Durbar Square and the old bazaar on foot

Kathmandu Durbar Square, also known as Hanuman Dhoka after the statue of the monkey god at the palace gate, was the seat of the Malla and then the Shah kings until the late 19th century. It holds dozens of temples in brick and timber, including the tall Taleju temple, as well as the old palace, now a museum. The 2015 earthquake brought down several buildings, and the rebuilding has used traditional materials and hand-carved timber. Our guide shows you which struts and windows are original and which are new.

On the south side is Kumari Ghar, an 18th-century house with finely carved windows and home of the Kumari, a young girl chosen from the Newar Shakya community and worshipped as a living goddess until she reaches puberty. Visitors may enter the courtyard, and at certain times the Kumari appears briefly at an upper window. Photographs of her are not allowed. Each September she is carried through the old city in a chariot during Indra Jatra, the most important festival of old Kathmandu.

From the square we walk north through Indra Chowk and on to Asan, the old trading crossroads. Stalls sell brass pots, glass beads, pashmina, spices, dried fish and temple offerings, and small pagoda shrines stand in the middle of the street. Motorbikes share the lanes, so we walk at an easy pace with the guide in front. The walk ends near Asan, where the car collects you. A foreign visitor fee applies at Durbar Square; check current status before you travel.