The short answer
Half a day for Patan, and half to a whole day for Bhaktapur. Staying one night in Bhaktapur is the quiet luxury: you get the brick lanes to yourself once the day trippers leave.
Key facts
- Patan
- 3 to 4 hours with the museum
- Bhaktapur
- 4 to 6 hours, with Pottery Square
- Changu Narayan
- 1 to 2 hours extra
- Both together
- One long day or two shorter ones
How it works
- Patan first, 3 to 4 hoursStart at the Durbar Square, spend an hour in the Patan Museum, then walk to the Golden Temple and a metalworker in the lanes behind it.
- Bhaktapur next, 4 to 6 hoursEnter by the Taumadhi square, climb the steps of the five-tier Nyatapola, cross to Pottery Square and finish with juju dhau.
- Changu Narayan if you have the legsAn old Vishnu temple on a ridge above Bhaktapur. A 30-minute drive, or a downhill walk if you start from Nagarkot.
Insider tip
The second morning in Bhaktapur is when it feels like a living town rather than a monument.
Avoid this
Do not squeeze both towns and Nagarkot into a single day; you will remember traffic, not temples.
Related questions
Can I do both in a single day?
Yes, with a car, starting by 8 am. Plan lunch in Bhaktapur and keep the afternoon loose for the pottery square.
Which one in the morning?
Bhaktapur. Tour groups arrive late morning, and the early light on the brickwork is the reason to go.
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