Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu Durbar Square is the oldest of the three royal squares in the valley, a linked set of open spaces packed with tiered pagoda temples, stone sculpture and the Hanuman Dhoka palace with its courtyards, and it remains a working part of the old city rather than an enclosure: traders sit on the plinths, motorcycles cut through, and the Kumari Ghar on the south side still houses the living goddess, who appears at a window on certain days. The 2015 earthquake did severe damage here, bringing down the Kasthamandap, the Maju Deval and other structures, and reconstruction has been slow and contested; several temples are rebuilt, others are scaffolded or still absent. It is part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage inscription.

What you actually see

• Hanuman Dhoka - the old palace and its courtyards.
• Kumari Ghar - the house of the living goddess with its carved windows.
• The temple plinths - the tiered pagodas around the open squares.
• Reconstruction work - the rebuilt and still-missing structures from 2015.

When to go

October to April for the weather. Indra Jatra in September fills the square with chariot processions and masked dance. Early morning is the calmest and best for photographs.

Honest expectations

Earthquake reconstruction is incomplete and parts of the square are building sites. The entry fee is substantial and applies to foreigners only. Traffic, noise and touts are constant. The Kumari appears only briefly and on her own schedule.

Nearby

Patan and Bhaktapur durbar squares lie across the valley.