Kathmandu Durbar Square Ultimate Travel Guide

Kathmandu Durbar Square Ultimate Travel Guide

Kathmandu Durbar Square, also known as “Basantapur Durbar Square”, “Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square”, or “Durbar Square”, is a major tourist destination in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal and is located within walking distance of Thamel. The Kathmandu Durbar Square housed the palaces of the city’s rulers, the Malla and Shah monarchs.

Kathmandu Durbar Square

How to Get in Kathmandu Durbar Square?

By Walk: If you are staying in the Thamel area, Kathmandu durbar square is only about 15-20 minutes of walking distance from Thamel. Expect some crowded and narrow walkways.

By Taxi: If you are staying far from the Thamel area, book a taxi and tell drivers to take off at the new road gate, and walk to the Durbar Square area which is less than 1KM west from the new road.

Entrance Fee for the Kathmandu Durbar Square

There is an entrance fee to explore the Kathmandu Durbar Square area, You will see a ticket counter near kumari ghar in the Durbar Square area. The ticket counter is available at all major entrance points into durbar square. The entrance fee is 150NPR for SAARC nationals and 1000NPR for other nationals. The ticket is valid for one day only, You can convert this ticket to a long-stay ticket if you frequently pass through the durbar square area.

List of must-see sites in the Kathmandu Durbar Square area

Basantapur Square:

Basantapur Market Area Basantapur square is occupied by a big open market. There is a great collection of antiques, jewelry, and handicraft items there.

The Kumari Ghar:

It is one of Kathmandu's most famous buildings and is most likely the major reason tourists visit Durbar Square.

The Kumari Ghar is the residence of the Living Goddess Kumari and is believed the incarnation of Goddess Taleju.

Trailokya Mohan Temple:

Trailokya Mohan Temple was built in 1680 and dedicated to Vishnu/Narayan. Trailokya Mohan Temple is best accessed from the other side of Kumari Ghar.

Garuda:

This Garuda statue stands in front of the Trailokya Mohan Temple's western entrance. The garuda figure is significant because it depicts the culture and traditions of the Lichchhavi era.

Gaddi Baithak:

Gaddi Baithak is a white neoclassical edifice designed by Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher in 1908.

Kasthamandap:

Kasthamandap is a public wood pavilion and pilgrim shelter with a shrine of Gorakshanath inside. It was built with the wood of a single sal tree around the 12th century. The city of Kathmandu is named after this building.

Kaal Bhairav:

The large sculpture of Kaal Bhairav, the fierce form of Lord Shiva, was sculpted during the 5th or 6th century and later rediscovered in the 17th century.

Jagannath Temple:

One of the oldest structures in Durbar Square with strange, erotic carvings situated on the roof struts with 3 doors that appear to give you access to the temple with only one that opens.

Taleju Temple:

Taleju TempleThe most impressive temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square is Taleju Temple. Taleju is 35 meters tall and has 12 smaller temples surrounded by four gates.

Hanuman Dhoka:

The "Hanuman Dhoka," or Hanuman Gate, stands on the west side of Durbar Square. It is the palace's main entrance, guarded by a standing statue of Lord Hanuman, and has even given the palace its name.

Hanuman Dhoka Palace Museum:

Kathmandu's royal palace, known as the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar, was originally founded during the Licchavi period (4th to 8th centuries AD), but the palace complex was expanded considerably by King Pratap Malla in the 17th century.

Hanuman Dhoka Gate

The entrance gate (dhoka) is made out of gold gilded copper sheets which were commissioned by Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa to replace the short wooden gate, which you can see to your left once you enter the golden gate.

Kathmandu Durbar Square is one of three Durbar Squares (Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square) in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. Since 1979, Kathmandu Durbar Square has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.