Durbar Square
The old royal square, its carved wooden temples and the house of the living goddess.
Duration
2 hrs – 3 hrs
Best time
Early morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
Durbar Square was the palace square, and the Kathmandu valley has three — Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, each the capital of a rival Newar kingdom. The competition between the three explains the density of temples.
The 2015 earthquake destroyed or damaged much of it; reconstruction is ongoing and some temples are still only plinths. The Kumari Ghar houses the living goddess, a Newar girl chosen by strict criteria, who appears briefly at a window in the courtyard.
Getting there
In the middle of Kathmandu's old town, ten minutes on foot from Thamel. Tickets are sold at the entrances to the square.
What the price covers
paid zone entry for foreigners, rate to be confirmed
Rules on site
Photographing the Kumari is strictly forbidden and penalised. The ticket is valid for several days if you have it stamped at the visitor office, which the desk does not mention.