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 Many of the ancient temples and structures were severely damaged in the 2015 earthquake, and when we visited again in 2019, the area resembled more of a construction site than a world heritage site. That being said, positive restoration work is being done, and it won’t be long before this area is back to its former glory.

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 Kumari Ghar | Home of the Kumari, a girl selected to be the town’s living goddess, and symbol of Devi, Hinduism’s concept of female spiritual energy. It’s unlikely you’ll see the Kumari (if you do, you’re very lucky!), but do check out the small courtyard, with beautiful carved wooden balconies and windows

Kal Bhairav | A colourful stone image of Bhairav, representing the deity Shiva in his destructive manifestation. Great for watching locals performing religious practices

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 Jagannath Temple | The oldest and most beautiful structure in the complex, and most famous for its erotic carvings. Dates back to 1563

Hanuman Dhoka | The former Royal Palace, hit hard by the 2015 earthquake. You can walk into the courtyard, and see the Hanuman statue at the main entrance

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 The most impressive parts of the square are indeed the pagodas, which feature traditional Newari wooden carvings, some of which date back to the 16th century. Unfortunately, the majority of the glorious structures Mark saw on his first visit to Nepal in 2013 no longer remain, or are under reconstruction, but there’s still a lot of interesting sites to see. These include:

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 And best of all, it’s it super accessible, situated in central Kathmandu, just a 10 minute walk from the tourist hub of Thamel.

The UNESCO World Heritage listed Kathmandu Durbar Square is a stunning series of former beautiful temples and shrines, both Hindu and Buddhist, former royal palaces, courtyards, statues and ponds.

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 In the unified Nepal of today, each Durbar Square is made up of temples, idols, statues, open courts and fountains along with other structures. They are the perfect place to admire ancient Nepali architecture, Newari wood carvings and historic traditions. Oh, and it’s a great place to people watch.

Kathmandu Durbar Square might have suffered more from 2015 earthquake than most Kathmandu tourist sites, but it’s still an essential stop on any self respecting travellers 'what to do in Nepal' checklist.

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Explore The Kathmandu Valley’s Ancient Durbar Squares

No visit to Kathmandu would be complete without visiting the incredible UNESCO World Heritage listed Durbar squares of Kathmandu.

Going back in history, Nepal was actually split into three main kingdoms - Basantapur (Kathmandu), Bhaktapur, and Patan, each of which had a royal palace and surrounding Durbar squares located in the Kathmandu Valley.

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