Bhaktapur (Before 2015 earthquake)
Note: After the 2015 earthquake most of the sights may have disappeared
Overview
Bhaktapur is one of the cities in the Kathmandu Valley and probably it is the most beautiful one and the one you should visit if you are short of time. Same as all the important cities in Nepal, it has its Durbar Square (a really nice one) and in addition you find the Pottery Square, in which hundreds of handmade pottery items are being made and on display.
Note that there is an entrance fee to the Old Town of 850 rupees. In order to sneak in, you have to enter the city from the closest alley to Pottery Square. From where the bus drops you, you have to walk towards your left and take an alley to the left. You should get to Pottery Square and from there you won't be asked for your ticket unless you accidentally go "off limits".
Note that there is an entrance fee to the Old Town of 850 rupees. In order to sneak in, you have to enter the city from the closest alley to Pottery Square. From where the bus drops you, you have to walk towards your left and take an alley to the left. You should get to Pottery Square and from there you won't be asked for your ticket unless you accidentally go "off limits".
Sightseeing
- Durbar Square: Same as the other Durbar Squares, Bhaktapur's is filled with Temples. It is smaller than Kathmadu's but bigger than Patan's and , as usual, it is really nice to have a walk in it. Not so crowded as Kathmandu's.
-Pottery Square: Probably the best sight of Bhaktapur. It is a small square literally filled up with pottery jars, mainly brown and black. you can see them all on display and even how they are being made. Don't miss it!
-Small Pottery Square: It is another pottery square smaller than the main one but likewise beautiful. It is hidden and accessible from a narrow alley, just look for a sign pointing at "pottery square".
-Dattatreya Square: The most important square after Durbar. It has also temples in adition to restaurants and cafés. Really reccomendable.
-Old Town: As usual, walk around it, get lost... but be careful not to go out of the Old Town if you don't have your ticket. Getting back again can be tricky! Especially reccomended is the walk from Durbar Square to Dattatreya Square.
-Pottery Square: Probably the best sight of Bhaktapur. It is a small square literally filled up with pottery jars, mainly brown and black. you can see them all on display and even how they are being made. Don't miss it!
-Small Pottery Square: It is another pottery square smaller than the main one but likewise beautiful. It is hidden and accessible from a narrow alley, just look for a sign pointing at "pottery square".
-Dattatreya Square: The most important square after Durbar. It has also temples in adition to restaurants and cafés. Really reccomendable.
-Old Town: As usual, walk around it, get lost... but be careful not to go out of the Old Town if you don't have your ticket. Getting back again can be tricky! Especially reccomended is the walk from Durbar Square to Dattatreya Square.
Accomodation
It is possible to stay overnight in Bhaktapur, although it makes for a good day trip from Kathmandu, so we didn't spend there the night.
Food & Drink
You have a lot of eating options all over the Old Town, basically Nepali kitchen. In Dattatreya Square you have some Western kitchen choice and some restaurants with a really nice rooftop view of the square.
Transportation
Bhaktapur is 40 minutes away by bus from Kathmandu. Go to Ratna Park and there you have buses every 20 minutes or so. The fare is 40 rupees.
Safety
The usual stray dogs can be annoying. Other than that, just be sure not to get "off limits" once you have sneaked in the city. In Bhaktapur there are a lot of ticket counters and it is not that easy to avoid them, only entering the city through Pottery Square.
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