Bhaktapur Durbar Square Plaza

Address: Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province, Nepal

Hours: Daily 9am-5pm

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is the historic royal plaza of Bhaktapur city in the Kathmandu Valley, featuring a high concentration of late medieval Newar temples, palaces, and public monuments. The square is a core part of Bhaktapur’s old city and a principal example of Newar architecture and urban design.

The square’s most prominent monuments include a tall five-storey pagoda temple and the ornate palace structures with richly carved wood and brick facades; visitors commonly explore the temples, palace courtyards, and the adjacent Pottery Square. The site offers close-up views of traditional Newar craftsmanship in woodcarving, metalwork, and brick masonry.

Most of the principal buildings were constructed during the Malla period between the 14th and 18th centuries and were developed as the royal and ritual heart of Bhaktapur. The square and many structures were damaged in earthquakes and have undergone phased restoration and conservation, using traditional materials and techniques.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square sits in the centre of Bhaktapur city, about 13 to 15 kilometres east of central Kathmandu in Bagmati Province. The square is embedded within a compact medieval street grid and is easily reached from Bhaktapur’s residential quarters and main access roads.

• Best time to visit: Early morning light emphasizes carved timber and brickwork, and weekdays are noticeably less crowded than weekends and festival days.

What to See#

• Nyatapola Temple: A five-storey pagoda built in the early 18th century, notable for its height and elaborate timber carving and regarded as one of the tallest pagoda temples in Nepal.
• 55-Window Palace: A royal palace facade with a famous set of ornate windows and timber work dating to the Malla period, forming part of the old royal complex at the square’s centre.
• Pottery Square: A small cluster of workshops and a public area where traditional pottery and ceramic handicrafts are produced and sold close to the main square.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is in the centre of Bhaktapur city, east of Kathmandu. Regular local buses and microbuses run from central Kathmandu to Bhaktapur (roughly 30-45 minutes depending on traffic, about 13 km), and taxis are widely available. The square is in the town centre and is reached on foot within a few minutes from the Bhaktapur bus/taxi drop‑off points.

• Get to Bhaktapur Durbar Square early in the morning to see artisans at work and avoid the mid-day tour groups; early light also produces much better photos of the Nyatapola and 55‑Window Palaces.
• For a broader experience, climb to a nearby rooftop café for an elevated view of Nyatapola Temple and the square - rooftop vantage points give photographic perspectives that the ground-level crowds miss.
• Walk beyond the main square to Pottery Square and the surrounding lanes to watch traditional craftsmen and see living-culture sites that many visitors bypass.