The Panauti Bhaktapur Day Tour is a full day trip that takes you to some of the oldest towns of the Kathmandu Valley. This tour is specially designed for those that want to immerse themselves in the ancient Newari culture. With this tour, visitors get to explore the city of Bhaktapur and the village of Panauti in a single day. The journey starts with a sightseeing at Panauti village, which is a historical Newari town located 32 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu. In the past, Panuati was a significant trading center. It hasown royal palace and an array of Buddhist and Hindu religious monuments. Through this trip, visitors get to explore some of the most famous temples in the town. After Panauti, the trip takes visitors to explore Bhaktapur Durbar Square which is another major tourist attraction of the region. The square is filled with ancient temples, wood carvings, monuments, and statues which are some of the finest displays of craftsmanship.
Being a significant trading centre in the past, Panauti has many temples and marvels dating back almost a thousand years and even earlier.
Stop At: Indreshwar Temple
Indreshwar Temple is one of the largest and tallest pagoda style temples in Nepal. It was built in the 13th century. The temple is surrounded by a massive courtyard which is full of sculptures. It is situtaed between the Roshi and Pungamati rivers. The temple is a superb piece of Newari architecture.
Stop At: Brahmayani Temple
Brahmayani Temple is another significantshrinebuilt in the 17th century dedicated to Goddess Brahmayani. The three-storeyedBrahmayani Temple is reached after crossing one of the two pedestrian bridges situated at the northern bank of the Pungamati River.
Bhaktapur is one of three medieval city-states in the Kathmandu Valley. It is described as the one retaining most of its classical form. It is unfortunate that the 2015 earthquake caused terrible damage, there is still a lot to see. Once there you get to see a unique aspect of Nepali life that still resembles the past.
Stop at Bhaktapur Durbar Square
The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and once home to the Royals who ruled over the ancient city. The complex consists of four different squares – Taumadhi Square, Durbar Square, Pottery Square and Dattatreya Square. Many of the temples and palaces were built is a span of several centuries. Rulers from the three medieval city-states of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur all tried to one-up each other by building the finest of the finest temples and monuments. This is showcased in the beautiful marvels of the square. It is a huge display of traditional Newari architecture.
Stop At: Nyatapola Temple
Nyatapola Temple is a famous pagoda-style five storeyed temple, thus, it is also known as one of the tallest pagodas in Nepal.
Stop At: 55 Windows Palace
One of the many attractions of Patan, 55 Windowed Palace is a stunning structure located in Durbar Squre. It derives its name from its beautifully carved fifty-five windows. This palace is constructed around several courtyards each linked together. One of the major attractions of the palace is its entrance gate aka The Golden Gate.
Stop At: The Lion Gate
Located inside the Durbar Square is the 17th century gate called the Lion Gate. The gate has two large lion statues placed on either side. It also consists of stone sculptures of Lord Bhairav and Goddess Ugrachandi.
Stop At: Dattatreya Temple
The Dattatreya temple is located in Dattatreya Square in Bhaktapur. According to legend, the temple was built using timber from a single tree in 1427. The temple is dedicated to the dietyDattatreya, the temple is home to three idols of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.