Neighbourhood · Kathmandu
Patan sits across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu — technically a separate city, with its own Durbar Square that many travellers find more intimate and less visited than Kathmandu's. The Patan Museum inside the old palace is the finest of its kind in Nepal. The streets around the square are lined with medieval courtyard temples in a density that makes it hard to concentrate. Quieter than Thamel, without the trekking-gear shops and the 3am tourist bars. For travellers who want a more considered Nepal base with genuine artistic heritage rather than logistics infrastructure, Patan rewards the 20-minute taxi ride with a different, slower and more beautiful version of the valley.
1 hotel within walking distance of Patan, in the heart of Kathmandu, with nightly rates around £70, including 1 property rated 4 stars or higher. The closest is Vivanta Kathmandu, about 1836m from the centre of the neighbourhood.
