Attraction

1. Kathmandu Durbar Square

Royal palace square and templesBasantapur

The old royal heart of Kathmandu, where the Hanuman Dhoka palace, the Kumari's residence and Malla-era temples surround a UNESCO-listed square.

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Attraction

2. Swayambhunath

Buddhist stupaSwayambhu

An ancient hilltop stupa west of central Kathmandu, painted with the eyes of the Buddha and known as the Monkey Temple for the troops living around it.

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Attraction

3. Boudhanath Stupa

Buddhist stupaBoudha

The largest stupa in the Kathmandu Valley, a centre of Tibetan Buddhist life ringed by monasteries, prayer wheels, guesthouses and restaurants east of the city.

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Attraction

4. Pashupatinath Temple

Hindu temple complexGaushala

Nepal's most revered Hindu temple, a gilded pagoda to Shiva on the Bagmati River with cremation ghats, shrines and an evening aarti open to all.

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Attraction

5. Patan Durbar Square

Royal palace square and templesPatan

The Malla royal square of Patan, lined with stone and pagoda temples such as the Krishna Mandir and home to one of Nepal's finest museums.

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Attraction

6. Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Royal palace square and templesBhaktapur

The former royal square of the Kingdom of Bhaktapur, 12 km east of Kathmandu, with the 55 Window Palace, the Golden Gate and the five-storey Nyatapola nearby.

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Attraction

7. Patan Museum

Art museumPatan

A museum of Hindu and Buddhist bronzes and metalwork set in a restored Malla palace courtyard on Patan Durbar Square.

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Attraction

8. Garden of Dreams

Historic gardenKaiser Mahal

A restored 1920 neo-classical garden at the edge of Thamel, with pavilions, ponds and lawns that offer a quiet break from the city traffic.

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Attraction

9. Narayanhiti Palace Museum

Royal palace museumDurbar Marg

The former royal palace of Nepal's Shah kings, opened as a museum after the end of the monarchy, with state rooms kept as the royal family left them.

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Attraction

10. Changu Narayan Temple

Hindu templeChangunarayan

One of the oldest Hindu temples in Nepal, a hilltop shrine to Vishnu east of Kathmandu with Licchavi-era stone sculpture and a 5th-century inscription.

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