Things to do in Patan
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Patan
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best window and peak season, clearest Himalayan views after monsoon, with Dashain and Tihar lighting the old core.
Winter, cold mornings in unheated heritage rooms, often the sharpest views but also the worst valley air quality of the year.
Second season, warming weather, rhododendron on Phulchowki, and the Rato Machhindranath chariot festival from late April into May.
Monsoon, lush and quiet with Gunla dawn processions, but flooded lanes, slippery paths, leeches and views hidden for days.
What's on
- Rato Machhindranath Jatra Late April to May start, runs several weeks, dates vary by lunar calendar
Nepal's longest chariot festival, pulled through Patan from Pulchowk and ending with the Bhoto Jatra at Jawalakhel.
- Dashain September to October, dates vary by lunar calendar
Nepal's greatest festival, a family season when the city partly empties and some small restaurants close.
- Tihar October to November, dates vary by lunar calendar
The festival of lights, when old core houses carry rows of oil lamps and marigolds for the prettiest evenings of the year.
- Yomari Punhi December full moon, date varies
The Newari full moon festival for yomari dumplings, the time to eat them in the city where the dish belongs.
Best things to do in Patan
Patan Durbar Square
The UNESCO listed royal square of the Malla kings, the densest cluster of temples, palaces and courtyards in Nepal.
Patan Museum
Nepal's finest museum, sacred Hindu and Buddhist art in the old palace, and the key to reading the square outside.
Hiranya Varna Mahavihar
A gilded Buddhist monastery a short walk north of the square, still a working place of worship with a rich courtyard.
Mahabouddha Temple
A shikhara temple built from terracotta tiles, each one carved with an image of the Buddha, in a quiet courtyard.
Rudra Varna Mahavihar
The monastery courtyard at Oku Bahal, ringed by metalwork and shrines, at the heart of Patan's artisan quarter.
Kumbheshwor Temple
A five storey pagoda temple in the north of the old city, a working shrine away from the Durbar Square crowds.
Mahaguthi Craft with Conscience
The fair trade craft shop at Kupondole, the reliable place to buy Patan metalwork, textiles and paper at fixed prices.
Where to stay in Patan
Patan Durbar Square and Mangal Bazaar
first visit, heritage houses and dawn atmosphere
The UNESCO core itself, with The Inn Patan and Third World Guest House on or beside the square and every sight a short walk away.
Kupondole and Pulchowk
full service comfort and easy road access
The northern edge of Lalitpur by the river crossing, home to Hotel Himalaya, The Village Cafe and the fastest taxis to Kathmandu and the airport.
Jawalakhel and Jhamsikhel
longer stays, families and dining choice
Southern Lalitpur around the zoo and the Jhamsikhel restaurant lanes, practical and residential, home to Hotel Shaligram.
Think twice about
- Thamel as a base for a Patan trip
Kathmandu's bar and agency district is the wrong side of the river and 25 to 30 minutes of traffic away. Sleep in Patan and visit Thamel, not the reverse.
- Lagankhel bus station perimeter
A chaotic, crowded transport hub that is useful for buses and nothing else. Pass through it, do not linger there at night and do not sleep right on it.
Best restaurants in Patan
Raithaane
A small Saugal restaurant devoted to rural Nepali ethnic dishes you will not find on standard menus.
Dhokaima Cafe
A garden cafe by Patan Dhoka in an old Rana era building, Nepali and international plates in Patan's calmest courtyard.
Cafe Swotha
A cafe in a restored traditional house on Swotha Square, a few lanes from Durbar Square and far quieter than it.
El Mediterraneo
The Mediterranean table of Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur's expat dining strip, for the night you want a break from Nepali food.
Cafe de Patan
The rooftop table facing Durbar Square, average food forgiven for the direct view over the temples at sunset.
Nandini Food Court
A busy local food court by Pimbahal Pond where bara and chatamari are cooked to order, the cheap Newari lunch in Patan.
The Village Cafe
A Sabah Nepal social enterprise cafe at Pulchowk serving Newari plates made by women trainees, with a craft shop attached.
Outdoor things to do in Patan
National Botanical Garden
Lawns, fern and rock gardens and greenhouses at the foot of Phulchowki, the valley's easiest green half day out.
Central Zoo
Nepal's only zoo, in Jawalakhel inside Lalitpur, with a pond and native wildlife, and the easiest family outing in Patan.
Phulchowki
At 2,782 m the highest hill around the valley, a road or trail climb from Godawari for forest, birds and clear day views.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
The third royal city as a day trip from Patan, a whole old town of pagodas, pottery and the valley's highest entry fee.
Nagarkot View Tower
The sunrise viewpoint east of the valley, reached by an early drive from Patan for a Himalayan panorama on clear mornings.
Buddha Air
The early morning Everest scenic flight from the valley airport, the one genuine splurge excursion from a Patan base.
Best hotels in Patan
Hotel Himalaya
Lalitpur's first five star hotel, gardens, pool and full service rooms at Kupondole, a short taxi ride from the old core.
The Inn Patan
A restored heritage house turned boutique hotel steps from Durbar Square, the most atmospheric mid range sleep in Patan.
Hotel Shaligram
A practical apartment style hotel in Jawalakhel near the zoo and Jhamsikhel dining, suited to longer and family stays.
Third World Guest House
A simple long running guesthouse on the west side of Durbar Square, the budget way to sleep inside the heritage core.
Is Patan expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NPR 4,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NPR 9,000 a person |
| Splurge | NPR 18,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Nagarkot View Tower: a few days ahead
- Buddha Air: weeks ahead
- Hotel Himalaya: weeks ahead
- The Inn Patan: a few days ahead
- Raithaane: a few days ahead
- El Mediterraneo: a few days ahead
- Book The Inn Patan and Hotel Himalaya ahead in October, November, March and April and around Dashain and Tihar.
- Book the Everest mountain flight days ahead in peak season and confirm Rato Machhindranath procession dates locally.
Is Patan safe?
- Avoid demonstrations and large crowds, check local media, and follow local authorities during protests and strikes.
- Watch your footing on uneven stone lanes and open drains in the old core, and use taxis rather than main roads on foot after dark.
Patan travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Day tripping Patan in two midday hours and missing its dawn and dusk entirely.
- Assuming a valley heritage pass exists, when every monument zone charges separately at its own counter.
- Expecting Kathmandu's SAARC rate at Patan, where SAARC visitors pay NPR 250, not NPR 500.
- Taking leather bags, belts or shoes into the Golden Temple, where leather is not permitted.
Getting around Patan: public transport and more
- Walk the old core. Every sight in Things to Do is within a 15 minute walk of Durbar Square.
- Use taxis or Pathao and inDrive for Thamel, the airport and Bhaktapur, and allow for peak hour traffic doubling journey times.
- Local buses from Lagankhel cross the valley for very little money but are crowded, slow and signed in Nepali.
Who Patan suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Patan your trip
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