{"id":82110,"date":"2018-05-18T10:43:35","date_gmt":"2018-05-18T10:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veryhungrynomads.com\/bhaktapur-and-patan\/"},"modified":"2024-05-03T05:44:44","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T09:44:44","slug":"bhaktapur-and-patan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veryhungrynomads.com\/bhaktapur-and-patan\/","title":{"rendered":"Bhaktapur and Patan \u2013 2 Ancient Cities Not to Miss in Nepal"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Bhaktapur
We loved exploring both cities Bhaktapur and Patan. Patan museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Many visitors travelling to Nepal only base themselves in the capital city of Kathmandu, paying little attention to the surrounding cities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kathmandu has some fascinating temples and shrines, but we recommend that you take the time to explore a little further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bhaktapur and Patan are two former kingdoms that are located quite near to Kathmandu and both are distinctly different from the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nepal is one of our favourite countries to travel to. Above all, it\u2019s the kind nature of the Nepalese people that drew us back to visit again during our mission to see the whole world<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We didn\u2019t have as much time to spend in Nepal this time around, so we decided to spend 3 days in Chitwan National Park<\/a> to experience wildlife viewing and enjoy the quieter pace of life in Nepal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Returning to Kathmandu and with only a few days left in Nepal, we wanted to understand and learn more about Nepalese culture and that’s how the idea of a trip to Bhaktapur and Patan was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A friend recommended that we visit Bhaktapur and Patan, so we decided to join a small group day tour<\/a> to include the highlights of both ancient cities.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/i><\/div>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Booking.com<\/a> is an easy-to-use search engine. It offers the best selection of accommodation available all over the world. We find they offer the lowest prices and no fees. Our Tip:<\/strong> Search by price, and filter by best reviews.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

Our guided tour to Bhaktapur and Patan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We made our way to a hotel centrally located in Thamel, the tourist district of Kathmandu. Greeting a handful of other travellers and meeting Kishor, our local guide, we were on our way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only 6km from Kathmandu is the city of Patan, which is often described as the city of living art. As we approached Durbar Square (literally meaning Palace Square), we could see why. The shrines and temples were hypnotizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We entered the Patan Museum, which features some magnificent artifacts from both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Kishor explained the span of civilizations that have thrived and competed here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I noticed the detailed carving and scriptures etched into the stone and woodwork inside this temple. Such precision and tonnes of patience must have been required for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kishor explained how the royals used to reside here, back in the 16th century. He told stories and showed us the restored remains of the grand royal bathing area. This is where the king would take a bath. It was big enough for twenty people to bathe in, but I guess everything for the King was always on a grand scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We saw the rooms and courtyards where the Queen would store her royal gowns, shoes, jewels, and gifts from others.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Bhaktapur
Visiting Bhaktapur and Patan – The Golden Temple in Patan<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

After exploring Patan, we jumped back into our private van and drove about forty-five minutes to the lively city of Bhaktapur.<\/p>\n\n\n