Bhaktapur and Patan in One Day: How the Tour Runs and What It Costs (2027)

Last updated 16 October 2026.

Short answer: Our Bhaktapur and Patan Durbar Square Day Tour takes you from your Kathmandu hotel to Patan Durbar Square and the Patan Museum in the morning, then to Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Nyatapola and the potters' square, and back to your hotel in the late afternoon. For two to four people it costs USD 155 per person on Budget, USD 200 on Standard and USD 240 on Luxury, with both entry fees included. It suits visitors with one day who want the two old Newar cities near Kathmandu.

I am Shreejan. When someone has one free day in Kathmandu and asks me which squares to see, these are the two I send them to. Patan is the city of artisans, with a museum I would not skip. Bhaktapur is quieter and more medieval, a place where you watch people working. Here is how the day runs and what it costs.

How does the day run?

The three to four hours for Patan are my own estimate from guiding groups, not a published figure. Traffic decides the drive times, so I do not promise exact minutes. If you want to sit and watch rather than see both cities, choose one and ask me for a different plan.

What will you see in Patan?

Patan Durbar Square is one of the seven monument zones of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site. You have palace courtyards, temples in stone and brick, and craft streets a few minutes from the square. The Patan Museum, in a restored wing of the palace, is the reason I would never do Patan in half an hour. More is in our Patan guide.

What will you see in Bhaktapur?

Bhaktapur feels slower. You walk from the Durbar Square to the five-storey Nyatapola temple and on to the potters' square, where clay is still shaped and dried in the open. Some buildings are still being restored after the 2015 earthquake, so part of a square may be screened off. For more time in Bhaktapur, read our Bhaktapur day trip guide.

What does it cost?

Prices are per person, read from our booking system on 16 October 2026. The full price list is on the trip page.

Budget gives you a private car or van from your hotel, a licensed English-speaking heritage guide, both entry fees and bottled water; lunch is your own. Standard adds lunch with tea or coffee at a good local restaurant, and a guide who speaks your language where we have one. Luxury gives you an air-conditioned private vehicle, a specialist heritage guide and lunch with all soft drinks.

Not included: any temple that charges at the gate, such as the Golden Temple, donations, your Kathmandu hotel, insurance, tips and shopping.

Which entry fees are in the price?

These are the Nepal Tourism Board figures. Both are included on every tier.

When is the best time to go?

What should you wear?

Comfortable shoes for cobbles and steep temple steps, and clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. Shoes come off at some entrances, so slip-ons help. There is no altitude risk: the valley sits at about 1,400 m.

What insurance do you need?

Your policy should cover medical care. Buy it at home before you travel. We do not recommend insurance bought in Nepal.

Questions people ask

Can you see Bhaktapur and Patan in one day? Yes, at a steady pace. You get three to four hours in Patan and the afternoon in Bhaktapur.

How much are the entry fees? Patan is NPR 1,000 with the museum and Bhaktapur is NPR 1,800 for foreign visitors. Both are in our price.

Is Changunarayan included? No, to keep the day unhurried. Take our Bhaktapur and Changunarayan Day Tour if you want the hilltop temple.

What about Bungamati and Khokana? They are on our Patan, Bungamati and Khokana Day Tour. Read the Newar villages guide.

I want all seven heritage sites. Our UNESCO World Heritage Site tour covers them.

Can I book at short notice? Message me with the date and I will check a guide and vehicle for you.

What are the booking terms?

Group size is 1 to 20, and solo travellers are welcome; a solo price covers the whole cost for one person, so it is higher per person. The deposit is 10 per cent. It is non-refundable and there is no refund if you cancel, but you can move your trip free of charge to any date within one year with at least 72 hours notice. If we cannot run the trip ourselves, we refund what you paid, less taxes, bank or card charges and any money already spent, such as permits and flights. The balance is paid when you arrive, in US dollars or euros, cash or card. Card carries a 3.5 per cent bank charge and cash carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign guests.

How do you plan this with us?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates and how many of you there are. I will check the dates and send you the exact quote.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.