Three old royal cities, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, and the temples and stupas around them. Seven of the valley's monument zones together form one UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1979.
Altitude: 1,400 m · Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec
Getting there
International flights land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Patan is just south of Kathmandu across the Bagmati River; Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan are to the east, about 12 km for Changu Narayan.
Sites and entry fees
Fees are per person, in Nepali rupees, as published by the bodies that collect them.
Kathmandu Durbar Square: NPR 1,000 (SAARC nationals: NPR 500). The old royal palace square (Hanuman Dhoka) in central Kathmandu. Several temples, including Kasthamandap, fell in the 2015 earthquake. The ticket includes the Tribhuvan Museum; under-10s go free.
Patan Durbar Square: NPR 1,000 (SAARC nationals: NPR 500). The royal square of Patan (Lalitpur), with the Patan Museum and the 1667 Krishna Mandir. The ticket includes the museum.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square: NPR 2,000 (SAARC nationals: NPR 500). The square of the old Newar city of Bhaktapur, around the Palace of Fifty-five Windows. The fee has risen several times since 2023.
Swayambhunath: NPR 200 (SAARC nationals: NPR 50). A hilltop stupa west of the city, known as the Monkey Temple. Entry is free for everyone on Buddha Jayanti.
Boudhanath: NPR 400 (SAARC nationals: NPR 100). One of the largest stupas in the world, at the heart of a Tibetan community in north-east Kathmandu.
Pashupatinath: NPR 1,000. Nepal's most important Hindu temple, to Shiva, on the Bagmati River. Open 4 am to 9 pm. Indian and Nepali nationals enter free; non-Hindus can't enter the main temple.
Changu Narayan: NPR 400 (SAARC nationals: NPR 300). A hilltop Vishnu temple east of Bhaktapur, one of the oldest Hindu temples in Nepal.
Fees change; check the official source before you go. Fees and rules checked on 2026-11-02.
Know before you go
Fees are per person and per visit; keep your ticket, as it is checked inside the squares. At Pashupatinath, only Hindus may enter the main temple; others can watch from the ghats and the far bank. Cremations take place in the open there, so be discreet with cameras. October to December has the clearest skies; June to September is the monsoon.
Sources disagree
Bhaktapur Durbar Square, foreigners: NPR 2,000 (The Rising Nepal, July 2025); NPR 1,800 (Nepal Tourism Board (undated))
General guidance from the sources listed, not a guarantee. Rules, fees and trail conditions change; confirm with the official source or a registered trekking agency before you go.