The Bagmati River is the only thing that divides Patan from Kathmandu; but at one time these were separate kingdoms.Patan Durbar Square is one of seven UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley. Locals often refer to Patan by its Sanskrit name, 'Lalitpur', which means 'city of beauty', a fitting name as Patan is a hub of Buddhist and Hindu culture, full of religious art, temples, and monasteries. Patan Durbar Square holds the greatest concentration of Newari architecture anywhere in the valley. In the fascinating narrow streets surrounding the square, there are more than 600 stupas. The Patan Museum is the restored palace of the 17th century Malla Kings and houses bronze statues and religious objects, some dating back to the 11th century. The gilded doors and windows open to the Krishna Mandir Temple which was built by King Siddhi Narasigh Malla in 1637 and is still in use. The temple has three floors and 21 golden pinnacles. The first floor enshrines Krishna, the second Shiva, and the third Lokeshwor.

Bhaktapur is an ancient Newari town about 12km east of Kathmandu. Founded in the 12th century, Bhaktapur rose to be the greatest of the Malla Kingdoms in the 15th century. Today it's Nepal's third largest city and famous for culture, temples and craft work. Bhaktapur literally translates to 'City of Devotees', and lives up to this name as it has more temples than either Kathmandu or Patan. Bhaktapur is like a living museum. It is a pleasant place to walk as the cobbled streets are free of traffic and full of temples, courtyards, squares, wells and courtyards. Tradition is alive in Bhaktapur; you can watch craftsmen producing their century old arts of pottery and wood carving. It's a great place to buy souvenirs to take home. The old ways of life can be seen on every corner of the town - rice being sun dried, collecting water from communal taps. Bhaktapur Durbar Square is famous for the 55-Window Palace, which served as the seat of royalty prior to 1769. The windows and doors are elaborately carved and houses The National Art Gallery, with Buddhist Paubha scroll paintings, palm leaf manuscripts, and stone carvings. The Golden Gate of the palace opens onto the Taleju Temple, built in 1756, and the bell which has been rung to pay homage to the Goddess Taleju for centuries, and the Royal Bath, with its Golden Faucet. The five-storey Nyatapola Temple is the tallest pagoda temple in Nepal. Dedicated to the Goddess Lakshmi in 1702, its struts, doors, windows, and tympanums are decorated with carvings of divine figures, including a pair of two- meter high stone statues of elephants, lions, griffons and a pair of tantric goddesses.