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Voykit pocket guide · Nepal
Patan
ललितपुर
Base in Kathmandu and give Patan one full day: Durbar Square, the museum and the Golden Temple on foot, then back before dark.
Patan (also Lalitpur) sits just across the Bagmati from Kathmandu, about 4 km from Thamel. Its Durbar Square holds the densest run of Newar temples in the valley, and the Patan Museum inside the old palace is the best-presented museum in Nepal. Most visitors come as a day trip; a night here buys quieter mornings and craft workshops before the tour groups arrive.
- Country
- Nepal
- Local name
- ललितपुर
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Mar–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (monsoon), late Dec–Jan (cold mornings)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NPR
- Money
- NPR in small notes (100s and 500s) for taxis, tea shops and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rs 2,500–4,500 excl. bed · Mid Rs 4,500–9,000 excl. bed · High Rs 9,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Nepal Telecom (NTC) and Ncell sell tourist SIMs at Kathmandu airport and in town with passport and a photo.
- Emergency
- Police 100 · Ambulance 102 · Tourist police 1144
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round-pin sockets; a universal adapter covers them. Treks charge for device charging.
- Tipping
- Trekking guide: About 10–15% of the guide's total fee, at the end.; Porter: US$5–10 a day, at the end, in person.; Restaurant: Round up if 10% service is added; 5–10% if not.; Driver day: Rs 500–1,000.; Hotel staff: Rs 100–200.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Use filtered refill stations (Rs 50–100 a litre) or purification tablets; buying plastic bottles on treks leaves rubbish in the mountains.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels; squat toilets with a water jug elsewhere. Carry tissue; on treks toilets are outside and freeze in winter.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Milk tea or coffee | Rs 60–200 |
| Newari plate (bara, choila, samay baji) | Rs 250–500 |
| Restaurant main in Jhamsikhel | Rs 400–900 |
| Taxi across Patan | Rs 300–600 |
| Durbar Square entry ticket | Rs 1,000 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | Rs 1,000–2,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KTM · Tribhuvan International
- About 8 km; taxi to Patan 30–50 min depending on traffic (check)About 5 mi; taxi to Patan 30–50 min depending on traffic (check)
Typical fares
- Taxi Thamel → Patan Durbar Square
- Rs 400–700, 20–40 min (check)
- Microbus Ratnapark → Patan
- about Rs 15–20 (check)
- Durbar Square entry ticket
- Rs 1,000, includes the Patan Museum (check)
Get around
The old town is a walking grid: Durbar Square to the Golden Temple is about 10 minutes, to Mahaboudha 10–15 minutes. Taxis and tuk-tuks cover the wider city; agree the fare before you get in. Microbuses from Ratnapark in Kathmandu and Ring Road buses are the cheap option.
See and do
Known for
- Patan Durbar Square
- Patan Museum
- Krishna Mandir
- Newar metalwork and craft workshops
- Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu (Thamel, Durbar Square) | Taxi over the Bagmati, or microbuses from Ratnapark in the other direction | 20–40 min by taxi |
| Bhaktapur | Taxi, or bus via Ring Road and change | 45–75 min |
| Kirtipur | Taxi or local bus south-west | 30–45 min |
| Nagarkot | Taxi, or bus with a change | 1.5–2 h |
| Pharping | Taxi south-west | 45–60 min |
| Chobhar | Taxi south-west | 30–45 min |
Sleep
- Durbar Square and Mangal Bazaar
- Walk to every sight; guesthouses in old Newar houses, some with temple views.
- Jhamsikhel and Jawalakhel
- Restaurant strip used by residents and aid workers; 20–30 min walk or a short taxi to the square.
- Pulchowk
- On the main road from Kathmandu; handy for buses, less atmospheric at night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Greetings | नमस्तेnamaste |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyabad |
| How much is it? | कति पर्छ?kati parcha |
| Please take me to Durbar Square | दरबार स्क्वायर लानुहोस्durbar square lanuhos |
| Where is the toilet? | शौचालय कहाँ छ?shauchalaya kaha chha |
| No, thank you | पर्दैन, धन्यवादpardaina, dhanyabad |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste with palms together; a handshake between men in business; avoid: Hugging or kissing in public
- Temples and stupas: Walk clockwise, spin prayer wheels clockwise, shoes off at shrines; avoid: Touching offerings; entering Hindu-only areas
- Food: Right hand, accept refills gracefully; avoid: Sharing food you have bitten; stepping over food
- Feet and heads: Keep feet flat and away from people and altars; avoid: Touching anyone's head
- Photos: Ask first; offer to show the picture; avoid: Photographing cremations or rituals without permission
- On the trail: Pass mani walls and chortens on the left (keeping them on your right); give way to yaks on the mountain side; avoid: Standing on the drop side when animals pass
Scams and watch-outs
- Durbar Square has a single entry ticket for tourists; keep it visible or staff will ask again.
- Some temples and courtyards close to non-Hindus or charge separately — read the sign at the gate.
- Sidewalk gaps, open drains and motorbikes on narrow lanes: watch your step.
- Air quality in the valley is poor in winter; a mask helps on bad days.
Patan is a low-crime city and safe to walk in daylight. The real risks are traffic and uneven ground, plus winter air quality; keep to lit streets after dark and agree taxi fares first.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Patan yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Patan Durbar Square
- Patan Museum
- Krishna Mandir
- Newar metalwork and craft workshops
- Golden Temple (Hiranya Varna Mahavihar)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Patan, revision 5329606 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5329606
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Patanललितपुर
यो ठेगानामा लानुहोस्
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Kathmandu; check your country's listing for the current address.
Entry tickets and fares change; confirm at the booth.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/patan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.