The Seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley

Here's something most people don't realise: the whole Kathmandu Valley is one UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was added to the list in 1979, and it's made up of seven separate monument zones. Three are the palace squares of the old Newar kingdoms, two are Buddhist stupas and two are Hindu temples. Better still, all seven sit within about 20 km of each other, so you can see the lot in two days.

The seven monument zones

• Kathmandu Durbar Square: the old royal palace of Hanuman Dhoka, the Taleju temple and the home of the Kumari.
• Patan Durbar Square: the palace and temples of Lalitpur, with the stone Krishna Mandir and the brilliant Patan Museum.
• Bhaktapur Durbar Square: the best preserved of the three old cities, and home to the five-tiered Nyatapola.
• Swayambhunath: the hilltop stupa west of the city, better known to visitors as the Monkey Temple.
• Boudhanath: the great white stupa at the centre of Kathmandu's Tibetan community.
• Pashupatinath: Nepal's holiest Shiva temple, on the banks of the Bagmati.
• Changu Narayan: the oldest temple in the valley, on a quiet ridge east of Bhaktapur.

Entrance fees for foreign visitors

These are the fees for foreign nationals, paid in Nepali rupees at each site. Visitors from SAARC countries pay less, and children under 10 usually go in free.

• Kathmandu Durbar Square: NPR 1,000
• Patan Durbar Square: NPR 1,000
• Bhaktapur Durbar Square: NPR 1,800
• Swayambhunath: NPR 200
• Boudhanath: NPR 400
• Pashupatinath: NPR 1,000
• Changu Narayan: NPR 300

Fees do change from time to time, so it's worth carrying a little more cash than the list adds up to. And hang on to your ticket! In the three Durbar Squares it gets checked at several entrances.

How many days do you need?

One full day covers the four sites inside Kathmandu: Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and Kathmandu Durbar Square. A second day takes in Patan, Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan. Our two-day tour of all seven sites does exactly that, and if you're short on time, the one-day city tour covers the first four.

After the 2015 earthquake

The April 2015 earthquake damaged many of the monuments, especially in the Durbar Squares. Luckily, most have now been rebuilt by hand, using traditional brick, timber and building methods, including Kasthamandap in Kathmandu and the temples of Patan and Bhaktapur. A few buildings are still being repaired, and your guide will happily show you the work in progress.