from the Durbar Square, you can't miss Golden Temple which wears an impressive silver-and-golden coat and the Patan Museum which is the best museum in Nepal etc.

Patan Travel Map

Patan Location Map

Top Patan Attractions

Patan is famous as an ancient city offering numerous old squares, temples, statues and other architectures, including Durbar Square, Golden Temple, Krisnhna Mandir Temple, Hari Shankar Temple, Bhimsen Temple etc.

Patan Durbar Square

Type: Landmarks/ Points of Interest

Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hrs

Patan Durbar Square, is the main tourist attraction. The square is full of ancient palaces, temples, and shrines noted for their exquisite carvings. One can rummage for treasures in the various shops around the square. The main attractions of the Patan Durbar Square are the ancient Royal palace itself. It has three main chowks: the central Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Main Keshab Narayan Chowk.

Golden Temple

Type: Architecture / Religious Site

Recommended Length of Visit: 40 minutes

Golden Temple, also named Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, is a Buddhist monastery which is located in the north of Durbar Square. Legend says it was built in 12th century, but its history can be only dated back to AD 1409. Stepping through a plain which is guarded by two gaudy lions, you can't imagine there is such an ornate and luxury temple inside. The temple is a typical courtyard style building. Its frontage is mostly decorated by gilded metal plates.

Patan Museum

Type: Museum & Library

Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 hrs

Patan Museum is located in the northernmost of Durbar Square. It used to be a part of Royal Palace, later rebuilt to an individual museum with the joint efforts of His Majesty's Government of Nepal and the Austrian Government. Most appearance was kept as original, and some new building were built. Interiors were equipped with modern display stage and other advanced facilities. The museum is renowned as the best museum in the South Asian Subcontinent.

Krisnhna Mandir Temple

Type: Sacred & Religious Sites

Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hr

Located in the heart of Patan Durbar Square, Krisnhna Mandir Temple gives a unique introduction. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Krishna and built in 1637. Different from other Nepali temples with post and panel structure in the square, it is made only from stone, which truly is a masterpiece of art. The structure is octagonal and is surmounted by a splendid dome with a golden finial. Multiple porches are on Krisnhna Mandir Temple.

How to Get to Patan

Bhaktapur

Patan is located in the south part of Kathmandu Valley, only about 6 km to the down town area of Kathmandu. With such a short distance between Patan and Kathmandu, Patan can be reached easily from Kathmandu. Check the following transportation means and choose the best one for you:

By Riding: Some tourists are interested in cycling in and around Kathmandu, and they will choose to ride a bike to Patan. Though the distance is short, but you will get tired because there is a long slope from Kathmandu to Patan.

By Bus: There are daily buses running between Kathmandu and Patan Durbar Square. It takes only half an hour to reach Patan, but be ready for the crowd bus.

By Taxi or Driving: If you want a more comfortable journey, taking a taxi or renting a car. The driving from Kathmandu to Patan takes within 30 minutes. Travelling with Himalayas Discovery, you are assured to use the highest quality vehicles available and get to the destination as swiftly and smoothly as possible.

Best Time to Visit Patan

Patan

Patan enjoys a Humid Subtropical climate all the year around. With the warm current from Indian Ocean and cold wind from north, the climate of Patan is rather pleasant. The average temperature of Patan is about 20℃, and sunshine are always abundant. Just like Kathmandu, it has a rainy summer (May ~ September) and short winter (November ~ January).

Most of Patan’s top attractions centered in Durbar Square, plus the feasible climate in Patan, so you can visit them in every season. If you want to extend your tour to Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini or plan a trekking tour in Nepal, The best time lasts from October to April of the next year usually

Where to Accommodate in Patan

Patan

Because of the short distance between Kathmandu Patan, many travelers will get back to Kathmandu for accommodation. Hotels in Kathmandu vary from Luxury ones to economy ones. However, some charming traditional accommodation in Patan will give you a memorable experience as well. In the nighttime, the crowds of travelers will return to Kathmandu, leaving Patan peaceful again. You can discover the myriad squares and courtyards at your leisure time. There are two hotels chosen by most travelers:

Hotel Himalaya – Hotel Himalaya is a 4-star hotel offering a wonderful sight of Himalayan Peaks. The rooms are well-maintained with enclosed balcony, coffee maker, minibar and other essential items for a good stay. The restaurant serves excellent food

Shaligram Hotel – This hotel is a very nice one with spacious rooms and great service. The housekeeping staff are fantastically friendly and always cheerful, Reception staff are charming and always accommodating.

Useful Nepal Travel Notes

1. How to Plan Nepal Travel
Usually, tourists take about 4~15 days to have a classic Nepal tour. Most of them start their Nepal tour from the capital city – Kathmandu. Four days are recommended to explore the highlights of Kathmandu Valley. Then, you can extend your tour to a deep nature or culture exploration. One more day allows you to have a great view of Mount Everest in Nagarkot. With 2~3 more days, you can turn to Pokhara for the picturesque natural landscape or Chitwan National park for the great wildlife adventure – both of them are recommended. If you are interested in Buddhist culture, Lumbini – the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, can’t be missed. You are suggested to spend 9 days to have a full Buddhist tour from Kathmandu Valley to Dhulikhel, Lumbin, Bharktapur, and Pharping. If you want to stretch your legs, a 9 days Poon Hill Trekking will be amazing. In fact, many tourists choose to have a tour combining Nepal and Tibet. After you Nepal Tour, you can get to Tibet through Gyirong Airport which was newly open to foreign travelers in 2017. After that, you can drive to Mount Everest, Mount Kailash or Lhasa. It is also available to take a nonstop flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu.
2. What to Pack
For foreign travelers to Nepal, documents – valid passport and Nepal Visa are the most important to pack. Then, you are suggested to take a large backpack for big luggage and a smaller bag for valuables. Traveling in Nepal during summer times, rain gears are necessary while warm clothing is must when you travel in winter. If you plan a trekking tour in Nepal, take both light and warm clothing in casual styles because you will experience a wide range of climates. Good windproof and waterproof jacket, walking boots with ankle support are must.
3. How to Get to Nepal
At present, Nepal can be reached by flights and overland driving. Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport is the only international airport in Nepal, connected with many cities, like Bangkok, Colombo, Calcutta, Delhi, Dhaka, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Karachi, Lhasa, London Osaka, Paris, Moscow, Paro, Singapore and Varanasi. If you feel to find available flights from your country to Nepal, it will be a good idea to travel China first. After your China mainland tours, you can easily get to Tibet by flight or driving, then have an unforgettable overland driving experience to Nepal across Gyirong Airport.
4. What to Eat in Nepal
Heavily influenced by Indian and Tibet dishes, Nepal food is quick to cook and tasty to eat. The most popular Nepal food is a dish called “Daal, Bhaat and Tarkaari” (lentils, rice, vegetable curry respectively). This is the main course served in the most Nepalese houses regardless of the economic conditions, that too in both lunch and as well as dinner. Kathmandu is a melting pot of international cuisine. Besides Nepal food, Nepal restaurants here serve varieties of hygienic delicacies from Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese, Italian, Australian, Russian, Korean, and Mexican etc to Continental at remarkably reasonable price.

Most Recommended Patan Tour Packages

Following are some other recommended Patan tour packages that you may be interested in. All of our Nepal tour packages are customizable to meet your personal requirements. You can also contact us to customize a trip if you want.