Among the three major cities of the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur and Patan are important places for day tour. Bhaktapur is the living representation of how the entire Kathmandu Valley would have looked like during the medieval periods. Patan or Lalitpur is a city of arts and crafts, beauty and grace and ofcourse Durbar Square.
Bhaktapur is located at 14 km east of Kathmandu. Bhaktapur mean “the city of Devotees”. The city was once the capital of Nepal during the great Malla Kingdom from the 12th to the 15th century. Bhaktapur World Heritage site is a home to Traditional art and architecture, history, pottery and weaving industries, rich local customs and culture, and the every-day life of Bhaktapur people. All that and more will have you visit this untouched ancient city more than once! Nepal’s Malla dynasty’s achievements in arts and crafts are reflected throughout the Bhaktapur city. Bhaktapur is also known by woodcarving artists, for its cap known as BhadgaonTopi, and for its curd known by local Nepalese as `Juju Dhau’. Tourist can see the traditional home and temple, busy local markets, making clay-pots by women, drying crops and vegetable products.
Patan is merely 5 km away from the capital city, Kathmandu. Patan is a city of 55 major temples, 136 Buddhist monasteries, fine metal works, and countless festivals.
Lalitpur, the word Lalitpur consists of two words, ‘Lalit’ and ‘Pur’ which means ‘Arts’ and ‘City’ respectively. It is a city of arts, beauty and grace and is planned on a circular format with Buddhist Stupa at each of the four points of the compass. Like Kathmandu, its most photogenic center of attraction is its Durbar Square complex. The city is full of Buddhist monuments and Hindu temples, different guardian deities and wonderful carvings. This city is popular for craftsmanship.